distance

I was just reminded of the distance I've placed between myself and myfamily when I was talking to my parents and grandmother yesterday. Gramma had just arrived in Missouri so even though my niece was a whopping 2 and a half weeks old, it felt new to me and I asked her how she was doing as a Great Gramma. It broke my heart when she said, "well Katie, you know I'm nowa Great Gramma four times." I had completely forgotten that 3 of my cousins have had babies in the last few years. I've seen pictures and if you ask me I can think really hard and get their husbands and kids names, but as the oldest is coming up on 3 years, I've only met themthrough pictures... and its obviously not enough. I still remember us as we were back in high school, 4 girl cousins within 2 years, and more around not too much older. The last time I saw a large piece of my mom's side of the family was a wedding about 3 years ago, for 2days and I remember being in a hotel room between activities. I've seen even less of my dad's side of the family, lots of in-and-outs. I've put in to go to Europe so I can be closer to some of my family, but I didn't visit those who were in the US with me unless there was some event scheduled, and even then I think we didn't want to burden or interrupt each other. Anyway, some things are the way they are (like me talking to my parents twice a month instead of daily, or my inability to write thank you notes within a year of receiving the gift), but its something I'm thinking more about and I know I need to find the time to spend more physical time with my family, not just peek in on them via email/phone chats every once in a while. I want to know my niece and sister-in-law and brother and parents from more than just pictures and old old memories!

oh what a beautiful morning

.. Actually that was a week ago. It was very nice fo 5 days in a row, but I didn't want to jinx it all by writing such a lovely post complimenting mother nature's crafty ways. Then the fog rolled in off the sea and we've been sitting in a cloud for a day and a half... you'd have thought it'd burn off in the sun from the days previous, but alas, no such luck. On a good note, even with the gray and 100% wet, oh I mean humid, days, I think I'm going to take a hike tomorow. Its time - its literally been months.

. . I can't believe I finally got my snow video up and now its spring already. My how time flies! Its funny the things you notice. Trees standing by themselves bloom in full all at once - the ones by buildings bloom in diagonal layers. I walked into 3 spider webs in less than a minute one evening, and now I see and hear birds and chipmunks everwhere. I smell the sea. I smell potatoes even though this is a country of rice and kimchee. I felt comfortable, wonderful even, running outside despite the fact that I've been avoiding running at all costs for the last few months... and now after 4 days and 3 long hard uns, its still just a "good hurt!" (yes, I was working out, just not that kind of running). The wild cats are back and fighting with each other as of about a day after the birds and spider's return. People are more pleasant on the phone. I remember that when I got here in July that they had the BIGGEST SPIDERS I'd ever seen outside of a zoo or museum.

baby zadie jane niblock

I'm an auntie!!!!

Jon made it (back from Iraq and all the way to the hospital) a few hours after Baby Zadie arrived so now I have a safe and healthy brother, siste-in-law, and neice - what more could a girl want?