Cousin Summer

The last month we were spoiled with lots of cousins. Danny & Kaylee LOVE their cousins. And Matt and I were excited to spend a little time with our newest nephews as well. Sadly, when Mindy, G-Pops, & Grandma Angie came to visit, my camera was MIA. I did get this phone shot of Kaylee & Kaya stick wrestling. Kaylee won. I guess that's what happens when you have a big brother to wrestle around. I had to steal a few pictures of our baby nephew Lander off Mindy's facebook because he is such a cutie. When he visited he was about 4 months old and so smiley. Love that age! I remembered how exhausting it is too though - nursing and being up at night. Don't miss that! Mindy's doing great.
Things I want to remember from the Hong visitors (since I neglected to take ANY pictures). Dim Sum with the Lou Hong family at the House of Hong, fun day exploring Pike Place Market, beautiful wedding (Jerry's cousin's daughter), driving out to the mountains, slip n' slide at the ward campout, KFC picnic dinner on Lake Washington, huge dinner with the whole Hong crew with smoked ribs, homemade rolls, yummy spinach, strawberry salad, & a plethora of chocolate desserts (including chocolate pasta). The visit was short, but packed and we had a great time with everyone.

The day after the Hong's left, my sister's family arrived. Danny used to live 2 blocks away from these cousins in Houston, so he's REALLY missed having them around all the time. They always pick up right where they left off. We did see a few Seattle sights with Leah & Alex. Then we all drove across the mountains to my parent's house. Their yard was already paradise, and then they decided to redesign the play structure with a pirate ship theme. Danny would just live out there if I let him. As it was, the kids spent hours outside playing every day. Adding water to the equation, whether in the yard or at the nearby splash park, made it even more fun. By evening there were many tired kids ready for a snuggle & TV time.
Some favorite activities of the week were Settlers of Catan, climbing, hula hoop, hammock swinging, gardening (the kids harvested several things that we ate right away - berries, salad veggies, & potatoes), swat the mosquito, hula hoop races, bocce ball, and playing horses. There was even a talent show where each kid performed a skill they'd been practicing during the summer. There were several musical numbers, but Danny's proudest achievement was how far he'd learned to shoot an arrow.
The main event of this gathering was the blessing of our newest nephew Zachary. He's just 2 months younger than Lander and sweet as can be.The last night together we feasted on S'mores. It doesn't get much better than that!
And what about the cousins we didn't see yet this summer? We get to see them next week when we head out to Idaho for the fair! Hooray for cousins!