tushka

I'm up late again sifting through pictures of our trip to Russia.

I am so so grateful to have them.

I came across this one tonight and it made me smile extra hard.

My sis

Tushka as LB will call her

which is our shortened form of "tientushka" which is of course, Russian for auntie.

Lace came up with the idea

wanting to be called something that set her apart from all the other aunties LB will have.

I love it.

I love her.

My little sis, 

who enthusiastically hopped on that plane with me

and made the trip half way around the world to meet her niece.

I knew that Lace genuinely liked her when I saw her hand her camera over to Little Bean every day

and sit there smiling while those tiny hands left smeary little finger prints all over it

and LB joyfully pressed every button she could find.

Lacey showed her how to take pictures

 and LB would snap a shot and then bring it over for Lacey to see.

She was so proud of herself

and Lacey was so encouraging of her.

So patient.

Lacey has a way with kids like I have rarely seen.

They flock to her.

LB I can see, will be no different and it makes me so glad  

to think of the closeness they will share.

We'd get back to the hotel in the evening and Lacey would sit in the chair at the foot of her bed

shaking her head and saying, "I have no idea what she did to this."

trying to clean the film off her lens and re-program her camera back to its original settings.

She would make these funny little exasperated comments

but through it all, she smiled.

I often say how blessed I am to have the family that I have,

tonight I'm looking at this picture and thinking of how blessed my Little Bean is

to have Lacey as her Tushka.