Nephews! - Intro - Part I

Nephews.  That's what I have... Nephews.  No nieces, just nephews.  I have three of them.  There's my sister's twins "N" and "J" from Texas, and my brother-in-law's son "M".  They live in Illinois.

Within the past two days - there has been "nephew news" going on around in my house.

First, a little about me as a nephew, and my uncles...

I grew up very close to my uncles.  I have one paternal uncle, and three maternal uncles.  Uncles Ron, Vince, and Greg all live close.  I have grown up having a close relationship to them, and truly enjoy their company.  (I could (and should) post about them sometime...)  My other uncle (Dan) lived in rural, northern Maine.  I did not get to see him "frequently" - or talk to him as often as my other uncles.  Perhaps because of that, Uncle Dan held a very special place in my heart.

On a side note, Dan passed away many years ago...  And now (many years later), I find myself in contact (frequently) with my cousins in Maine that I really did have an opportunity to get to know while growing up.  I am finding out how truly wonderful folks they are, and just what I missed out on over the years. 

I mention this because I now am growing up without the opportunity to have any of my nephews living close enough to "hang out" with.  Oh, I don't begrudge my sister, or my brother-in-law for living where they do.  We all have our own paths and destinies to work towards.  I only mention this because there are certain circumstances where having them around would be a lot of fun!

This post got way too long for a single entry.  I am breaking up the long post into a three part series.  Stay tuned for a couple of "Nephew stories" in parts II and III!