The Cousins!

When are the cousins going to be here?  

Where are the cousins going to sleep?

When the cousins get here, I'm going to show them this*!

When the cousins get here, can we do this*? Can we go here*?

(*Insert every possible toy, game, activity, and attraction.)

Repeat all approximately 116 times.

After this kind of buildup in the days and weeks preceeding Karisa and crew's visit from Ohio, I was worried the actual event might be a bit anti-climatic for Shayne and Gracie. But within about 30 seconds of "the cousins'" arrival, I put that worry aside. They all jumped immediately into a fast-friendship that continued the length of their stay. Kaden and Shayne were pretty much inseperable thanks to a mutual obsession with the Wii; Aubrey loved Jarrett and Aunt Sissa (when Mom or Dad wasn't around to get in the way), and Gracie just jumped in wherever she could.

Among the week's activities, there was the requisite slip-n-slide session...

        

a living room campout...

and trips to the zoo, museum, and waterpark. Texas barbeque and "street tacos" were consumed, and craft projects were completed (thanks to Karisa's traveling vinyl-cutter, woo-hoo!). And the adults were even able to sneak out one night to a late showing of Indiana Jones, thanks to Grandma. (To tell you how long it's been since we'd done that: We used the theater gift certificates that Brendon got for his birthday last year, and umm, yeah...his birthday is tomorrow.)

No wonder it's so difficult adjusting back to reality. Vacations are fun, even at home!