Family sentiment (take it while you can)

I'm at Jenna's house now. It is January 2nd, and I am warm inside on a very cold day. I am listening to Jenna's breathing as she sleeps during a little nappy. It is peaceful and quiet, a precious still moment that seems to be rare these days. I am calculating that I have been with family pretty non stop for around 6 1/2 weeks now. Mom, Dad, Sally and I shared the 2 bedroom apartment in China and spent days with Jenna in her hospital room (which was large)- close quarters for a gal who has acclimated herself to living alone in the woods... Then we came home from China and had two days before the electricity was knocked out for most of Christmas week by a snow storm. Then it was Mom, Dad, Jenna, Nauni (my grandmother) and I trying to stay warm and fed while recovering from jetlag. Now my brother and sister in law and nephews (ages 3 1/2 and 1 and cuter than a bucket of buttons) are here so it is all of us and an occasional Nauni trying to stay warm and fed. I am living in Mom and Dad's guest house right next door to them, which is awesome and convenient and warm and cozy and right in the middle of the big family mix. It feels like it has been a 6 week long family visiting marathon. Last night after a loud and crazy dinner, I laid my tired new years party bones down to bed early and thought- even though the noise and the constant family dynamics make me tired and sometimes crazy, there is something really comforting about having everyone together and in each other's lives. I know my place within the world of my family, something I cannot say for my relationship to the world at large. The way we live so close to each other and are up in each other's space and business (on a daily basis- especially lately) is not all that common for a lot of modern Americans. And I cannot say that I aspire to live next door to my parents long term (heaven help me), but I will say it is great (and I dare say a blessing) to be part of a clan. And it seems like no matter how bad we drive each other nuts, deeper is the relentless unspoken commitment to take care of each other.
Time to sign off- Jenna woke up while I was on the toilet doing my business. She cheered me on, "Go, Dana, go!"
Gotta love family...