For the past two years the mention of Memom and Pop’s house in front of my children led to a discussion of the pool and how much they couldn’t wait to go visit and swim again.  For the past two years, if you mentioned swimming with all the cousins in front of my mother (the aforementioned Memom) it would lead to a discussion about how disappointed she was that we forgot to take the picture of all the cousins sitting together on the slide.  I use the word “we” generously . . . it was me who didn’t take the picture and me who determined that no one was getting away from the pool this year without a photo on that slide.

I was told the slide was broken  . . . meaning no water would go down it. . . who cares!! Who needs water to sit on a slide? The show must go on.  Naomi wouldn’t be at the pool – sorry ’bout her luck.  WE WERE GOING TO GET A PICTURE IF IT WAS WITH MY LAST BREATH.

After psycho Aunt B got her picture folks were allowed to swim, jump, and have a great time.  With every splash my kids fell more in love with their cousins.  It was wonderful. 

Some of my fondest memories from growing up involve sitting at the kitchen table.  We sat and laughed and sat and talked and ate and laughed. . . When we go to Memom and Pop’s house the table is still important; it’s own character, of sorts.I love having everyone in the same place for a little bit of time and there’s all kinds of topics covered between bites and laughter and helping get someone’s kid to eat their veggies.  This trip we did a bit of celebrating too.  There was Jeremy’s birthday: Abigail said the catechism in its entirety and was awarded $100.And we talked and ate and talked and laughed . . . you get my point. . .

Every couple of years we get to see my brother and his family.  I usually make a really big deal about it on here and show a gazillion photos while moaning about how big the cousins have grown and how much I want to go to heaven so I can be with family.  I bet some of you don’t even realize that we spent a week in Birmingham with my extended family this past July – yep you – – the one reader who isn’t IN Birmingham.  You didn’t know, did you?  Well we did . . . and we took pictures . . . the families are dressed in the same color.  See how we did that. . .

The trip to Birmingham took us ten hours and it was the first time we have driven it since KB was about one.  It went really well . . in fact, I would say it was super. (tee-hee)One might say I over-planned.  I sat with my nose in Pinterest and looked at all the ideas for road trips.  We had magnets on cookie sheets, notebooks with activities, license plate games and little brown bags to open every time we entered a new state.  Kentucky = mad libs (didn’t go over very well)  Tennessee = fake teeth  Alabama = we never got to Alabama because everyone had such fun with the fake teeth.  We were off to a great start – making great memories.