Family Ties

If you live within close driving distance of family or in-laws I'm sure you have found yourself thinking at one time or another "Man, I wish I didn't live so close to them".  Let me tell you, this is a thought you should forever erase from your mind and just be thankful for what you have. For Morgan's mom or my mom or my sister to visit it would require a 6 hour plane ride.  For Morgan's sister to visit it requires a good 7 hour car ride. As you can imagine, we don't see any of them very often - this sucks!

Obviously it sucks to not see your mom and your sibling on holidays, that's a given.  This is something that Morgan and I have pretty much come to terms with, we won't be spending alot of holidays/birthdays with them.  That's just the way it is, gas and plane tickets are just too expensive and there isn't much you can do about that.  Missing holidays together isn't the suckiest part, the suckiest part for me is also the simplest part.  I'm talking about all those everyday times where it would just be nice to have someone to help out.

My beautiful big sister, Jeanette meeting Avrie for the first time. She has only seen her one time since then.

Earlier this week I cleaned out our spare bedroom (well, sort of, at least you can see the bed).  What should have taken an hour or so took all day. Every five minutes I would have to stop - to go figure out who was crying and why, to go change a diaper or help with potty or to make someone a snack.   How nice it would have been to be able to call mom, sis, Bev or Courtney and say hey, can I bring the girls over for the afternoon?  I know that if any of them were here they would have said "Of Course!"  Thats what family is for, to be your last minute, un-planned babysitters.  At least that's how I remember it growing up. 

During one of my mom's visits we went and had our pictures done together.  I guess the next time she is here we need to get one with Piper

Morgan and I can all but forget about getting any kind of date night or alone time.  Sure, we have a great group of friends that would gladly watch one or both of the girls with some majorly advanced planning.  I appreciate that, I really do, but I realize how much work two additional kids can be and I don't want to put that pressure on anyone. If Morgan and I wan't any type of alone time, before we do anything we are out $70 just for daycare.  Add dinner and a movie and its really not that affordable.  Honestly, on those rare occasions when we do get some alone time we are so exhausted that all we want to do is have a little dinner and get to sleep. 

It also sucks that my girls don't get enough time with their aunts, uncle, and grandmas.  Bev hasn't seen Piper since she was a few weeks old, I have only seen my sister once in like 6 years, Morgan's sis in about 7 months and mom since December.  I guess the only good thing about not getting to see them that often is it makes our time together more special and more meaningful when we do get it.  There are no unimportant moments when we are in each others company, all moments are memorable and special.  I understand this, but I what I wouldn't give to be spending so much time with them all that I began to get tired of seeing them.  I'll keep waiting for this day, but I just don't think it will ever get here. 

Avrie, Piper and I making the long trip from Kentucky.  Normally I wouldn't put such an awful picture of myself on the internet, but this one pretty much sums up how I was feeling and how much this journey really sucks!