Living so far away from the States has taught me patience and flexibility. I can't always be in all the places I want to be on a given day because I have two small boys and a husband in Germany. The last two years have been the hardest, though; I couldn't toast my brother after he proposed to my soon-to-be-sister-in-law nor could I go to my grandma's funeral, my sister Amy's wedding, or my other sister Kate's graduation from grad school. But, as with most everything in life, these days of missing out have been compensated for by some truly amazing ah-ha moments. Just yesterday I met my brother-in-law of six months for the first time. I couldn't stop smiling; I had been waiting -patiently waiting- to meet him for a half a year and there he was with us yesterday, sitting next to my sister as if the six of us had been meeting up every Thursday for lunch since we were ten. There they were in flesh and blood and it was as though not a day had gone by. Tomorrow, we're meeting up with the rest of the clan to celebrate my other sister's graduation, my grandma's cooking, and my brother's proposal. I do believe that the post-celebration may just very well be the icing on the cake...did I uh mention that my brother-in-law is a bartender and we're going to Italy?? The waiting and being the odd one out on occassion has been and is well worth it; these butterflies just wouldn't feel so good if they came everyday now would they??! Here are some shots from our day out on the town.