After picking up Bob’s MEGA cab (he has missed his favorite ever truck) at the kids’ house, we started the two-day journey to McConnells’s in South Carolina. Lisa, Bob’s younger sister, and her husband Brad have an absolutely beautiful home on large acreage in the country and that will be our stop for the next couple of weeks. We have a family reunion set for the three siblings, with Ralph - the youngest - and his wife Carol coming up from Miami for a long weekend over Thanksgiving. Brad’s sister Wendy will also be joining us for a visit from Ohio, and it is always so nice to see her.
Back when we had the two businesses and Bob a full-time job, there wasn’t much time for lingering moments with family, just being in each other’s company with no words needed. Now that we have the freedom of time we are fortunate to be able to travel for these reunions. This is the fourth year in a row that all three siblings have been able to get together. The first was for packing up 50+ years of their parents’ home and history in Brunswick. It was an emotional time, but one that brought their bonds back together. The next year was the joyful wedding of our niece Greer and Jarrett, and then the following year for an early Thanksgiving with Sara and the boys being able to join us also. That year we also celebrated the upcoming arrival of Finnegan, Lisa and Brad’s 1st Grandchild and this year we got to enjoy his joyful personality and watch as the new parents, Greer and Jarrett, make their way down the ever-challenging path of parenthood. They are doing a wonderful job.
My days are spent as they always are here, enjoying the peace and quiet of this little part of the world. The pine trees sway in the wind and the cool days make for relaxing walks through the now cleared cotton fields. We are only here for a few days more, and I am anxiously awaiting getting back to the kids’ house in Belle Chasse. But for now, I am enjoying the peace and quiet - and the bonds of family.
