It has become an NSD tradition. The weekend I am most busy, my family descends on my house like a horde of locusts. This time I got not just my mom, but my sister & her kids too! It’s been almost six years since her kids were here… and a long weekend was not enough.

Of course I’ve seen them. At least once a year, but it’s never enough. Just look at their faces! How can you go a year, or even a month, or a day!

Dane & my nephew are practically twins. Even more so after dressing the same in both warm-ups and sweatshirts courtesy of De Oma. Little side note… my mom has a personalized license plate that says De Oma. Everyone calls her Oma. I am experiencing an inferiority complex in my old age. If she’s De Oma. What am I? Some Oma? An Oma? That Oma over there????

Not that I’m mad at her. How could I be. Look at that face!!!!

I took my mom, my sister & her kids (mine had school, France & Germany do not have the same break schedules) to our favorite walk in the woods: the baumwipfelpfad. It had rained all day, but right then, those couple  of hours? It cleared  up and it was extra beautiful, extra green while we explored the tree tops in the black forest.

My mom, sister & kids

The village of Bad Wildbad below

My beautiful niece Aeden

My beautiful sister Annelore

The forest floor paths were lined with stacks, upon stacks, of stones

Amadeo & the fairytales

Off we go down the fairy tale road

3 of the 4 A’s

And that was the quiet before the storm.  After that we fit in shoe shopping, I have a new best friend (pssst, her name is Aeden), Breakdance Battle I, a Mexican fiesta with friends and somewhere in all the chaos I slept a couple of hours and worked a slew more. My mom went home with Annelore, then hopped a flight to Holland to see her sister. I can’t wait to pick her up & bring her back here. Even if it is for Tess’ graduation. Something I’m trying so hard to forget is really happening. I really want to slow down time. Bring back my sister, her kids, my mom, make my kids little again! Please?