Family is Family

in #travel7 years ago (edited)

The long awaited family reunion came and went so quickly, four days sped by and my sister, Adrianne and family arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and before we knew it, Saturday night was upon us and maps were drawn leading her and her husband and son out of the valley and mountains where our Father lives to a flight out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to return to their homes in Miami, Florida.

Me and Baby Sis

This was captured on the wrap around porch at Dad's summer home in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, 3 1/2 hours drive from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We last saw each other on Halloween in 2015 where we experienced Halloween South Beach Style. This is the first time in 17 years she's returned to Pennsylvania.

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Happy are Those Who Are Lucky Enough to Bridge the Miles and Obstacles

My son, Bill, had hip Surgery four days prior to Driving 3 1/2 hours from Erie, Pennsylvania with his wife and two sons. The youngest, pictured here with my Sister and nephew, Mitchell, who I watched so many years ago come into this world.

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Our Accommodations Were Impressive

A friend of my Father's opened his lodge to make room. Dad keeps up the grounds in this luxurious and interesting three story, four bedroom lodging purchased by the current owner's father who had an interesting hobby. A post will follow soon with a sample of what is inside the lodge.

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Peace Surrounds the Lodge

Dad and his wife reside in a community of 60 residents, many who live there are retired, some work in a city a half an hour away. There are no cell towers to speak of, and their cell phone is powered by a booster. We were off the grid and didn't miss the outside world.

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The Sound of Babbling Brooks and Birds

I woke before the rest of the family each morning and went out on the deck facing the brook below, listening to the birds call and soothing sounds of water rushing by in a trout stocked stream that's filled with fishermen when stocked, according to our Father.

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Water Play

My grandson built a foot spa, complete with stone seats and proudly showed us. Every day the water beckoned them like a siren. Thankfully the weather was warm for the entire weekend, only cooling in the evening with one day out of four with a short period of sprinkles.

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Pennsylvania is Made for Bonfires

Each night we sat around this fire pit built by a local school and sold as a fundraiser. Plenty of wood was burned as we sat reminiscing about growing up in the 60's and 70's in western New York State, Fairview, and Edinboro, Pennsylvania while sipping our brother's homemade wine and getting aquainted with the younger neice (a teacher and party actress who dresses as Elsa from Frozen, Belle from Beauty and the Beast and more Disney princesses)

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My Neice - The Beautiful Princess with Once Upon a Party LLC

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Family is a Rock

We all begin here. Families may separate during the years, but the roots remain and getting opportunity to reminisce as adults adds new layers to shared knowledge. Our brother is talking about retirement, although he has a few more years, and I will be close behind.

This is our first of hopefully many reunions. The memories will linger long and I pray we can all find our way back again much sooner than the 17 years.

I hope you enjoyed this trek with me. Return for more about this reunion when I reveal the Lodge interior.

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you all together look so nice and you and your baby sister are so beautiful..

Thank you so much, @birjudanak! ❤ We live for these moments!

very nice family and photos too..

My family just had our yearly family gathering a week ago. It's hard to get everyone together, and harder still to stay in touch in between those visits. It's a bit sad how easy it is to drift apart over time, but when you're able to get together it's like nobody every left. Great post, great pics :)

Thank you so much and so glad you were able to reunite, too!

Oh, I can only imagine the memories that were made there! So hard to get the gang together with ballet recitals, work, boy scouts and every other thing under the sun.

New layers to our shared knowledge

You have no idea how I love that!!

Upped and Steemed

Thank you @dswigle your visits are treasured and yes, memories no one can take from us! ❤💕

beautiful pictures! And nothing like family! Looks like fun! :)

Thank you for stopping! It was wonderful to see everyone and walk the woods in quiet ❤ following you!

You are welcome! Thanks for the follow! :)) Have a wonderful day!

great story , with a bright future, so I am now following you and looking for more

Thank you for following and for reading my post. Following you! Great to meet you.

and you as well, hope to become great friends

Thank you ❤ I hope so, too!

good, it will be so, my new friend

Check her poetry, it's Great!

will do, and underground, i am now following you as well

I see you are a writer, you can do well here on steemit if you post stories!
Nice to meet you Johnny, followed back and I did check out your page first, I bet you have had lots of things to write about over the years :D

17 years - that's a long time to stay away from these beautiful landscapes.

Yes, she was missing home and finally returned. ❤ Thank you for stopping by.

Beautiful. Always lovely when family can get together far from the maddening crowd and just be😊

Yes, my dear poet, it's weight exceeds all wordly goods. I appreciate you visiting. ❤

This made me long for home! I too haven't seen my family in 17 years, it's a horrible feeling losing all the years of the nieces and nephews lives as well as siblings. The lodge is really beautiful, a perfect, peaceful place for a reunion without interruption from the outside world. Your family is as beautiful as you are. Thank you for sharing.

Oh! Hi @lolomarie ❤ it's wonderful to see you on Steemit! Home is our roots and there is just something about the family unit that helps remind us who we are. Following you 🌹

Thank you for stopping and reading ❤💕 following you!

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