10 Highlights Continued.
Click here for 1-5
#6 Sister time. Enough said. Why are these two not my next door neighbors???
It was pretty fun to watch these sisters together too.
And yes, I have already started encouraging them to be neighbors some day.
#7 Cousins. Oh what joy it brings my heart to watch these kids play together. Painting, dancing, playing games, being silly, swimming, feeding the neighbors horses, face painting, watching movies...these kiddos LOVE each other and can't get enough of each other. This was as good as we could get for the "yellow chair picture" this year (ages 7, 6, 5, 3, 2, 10 months, 8 months).
#8 BIG family reunion. This year we had a reunion within a reunion and we got to spend two wonderful days with my aunt, uncle, cousins (and spouses and kids), and grandparents (Mom's side...the Midwest side). What a treat. Although we were missing three much loved family members and there was a feeling of incompleteness we still thoroughly enjoyed and cherished the time together. It was unbelieveably special to watch my 87 year old Grandma bond with my 10 month old. We also snuck in a girls pedicure and a couple late nights catching up with the cousins after our 9 kiddos were put to bed. We didn't get a big group shot on our camera, but you can trust me that there were 26 of us, and we looked great.
#9 Celebrating Midsummer. Here's the thing you should know about this family of mine...we are Swedish. That is why we call my mom Mormor, sing prayers in a foreign language, eat bland/white food, enjoy water and winter, and find ourselves drawn to the colors yellow and blue. Midsummer is a BIG GIANT holiday in Sweden (we were actually there for it in 1995, all 15 of us)...and my parents decided that if we were going to have this many Swedes together so close to summer solstice then we should raise a maypole, make some flower crowns, let Grandpa break out his fiddle, and eat some meatballs. And that is exactly what we did.
Here is my 93 year old Grandpa playing a Midsummer tune for us.
Yes, this happened too.
No, I won't be posting that video.
#10 Just being together. Holding babies, playing games, celebrating a 7th birthday, walks, bike rides, water fights, bedtime stories, frozen yogurt, drive-in movie, 15 of us sleeping under one roof, laughing, talking, just enjoying the gift of time together. What a gift it was.
Thank you mom and dad for your gift of hospitality and all your hard work! It was an amazing 10 days.
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Until Christmas...
When we will return to barren trees and cold temperatures and I will romanticize the heck out of winter.
When we will return to barren trees and cold temperatures and I will romanticize the heck out of winter.
