New Hampshire

When I was 10, my family moved from Massachusetts to Florida. In doing so, we left behind all of our extended family. My mom had 3 siblings and my dad had 6. All of whom lived in the area. Many of them I haven't seen since we left. The one I probably have had the most regular contact with is my mom's sister--Patricia (Pat). We didn't visit Ma often, but we always saw Aunt Pat when we did and she came to FL a couple of times. Thomas and I had Thanksgiving dinner at her house the year we were in Newport for Justice School and she and her brothers visited when my mom was sick and were there for her funeral. In fact, Aunt Pat gave her eulogy. So, it was very important to me to see her during this vacation. We spent two nights at her house to start the New England portion of our vacation.

Sunday morning my Aunt prepared a brunch for some family members. In total there were 15. It was nice to visit with family we rarely see. One cousin I don't think I have seen since I was 10. There were 3 other "kids" there, but they were a lot older than my kids. However, they were super patient and spent a lot of time playing games with our kids. Luke discovered a new favorite--Spot It. He must have played 30 games with two of his sweet cousins. The food was delicious and we had a really nice time. It was fun to talk about DNA with the kids and tell them that they shared genetics with 14 people in the room (one cousin by marriage was the sole exclusion). 

After everyone left, we wanted to see the Clydesdales at the Annheuser Busch factory, but the stables were closed for a wedding. Instead, we went to the local outlets and bought Anna some sneakers. She brought an older pair and they were just too small. I was pretty annoyed at her, since she has sneakers that fit, but with all the walking we are doing, it was important to get her a good pair. Fortunately, they had a Nike outlet and we got a great deal. It was a really nice outlet mall. Then, it was back to Aunt Pat's for dinner. She had made a lasagna with salad and chicken. It was a great meal. In fact, our whole stay was full of great meals. Aunt Pat took fantastic care of us and was a good example to me of hosting. I am not nearly as gracious or prepared as she is when we have guests! 

Aunt Pat had printed out some of my mom's e-mails and let me read through them. The only part that made me sad was I don't think I was as caring as I should have been when she was diagnosed with the cancer (especially the first time, since she died so quickly after the reoccurrence). I just don't remember being there the way I should have been. I also don't think I conveyed to her how wonderful I thought she was. I hope that I am wrong and she knew how much I loved and appreciated her. As Thomas can attest, I always loved and admired my mother, but I do think it took on new meaning when I had children of my own and could see the perspective of both a mother and a child. I think of her on a daily basis and there is so much I wish I could share with her. Being with my Aunt was a bit like being with my mom. They have similar mannerisms and patterns of speech. It is hard to explain, but I could definitely see my mom in my conversations with her. It was reassuring to be with someone who knew her and loved her. I asked lots of questions about my mom and my grandma and it is a definite highlight of this trip.

But all good things must come to and end and we left after breakfast on Monday. My kids kept remarking, "you were right mom, she is so nice," I felt like I introduced them to a piece of my mother. Obviously, they are very different people, but she is more similar to my mom than anyone else on the planet and it was a comfort to me and I was grateful to introduce her to my kids.