Cousins Weekend 2013

A couple weekends ago we had our annual cousins weekend trip to the lake.

I have to admit, I totally dropped the ball on planning this year. But, thankfully, every single cousin is just as passionate about cousins weekend and when I drop the ball someone else picks it up.

 In fact, while we were on vacation in Mexico email chains started and calendars were set up and they had it pretty much narrowed down to two exact weekends everyone could attend. So, all we really had to do was come home, check the lakehouse calendar and confirm which weekend.

It was awesome!

Scott led the charge to get everyone going this year and even made up a song about cousins weekend that is sung to the tune of "It only takes a spark..." It was fantastic. Not to be outdone, there were multiple hilarious responses with pictures, countdown clocks, top ten lists, an acrostic challenge...Danny even made a website that was all about cousins weekend...it's awesome. In the end, I think we were just shy of 50 emails that basically were just pumping everyone up for the weekend and getting people excited.

I am just so thankful my family LOVES to be together and makes a serious effort to spend time together. There is literally no where else we would rather be. So, in full support of Scott's song that initiated it all this year, I made some shirts.

And I busted out some new tie-dyed headbands for the occasion too.

The Olympic rings are an ode to Matt's performance last year (which was a highlight of the weekend last year).

Thankfully, the swag was a hit!

Our amazing parents watched the kids for us and we got an entire weekend kid-free.

Amy and Danny also got to go the entire weekend kid-free also which was a huge blessing as new parents to sweet Rilee and Taylor. I think the volunteering to keep all our kids overnight solidifies that the parents love that we all get together as much as we do. One night my mom and dad went over with the kids to visit Aunt Jan, Uncle Jimmy and baby Taylor. My mom said it was a little surreal hanging out with her sister and their grandbabies together. I think it doesn't feel too long ago that they were doing that with their own children. I am sure time just flies. Here are some pics of those kiddos hanging out together.

So cute!

These sweet babies were the only ones around during the weekend and they had a great time!

We also celebrated Matt and Amy's birthdays that weekend! It is awesome when we can lump together cousins weekend with a birthday celebration too!

We spent almost all day Saturday on the lake. We just talked, ate lunch, rode jet skis, played games and enjoyed being outside all day. We didn't have to go home to put a baby down for a nap or cook dinner by a certain time or anything. It was so fun!

We spend most nights playing games, singing Garth Brooks at the top of our lungs and having dance parties.

These two are too much!

Of course, since everyone is an Aggie (except Ben) we had to do the War Hymn at some point.
I am just thankful and blessed beyond words for these wonderful people.  They are loving and supportive and challenging and full of integrity.  They are leaders and examples and I am so proud to know them.  I love it that we have so many memories that we recount every year and laugh until we can't anymore.  I love it when I hear my brothers say this is their favorite weekend of the year. 
I can't wait until cousins weekend next year and many more memories to come!

Fourth of July

So, I am just now getting around to posting fourth of July pics...two weeks late.

Life.is.busy. But,we had a fantastic 4th! 

 We spent 3 nights in Granbury and one night at our lakehouse this year. It is usually tricky splitting up 4th of July time but, it is so important to me to do both each year as much as we can.

 Fourth of July is the only time during the year where we get multiple days and nights in a row with our best friends. It is extremely important to Kris, Al and I to make time to spend together and to raise our children together like we were and 4th of July at the Halbert's lakehouse is just a huge blessing for us each year. And this year Julie and Kaitlyn and Lily got to come too and it was just so much fun.  They will need to come every year now!  

 

About a week before the 4th I got the idea that I wanted to make some cute headbands to take to the lake for everyone. I am semi-addicted to my bondi bands and violet love headbands for working out and I looked for tutorials everywhere but all I could find were for sweaty band look alikes which are great, but not really my style.

 Bummer.

So just winged it.

These are super ghetto and may not even really be functional for a workout but, I love them.

All I did was cut up a pair of jersey white footless tights that I bought at walmart and tie dye them.

So easy.

I also bought a pair of regular lycra footless tights that were a smaller size for the kids but, the dye did not take as well in those so, I say stick with cotton.

 

I bought a size large in the cotton capri leggings to fit around an adult head. There is no rhyme or reason to how I cut. I did not measure or even try to cut straight. With the jersey it really doesn't matter. If I had to guess, I would say about 3-4 inches wide. And I got about 12-14 headbands out of one pair of tights. I rubber-banded them a few times and set them upright in red dye for an hour and then flipped them and set them in blue dye for another hour and then washed and dried them. We had lots of choices of red, white and blue banding for the 4th this year.

Kinley opted for a bracelet and a headband.

Ben and I just stuck with a headband.

 

Since we love matching and a theme...it was not 5 minutes into night one at the lake where Kris and I looked like this.

And we literally laughed out loud when we found Sassy and Avery asleep like this. Turns out headbands make for a good eye mask at night.

 

I think the Camp David tees this year were my favorite ever. How cute is the Coca-Cola writing and the 15 stars for the 15th annual celebration.

They were just the best.

I am not joking when I say that at the Granbury square several people asked where our shirts were from and asked to take pics of them and then would sneak and take more pics later of different angles of the shirt.

They were a hit. This cutie in his glasses...

Oh and Ty and Kenna... I could go on and on. They are so cute together...look at her helping me push him and high fiving through the stroller...too much.

Everyone show your dipping dots!

But, I mean, when you see cuties like this..how could you not ask for a pic!?

Group pic at the end with all their swag from the square.

The kids enjoyed endless amounts of time swimming in patriotic theme swimsuits.

I mean, how cute are they...just chilling

Getting set up for "rest" time in the bunk room...

Ben found some baby frogs and put them in some tupperware...

Allison brought her face paint again and it was a daily activity for all ages.

 

There was a DJ jamming out for us on the 4th complete with a karaoke machine that was constantly surrounded by screaming singing kids.

Not a true performance without costumes right!?

Sassy is a true natural performer...amazing...knows every lyric to ever song and has a smile like this...

Are you kidding....how cute!?

I am so blessed to know and love these amazing moms AND have them as best friends.

 

Our swag purchase from the Granbury square were these awesome Mexican Mumu's...I know you are jealous.

 

We left Granbuty headed out to our lakehouse on the morning of the 6th and had a blast with the Harrison's, Mendy's parents, and Francesca.

We busted out some fireworks and sparklers.

Mendy had the idea for was Kinley to stick the sparkler through a solo cup so her hand would be protected....genious!!

This is how Kinley watched uncle Alex's fireworks...

 

How fun are Mendy and Alex to race around the yard with Kinely and Ty on floats!? They had SO much fun!

 

We ended the weekend on the lake with these beauties. Seriously...it was the best 4th of July ever! So, so much fun.