Weekends with the Fam!

(Written by Allen)

These past two weekends I have gotten to do one of my favorite activities- spend time with family. Two weekends ago my parents made the journey down from Illinois two weekends ago to see our quaint abode and then last weekend was my niece’s 3-year-old birthday party so Iulia and I drove over to my brother's family and spent the day with them.

Safe to safe, a lot has changed since my parents last saw our apartment with 101 boxes strewn randomly throughout the house. It was great getting to show them a bit of what our life in Athens looks like (from meeting our friends from church, seeing the UGA campus, and getting to know the area around where we live). In some ways things have changed a lot since we moved, but in other ways, things have also stayed the same (that sounded so cliche). We put them up in our guest suite a.k.a. room filled with empty boxes, a desk, computer, and two air mattresses- one of which had a different fitted sheet, cover sheet, and pillow case (we really know how to treat our guests!).

Last weekend reaffirmed how awesome it is to be an uncle. Having my brother’s family be within driving distances is great and is a huge perk about moving down to Georgia. At the birthday party, my brother and I actually had someone say that we look alike! I’m guessing they must have not had their glasses on…

Since ‘growing up’, I’ve really come to find enjoyment in the simple, everyday moments with family. From sitting around the dining room table and talking about everything and nothing (whether with parents or my brother’s family), to seeing my mom’s heart for horses when at the UGA south farms, to seeing one niece devour Cheerios while another dunks her pretzel sticks in her glass of water before eating them...moments like that can’t be replaced.

It has been (and continues to be) interesting as our family has transitioned (and grown!) over the past few years. As I’m (almost daily) discovering the work that is required to maintain a strong marriage, I’m beginning to learn that it's similar for families. But- as in marriage- it's so worth any effort that is put into it.

Family isn’t the gospel, but it is blessing God has given to us and a means by which grace and forgiveness and love can flow.