Mendel

If I could have one wish, it would be that all of our family and friends lived in one state, preferably one county, so that our kids could grow up spending equal amounts of time with all of their amazing grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. While I like to hold out hope that this could happen someday, I really need to stop kidding myself and just enjoy every moment we do get to spend together. It's probably not realistic to hope that Grandpa Yantes will open a coffee shop in St. Paul and hire Monica, Kelley and Megan to work there. I doubt that Al Trask will buy a farm in Farmington. I still have hopes for Tony and Catherine, but that's a few years off yet.

On our latest trip to Rapid City, we got to see Patrick perform in a high school production of Fiddler on the Roof. He played Mendel, the Rabbi's son, and did a phenomenal job! While watching the play, I couldn't help but empathize with the characters who had to leave their home and loved ones. While I feel just as much at home in Minnesota as I did in Rapid City, we did have to leave behind people that we love dearly.

This got me thinking about how glad I am that our boys have Patrick for an uncle. "Uncle Peej" is the so great with his nephews; Max just beams when he talks about him! We've only been gone a year, but he has grown so much since we left. I would say that I barely recognized him, but he's the spitting image of Paul a few years ago. In our house, we're rooting for him to follow in his brother's footsteps and come to school in Winona... hint, hint!

Patrick, thanks for a great show, and thanks for being a great uncle!!