Family visit

I love visitors. Although I'm a definite quiet-night-at-home-with-a-book-and-my-knitting sort of gal, there's something so wonderful and exciting about visiting interesting places with dear friends and family, something heartwarming about sharing a meal with people we love, something precious about welcoming them into my home, my safe space. This feeling is one that's definitely intensified since Audrey was born. Watching people I love with my girl is an amazing, peaceful, big feeling that I try to hang on to and celebrate with photographs and blog posts that never quite completely capture the whole of it.

This past weekend was full of visitors, come to celebrate Audrey's birthday. My dad and his fiancee - Audrey's Grandad Steve and Granny Mel.

My sister, Audrey's Aunty Kate, and her boyfriend Jonathon.

It's hard to wrap my head around thinking of these people as Audrey's family, her grandparents and aunts. I think about my own aunts and uncles and grandparents and my relationship with them when I was a child. We lived a long way away from our extended family, as Audrey does with the family on my side. Seeing them was always a special occasion, a Big Deal. I see that reflected now in long journeys, fancy baby party dresses, a special dinner out at the restaurant where Ian and I used to go on dates back when we first moved to Edinburgh. All things that mark this weekend as a special occasion, a treat, something to put in the memory books.

Lots of little moments that said "you're going to remember this forever, you know."

Her aunt dotes on her. Ian even said to me "Kate's really got the doting thing down, hasn't she?"

Some people are so much a part of your life that no matter how long you go between visits, seeing them is like a homecoming.

Jonathon was amazing with Audrey.

Seriously, I've never seen her take so quickly to a stranger.

The grandparents behaved as disgracefully as all good grandparents should, with silly hats and dancing on the street.

We wandered up to the castle, where Audrey was much more interested in the diggers and cranes on the building site opposite, and pointed them out eagerly to her grandad and insisted they walk over and investigate.

It was absolutely adorable the way they both investigated the very interesting machinery, Audrey pointing the way.

Family are the best, aren't they?

So much love.

We ended up at a scrummy Italian deli for lunch before everyone headed home.

Oh Audrey Bea. How lucky you are to have such wonderful family.