Mondays with Mom (and 20 others…)

June 17th, 2013

The second Monday: They say home is where the heart is. My special day set aside for Yuri and Harper was shared with twenty of my family members that gathered at Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs, Virginia for a family reunion.  They came from New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia, Texas, Michigan, Missouri and Kentucky.  Trust me, a posse of young cousins was much more intriguing to Yuri and Harper than their old mom but I still shot a few images (and Jon shot one too) to document a slice of the day. Then I set the camera down and let it all sink in.  I let Yuri and Harper form new relationships.  Yuri learned to play chess (well, sort of) with his big cousin, Andrew.  Harper rode on her Zanny’s back pretending she was riding a horse as the Virginia sun transformed her freckles.  We put together puzzles, hiked, read books and swam.  We talked and talked some more.  Yes, without a doubt, everyone called Virginia home and we all left with our hearts better for it.

Jon shot this image of me carrying a tired Harper on a hike.