It is 10:30 pm, and I'm home alone. Well, the doodle is here with me, but my boys are not. Richard went night fishing with his brother - does this sound fun to you? I see no appeal myself. Anyway, Nick went to his dad's, so that left me home alone.

I worked on scrapbooking pages for a book I am putting together for my niece, Ellen. It is her birthday at the end of June, and so I am scrapbooking this year in her life. It has been a great project. My favorite thing about making handmade gifts (which if you know me, you know I do a lot of), is that while you are creating the gift, you cannot help but think of the person for whom you are creating the gift.

Thinking about Ellen makes me smile and feel all warm inside! : ) Amy's (my twin) daughters are only a little over a year apart. It is funny because one looks like Amy and one looks like me. Ellen looks like me. She also looks a bit like her mimi (grandma on her dad's side), but I love to think she looks like me. Plus, she has some of my endearing qualities as well! : ) She loves a cold pillow. She moves her arm around to find the cold spots. I DO THIS TOO? Is it possible that it is a hereditary trait to like the cold spots on pillows? Weird, huh? She is also a "picker." Not a good trait at all, but one common to us, nonetheless. THe other day she asked me excitedly, "Auntie, did you like to pick at your gym wart? I have been picking at mine!" Okay -that's kind of sick, but hey, we can't help it. She has dimples like mine. She is sweet like me! : )

Okay, she's not ALL like me. She is skinny as a rail, something I've never been. She wears glasses and looks absolutely adorable in them. I don't think she is nearly as shy as I was when when I was her age. She is very bubbly and outgoing. She laughs all the time - sometimes we even have to say, "Ellen, stop laughing." 

When I think about her life - and really the lives of Nick and Amy's other two - I am amazed and proud of how good they have it. They are, for the most part, carefree and happy kids. They have most things they desire. They have been raised in faithful homes. They are encouraged to do their best at all they do. They have the same love and family togetherness that we grew up with and value so much.

I cannot help but wonder about their futures. Back to the wanting a crystal ball syndrome. I guess everyone wishes for the kids in their lives that it would be possible to prevent any pain in their lives. I hope they make good decisions. I hope they marry someone who treats them well and that they treat their spouses with kindness and love. I hope they continue to value faith, family, education, and togetherness. I hope they will rely on each other the way Amy and I and our siblings have relied on each other.

Because I only had one child - something I never wished for - I guess I consider Claire, Ellen, and Will to be like my children and even more importantly, like Nick's siblings. He loves them just the same, I know. Birthdays and holidays and gatherings are not complete unless we have each other.

I'm feeling very lucky tonight that even though I'm home alone, I feel so strongly that I'm never alone. I am blessed with a family that guarantees that. How wonderful!

Here is one of the pages out of Ellen's digital scrapbook:

Is she not the cutest?