The Tide Ebbs and Flows

I'm not sure if I have conveyed the reason we have had the privilege of once again spending time over the bay. We are here for my double first cousin, Dillon's wedding. Therefore, it has been a fun-filled week and a half with family ~ close family and extended family ~ Just so you have an idea of what this entails...

The house we are renting, Sagwah, is filled with close family ~ my family of five, my mother, her mother, my brother and his growing family.


All of the festivities took place at my aunt and uncle's home. Not only did they play host to parties Thursday through Sunday, their house is filled with their three grown children and their own families.


Another aunt shares a condo very nearby with her husband and for the weekend her son and soon to be daughter 'n law.


My paternal grandmother lives in an apartment just up the road.


Various other relatives came from Mobile to partake in the wedding festivities.


If you were around in the spring, I think you know we welcomed baby Sarah into our family. This is my brother and his beautiful bride, Anna's sweet baby. My children are smitten!



So were the cousins... or at least the girls {minus Baylis} ~


I promise, she gave him the idea! You can even ask her daddy.



Sisters catching up...


I don't know about you, but I love my family so much that it can hurt. I truly want to spend time with them, but they sure can drive me crazy and even make me angry probably because I am overly sensitive, desire perfection, and wear my emotions on my sleeve {just to name a few of my faults}. But amid those bumps and bruises are the bonds that make us want to come back for more to create more memories such as these...

Idol worship

turns to silliness
Wedding moments...



Just like the tide emotions ebb and flow yet family remains constant. My Great Uncle Billy and I were talking last night, and he shared some thoughts which I believe are spot on. He has recently turned 90 and become more philosophical than ever. He was talking about people and about relationships and making the point that how we react to situations is a choice. My paraphrase: Unlike the ebb and flow of the tide, we can choose how we respond to our emotions, our fears, our frustrations, and our disappointments. One of his points was that some people choose to hold on to resentment and in my opinion {not what he said} this leads to bitter unhappy folks. Others choose to let go and move on. In all of our relationships, we have a choice whether we see the good things or see the bad things in each other and in those relationships. Believe me in each of us and in every relationship there is plenty of both ~ after all none of us are perfect ~ as hard as we try or as much as we might want to be. So be the bigger person, let go and see the good in life. Learn from those difficulties and frustrations. It makes the ride all the better.