We had such an awesome day Saturday. Friday afternoon I was googling my family (I know I’m not the only one who does this!) and the first thing I found for my husband’s name was a news article in a tiny Utah newspaper. It was about his grandmother and father. Their log cabin burned down last week. So that was bad news, but fortunately they got out okay. In the article it quoted Earl’s auntie and said she lived in Nevada City, CA. Well, hello! That’s like an hour away from us!

We looked up her number and Earl called her. She was so happy to hear from him. Earl is kind of like an orphan. In the ten years we’ve been together we have not had any contact with his family. His mother married a truly awful man and there are mitigating circumstances involving that side of the family that make us avoid (like plague!) any contact. And on his father’s side, well, let’s just say that his dad has had his own set of problems. So to find this auntie was like a miracle to him.

We packed up the kids Saturday morning and went visiting. We also got to visit with Earl’s cousin (she was super nice too). He hasn’t seen these folks in over twenty years. We got to look at family photographs and talk about where people are and who looks like who and it was just awesome! It meant so much to Earl to find people that love him just because he exists. The kids were amazingly well behaved and made me very proud of them. Nevada City is a really, really cute gold mining town with a huge (for the region) old town. We went window shopping and had the most delicous Nevada City Iced Cappacinos and truffles. Everywhere we went, his Aunt Jacquie introduced Earl to her friends and acquaintances. You could really see how special it made him feel. Oh, and his aunt and cousin called him E.G.! His grandpa was called Earl (since he got the name first!), his dad was called Junior and so the family called Earl by his initials. He said he almost forgot that name!

Anyway, it did my heart lots of good to see my sweetie get all that lovin! I always say he is like Ferdinand the Bull (remember the Disney short?). Sweet and gentle, but forced to fight. Saturday was his day under the tree enjoying the flowers.