Visitors from CA

Cousin Madison-see end of entry

Cousin Jaimie and Dominic visiting last summer...see end of entry

Julie and Andrea...enjoying some wine together!

Julie and Mark


Me and the hubby

Amelia trying on Max's hat

Cousins Sofia and Max

Cousin Savannah

Cousin Bethany and Addison

Cousin Brian and cousin Kali with Amelia and daddy

Cousins Paige, Haley, Julie, and Darby

What a gang in the pool!

Amelia and Julie goofing around

Amelia liked Mark's gaming shirt

My cousin Julie and her husband, Mark, came home for a visit this past week. It was so good to see her as it's been five years since we ventured out to sunny California to see them. It had been six years since she'd been home (for our wedding) so she had lots to do and see. Andy and I took them to Walker's Bluff Friday night to check out the Harry Potter movie under the stars. It was so nice to catch up and relax-and the weather actually cooperated with a little cool-down. We also had a get-together at mom and dad's house for the whole family. The last pictures are from our house as Julie and Mark were ending their trip. I can't begin to tell you how fun it is to reminisce with Julie about our childhood. Julie and her sister, Jaimie, are the closest thing to sisters I have. We grew up teasing and tormenting our younger cousins...mwah ha ha...we enjoyed that a little too much and somehow, the younger girls have all seemed to forgive us for it. It seemed almost weekly that we'd all get together at our grandparents house (now our house) for a family dinner. We lived for those times when we knew we'd get to play together all day. We'd put on countless plays and dances that everyone painfully endured, pretended to be detectives and made my mom type out our mystery stories, and spent numerous hours playing outside. Ahhh, those were the days. Julie and Mark really seemed to enjoy Southern Illinois and hopefully, one day, they will move back and our kids can grow up together, the same way we did!

I do want to mention we were missing one cousin, Jaimie, who's also in California...she came home last year right after Amelia was born and is coming home again sometime soon-yay!!!

Somehow I didn't get a picture of Madison during Julie's visit so I included a picture of her from Amelia's birthday party.