Reunion Reflection

So, every 5 years, Darren's extended family gathers together for a family reunion.  As we are on year 4, the emails have started circulating about next year's event.  I can't help but to think back to past reunions. My first reunion, I was pregnant with Alyssa, but the last reunion, all 5 of us were there, but oh, my, have we changed! 

As you can see, Alyssa and Jackson have grown up, but I am most struck at the difference in Matthew.  At the reunion in 2010, we had a lot of fun, but it was a lot of work too as Matthew was taking 5-7 hours to eat...every day.  And he only wanted to do it in our dark bedroom.  And we would struggle to get enough in him.  We worried about his malrotated intestines... as the radiologist scared the dickens out of us, telling us he might die because of it and surgery wasn't scheduled until after the reunion.  Heart surgery wasn't even on our radar.  We didn't know that his heart was sending 4x more blood to his lungs than should have been.  Or that his heart was already starting to fail.  We hadn't noticed that his forehead was starting to come into a point, and had no idea he would be sporting 102 stitches all the way across his skull in just a few months. 

Four years seems like forever ago.  A different life.  Thankfully!  Oh, I so look forward to the reunion next year.  It will be just as wonderful, but a totally different (and likely more enjoyable) experience with our 'more mature' family of 5.