I saved the best for last. Today’s dive into gratitude is about family. All of my extended family – save a niece in Nashville and a nephew in Washington DC – live here in Atlanta. We haven’t had the whole family together since 2019, and it likely won’t happen this year, but 2022 shows promise.
I’m especially fortunate to have family who are friends. I love getting together with these three ladies (my sister Karen on the left, my mom, and my sister-in-law Lydia on the right). We haven’t found a post-pandemic rhythm to our gatherings, but we are getting together again for birthdays. This photo is from November 14 at my house (for my birthday). 
I look forward to us finding that new rhythm. We’ll see each other a few times in December, and then in January for Karen’s birthday. We have a trip to South Carolina planned in April, and I can only hope it feels a bit more normal, and still very special.
Now that Sara is here, I’m tempted to think that photos like this one from November 6, when our little family (me and Marc, together with Sara and Katie and her family) gathered at Katie’s to celebrate the Fall Birthdays (which includes everyone but Katie) aren’t a big deal.
Of course Marc managed to be just out of the frame (to my left) for this one, but still.
Family. together. smiles. shared celebrations. it’s easy to be grateful. and these past almost two years have shown me many times over that I can’t take it for granted.
Happy Thursday my friends.
mere-et-filles 
We rarely take family pictures anymore – so used to being together. Lots of head and heart memories though. I know that we are especially fortunate to have our girls and their families so close by. Love how that first photo is very color coordinated. Thanks for sharing your lovely family.
What a beautiful family Mary! Your mother is Beautiful!
Family photos are so important. Too easy to think you will be together forever. So glad I took a lot of my husband this year, even though he was so very poorly.
I don’t think I realized how important my family was to me until we couldn’t be with them. Like you, I feel very lucky to have all my immediate family in the same city. We have some extended family and friends-who-are family who live elsewhere and who we don’t see as often as we’d like, but I think the pandemic has made us more likely to connect with each other. Being with all the family yesterday really filled up my heart with gratitude!
Not being able to be with family for such an extended period of time has surely made me grateful for being able to see them now. There are still some limitations, like my physician SiL and nurse practitioner niece who are always careful because they are so exposed to so many positive and unvaccinated patients, but things are better than they were last year. Enjoy your lovely, close family!
The last two years have certainly changed the way we think about family and friends. I am so grateful to have a wonderful group of firend in our community and circle. XO
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family! There were only six of us at the table this year and we reminisced of years ago when there were so many of us that even with an extra table we barely fit around! You have a beautiful family!
Like you, I am fortunate to have our family very close by and to enjoy spending time with them, too. I love having the kids over for dinner once/week as a routine, especially when I consider all those months when we couldn’t get together.
So lovely, Mary. I’m glad you have a chance to gather together – in person – once again! Did you ladies coordinate your sweaters for your birthday picture???? If not, you must be VERY much in sync with one another to pull that off! (And I can’t believe how grown up the little boys are now . . . ) XO
The smiles on your faces give away the family relationship immediately! How wonderful!
Family is everything! Lovely photo of you and those you hold dear to your heart.
Such wonderful gatherings! We’ve got much of our family less than a couple hours away except for Dan of course. The grateful side – we’ve got him here right now. 🙂
There is nothing like family. I’m so glad you are able to be together.
Always grateful for these times together.
Such happy and lovely smiles and connections between you all! How glorious to have family nearby … Our daughter is four hours away (on a good day) by car, and our son in a different country. Cherish every moment!