so we've been in colorado to say good-bye to grandpa the past few days. the trip was long but good. it's been a long time since the whole family has been together like that. the kids have been talking about their cousins constantly. my cousin and her family live in oregon, in a parallel universe. too many similarities to count (except for the fighter pilot thing, the big social calendar and the fact that my cousin is a rocking cook) . i wish they lived much, much closer...and not just for the food :)

at any rate, the whole deal really made me think about family and how much i love mine. they are just good people, all the way around. and plenty of things that are completely endearing. like the way my uncle always wears suspenders. and the way my younger half-brother has slowly morphed into my brother--they talk alike, laugh alike and are really starting to look alike--despite the miles and years that separate them. the way my cousin's husband plays like a kid...just like my husband does. or the way that all of them are so completely nuts about pets. in fact, my brother levi claims that all of his photos have been replaced with shots of the dog, and at christmas, she has more gifts than he does. this stuff makes me laugh, because i know it's true.

yep, family is good. grandpa would have loved this gathering so much, but i know he was there.
i heard his laugh every time i turned around.