full circle (dette's post)

borrowed from cousin bernadette's blog, figured i'd tag on to what she posted. i love our cousins... bernard, bernadette, and aj came by to visit us (me, mom, asher, & mateo) at mom's house last friday, 3 august. it was sooo sweet of them to come. we used to babysit them when they were youngens'. we had such fond memories of rock river, barbeques, picnics, and daddy dinners at greasy spoons (franksville tacos...mmm). they were only able to sneak a peek at asher because he was sleeping and also slept the whole time they were there. maybe when aj's birthday party comes he'll be older and more awake (pleasantly awake i hope =)).

it was great just sharing memories and making new ones as we watched aj and mateo play with their awesome uncle banard =) (aj's name for bernard). mateo had such a great time we all had to try to calm him down because he started wheezing and getting all sweaty. it was really good, because prior to that mom was trying to put him down for a nap and he wouldn't go down, but as soon as they left, mateo was out like a light. bernadette was such a great encouragement to me, she shared her mothering experiences with me when she had aj and listened to me and encouraged me as i shared my experiences with asher. what i appreciate from bernadette is she's real and tells it like it is. i am soo glad and thankful that bernard and bernadette are in our lives and that they keep in touch. despite the distance bernadette has always trekked out to visit us. hopefully we can continue to make fond memories with each other and especially with our kids.

dearest aj and jasmine, you have such great parents. they are loving, kind, thoughtful, and absolutely wonderful. your uncle banard isn't bad either (*wink, actually he's amazing!). our prayers for you are that you would both know God's perfect plan for your lives and know that your parents love you dearly and want the best for you. we pray that you both would grow into the man and woman God has called you to be and also that you are both loved dearly by sooo many people. do not ever discount the love of your parents and those around you. you both are precious gifts and we are all blessed that you are in our lives.

dearest bernard and bernadette, thank you for the visit. you probably didn't notice how your visit encouraged me. it was sooo sweet of you to come and i am deeply thankful for the love you showed me/us on friday. you both have grown to be such beautiful individuals and i am blessed to know that i am a part of your lives. i am soo proud of you guys! we've had such great memories of growing up and i eagerly await the new ones we'll create with our own kids. i love you guys!