from a to v: another fun weekend!

today is my mom's birthday, and almost my whole family (that lives on this side of the atlantic) was at my parents' house to celebrate this past weekend. i met my two-month-old niece for the first time, and i'm completely smitten. i fed her and rocked her to sleep one night, and she's really cuddly and doesn't mind strangers at all. the best thing is that she's...well, chill. she didn't fuss or cry at all. she just looked around the room, hung out in people's laps and arms, smiled once in a while, and we even got a little laugh out of her. my other sister's kids were as energetic and entertaining as usual. my niece even gave my mom a dance recital (please keep in mind that this was not a rehearsed performance...it was definitely spur of the moment dancing to the only music we could find...dutch music. yes there is such a thing). my oldest nephew helped my dad grill hamburgers and steak, and my youngest nephew kept us in stitches when he kept opening the card i gave my mom that made noise AND lit up when it was opened. i love weekends like that when my whole family is home. it's loud, crazy, crowded, disorganized, sometimes frantic, and always fun. it's hard to remember the last time when it was just the five of us - mom, dad, my two sisters, and me. now my sisters will always come with families of their own. but as i was leaving last night when all of the little ones were in bed, it was just the five of us hanging out under the carport huddled together trying to keep warm as we said our goodbyes (these are long events in my family that include multiple hugs and standing in the driveway waving until the car is out of sight). i think i was the only one who realized that it was just the five of us, but it was really special to me. i love love love love LOVE my extended family and can't imagine not having them, but the five of us were the first ones in my entire huge family (i'm talking 26 first cousins alone, not including the ones by marriage) in the united states and are therefore extremely close. so when it's just us, i notice it and appreciate it. and not just because it's quieter...but that is a bonus.