Family by Love

DH has no family by blood unless you go out to second cousins and the once- or twice-removed sorts. But he has lifelong friends, whose families I think of as our Family By Love, nearly all of whom live in Washington State.

There's Alan and Karen and Taylor B, who is on the swim team and is suddenly taller than I am, though I tend to think of her as the adorable little girl in a blue pinafore and blond pigtails, from the photo which first joined our family "album" on the mantelpiece.

There's Bill, who moved in next door to DH when they were 2; Bill and Claudia produced Peter and Maureen, and Peter and the lovely Sara just presented the grands with Abram, who will keep his Big Brother Noah busy.

Then there's Louie and Sharrie, who have known DH (and have been a couple) since high school. When we went to visit them early in my relationship with DH, I felt as nervous as if I'd been meeting DH's mother. Thankfully, they seemed to like me; they sent WA State wine and cheese for Christmas. At the time we met, their girls Anna and Teresa were in high school, and seemed to do nearly everything well - Teresa composed a little rap song about DH and me while we were all enroute to a beautiful Western WA beach. Off the top of her head. A year or so later, Anna's cheerleading squad won a trip to the Hula Bowl. Etc. Oy!!

Well, time passeth, whether we understand it or not, and a week or two ago I got some photos of the about-to-be 4th DGC (dear grandchild) by love. I say about-to-be, since the little boy hasn't quite made it into the world. He will be adored by Mom Anna, Daddy Ed and Big Sister Rita, and will be ready to play with his cousins Andrew and Hayden and the also-about-to-be newest girl cousin, when he - and she! - are a bit more mobile.

We don't get to see these members of our Family by Love as often as we'd wish, but they bring happiness and caring to our lives. And smiles to our faces when they send pictures!