Visual Benedictions

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Just Passing Through..

Hey there,

Hope you have been surviving this week with Daylight Savings and the time change. These darker evenings prompt my yawns to start a little earlier than usual! But I will say, seeing the sunrise in the mornings have been beautiful...(And that extra hour of sleep we got last weekend was pretty great too) 

[ Sunset in Nebraska…for this case, we will pretend it’s a sunrise :) ]

I was blessed to see family from both sides as they visited St. Louis for either school or work. It was great to catch up with them and talk about life. Honestly, I’m one of those people where if you post on social media that you are in town I WILL contact you immediately and see if we can grab a cup of coffee, share a meal, or take a walk in the park. (Nothing gets past me) I love seeing family and friends when they pass through the city of St. Louis...even if it’s just for a short amount of time. While growing up and traveling, my family would often stop and see extended family if we were in the area. My parents have always made that a priority, even to this day! I guess that’s another trait that has been passed down to me, which I’ve proudly inherited. :)

[ My aunt Kathy visiting during the week for her church work with Concordia Seminary. She is a true historian and storyteller at heart. I got to show her all the slides I scan from our family’s collection. Gave her a tour of both the church I work at and the studio Lucas works at. We ended the day, enjoying a meal at this local diner in the city. ]

[ The next day, my cousin Katie was in town! She is studying Interior Design in Mississippi and took the trip to St. Louis to explore the historical architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright house, and visit the Arch for her university class. It was great to catch up and show her the studio! ]

I remember specifically when I was a child, my mom made it a goal for my grandma to see all of her grandchildren in a year. This was after my grandma experienced a frightening car accident and had a difficult time getting back to full health. You see, my family on my mom’s side is spread all throughout the country, and since my grandma had eight kids you can only imagine how many grandchildren she had! Nevertheless, my mom packed up our van and drove us all across the country to see family. I’ll always remember that year as we visited all my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I have vivid memories of us playing video games on the Super Nintendo and jumping on the trampoline in Colorado, french braiding my hair and riding horses in Ohio, playing in the McDonalds PlayPlace in Iowa, and singing Christmas carols with both family and strangers in the mild winter of Texas. Sweet memories with family. 

[ My aunts, uncles, and cousins on my mom’s side - this was taken at a family reunion when my mom was pregnant with me! Crazy ]

What are some of your favorite family memories from your childhood?

Till next time,

Trina