Bella Farm

We spent the weekend at my uncle's country getaway... appropriately named Bella Farm as it is a beautiful piece of earth in any of the four seasons.  This was our first time experiencing Bella in full on summer.  And Bella definitely lives up to her name...

This is what my family does.  We get together.  We congregate.  We mingle.  We talk. We catch up with each others lives.  We laugh at the funny parts and comfort each other through the sad parts. 

I love, love, LOVE  that girls get to experience these family gatherings just like I did.  They are learning that there is always room for one more, that everyone is welcome... that family is important.  No matter your age, you are valued.  Babies are passed around and cousins build their relationships.  We listen to stories about the old days and find out what everyone is up to lately.  We sit around campfires and converse with whoever is sitting next to us.  And you can look across the crackling fire pit and see Al chatting it up with Auntie Cookie and you smile because despite the generation gap they have something in common...they are apart of the same loving family.

These family get togethers have been happening my entire life.  It is how I was raised...with the with hope that if you can make it, great, and it you can't we understand.  Because no one ever opts out because they don't want to be there... only because of circumstance. And how is it that these family gatherings continue to grow and survive and be on everyone's list of where they want to be? 

Simply put by Auntie Katie... "We are stronger together than we are apart."

I think she's right.

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Oh...and last night after we arrived home sweet home, I tucked Callie into bed and I asked her what was her favorite part of the weekend.  And the winner...

Good night.