Looking Backward and Looking Forward - II

For our second night the seven of us went out for a birthday dinner at Tuscan's Grill in downtown Clifton Park. I joke because there is no downtown. Nor is there a town, per se. Clifton Park is a bedroom community some 18 miles north of Albany and 12 miles south of Saratoga Springs. Consisting of numerous residential subdivisions and shopping malls spread over a large geographical area, it probably was nothing more than forests and farmland not too many years ago.

Ethan at three months, dining out for his mother's 29th birthday. He was very well behaved.

The new, little family, out for a birthday celebration.

And here's all of us (courtesy of our waitress) at Tuscan's Grill.

My handsome brother and his beautiful wife, after dinner. Now it's time to return to Dani's for some of Stacey's chocolate cake.

We drove the few minutes back to Dani and Erik's and visited some more with the baby, waiting for the cake and candles to be lit. That was a good opportunity to take some more photos of Ethan. It seems clear that he's going to be in a few pictures from now onwards.

Great Aunt Alexis with her new grand-nephew.

Stacey and Erik light the candles for Dani's birthday cake.

I remember .... when there were just a few candles on Dani's birthday cakes.

Mother, counting the candles. Daughter, admiring Mom's handiwork.

Of course, during all the festivities, Ethan fell fast asleep.

The next day, Friday, we were to return to New York City. Lee and Lex left early (they had their own car). Snow had fallen and they were eager to get going. They would be driving out to their house in eastern Long Island and had a long way to go.

Stacey and I went back to Dani's to say a final farewell before returning home. It had been a lovely three days. It's quite a wonderful thing to watch this little baby growing before our eyes. And to see my lovely daughter growing into a young mother.

We are off to South Africa in early February -- on the road again (or, perhaps, in the air again - for 17 hours!) We won't see Dani and Erik and Ethan until after we return. But we'll be thinking of them all the time.

Please don't go home grandma. I love you.


My daughter and her new son.

And so, back to Dani's question: What do you think of when you think of the word "family"? I guess family grows and changes forever -- it's where you came from, then where you've been and then, finally, where you're going. It's my mom and my dad, gone now but still my family. It's Stacey and and Mike and Dani and me. And now it's Dani and Erik and my new, little grandson, Ethan. It's quite a beautiful idea when you start to think of it. Tengo familia! I have family!