Family Reunion and Mimi's 2nd Birthday!

This really should be two posts.  I have some wonderful photos to share of our trip to Michigan, and thoughts about how important family is, but then I have some many thoughts on the fact that my dear daughter is 2.  Two years of memories and growing.  I also wanted to let you know how the flights went with a 2 year old.  I think I will break this up.....

Michigan Trip

at the airport ready to fly out

For awhile now we've been saying that we needed to get to Michigan to see my husbands Grandparents.  They are in their mid-eighties and his grandfather actually lives in a nursing home.  He had a stroke many years ago and his grandmother couldn't care for him anymore by herself.  As morbid and it sounds, we wanted to see them and let them meet Mimi (their only great grandchild) before they were not longer with us.  We found out that his family was going to all meet their in July (over Mimi's birthday) so we decided this would be a good time to see a lot of the family with one plane ticket purchase (after all, it's not cheap to fly as a family of 3!).

We were able to bring Mimi as a lapchild on the way, but because she turned 2 while on the trip, Delta made us buy her a oneway ticket back.... I'll discuss the travelling on another post....

My husband worked a half day Thursday and has Friday's off, so it was a pretty nice setup for a long weekend trip.  We basically ATE the entire trip and visited with family (and I'm up 6lbs to prove it!!! UGH)  No plans, no itinerary, no expectations.  It was nice to have all the family around to help with Mimi.  It gave Franco and I a break from her without feeling like she was neglected.    They swam with her, ran the halls of the hotel, played in the rooms....she had a ball.  

At a very delicious Polish Restaurant

All in all, we had 4 different families, and 4 generations.  It wasn't the most exciting vacation, but It felt so good to share food and good times with family we barely see.  I try to focus on how blessed we are to have family that loves us and Mimi.

Franco with his two brother and grandfather (Mother's Father).  Gianfilippo, Anthony and Franco, isn't crazy how much alike they look?

Mimi with Franco's Nonna, his Dad's Mother from Italy.  She is 88.

It was a little hard for my husband to say goodbye, knowing he may not see his grandparents again.  It had been 9 years since he had seen them in the first place.  My husband is so blessed to have his grandparents (he had all 4 until last September hen his Nunno passed away).

Hopefully now that I'm not working out of the home, I can take advantage of cheap flights and take Mimi to see her grandparents (on both sides) more often.

I'll do a post about Mimi's 2nd Birthday and how it was travelling with her at this age on an airplane later.  Hope everyone is doing well!