Cousins.

This little image is of a group of cousins that are quite dear to my heart. The story goes like this: my mother-in-law is a wonderful woman, always giving of herself, caring so deeply for others, and so easy to be with. So when it comes time for a gift, it's important to all of us that we do with something that will be meaningful and make her smile. It's also important that it be a separate gift from her Christmas present, since her birthday is December 23rd.

About a week and a half before her birthday, my brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law and Paul and I got the kids together for a snowy photo for Mom H. It was positively FREEZING. And there was not one complaint out of the children, since they knew it was being done as a surprise for their very special Grammy.

We gave her the enlarged, frame print on Christmas Day. It has a humorous little story, though: right before we finished our dinner, Mom mentioned that we needed to make sure to get a snapshot of all of the kids sometime in the evening. We all just kind of went along with her, and Nora pipes up, "Oh! Like we did before?!" I gave her the "shush" look with my widened eyes, and my mother-in-law assumed that Nora was referring to a picture from last year at Christmas. (Whew.) So it was rather enjoyable to give Mom the gift and watch her happiness and surprise upon seeing her adorable grandchildren!

Happy Birthday, Mom! We love you.

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still she will cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsel to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts."

-Washington Irving. author, essayist, historian (1783-1859)