Dutch Blitz and Family Seasons

Today is our final day with family in CA. We left Pasadena a few days ago to return to Mike and Joni's to finish out this leg of the state-side journey. It's been a delight to connect with one of our "other daughter's" while in San Diego. Rachel Nafis (Pitney) lives in SD with her husband Chris. We've said several times as we hung out today... who would have thought when she and Julie were in Jr. High that years later we would be sitting in a coffee shop in San Diego playing Dutch Blitz?

Over the years our family has had numerous games we have played when gathering together for holidays or family vacations - Speed Scrabble, Up & Down the River, Uno, Poker, Catch Phrase. Today, our final day, was our first time to play Dutch Blitz - a card game we played endlessly and ferociously in the past - which reveals what stage of family life we are in. Not as many late nights or long competitive card games with little ones in the mix. In fact, one night in Pasadena, Dennis and I said we would stay back with Miles and Stella after they were down for the night, so the adults could go out. They decided they were too tired and opted to stay home. Funny how things change.

Mike, Julie, and I were talking on our walk back from the coffee shop this afternoon. We shared how fast our family is growing. We remembered when it was just Evee, and how it seemed a long season with just Evee. Now 3 more kiddos have been added to the family, and another one to come in April. We shifted our thoughts to 10 years out. Evee will be going on 14. Crazy thought! We decided she could babysit Julie's kids when the family gets together then :).

It feels like life went kind of slow when Dennis and I were raising kids. It took a long while to get through the first 25 years raising 4 kids. Now it feels like the years are flying by. Going too fast.

We'll do our best to keep connecting with our kids and grandkids over the miles, and find new games to play at family gatherings, with the grand-kids joining in before we know it. All I know is that I want to stay as healthy as I can to get in on all the fun and games, even if I still lose at Dutch Blitz.