a day of much needed fun

went to the river with my 5 cousins and their children, plus my family, minus one brotherinlaw. we wanted to spend a day of fun together away from the house and the sadness from the day before. my uncle brought his boat and people waterskied, wake boarded and rafted behind it. karen wake boarded for the first time and got up on her second try. she loved it. i lay on a chair with a footrest, munching the yummy boiled peanuts i made that everyone loved. i watched, videoed, and photographed the older boys and young at heart men, do the rope swing or do flips off a tree and dock. but mostly i was in the water in a place next to the dock that we could stand in and roped off so the kids wouldn't float down the river.

i got to know my cousins kids better, especially the young ones. it gave the parents a break to relax while we watched out for them. flung them in the air, helped them swim, made sure they were all accounted for, splashed them and shook the raft they floated on. so much laughter to help ease the pain of the day before. it was adorable to see my brotherinlaw justin playing with the kids, hoping for some of his own soon. plus my brother, always watching out for them, helping them on and off the dock, up and down the hill, over and over. always patient, always kind.

my oldest cousin julie and her husband ivan are so much fun. ivan kept us rolling in laughter for most of the day. the man ate an orea off the ground that ants had been feasting on. he threw peanut shells at us. he squirted ice cold water on us. julie reigned him in when he needed it. on our trip in august/september to stay in a cabin in the ga mountains we'll get to see them again. they only live 45 minutes away. we are going to try to spend more time together even though we are spread out through florida and georgia. its really not that far and its really important to be with each other. my uncle wants to sell the house and get a place on the river. he loves boating and fishing. he wants a place we can all go to and have fun. he was out there wakeboarding and waterskiing, doing tricks like a man half his age. he kids say know one has told him how old he is, so he keeps on going like he's a teenager. it was good to see him laugh and have some fun today. its good to know i'll like the people i'm going to be spending eternity with :)