A Visit From Israel

I know that it get’s said a lot on the blog, and I’m not afraid to keep shoving it in your face: we have an amazing family. One of my cousins from Israel came and visited with us this past week – he served as the ‘representative’ from the side of the family that wishes that we were all a lot closer right now than three continents apart. It was wonderful to have him here and to be able to get his support for the week, not only for us but for my parents as well.

While my parents drove my cousin to the airport, they dropped Ezra off here at the hospital so the four of us could spend a little time together. Man, it felt good. As Ahna sat with Liam in a chair and I laid with Ezra on the bed, there was a smile that I just couldn’t get off of my face (and when I looked at Ahna, a similar and knowing smile exuded from her as well). It felt so nice to be the four of us doing something that we most likely would have been doing at home at that exact same moment. It was one of those times where you try really hard to wipe away the known reality and live with everything you have in the moment.

Finally, a note about a trip that Ezra took to the National Western Stock Show. Listen, just because I don’t remotely enjoy country music or pretend to understand modern cowboy culture, doesn’t mean that Ezra can’t be exposed to other lifestyles. It’s good for him to get out and see different things, experience the terrible smells of a large amount of large animals living together for several weeks, and to hear a language and vernacular that is not often heard in the supermarkets of the industrialized world. I am so proud that without hesitation, he jumped on top of a 2200 pound bull for a photo. I am even more proud that when presented with a look at a free cowboy hat, he graciously passed. He is a child that has a great ability to find the fun in all sorts of different cultures – including those of the tight Wranglers.

Ezra dances for Liam