First things first...
Meet "The Aunts"...
These are my dad's sisters. June is in the middle, Eva on the left and Dottie on the right. I love this picture of them in the kitchen. They are all incredibly wonderful cooks. Incredibly wonderful people. As different as they can be, but they love and adore each other. It is very difficult to sum up such beautiful women. Have you ever been around someone who makes you feel great for the rest of the day? The kind words that they say and the loving way they treat you just lifts you up and makes you feel like there isn't anything you can face that would make you lose that security? Gracious. They are so very gracious. I can't say that I have ever seen the closeness that these three share anywhere else. They compliment and pet on each other. They humor each other and talk often. But to tell you the truth, that's the way they are with everyone. And I got to spend a week with all three of them. How cool is that? We stayed with my Aunt June, and the kids took turns with all three aunts. Aunt June wouldn't let me cook or clean or do laundry. We'd sleep in and then she'd fix breakfast. We'd go to the beach and spend the whole day. Come home in time to clean up and have a delicious dinner that all three of the sister's had fixed. Everyday, all week. On our last night there, they finally relented and allowed me to make the dinner rolls. When I'd try to help out, they'd shoo me off and say, "You're on vacation!" It made me realize that maybe I haven't had a real vacation in 20 years! giggle. It was like a spa getaway and I came home actually feeling pretty rested. Imagine that. According to the children, they each received the same royal treatment when they'd sleep over at the the other Aunts. Aunt Eva kept trying to keep them all and the other aunts would have to firmly insist that they wanted some kids, too. DH says that we've never had people fighting over who gets to keep us! Wednesday, they took me and my friend Lindsay out to lunch. A girls' lunch out! Oh, wonderful. To sit at a waterfront restaurant (Aunt Catfish's- I thought that was a funny and appropriate name!) surrounded by these wonderful women. All laughing and sharing stories. Yes, Sarah, I had the shrimp. They are all great with the children and the children really loved being there. They could write a book about love and treating people with such generosity. You just don't get to experience that often these days and I know how blessed I am to be in such a wonderful family.