Ah France!

I was lucky enough this last week to take a week off and go to France. Why you may ask, well the one and only most important thing in the world: family. My wonderful uncle turned 70, Jack the newest addition to the McEwan clan got baptized, and so many McEwan's in one place.

For me France is this great place from my youth. I was lucky enough to grow up there in this small town called Cognac and all of my cousins at one point lived in Paris so I got to go visit the city a lot. It was a place of running around in parks as small kids and a great place to be a crazy teen.

Going back on the other hand was kind of odd. I was not expecting to remember how to make my way around, yet I new the place like the back of my hand ( hey look some new freckles ). Jack being born really showed how much all of us cousins had grown. The Powers, our best friends, came out for a couple of days as well. On our way back to our places after a long night of great food, friends, and conversation Ben said " I would have never believed you if 10 years a ago you would have told me I would be walking the streets of Paris with Ian and Jenna.

No more Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles, or game of tag. Hot chocolate has turned into expresso, pizza to foie gras, " Ian hit me" to random friendly debates. Jack is now the baby of the family, Tom only 70 years young, everyone on new sides of the planet. Yet here we are Paris once more.

Some things never change just like when I was little and dad would put us on our planes to where ever it was we were getting sent to I was impossible not to cry. As I sat in the airport waiting for my plane all I could think of was how blessed I am so have so many wonderful people and places in my life.