At the end of June, my Oldest Younger Brother sent me a text and told me he and his family were coming to visit at the end of July.

To say I was nervous and anxious would be an understatement.

This is the first time he’s been to see me in Arkansas since either 1999 or 2000. And the first time married and with children. For either of us, technically. And the last time I saw any of them was in June 2011.

Visiting with my family tends to make me feel that way. I’m not sure why, but it just does. I’m 41-years-old, but I still feel like a little kid when it comes to my family.

They arrived Sunday evening. The Husbear barbequed some chicken, burgers, and hot dogs. We spent the evening talking and catching fireflies with my nephew and niece.

Monday we woke up and headed over to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge outside of Eureka Springs. The Husbear and I had never been there before, and we’ve heard a lot about their rescues over time in the news. We apparently picked the wrong time of day to go, as most of the animals were napping. But it was still a nice place.

After that, we headed over to Beaver Dam and Beaver Lake. The kiddos wanted to swim, so we stopped at one of the many parks around the lake and the family cooled off in the water for a while.

After that, we headed back to our home and ate dinner and talked.

Tuesday we got up and around. While the Husbear cut and colored the sister-in-law’s hair, Oldest Younger Brother and the kids and I headed over to Memorial Park in Bentonville. We rode around on their bicycles and had lunch.

Then we all headed back to house where they packed up and headed out.

It was a good visit overall. I enjoyed seeing my brother again, and spending some time with my niece and nephew. But it’s definitely been a long time since the Husbear and I had small children in the house, so that left us a little… tired.

I’m exhausted now. And need a beverage. Or three.