Cousin Love

This past weekend was all about cousins: cousins visiting from Texas, cousins sleeping over
at our house, playing and laughing and drooling all over our cousins!  My family is big, and
by big I mean that we have over 60 cousins all of whom we see on a regular basis.  And
we just keep growing: it seems as though when one baby is born, another is coming
right behind.  My cousins April, Lacey, and I all have babies 8 weeks apart.  It is
so amazing to see these little ones form bonds and begin lifelong relationships, just as we
did when WE were the little ones.  It was such a fun weekend: listening to the older girls
talk about boys they like and what music they are into, watching the younger girls hang
on their every word and emulate their mannerisms, and of course laughing over the
babies "playing" together AKA pulling each other's ears and sharing germy pacifiers.  

Here are a few of my favorite photos of the cousins in action:

And, because getting a photo of my husband so rarely happens these days, I just had to
share this moment I captured of Shawn and Brees.  He would much rather be on the
other side of the lens but, when the mood is right, he sometimes forgets himself and you
catch his gorgeous smile, that charismatic spirit that draws me to him so passionately.
 Brees looks so much like her daddy: I love photos of the two of them together and
comparing their eyes, their smiles, even their ears.
She, just like Isabelle, is her Daddy's girl...

My heart always rests well after weekends such as these because of the connections,
the inspiration I draw from these people I love so much.  Being surrounded by good
people who positively influence us is very important to Shawn and I.  And the cousins fit
that bill perfectly: they, regardless of their ages, are a part of who we are and make us
better people.
And that is a beautiful thing...