it's the little things:: our kiddos

I was going to write a regular little things post, detailing the things that have made me smile this week, but my camera battery is dying and apparently my charger is still somewhere in MD. So I don't have any photos of mugs of tea and $400 airline vouchers to show you. 

But there are ten little 'things' that I'm incredibly thankful for. They're the kids of my brothers and sisters, but I kind of think of them as my own. 

Every time I return home, I'm so thankful that my kiddos react to me as if I've never left. My heart leaps when they run out of the house, whooping and hollering, just as excited to see me as I am to see them. I love seeing them clamber all over Chris and watch him as their uncle. I can't wait for the day when he gets to hold his own kiddos. 

I've been an auntie for 13 years (holy cow, can't believe my oldest niece is 13 years old-- I remember that day when I sat in 6th grade homeroom waiting for her birth!) and I think it's one of my very favorite roles to play in life. My heart is at its happiest when I'm squished into bed with 3 kiddos listening to me read books, or sitting at the breakfast table discussing life with my 4 year old niece. I don't have the privilege of being a mama just yet, but boy, do I love being an auntie to these kids. Shoot, now I'm gonna get all blubbery cuz I have to wait another 6 months before I can see them. 

Can't wait to hear about your little things! Link 'em on up! 

party rules.

1. Only link to your specific blog post, not to your blog's main page. See here for more explanation. 

2. Grab a button and/or include a link back to this post so your readers can come see what the fun is all about! You can find the code for the button on the sidebar or on the "little things" page.

3. Make sure you visit (and comment) on other posts linked up-- what fun is a party if no one talks to each other? Make some new friends! 

4. I reserve the right to kick you out of the party if you aren't playing nice-- so make sure your post is relevant to this party and is actually a "little things" post (ie. no giveaways, random posts from last month, etc.).