Cousins Week

Cousins Week is officially over. Elijah just left Woodsong to see a friend in Madison, Wisconsin. He and Trent had gone down to Cadiz, Kentucky, last night to meet up with Lige’s sister Leslie, who drove up from Nashville. Brianna had left the day before to drive to Michigan to see a friend. Sam was up early this morning to go to work as he has been helping out with his high school’s annual band camp this week as well as being here at Woodsong enjoying Cousins Week. Despite the late night hours, Trent managed to make an A on his summer statistics exam Wednesday. Erin got in on Cousins Week by a fortunate schedule happening, and I was glad because she could give her younger cousins some good advice. And I think Sam’s friend Anna has been officially adopted by the group.

Back when I wrote about only one pair of tennis shoes in the front hall, Elijah had read that blog and hastened to tell me that I did not need to worry about their absence. The younger gang of cousins were already texting and planning on “Cousins Week” the first week of August after they finished summer activities and before they started school again. Unfortunately, Geri Ann is busy right now with a short summer term at Oregon and had already left Texas. Our youngest grandchild Cecelie was working full time this summer at the consignment store, so she could not come down join the college kids. I had to be proud of her!

Erin and Geri Ann had planned to come earlier in the summer, but the rained-out postponed softball camps foiled their plans. So Erin, at least, was finally getting to come up between workshops to prepare for next year’s teaching. For me, getting to meet Josh Simons, her new husband over in South Korea, by Skype was one stand-out moment of her visit. Next summer we get to meet him in person. Erin was kept busy seeing all of her loved ones including Candice’s toddler twins, fishing on our lake, and walking either 4 plus or 5 miles down to Gma Shirley’s house. Since her wrist watch and her car disagreed on how far it was to Shirley’s house, Erin was perturbed about that, but I was impressed either way. She was also able to see her parents because Gerry and Vickie arrived here the day before she had to get on the road to return to her new apartment and participate in the new teachers’ orientation workshops. She and her mom had time together fishing out on the lake that afternoon.

Nine of us all together were at Brian and Mary Ellen’s house for dinner in Erin’s honor last Sunday. Mary Ellen has had a busy week at work, sometimes feeding cousins, and attending Brian’s gall-bladder surgery on Tuesday. (This was same-day surgery, and he says he did good.) Nevertheless, in spare moments, Mary Ellen has been in and out trying to see her brother but has kept missing him. But as she was leaving last evening, she met up with Vickie, who is also doing a lot of walking, and they had a long visit down by the lake. I watched the debates, and I enjoyed discussing them with Sam when he came in at the end of the evening.

Gerald and Gerry took off yesterday for northern Illinois on some kind of bird dog business and are due back this afternoon. Vickie is spending another afternoon with her mother and tonight is having dinner with her brothers and families. So right now the house is empty for a little while and the quiet gives me time to reflect and enjoy recording all the comings and goings here this week. Thinking back on all the fun is one of the blessings of company. I am wondering if Cousins Week will become an annual affair.