Thankful Day #6 - Skype

Thankful Day #6: Skype

One downside and definitely the one of the hardest parts to living away from family is not being able to see, talk, and hang out with them on a regular basis. A couple of years ago Nate and I decided to get webcam's for his parents and my mom and Rik so we could chat with them on a regular basis and so our kids could put their names to their faces. Both sides of the family just loves this technology!

I guess there is just something about talking to someone face-to-face, rather than over the phone. Conversations last MUCH longer and everyone seem's to connect more. It makes it so my girl's don't "forget" who their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends are.

I truly LOVED getting to Skype with my mom. Their laptop would just sit on her lap and so the webcam would be shooting at an upward angle and we always had a really great view looking up her nose :) Which sounds so gross, but really it was so endearing. But I loved watching her expressions as we told her things and then listening to her chat about whatever was on her mind. I loved watching her use up all her energy to blow kissy faces toward my girls. It was just like we were there with her at her blue chair. Gosh, I miss her.

Tonight I was Skyping with my brother Scott and my stepdad Rik and it really was just what I needed. I have been a total crab all day long and I have no idea why. But I had so much fun being able to chat with two people whom I love dearly. And then after Scott left Rik's house, I kept talking with Rik and we just chatted as if we were there with each other playing cards, and not across the country. It had been quite a while since he and I have chatted. I was able to talk to him about a few things that I have really been struggling with lately and about how much I miss my mom, and he was able to do the same. It was just what I needed for my crabby mood today. You don't always get those sorts of things when you're on the phone. Sometimes I feel like Skype is a virtual hug :)