The Best 4th of July I've Ever Known

My 4th of July started out as I thought it would.  I drove home Friday to spend some extra days with my parents and anticipated the arrival of my older sister, Elizabeth, and brother-in-law on Saturday.  I had accepted the fact that it would just be the five of us...Martin was working and Kate and Bobby were of course in Florida probably watching the fireworks on the beach somewhere. 

When my sister got home on Saturday evening it was just her, my brother-in-law had gotten called into work.  Already our party was dwindling.  We headed outside to sit on the patio to enjoy dinner. I said to my family, "It's just the original Redente's together again." Then I added sadly, "Well, minus Kate." 

At that very moment, as if on cue, my sister walked out from around the house

:)

She had been planning the surprise since March.

But the surprises weren't done for the evening.

We knew my older sister would be having her twenty-week ultrasound next week and we were all anxiously anticipating the news to see if she would be having a boy or a girl. 

But she had had her appointment the day before and surprised us with the news!

I can't even describe how happy we all were that evening. We were all home together again.  

The way it should be. 

We went to bed that night excited, too excited to sleep. 

 Three sisters sleeping upstairs together like old times...and we kept thinking that the next time we're all together again there will be a little boy joining our family. He'll be one lucky little guy to have so many women around him.

I can't imagine my life without my family.  They are my world. And they make me more happy than anything.  It's going to be such a busy year...a little nephew, my twin sister's wedding. 

Life is good.