Celebrating Family

  This weekend I celebrate with Ruth Ayres at Discover Play Build.  and link with others who share their celebrations, too. I am grateful to Ruth for starting this meme that offers a place to celebrate together!
         Also posting today on a blog tour that shares a new book. Be sure to check it out here!

         I missed last Saturday because I was celebrating family, a wonderful trip with my daughter and her two daughters, the grand-girls. This is our fourth year visiting my brother in Missouri, and sad to say Carter, my grandson couldn't be there this time. He's in the midst of beginning marching band practice and could not come! We missed him, but had a fabulous time. Pictures tell the story, and I'll share just a few. My brother lives on a small acreage with all the things that children love, places to run and swing and explore. 

My cousin night! There's not much more fun
than talking with those who knew you when you
were young! Everyone came, plus a few "extras"!

Cousin Connections

      I'm slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community today.  It's always good to read what everyone shares.  Thank you Stacey, Tara, Anna, Betsy, Dana, Kathleen, Beth, and Deb. I wonder if you're getting ready for the March challenge, making lists of topics, looking for inspiration every day?  My inspiration today came from a phone call from my brother, and a few pictures posted in a private FB site we cousins have.

         Nearly all my extended family lives in Missouri. I am fortunate to be able to visit at least once a year, and when my children were young, we returned every Christmas and in the summer too. I wanted my kids to know the family more than just a few day visit.  It isn't the same as living down the street or next door to grandparents, aunts and uncles, but we did have wonderful times together then. 
          Until middle school I lived in a small town, with those close relatives. And that included "cousins". There were eleven of us cousins, one is now out of touch and far away, and one passed away long ago as a young woman. We all miss her still. But the others, except for me, the "outlier" live in Missouri, some to the east, some to the west, and some in the middle. I am in touch with them all, and they have started to get together for an evening once a month, with or without spouses. Last Friday was the first regular time, sitting for hours at a restaurant, reminiscing, telling stories, laughing. I know because my brother called to tell me all about it. I'm going to try to be there sometime, haven't seen some in a long time. I was the oldest, then came six others close to the same age, then, in the year I was married, two more.