Taking Time to Breathe

MARKERS MARKERS EVERYWHERE..  I spent Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family.  The term "Quantity over Quality" comes in mind, but that is not actually completely accurate.  There is plenty of "Quality" people there, but you just can't spend much "Quality" time with them as the "Quantity" is a little overbearing.  So YES Quantity is plenty and Quality time is a little scant.  Amazing things are going on in the Marker family.  I have two cousins from Wyoming that are going through the roller coaster cycle of surrogacy.  How amazing to give your sister the ultimate gift.. No I am not talking about your life I am talking about life.. I would say by far my children's lives are much more precious than mine.. So for this I am saying she is giving the "ultimate gift".  Amazing... During Thanksgiving they were in the middle of the waiting period to find out if they had indeed succeeded only to find out a few short days later that the news was again NO.  They are very strong women to go through such a journey.  I would like to think that I would do the same for someone that I loved.  I wish them the best of luck on their journey.  Also, another cousin has now adopted two foster children.  Pretty lucky little kids to end up with such of loving family.  I hope they are forever grateful and have a beautiful new life!  Congrats Crystal & Craig.  We gathered in the new home of my Uncle Ernie & his wife Marcy which was perfect for all of us to fit in.  It is estimated that there was nearly 100 people in attendance and since it was freezing it was a good thing to have room INSIDE!  My aunt Karen is recovering from cancer and heart trouble.  It has been a long road for her and I just hope there is light at the end of the tunnel and she can enjoy life again.. someday.. So it looks like everyone has a clean bill of health and that is simply amazing for such a large group of folks.  I sometimes worry about how healthy we all are.  Seems like at some point things will go downhill, but until then I will be thankful for all of the Marker blessings we are a part of.  After a day with the Markers we headed in to Lincoln to check out the stadium & UNL campus without 90,000 people around us.  Eric is always awestruck by anything like that.  He becomes this 9 year old kid again that is just so happy and impressed.  Me, I tend to be to grounded for that and just don't find much exciting about things.  I am blessed to have Eric in my life to remind me that it is OK to get excited about something.  No one cares if you get all giddy about things and no one cares if you don't get all giddy about things.  I need to be more exciting and not so passive with things.  Maybe that will be a new years resolution.. Maybe :)