Better Together

In Treasure in an Oatmeal Box by Ken Gire, a story of a young boy with diverse needs, when he passes away at the end of the book, the mother looks at the dirty fingerprints on cabinets and furniture and wonders how she will ever be able to wipe them away for the last time.

It's been a little bit like that around here: fingerprints and pawprints on windows, chalky handprints on the walls (and toilet seats - I had no qualms about wiping them off!), and Lego all over the living room floor. For almost two weeks we enjoyed time with Son#5 and DIL#5 and The Most Adorable Granddaughters#8 and #9, and for one weekend had twenty-one members of the family in our home at the one time. Yes, it was chaotic at times, and meal-times were big and noisy, and I'd forgotten how much little people eat, but I loved every minute of it.

DH and I had met The Most Adorable Granddaughter#9 when she was born, but this was her first time meeting the rest of the family, and she acted as if she had always known them. I was so impressed with how the younger cousins all took to each other (the older ones got in on the act, too, but obviously they have greater understanding of the family connections and the distance that keeps us apart).

Some of my favourite memories are seeing The Most Adorable Granddaughters#8 and #9 with their New Zealand cousins ...

and discovering what we enjoy doing in the everyday ...

And, of course, it goes without saying that the weekend with all the family was absolutely fantastic ... 

with the obligatory photo ... 

 that not everyone appreciates ...

Their time in New Zealand at an end, DH and I were privileged to spend five days and four nights with them in Fiji.

But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. The house is silent. I have made myself clean the fingerprints off the windows (although there may still be some on the refrigerator). And apart from the rogue piece of Lego that is yet to be discovered, and the ache in my heart, there is little to show that they were ever here. 

Apart from the wonderful memories and the almost 1300 photos on my laptop that is.

Our memory photo book made with the help of Snapfish NZ.