#familytimeisthebesttime

My  mom and her six grown children spent time together for the second time in less than a month recently.

The older I get, the more precious these times are to me.

We gathered June 23 for an early celebration of my youngest sister's 50th birthday. That gathering was close to the home place, in Cooke County, Texas, with siblings coming from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Davidson farm, the home of my oldest sister, Becky, and her daughter's house, all in Cooke County, are where we are most likely to all show up at the same time. (The Smokehouse restaurant in Lindsay is also a prime site!)

Two weeks later, we all trekked to Bloomington, Ill., for the July 14 wedding of my second-youngest sister's oldest son. We've traveled to Arkansas for a couple of weddings involving nieces in the past, but somehow this trip seemed more of an adventure. I think that's because my brother lives in Arkansas, and my sister's daughter lived there at the time.

When it came to Bloomington, it was a pretty significant journey for all of us. It took a commitment of planning, time and money. And we all made it. And as best I could tell, we all had a great time. I know I did. And I am grateful to God for the safe travels.