First Cousins, Once Removed

This past Thanksgiving I did not take a single picture of Caleb or any of the other family members that we enjoyed seeing.  That doesn't mean that we didn't eat so much that we were glad we wore our stretchy pants or smile so much that our faces hurt or give thanks so much that our hearts were overflowing.  Because we did all of those things and more.  We just didn't happen to capture it on camera.  I'm a firm believer that sometimes you just need to put the camera down and enjoy the moment.  So that's what I did.  We loved every moment with both Tony's family and my family. 
One thing that was certainly different this year from last was that Caleb was able to play - really play - with family members.  His favorite playmate was without a doubt Logan, his cousin - first cousin, once removed, technically speaking. (For those of you unversed on the family tree labels, that means that Logan is my first cousin - Caleb is once removed because he's my son.)  They were practically inseparable the entire time.  My favorite memory of the two of them is them both spinning in circles in the middle of our living room - Logan, break-dance style (seated), and Caleb on his two feet - both laughing up a storm.
What amazes me about this relationship is how God has made these two once completely unrelated people become family.  Like Caleb, Logan was adopted several years ago literally from the other side of the world.  Who but a great and compassionate God could have taken these two precious boys, removed them from their circumstances, and put them into our family to love and be loved?  I love their story of how they were once total strangers and are now first cousins, once removed - removed in more ways than one.  I hope they continue to be best buds and can rejoice with one another for many years to come in how God has brought them together. 

This was the only picture anyone was able to capture - they weren't sitting still long enough for anything else!