The CIRCLE is growing and we like the feeling!

I don't have any family close by. My siblings all live at least 5 hours away. It is very exciting to Butch and I that, as our son Gregory's extended family grows, so does ours. In December, our soon to be daughter-in-law Loren's parents, Martha and Steve, invited us to a Christmas gathering. It was such a fantastic evening! We felt immediately embraced in their family. We met aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents. It was such a happy evening. Butch and I both felt that we found a family niche through a common bond, our children. We throughly enjoyed seeing Aunt Gretchen and Uncle Glenn at the gym. Butch was overwhelmed with the Funk Family Tree that Loren's Grandma did for him. We spent time with Loren, Gregory and Aunt Anita looking for the right piece of land for their future dream home. Our extended family is growing and we like the feeling that it gives us. A void that we've felt for a long time without family of our own close by is now not quite as deep. We love the fact that Gregory now has grandparents that will watch over him. My mom and dad , who very much loved our boys, are gone so he doesn't have grandparents to be part of his life. We love that he'll have in-laws that will share in our pride watching him grow into a married man. It takes a village to be part of a family. Our circle is becoming complete.

It was so thoughtful for Martha, Steve, and Jacob (Loren's brother) to send us a beautiful flower arrangement. The power of flowers...but more than that, their message on the card that said that we were in their thoughts and prayers meant the world to us. We were again deeply touched when we received a get well card in the mail from "Grandad and Nanny", Loren's paternal grandparents, telling us how much they were thinking of us for "complete healing". The circle is growing and we like the feeling!