We Are Family

I have a very cool extended family. My aunts and uncles are fun and warm, my cousins are hilarious and my sisters and brother are a hoot too, just like me. But, like many people, I don't see them as much as I would like. I was tempted to say "I don't get to see them..." but that would be misleading. I don't see them more because I just don't make the time. I don't know why exactly and it stumps me.
But on Tuesday night, I got to spend time with them. My cousin Ken is visiting from Wisconsin for just a few days. So we all gathered together at my aunt and uncle's house to say hello and share some time together.

Ken is so cool. He and I are fairly close in age and have always had a somewhat kindred spirit. Even though most of our family lives in the south OC, he and I both lived here in LA county in Lakewood. In fact, some trivia here, we bought our house from his wife's cousin. Completely unbeknownst to her and to us, we got the house. How interesting is that?

So I realized that I almost never post pics of my family (extended). So here are some of them. And what is fun about posting them on my blog is that my sister and brother in South Carolina can take a look at what is happening here on the West Coast.

And you can't tell from these pictures, but there were four other little kids over that belong to my two cousins. I am not posting their pictures because I didn't ask their mothers.

This is my cousin Karen. She is 2 years younger than me. She is very sweet and very fun. I wish I could spend more time with her.

This is my sister Karen, her son/my nephew Kyle, me, and my nephew (from another sis) Steve. Steve is my oldest nephew and is only 4 years younger than me.

Cousins! Steve, Jacob and Sarah and Kyle. My mother would have LOVED this picture of four of her ten grandkids.

My aunt Carol and Uncle Don. Very FUN people. And they LOVE to camp! And here is Shelby. She just turned 16 on Sunday. She missed the family time this evening because she was taking her last session of driver's training. She goes for her test on Friday. Keep her in your prayers! Sarah reminds me soooo much of Shelby when she was Sarah's age. Sometimes the way she turns her head or says something silly takes me right back to when Shelby was 5 or 6.

I really love my family. If you met them, you would like each and every one of them. I just know it!