One of the best parts about our Stateside trips is seeing family, especially the kids ~ nephews, nieces, cousins… How else would we know another year has gone by without seeing them sprout up another few inches each time we meet, like a single frame in an annual, stop-film animation movie?
Being immersed in age-groups that we have little interaction with when cruising turns out to be an effective way to remind ourselves that we too are getting older…
…as does the year when my 13 year old nephew towers over his mother (my taller sister) for the first time!
It’s like a mini-anthropology experiment watching an 11-year old’s birthday party with a dozen pre-teen girls!
O-M-G!!!
Not only are the kids so cute, but they each are unique in their personalities.
Tons of credit to their parental units (our sisters, brothers, cousins), who from an outsiders’ perspective are somehow able to do it all in today’s crazy busy world.
Speaking of parents, ours kindly let us crash in their house every year… along with a room full of boat packages & long list of errands.
We even get into a nice routine of dog walks of neighborhood pooches & dinners. We need all of that exercise to work off the new abundance of food & beer calories. Don’t forget the treats!
