Tight Knit

The most difficult part of this army life, for us, is being so far away from our families.  Jake and I were able to go "home" for a couple of weeks at the end of summer.  However, it has been exactly a year since Arthur said goodbye to his siblings and ten months since his parents made the trip here for his graduation.  That is a long time for any family, but for a tight knit Mexican family...it is an eternity.

It was wonderful having the family reunited here at the end of the Christmas holiday.  All five members of Arthur's family, plus Frankie's girlfriend, Jordan (who Jake still believes belongs to him),

Need I say more?

made the long trip down to the South to visit us and meet the newest member of the family.   Having my house full of their love and laughter really made it feel like holidays, and the four days slipped by much too quickly for all of us.
We did our best to make the most of each minute.  We spent time at the museum,

took them on a tour de PX, ang the boys got fireworks for New Year's Eve (Arthur has been waiting to do that with them since the 4th of July...remember nothing is legal in California).  I even made everyone dress in coordinating clothes and pose for family pictures.

 

But the most special time was when all ten of us were packed in our little house.  I loved watching the time and distance disappear as Arthur and his brothers fell right back into their "loving" brother banter while their sister, Jessie, just sits back and laughs.  While Arthur believed having his family here would make him miss them less, I know it just reminded him how much fun they all have together.  But that is difficult thing about visits with loved ones.  It is amazing to be together, but the void you feel without them is so much more tangible when they leave.  

 

I don't think Jake noticed or cared that he had parents with all the attention he was constantly showered with.  Although, his elaborate imagination games with Ama and Apa did get quite gruesome.  I can't tell you how many times I heard urgent phone calls being made to the "ambulance" or saw teddy bears at the "hospital" having some terrible injury being treated by "Dr. Orr."  Baby James, of course, spent the days being passed from one set of eager arms to the next.  I did my best to share him, especially with his Grandma.  She, on the other hand, was not as good at sharing him with everyone else, but who could blame her?  I know how it breaks her (and my own mother's heart) that we have had to take these babies so far away.  

 

Needless to say, each morning brought another delicious Maria breakfast and the afternoons were spent near the kitchen as another amazing dinner was prepared and then quickly demolished.  There is nothing like home made authentic Mexican food...nothing.  And to top it all off, I was basically forbidden to cook or clean the entire time the were here.  I felt like I was on vacation!  But there is no arguing with the matriarch of a Mexican family, so I didn't even try.  Instead, I just sat back and soaked it all in.
I love being part of this amazing family, and I love that my children are a part of it even more.  I believe I was destined to marry into beautiful Mexican family...I mean come on, my first word was "quesadilla."