This Weekend and a Sentimental Post on Change

This weekend I'm excited to see 8 of my favorite people - MY FAMILY!

My brother, sis-in-law and Noemie (baby), Adriana, Sebastian, and Caitrin

Me and My Dad at my wedding

My mom, Adriana and Caitrin at my wedding

My parents live about 2 hours away, and my brother, sister-in-law and theirs kids live about 9 hours away, so we only meet up together once or twice a year.

On Friday after work I'll be heading down to my parents to spend the weekend with them. Excited doesn't begin to express how excited I am!  ;)

The choke hold - practiced by oldest siblings for thousands of years...

Me and my brother circa 1985

Sumo Sebastian

As I was starting to write this post, I suddenly thought about change, and about how man kind as a whole is pretty uncomfortable with it.  We like good change - a raise, moving to a bigger house, new friends.  But I can't think of anyone who likes "bad change" - moving away, loss of a friend, new job, etc.  Myself included.

Sometimes I feel like Jo in Little Women who wants nothing to ever change, and tries to stop her sister from marrying John Brooke saying "Why must we marry at all?!? Why can't things just stay as they are?"

If it were up to me I'd have an entire neighborhood to myself in some area of the world (that doesn't exist) where we have a tropical white sand beach down the street, beautiful tree filled mountains behind us, a Target on the corner and a farm about 2 miles away. I'd fill the neighborhood with my family and all my favorite people and no one would ever have to leave and I'd see everyone everyday. 

Well life just doesn't go that way

One of my most favorite pictures of Caitrin ever

Dad and son at the beach

Change happens constantly all day, every day in big ways and small ways.  No matter how much I try I can't run and hide from it.  Especially when it comes to relationships.  People have to move away, or people change and you grow apart or closer together, people marry and have kids....  so many factors that can cause change.

I'm so thankful that with my family and a few close friends, I have a relationship where we pick up right where we left off.  Even if it's been awhile, when we talk on the phone or get together, it's like I just talked to them yesterday.  We have stood the test of time and change and come out on the other side.  Something I've been dealing with the last few weeks (which I won't be sharing on here, sorry charlie) has reminded me that this is RARE, and I should not take it for granted.

Adriana and Noemie last Christmas

Sorry it's so small, but I LOVE the imagination

Jon and Becca - the best siblings ever

I hate that life these days is so busy for man kind as a whole.  I long for a more simple time.  How can I expect to have good friendships if my whole day is full of work and other obligations?  I often find myself wishing we could go back in time to the barter system where everyone did what they were skilled at and traded it for other things, and we all got up early and worked and then spent time with friends and family who all stuck close by because there were no cars.  Yep, definitely feel my inner Jo creeping out here.

Cutest baby girl EVER

Funny faces with Auntie

Noemie last Christmas - love her sweet facial expressions

Anyway, all that to say I have been thinking about change, and now asking God to help me to become more comfortable with it.  I am excited for the day I go to heaven and have my family and friends living in mansions all around me, where we have a tropical beach to our left, mountains to our right, no need for a Target and my Jesus forevermore....