I'm pretty sure our family tree produces nuts.

Cousins are one of the greatest relationships ever.  I used to think it was because you get to be friends with people you wouldn't normally associate with.  But after spending time with a lot of my cousins while in Arizona, I've changed my mind.  I think I'd choose them all to be my friends.

Cousins are your earliest friends.  They knew you during your awkward phases, poor fashion choices,  temper tantrums and perms.  Yet at the end of the day, you're still related.  I like my cousins even better now that we're mostly grown-ups.  As kids you were kind of expected to play with the cousins your age and sometimes you got along and other times you didn't. But now? age gaps are not important.

A HUGE majority of my cousins on both sides live in Arizona.  And thanks to Jeff for getting married, I had them all in one place for a day.  I loved having a chance to visit with them (and aunts and uncles and grandmas).

A handful of my cousins and Aunts (and uncles who ditched the party and chatted in the other room) showed up at my moms house one night after my kids were in bed.  Aside from the wedding, it was the highlight of my trip.  We played a rowdy game of "In the Manor of the Adverb"; a charade-type game.  Spencer had us rolling with his Tyra Banks impression and the 3rd date doorstep scene he acted out with my great aunt Vicki. To be honest, everyone had us rolling. It was a fun night. (Does anyone have pictures?  Can you send them my way, please?)

With cousin visits so few and far between, I kinda forgot how fantastic my extended family is.  They really are the greatest.

Holy Matrimony!

I have a lot of things I want to remember about my trip to Arizona last week, but there's no way I'm writing them all down in one long blog post.  And since I don't know how much I'll really get to, I might as well start with the reason for the trip in the first place.

My brother Jeffery got married.  I knew I would like Olivia and this trip just confirmed it. (Though we had very little time to hang out...it was like she was preoccupied or something.)

We did get to spend a bit of time standing around my mom's kitchen on the night before the wedding preparing things for the next morning's wedding brunch.  Lisa, Mike's fiancee, came down for the weekend, too.  Even though I live too far away to hang out with these girls on a regular basis, I have decided having sister-in-laws is pretty much the best thing ever.  I've never been part of a family where the girls outnumber the boys (and I suppose if you factor in my boys, the girls are still outnumbered, but they were in bed so they didn't count).  I love that our family is expanding and I couldn't be happier to count Lisa and Olivia as sisters. 

Olivia was a stunning bride.  Her dress was to die for.  And to be honest, I thought it would be all about her.  But when the two of them stepped out of the temple after their sealing, I have to say that Jeff held his own next to his beautiful wife.  They were a picture perfect bride and groom. Flawless, really. 

These were taken a few weeks before their wedding so as fantastic as these pictures are, it doesn't quite capture the moment when Jeff and Olivia stepped out of the temple as husband and wife.  Those two just radiated eternal happiness at that moment. But you can still get a clear picture of how stylish, hip and fun they are. 

These two are a perfect match and I'm so happy for them both.

Making Up is Hard to Do

Raise your hand if you think parenting is hard... Unanimous!  Just as I suspected.  (If you didn't raise your hand, you're obviously doing something wrong.)  I've had a rough go at it the past month... evidenced by my lack of appearances anywhere in the blogosphere lately. I'd like to think that will change soon, but reality tells me it won't. Curse reality! May is jam-packed.  Then summer begins.  I'm hoping summer brings me a little more face-to-face time with my iMac. We'll play that one by ear.

We did in fact celebrate Easter with the rest of the world.  The boys got some new shirts for church.  Is anyone else as grateful as I am that H&M sells cute kids clothes on the cheap? Though I haven't had any luck finding church pants...which is why I made them last year.  I failed to take any Easter pictures.  After a lovely day at church, we celebrated with good friends and good food.

We also celebrated Cinco de Mayo in the usual fashion...with good friends and better food.  I can say that. I hosted both parties and cooked both meals.  I could seriously eat Mexican food every day of my life and never tire of it.  I've decided Cinco de Mayo is my favorite holiday.  You think that's a joke?  Low stress, the BEST food, Mariachi music, fake mustaches.  Honestly.  How can you top that?

Well maybe Mother's Day tops it.  But Cinco de Mayo is a very close second. Spencer and the boys (but mostly Spencer) pull off the best of Mother's Days.  I'm looking forward to it.  I could use a day off.  Plus Spencer already gave me my gift.  And it's a good one.  I'm talking Banana Republic good.  I guess that settles it.  Mother's Day is the best holiday.  No one gave me a new skirt for Cinco de Mayo.

Spencer and I celebrate 9 years of wedded bliss this coming Tuesday.  Want to know how we're spending it?  At the hospital for Grayden to have surgery.  Romantic, huh?  He has to have his adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears.  Poor kid has been walking around with significant hearing loss in both ears for who knows how long...at least a year. 

Has spring been unseasonably cold everywhere?  Or is it just Ohio?  There were a couple of days this week that the temperature never rose above the 40's.  I seriously haven't even unpacked my summer clothes yet.  I'm going to be in for a rude awakening in Arizona in a few weeks.  To be honest, I don't mind this weather.  I much prefer cold weather clothes.  If it weren't for all the rain I'd be fine.  The rain has got in they way of spring yard work and our yard is desperately seeking help.

I had a battle with poison ivy a couple weeks ago.  The poison ivy won. I've got it before (it grows rampant out here) but never this bad.  Two weeks later and I'm still itching like crazy.

We're getting our family pictures taken next week.  It's only been four and a half years since our last picture, but we decided to go for it anyway.  Any suggestions for locations? Or clothes? Local friends...I need your input...what do I wear that makes me look 20 pounds lighter?  RUDE!  But you're right, that's impossible.  Long distance friends...you'll only see the pictures if I come out looking 20 pounds lighter.  Or if my hair looks really good that day.

Does this count for a month worth of missed blog posts?  Cause this might be it for a while. (Thanks to Spencer being on a camp out.) And when he gets home tomorrow evening, I'm going out alone.  Bra shopping.  Your welcome.