I’ve been in South Florida now since the first of November, and I just have a few days left to soak it all in before I head back to Germany. (Just in time for Christkindlmarkt season, though!)

The centerpiece of this visit home was my father’s 75th birthday party.  This picture contains my immediate siblings and my dad.  It’s rare for all of us to be in a photo at the same time these days.  Dad really doesn’t look 75, does he?

Another highlight of this trip has been seeing my niece again.  She was born less than a year before I moved to Germany, and she’ll be three in a few weeks.  I’ve missed two thirds of her life so far, but she warmed up to me pretty quickly.  I suspect she recognized in me another three year old to hang out with.

Are you close to your family?