Della's in-laws sent their family tickets to fly from Hawaii to Florida for Thanksgiving, and Della managed to slip away from Ft. Lauderdale for a couple of hours to visit us and bring the kids. I first met Della when she was the age of her beautiful seven-year-old daughter, and she is like a niece to me. Though we talk on the phone, I'd not seen her in years.

The kids needed some food and time to play, so we all headed to a local hang out where they could play and we could all visit. She was thrilled that Crystal was here, as she had not seen her for so long.

It was great to reminisce about her mother, and laugh and cry once again with all our precious memories of her. Andra was like the sister I never had.

By the time we left the restaurant, we realized she'd have to be heading back soon, and after a quick stop at home, I drove them all to the train, where we thankfully had a lot of stress regarding whether the ticket machine was ever going to work, this took away some of the tears Della and I were starting to shed (a big thank you to the employee there who was so helpful) and then away they went on the train. Poof.

I sobbed like a baby all the way to the car and half the way home, half the tears for joy and the other for just plain missing them. Some people are just family, no matter how often we get to be together or what the blood lines say.

Ed and I agree, we have got to head to Hawaii one day in the not too distant future - but there is a chance we will not want to ever leave when we do.



(Wish I had better photos, but the time slipped away so quickly and the lighting was not the best.)