Cousins.

Cousins. We all have cousins. We have since we were young. Now we might be far from cousins, or don't talk to cousins as much as we should, but we all have them. Cousins share a special bond. It is having a real friendship, that can never grow too far apart, and can certainly never disappear...because you are united by blood. Pretty powerful isn't it?
Now think back to when you were a kid. Everything is more fun when you are little; life is simple- no worries other then which bowl to eat your cereal from, or which cartoon to watch in the morning.
But do you remember your cousins? I do. My cousins and I were best friends. We were inseparable. It was grandma's house every Sunday because waiting an entire week to see my cousins again was torture. It was an extra "cousins" birthday party because there was no possible way I could focus my attention on friends when my cousins were around. It was racing to grandma's on Christmas day to exchange gifts and search through snowballs to find the lucky million dollar bill. (a $20 is a million dollars to a child- ask any of them) It was popsicles and sleepovers, nights filled with games and make believe. It was fun. And it was joy.
Well, unfortunately my childhood days are gone, and as we grow up we change. Our looks change, our schools change, our friends change, our lives change. But one thing that never changes, never leaves- is family. Cousins.

It has been so fun growing up with my cousins, we share so many memories and make more every time we see each other.
But now let me explain something else about cousins.
The fun part about cousins is that not only do I grow with my own cousins, I watch my nieces and nephews grow with each other. Grow as cousins. And that brings me just as much joy as doing it myself.
They want so bad to be together, even though half of that time spent together...is spent in time out. They can't wait to wake up in the morning and see each others faces. They can't wait to eat the same cereal, watch the same cartoons, play with the same toys....or more often toy. (notice the change from plural to singular- its usually just one toy they both want)
They just can't wait to be kids together. Make forts, pretend to be pirates, run around laughing. Just because they get to do it all together.
That is what family, not just cousins, is all about. And thanks to these kids, we are constantly reminded of that.

No matter what we are doing, we love it just because we get to do it together.

[forts built for mickey and minnie]

[teaching her how to "play guns"]