new jersey

i'm home from a four day trip to new jersey to celebrate the life of a son, brother, father, and in my case, uncle. it was a weekend full of laughter and tears. honestly, i've never seen so many grown men cry, including my dad who i've only seen cry once (the first time being when i was about 7 and this same uncle had heart surgery). it was heartbreaking to see my grandma say goodbye to her son, and my aunt and cousins say goodbye to their husband and father. but we all made it through. and unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) life goes on. i know we don't have all the answers about life after death, but it's comforting to believe that my uncle is looking down on all of us, sending his love. (and maybe even kickin it with my grandpa).

we did manage to have some fun on the trip. here are some family and friends gathered at my grandma's house.

the highlight for me was getting to meet my cousin's baby, christian, for the first time. he's 7 months old and a total doll.

i've never seen my brother so into a baby before, but he was hooked. can you blame him? look at those cheeks!