A GROWING FAMILY

The day before Christmas, we stopped at my brother's house to drop off a present. His girlfriend's 4-year-old son answered the door with a big smile on his face.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked with a sense of inquisitive excitement.

Before I could answer, his 2-year-old brother came running to the door with an equally big smile, with both hands waving above his head as he delivered a hearty, "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!"

Life has a funny way of working out. A decade ago, my brother and his girlfriend were in a serious relationship together, but it didn't work out. They went their separate ways and lived separate, until getting back together very recently.

Now they are back together, and her boys are a big part of my brother's life. The girlfriend and her boys have quickly become a part of our family as well. Both boys are very good with the Little One, wanting to hold him or play with him when we get together.

Even more exciting, my brother and his girlfriend are expecting their first in a little more than a month. This clearly is on her sons' minds, as I found out at their door the other day.

"First [the Little One] was born; then Santa Claus comes tomorrow; and then after Christmas, our new baby is coming!" he said. "How exciting is that?"

Just the fact that he brought it up on his own was amazing. These boys are really excited to be adding another brother in the near future. 

Just as we are excited for another cousin for the Little One.