The Day of Great Combinations

coffee and conversation jump start the day right.

reuniting with a CUC friend -- a juxtaposition of catching up on life and reminiscing.

sunshine, sunscreen, and sand smells staining my skin.

lakeside seating perfectly sandwiched between a friend and a cousinsister.

laughter and love. lots of it.

reminders

of not being alone.

of growing up that's done and will come.

of the okay factor in it all.

and now...chocolate milk and Frankenstein. (a bit of polar opposites, yes?)

~"Life is short, let's go live it. Ain't no time for wasting time. Days like these go by way too fast. Yeah, days like these, you wanna make them last." ["Days Like These" - Jason Aldean]~

What A Cousin Weekend Looks Like

Cousin Movie Night: The Drive In Edition

(Jess, Matt, and Jen)

passing the time until the movies start.

(we sometimes pretend to like each other)

he's basically like a brother to me.

sisterlylove.♥

"i wanted to braid my hair and be just like yooooou!"

cousinsisters. ♥

graduation day.

the look of a smartypants with a masters.

it's all the rage, you know.

"suit up!"

jobo.

cousins picture.

grown ups picture.

(Uncle Vic, Liz, Matt, Auntie Cindy, Uncle Tom)

He's a Phoenix.

~"What's that? You want me to come back there and talk to you?"~ [Due Date]~

Real Time And Conversations

I had the gift of spending a bunch of time with 3 of the girls I adore so, so much -- my cousins Jess, Jenna, and Jordan.When I'm home, I spend as much time as possible with my family, but really I think these girls get the most. I talk about them quite a bit, and I'll probably talk about them a lot more before The Big Move, too.

Friday: shopping, errand-running, and ice-cream getting (minus Jen). [Okay, so the ice cream was a bribe for Jor, who does have a fair amount of patience (sometimes) for a 9 yr old, but even a 9 yr old can understand the value of ice cream in exchange for stretching her patience and good behavior a liiiiittle longer. And it was THE most colossal ice cream cone I'd ever seen. There were at least 4 scoops in that baby!]

(Jor and I talking about The Big Move as we shop)

Jor: Why are you moving there? Isn't it cold?

Me: What?

Jor: Yeah, aren't there mountains and snow and everything?

Me: You're thinking Uh-Laska. I'm moving to Nuh-braska. No mountains there.

Jor: Oh, yeah! (thinks for a minute) But you went to Alaska once, right?

Me: Yes, yes I did.

Saturday: sleepover with the girls at our aunt and uncle's where I was animal-sitting (Thanks, Uncle Vic and Lizard!). Picking 2 movies and getting popcorn and candy to go with it. Making it through one movie. Singing and dancing. Jess joining us. More dancing. Hunting for the rumored second cat, Lucy, with no luck. TV watching together. Dropping off to sleep, one by one. Learning just how little bedspace you get when sharing a bed with a dog, a cat, and a little girl simultaneously.

(Jen's watching TV in the other bedroom...and I can't remember what Jess said/what I said...)

Jen: I'm hungry!

Jess/Me: So get something to eat.

Jen: I can't!

Jess/Me: Why not?

Jen: Because I can't pause the TV!!

Jess/Me: We call that 'old school technology'. We couldn't pause TV when we were growing up, and we survived!

Today: slow to wake up. Watch the girls tirelessly play ball with the dog. Homework after they go home. Jess keeping me company while I cook. Baby playtime break at her house. Back to the house to hang out until Uncle Vic comes home. Head home to my own bed.

A fantastic weekend with my girls. :)

~"Cousins are different beautiful flowers in the same garden." [-Anonymous]~