^ the best of friends ^

We were super lucky this weekend as we had my cousin's husband staying with us while he is traveling the country for his residency interviews. We absolutely adored having him here. It's kind of hard convincing people to come and see us because we inevitably get slapped with the "but it's so faaaaaaaarrrrrrr" whine. So when anyone does come we're like two little kids at a candy store, the excitement level is through the roof! He also couldn't have picked a better time to come, as it goes without saying that the valley in autumn is a sight to be seen. We didn't do much except for make epic fires and stretch ourselves out lazily over the living room while we talked and talked into the night. We cooked a lot together and let me tell you as parents it was so nice to have a third set of hands, especially such loving, able hands. Birdie fell head over heels for her uncle and I swear by the end of his trip she was ready to leave with him! It's always a wonderful feeling to watch your child bond with those who you love. 

On Saturday we drove to a state park around dusk and went for a walk, watching the sky get darker and the street lamps brighter. The misty air enveloped us and as darkness fell we pulled our scarves up over our chins to ward off the encroaching chill. Once home more logs were assembled in the fireplace and that familiar crackle filled the room. In hushed tones we talked about how crazy this whole situation really was. Because we were all just strangers to each other a mere seven years ago. And here we are now - family. It's truly incredible the way love weaves people into your life and creates new life too. My cousin fell in love with a guy... I fell in love with a guy... My guy is now my husband and the father of my child and her guy is now Birdie's uncle, a man she'll grow up knowing and loving her whole life. 

This is all to say that my cousin did good, real good, with this guy. He's a total keeper. In fact we were all so sad to see him go. In a few days he had made a phenomenal brother-husband, as we've nicknamed him now. A guy who will do your dishes, watch football with your husband and feed your baby?? That's called a unicorn my friends!