I had met a lot of Andrew’s family before we made the trip up to Indiana in 2009. I had met his older brothers Ryan and Jon as well as his younger brother Jake and Jake’s wife, Jenny. All of them had been wonderful and welcoming and I was excited to meet the rest of the gang.
We stayed with Andrew’s youngest brother, Zach, when we went up there. He and his girlfriend, Holly, were getting ready to have a baby girl. It was late when we got in, but Zach and Holly still stayed up to visit with us for awhile and I adored them immediately. Zach reminded me of my younger brother, Robert, and I recognized a kindred spirit in Holly. We are a lot alike!
The next week consisted of a ton of drama and hurt feelings during a week that was supposed to be wonderful, since Andrew and I got engaged our first full day there. Everything was hectic and chaotic for the most part. But we stayed with Zach and Holly the whole time and often had a ton of down time with just them, and those were my favorite parts of the trip (outside getting engaged, of course!). I’d asked Holly to be a bridesmaid before we left to come back to Texas, that’s how much I instantly liked her!
A year and a half later, we are planning a trip to see them in Atlanta when they move in April. We Skype with them when we can, and we talk on the phone all the time with them. They stayed with us while they were down here for our wedding, and we sadly didn’t get enough time with them. Between wedding prep and all that, we just got caught up in stuff to do, and when they left all four of us were very sad.
Zach, Holly, and little Amelia…you guys are so great, and I hope you know how much I love you guys. What you did for me the first time we stayed with you was so appreciated. Zach, I give you grief more often than not about stuff, but you really have been like a brother to me…hell, I talk to you more than my own brothers, haha! You remind me a lot of Andrew, which makes you A-OK in my book. Holly…your tell-it-like-it-is attitude and silly nature were just what I needed that week, and you’ve been just as awesome ever since. I say to Andrew all the time how much I wished you two lived down here. We talk all the time, but I wish we could just hang out whenever we wanted. And your precious Amelia…Andrew and I just love getting to Skype with you guys so we can see her. We love you all SO MUCH!!!!
I adore all of Andrew’s family, I truly do! Jon, Jake and Jenny, Ryan, Jim and Elaine, and all of the cousins I have met through Facebook (and Lisa, who I met in person, along with her mom Jeanne)…you’re all so great. You all have welcomed me and I’m so happy to be a part of your family!
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