Cousins

As a child, summer was when you got to see the cousins.  Either they traveled to us or we visited them.  Visiting relatives was the only real vacation my family took.  Summer still sometimes means seeing those same cousins.  On my mother's side I have 22 first cousins.  Every three years Mom's sibs and their descendants get together somewhere.  This year it was Island Park, Idaho.  Why? Where? It's beautiful and just down the road from West Yellowstone, MT and Yellowstone Park's West Entrance.



100 descendants of my Grandparents - My cousins

 I haven't been to the reunion for a few years and I rarely see most of the family any other time but it's really great to visit with them.  I'm the oldest cousin, and only two others are close to my age, still, I know a lot about these people's childhood.  I remember when Oscar put the cat in the dryer.  Margie was who I wanted for a bridesmaid. I remember Angie being potty trained. I know which Carlson sister was a TV child star (Romper Room).  I remember how proud David was when he took the bus by himself to see Grandpa and Grandma. Now we are parents and some are  grandparents and we throw our kids together and tell them to "go play with your cousins". 

Cousins

What we really have in common is that our Grandparents, Wayne and Evelyn, fiercely loved each of us and I believe still do.  The BestLoved DIL comes from a large extended family and has so many girl cousins near her age that it's like she is a member of an exclusive sorority that meets every so often.  In the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" she had dozens of first cousins that lived near by and he had only 2.  Lucky is the child who has cousins and gets to visit them in the summer.