Ah, the summer of the cousins!

My cousin Kelby (the cute kid in the middle) came up from NC to volunteer for a month at RVR this summer. In the midst of it, he turned 14 and we threw him a party. Aunt Barbara (my Amazing Race audition partner #2!) spent the weekend in our 3rd floor suite and Lindsy (Kelby's sister) joined us the day of the party.



Cousin Annie, Sambe, & their son Eric came up from D.C., too, and we played a rousing version of "The Name Game" with Mom & Dad, Jon & Courtney & Shelley. (Which is REALLY fun to play with a group of smart, well-rounded, internationally-traveled people!) They all surprised me w/presents for my belated birthday (Kelby and I are only a week apart...and a few decades), and Esther joined in for the fun. Aunt Barbara gave the kids coloring books, which the girls are still enjoying, as you can see! THANK YOU, everyone, for a GREAT day!!

My own birthday was spent the way I like them these days--with very little fuss. For the past few years, I think I've given the impression that I don't like my birthday, but that's not true. I'm just at a very busy place in life, and on my own birthday, my request is to have one day of the simple life that I crave and never quite achieve. While I can say honestly that I don't like surprises, I have nothing against parties. It's just nice to have a day of quietness, rest, and some rare solitude when one's life is so rich with excitement!

My mom and the girls and I spent a little time at the mall shopping (to no avail, unfortunately!), and later, after the girls were in bed, Mom came over and we watched a quirky, Australian, early 90's movie called "Strictly Ballroom" that we'd not seen, well, since the early 90's! It was sweet.

(As I finished typing, Evelyn said, "Mommy, I'm cutting a dress!" Scissors in hand, she'd decided that one of her hand-me-down dance outfits didn't need all that fringe, and now our living room is decorated with pieces of pink string in various lengths. Well, that's what I get for blogging while my kids are awake. At least it wasn't Amelia's hair. Let the excitement continue!)