Mal and Millie

We are having a fantastic and exhausting (we're doing a big Christmas project, I'll post pics when it's done) time here in Idaho. The girls are LOVING it and Jane has really turned a corner. In June, she ran from Grandpa and cried. Now she's told him she loves him a few times and he's even gotten a few kisses. It's been nice for them all to have the opportunity to get to know my kids and for my kids to have the space to learn to love them.

Here's the classic "let's put the baby cousins on the couch and take a picture" picture. I have one of me and my cousin Scott who was a month younger than me. Although you can't tell from this pic, they were totally checking each other out and smiling and "talking." Mal is amazing, her spirit is so strong and she just speaks volumes through her eyes and it's crazy how keenly she recognizes people. I have really loved getting to know her the last few days.

Family is good.

Also, I read "I'll Love You Forever" today to Jane, even though it was missing a few pages. It was actually a book I bought from a book order (remember those?) when I was in second grade or something. I heard some adults talking about how it made them cry. I remember getting it, reading it, and thinking "big deal." In fact, even at 8 I was critical of the syntax and styling of the refrain:

I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always

as long as I'm living

my baby you'll be.

This time? Totally bawled. But I was still incredulous that the old mom climbs the ladder to her boy's house when he's all grown up. Ask me when my kids grow up if I'll climb a ladder to look at them sleeping at night. Maybe I'll totally bawl then, too.