Cousins

My brother, Andrew, and our nephew, Matthew, came from New Hampshire for a short visit last week.

It was so great to see them. Sadly, the distance keeps us from seeing each other much, so we truly appreciate and relish every moment when we do get together. Unfortunately for us, Colleen (my S-I-L) stayed back to take care of their new puppy.

We had schedules in place well before their arrival and planned out just about every minute of their time here. That drove my brother crazy, but our event coordinator (Madi) enjoyed making preparations immensely. 

Mom and Dad were so elated to have all the grandchildren together again. They treated us to a fun Intracoastal boat trip on Friday. Uncle Andrew was able to spend some quality time with Charlie, and the kids loved exploring the boat decks. Of course, Charlie was content mostly with stairs...lots of stairs...

We weren't sure just how well the kids would bond, based on the age spread of 3 - 7 - 10, but the dynamic turned out to be magical. The cousins joyfully found common ground doing the same things we loved as kids...playing tag, playing chase, and just being kids. Madi and Matthew badgered Jimmy into hiding in our backyard each night so they could enjoy the thrill of finding him. And Charlie tagged along right behind them yelping with excitement. They totally loved being scared. Suffice it to say, with all the antics, there was a lot of screaming going on around here!

Matthew was so sweet and loving with Charlie. It was heartwarming to watch them bond and do "boy things" together. It was so nice that Matthew didn't mind getting down on the floor and playing cars or trains or whatever Charlie insisted on doing with him. They genuinely took pleasure in being together.

 

 

It's hard to believe so much time has elapsed since they lived here in Florida with us. Seems like yesterday that Matthew was Charlie's age. Where does the time go?  

 

Anyway, it was a wonderful and fun reunion.  We were blessed to have them here, if only for a long weekend.  We miss you guys already!