Live, Love, Laugh and Learn

My sister and her fiance, Andrea and Matt, came to visit us for a week.  We were a stopping point/long detour on their move from Pennsylvania to Minnesota.  As we live in different regions on the country, we rarely are together more than once or twice a year.  Nonetheless, there are a handful of things I can always expect when we all meet up:

- I will become annoyed, stressed out and inevitably irritable about something extremely miniscule.
- Andrea will pout about something going on between her and Matt (that she'll refuse to discuss with anyone), and she'll withdraw herself to another room for a good portion of 1 at least day.
- Matt will make a conscious effort to push the buttons of anybody and everybody that is running low on patience.
- Bryon and Matt will stay up and discuss philosophy/politics/wherever else their conversation leads for hours past when the rest of the house has turned in for the night.
- We'll play board games.  Strategy games.  And Bryon will win.  ALWAYS.
- We'll laugh.  Like, pee-your-pants-laugh.  And it's almost always at ourselves.
- We'll say goodbye with hugs.  All of us.

After reviewing my list of given experiences during our visits, I can see how it might be good that we keep our gatherings limited to just a couple of times a year.  But then there are those positive experiences that make the negative moments seem negligible.  Indeed, twice a year is not enough.

During visits with this particular couple, I always learn something new.  That's the best thing about my family being so worlds-apart-different from one another.  More specifically, this time around I learned about mountaintop removal mining, induced hydraulic fracturing (fracking), elective dumpster diving, and N.S.A. domestic spying (and another little topic I'll mention in just a bit).  Don't even ask me about all of the other random topics I've already added to my bag of tricks as a result of these gatherings!

(No blinking allowed.)

Our week was full of activity and most definitely flew by with far too much speed.  We all went to the Cypress Black Bayou Reserve to go on a hike and stopped by their small "zoo" on our way in.

This little guy is almost old enough to be released into the wilderness again.

Maks enjoyed the quacking by the geese and ducks.

Our pool got it's fair share of use, that's for sure.  I swear, if Maksim could go swimming every day, he would.

I love how Kira is patiently waiting in the background, longing for someone to throw her ball!

It didn't take Maksim long to warm up to his new friends!

Swim, buddy, swim!

Does his face scream "determination" or what?

Could that tongue be any cuter? 

He made it!

He's loving his pool!  And I'm loving this shot!

We had game night, nightly.

Let it be known that I did win 1 game!

And those pee-your-pants laugh moments?  As previously mentioned, they're almost always at the expense of one of us.  Thanks for being a good sport this time, Andrea!  Let's just say that we were sorting through some old family photos and found some spectacular before and after "makeover" photos of Andrea that were taken during a friends birthday party.  Mind you, the party was in the early 90's (making Andrea about 6 or 7 years old), thus, her final look was pretty wild.  I'm choosing to spare Andrea the embarrassment of posting these photos...mostly because I don't have them stored on my computer.  Darn!  

Finally, in true Louisiana style, we picked up some drive-thru daiquiris (for everyone but me and Maks, of course):

Anyhow, back to that "another little something new" that I learned.  About a week before visiting, I distinctly remember Matt telling me on the phone that he was, "looking forward to meeting that offspring of yours that you refer to as Maks."  I like to think that I keep my mind open to all  lifestyle choices - so long as they don't interfere with my rights/the rights of others.  Matt chooses to not identify with a gender - for himself or for others.   (However, he does note that the social construction of gender exists.)  I am adamant about doing my best to eliminate stereotypical gender roles while raising Maksim, but attempting to completely disregard gender in its entirety is something I had never before thought to consider. 

In my eyes, it is Maks' anatomy which makes him male.  And, yes, I do refer to him as "my little boy/man."  But if his relative, Matt, wants to refer to him as "the little human with a penis," that's fine with me, too!  It isn't good or bad; it's just new.  And I'm so thankful to be continually exposed to "new."   

Mama and her little man.

I'm always trying my best to foster a home of acceptance and respect.  We love people for who they are and not what they are (or what they are not).  Bottom line in our house: people are simply people.  It's freeing, and liberating, and allows everyone to be themselves.  And I hope it's a bit refreshing, too.  

We had a wonderful week.  Hugs to you both!  Thanks for visiting and come again, y'all!