Grateful Heart Monday - Mika

As you may have read, I spent weekend before last in the Bay Area visiting my sister and her family. 

My sister is 15 years older than me and got married when I was 9. I would spend 2-3 weeks at a time visiting her and her husband all during my middle and high school years. Her husband is a great guy and very good with kids. They had my eldest niece Mika when I was 17 and I was able to spend the first few of months of her life with her (since I graduated high school a month after she was born).

Mika was my princess for nearly 3 years before my other nieces were born (the next two were born 3 months apart, one is Mika’s little sister, and the other my brothers’ daughter). I feel like I have  a special connection with her. She’s 12 now and she is becoming a full blown teenager. I feel like kids are much older these days. 

I love all my nieces dearly and equally, but I think that the few months I spent with Mika gave us a special bond. Now it’s grown because of our common love for the Backstreet Boys. I didn’t even do it! She, on her own, began to listen to them and began loving them just like I did when I was about a year older than she is now. It was nice to spend the weekend listening to their albums and watching videos on YouTube. 

As I boarded the plane to go home I got a text from her saying she wished I was sitting with her watching videos right that moment. On Sunday night she hugged me and called me her best friend. I felt all the feelings right then. 

We spent a big part of the weekend getting ready for my younger nieces’ birthday party. She had a few friends over and they played, watched movies, and ate ice cream. We tried to go bowling but the place was packed and didn’t have lanes available (oh well). We went to a local ice cream parlor right before our flight home to enjoy some sundaes - a tradition of theirs. 

It was a very nice trip. The girls had been coming to spend a week or two with us over their vacations and it was nice. I used to be a teacher so I had the same breaks so I could take them to do different things. Now that I don’t get extended breaks it has become harder, and now that I’m married it will be even harder than ever. As we were leaving Mika asked her dad if they could come spend spring break with us, we’ll see if that happens or not . 

I’m glad I got to spend the weekend with the girls (oh, and I guess my sister and brother-in-law as well). 

Grateful Heart Monday - Camila's Birthday!

Today is my youngest nieces’ 10^th Birthday!

TEN?

How did the time go by so fast? I still remember her pudgy little legs wiggling around in my arms.

Camila is a very sweet girl who is always looking for a way to be helpful to anyone around her. That’s not to say that she doesn’t have an attitude sometimes (she’s 10 after all) but she will bring you something if you’re too lazy to get up, and she’ll cook you dinner if you ask nicely.

So I dedicate today’s Grateful Heart to her:

I was lucky enough to be able to fly up to spend the weekend with her, her older sister Mika, and my sister and brother in law (and my dad, he came too).

I can always count on Camila to send me sweet messages on Facebook telling me she loves me and misses me or asking when we’ll see each other again (it’s an hour flight but a 5-6 hour drive from my house to hers).

When she was younger I got to spend more time with her. I had summer vacations that allowed me to go visit. I also spent 8 of 10 Christmases with her (and the family).

I am so grateful for having her in my life. She makes me a better person by showing me her love and kindness.