Cousins.

I think this is a word Coleman will be using for weeks to come. We enjoyed a memorable weekend with many many cousins. Everyone went home yesterday, but Coleman is still asking "where our cousins?" and "Cousins sleep here." Cousins we call them, although its really like 2nd cousins and 2nd cousins once removed and great aunts and great uncles but hey, when you are as close as we are, its just cousins. This bunch of people seriously make me overjoyed, delighted, just plain happy.

My aunt Carol is actually my grandfather's little sister. I've loved her for as long as I can remember. You need only be around her for like 25 seconds to know why I love her so. She is happy and energetic and full of love. She is known for her hugs - they are long and tight and full of feeling. I absolutely love them. I often forget how "old" she is getting b/c she is hardly slowing down. Her husband Joe is pretty great too. I often feel like he is in the background, much more quiet, content to observe and watch. He is kind and warm and loving. On many occasions I find my children in his lap.



Together they have 4 children. They are all grown with families of their own. I love them all. They all are the kindest and most fun people. I often think that I would be elated if my 4 children could grow up and be like any one of Joe and Carol's kids. Seriously, they are amazing people. And we just spent the entire weekend with all of them. It was wonderful. That sounds inadequate. Um, lets try joyous, blissful.

The occasion was that Spencer was receiving his Eagle Scout and Steve was speaking in church before departing on his mission for our church. These 2 boys are the sons of Wendy (Joe and Carol's oldest daughter). They live here in Idaho Falls. You may have heard me mention the "Hormans" before. This would be them. They live about 3 miles from me. We love this family. We spend most every Sunday night at their house. (there really needs to be a post about sunday nights there. another day.) They babysat my kids for the entire week I was at the hospital during the kidney transplant. Enough said right. They are amazing. They have 5 children. We love them all. The way they treat my kids and play with them (despite the age differences) is one of the greatest things I've ever seen. When we moved here I knew we would enjoy doing occasional things with the Hormans. I had no idea the impact this relationship would have on my life. And the life of my family. Undoubtedly one of my family's greatest blessings. The past few Sunday evenings we've been trying to help Wendy plan this big weekend. Trying to help out where we could b/c we're talking about food and housing for like 70 people! It ended up that Wendy's 2 brothers would be staying with us. Both are married. Jeff and Cari have 2 children 13 and 11. Paul and Annie an 8 month old. I have not seen either of these cousins for several years and it was such fun to catch up. My kids were instant friends with new cousins.

Family began arriving on Friday night. We went to my dad's new airplane hangar. We had pizza there, the kids played Wii and ping-pong and everyone enjoyed seeing the hangar.

Dad with Uncle Joe and Jeff. They had lots of airplane talking to catch up on.



Josh challenged the boys to ping-pong.



Mom enjoying her aunt Carol and sharing some transplant quirks. (Carol had her transplant 1 year ago this August).



It was then over to the Hormans for more catching up and always wonderful food. Nachos around 9 - nachos with grilled chicken and cheese that is. At about 10 pm Paul was ready for ice cream. Wendy was prepared with the biggest container of ice cream I've ever seen! And ice cream is just not complete without Cari's homemade hot fudge. Seriously delicious. I was having too much fun and being too much of a pig to snap any pictures. The kids played night games and I think it was nearly 11pm when we headed for home. Way off normal schedule, but I was not letting these moments pass by. When we got home the kids all grabbed their DS's and headed to the boys room for some MarioKart (all linked wirelessly). How fun is that? Yes it was 11 but I didn't care. My kids were so happy. Julia decided it would be more fun at our house than her own, so she slept over too.

pardon Ashley's underwear.




Saturday started with an enormous breakfast at the Hormans. We're talking eggs, hasbrowns, bacon, pancakes, fresh fruit, and grits (courtesy of Josh). The rest of the morning was spent with the kids off playing and the adults visiting. Good food and company does it get any better? By noon, the soft serve ice cream maker was wired into the garage for power and from then on you could have ice cream pretty much whenever you wanted. Divine I tell you.



Saturday afternoon my kids and some cousins went swimming for a few hours. Josh took Coleman home to nap so he'd be ready for another late night! It was then off to Spencer's court of honor for his Eagle and then to the Horman's for a BBQ. Hamburgers, hotdogs, tons of different salads and of course, ice cream cones. Yes, I comment a lot about food. I love food.

Sunday before church Josh took some family pictures. Its not every day that Carol and Joe and all of their children and grandchildren are together, so it was worthy of photos for sure.

Joe and Carol.


Wendy and Briggs. Brittney, Sam, Steve, Julia, Spencer.


Jeff and Cari. Garrett and Karlee.


Stacie and Pete. Ty and Hailey.


Paul and Annie. and baby Aiden.



Church was wonderful. Steve did a very nice job on his talk. He is such a good kid. I love that my boys have him to look up to. It will be fun for them to get to write him while he is on his mission and for them to see what serving a mission is all about. It has been a while since a family member has been on a mission and my boys were so much younger then. They will understand more now. The day could not have ended better than it did. All of these cousins are so musically talented. I am so envious. As a little girl I would sit by Stacie on the piano bench as she played and sang. I dreamed of one day being like her. She was so pretty and nice and man could she sing. I loved it then and I love it still. I asked she and Briggs to sing me a song. Man was I in for a treat, they got into it and they all ended up singing of nearly 2 hours. The little cousins joined in and they of course can sing also. In between her parts, Stacie danced with Ashley and for sure Ash was on cloud nine. In fact she told me last night that dancing with Stacie was the best part of the entire weekend. So, for 2 hours there we all sat in the living room at the Hormans. The baby grand being played masterfully by Wendy. The voices of Briggs and Stacie, Julia, Hailey, and Brittney (once - you're still not off the hook girl!!) singing out some amazing songs. Man, I was seriously in heaven.

Blissful weekend. My soul so at peace. Feeling greatly blessed.