Family Ties

I dedicate this post to our kids...
Molly
Anna
Emily
and
Eric

Last week turned very sad for our family.

Sall's step-daughter's husband was killed in a car accident.

A loving husband to Molly and a wonderful father of

two little boys ages 4 and 3.5months. This young family's loss is heart-breaking!

When I met Sall, all of his
kids were out on their own
pursuing their own lives
spread out across the U.S.!
In fact, the first time I went
to his house in the Black Hills,
Sall was just returning from Anna's wedding in Seattle,
Molly was in Eastern South Dakota
and Eric and Emily were in Missouri.

Two step-daughters, a son, and a daughter...

Eventually I got to meet them all,
but never have we all been
in the same part of the country
ALL at once!

They all have children now...
they all have their own busy lives...

It's sad that such a somber occasion brought us all
together...

Sadly, that's how life has to be!

I came home thinking about everything...
how life is so fleeting
one day everything is wonderful,
the next day your world gets turned upside down!
How these kids grew up together...
 and how they've stayed together...
bound by love and childhood memories...

Although the proper ancestry term
would be "step"-brother/sister
these kids call each other
sister and brother
because that's just how they
feel about each other!

When I got home I had
to dig out their old pictures...


Some sweet memories
for some sweet kids...

My hubby raised some really good kids...

They went through a lot together as kids...

and as adults they are still there for each other...

You make us proud

when we see you reaching out 

to each other in times of need!

We love you all!

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven."

                                                                                         ~George Bernard Shaw