A Cousin and Brother Summer

The highlight of our summer so far was Matthew's arrival. My stepson and his family moved to Ohio two years ago, and needless to say, we were long overdue for a visit. The girls were esctatic to see their brother, and they haven't stopped following him around, hanging from his arms, hugging him, asking him questions, and making him watch them dance/read/sing/play/eat/etc.

Matthew is an absolute joy. He has grown up a lot, likes to talk and tell stories, and is very sweet to his sisters and cousins who are competing for his attention. It's going to be very difficult to send him home in a couple of weeks!

We're trying to squeeze as much California fun in as we can before Matthew leaves. We spent Monday-Friday camping right on the beach in Carlsbad. Danielle's family, my family, and my mom all had trailers there, and we had ALL the cousins.

The ages:

Emma and Grace 7, Ian 10, Kelly 11, Megan 13, Harley 15, Matt 17

They were all so adorable. We body boarded all week, roasted smores and brown bears by the campfire, played silly games, rode bikes, ate LOTS of junk and candy, observed the dead sea life that washed up (one sea lion that was torn up and one giant sea turtle with everything intact but the head, which was a skull.) We saw dolphins playing in the waves right in front of us, and used bottles and bottles of sunscreen (and got burned anyway!) The week went by too fast.

Tomorrow, Jeff is taking Matt and Harley to the Van's Warped Tour in Ventura for Matt's graduation present. Matt has a meet and greet with Angels and Airwaves. :) He's very excited. He'll stay the night with Harley in Santa Clarita, and then his Bishop Grandparents (Jeff's mom and Tom) will pick up Harley, Matt, and Kelly for a week in Bishop. They'll camp in June Lake for a couple of the days they're there.

He'll return to Harley's, then back here, then to San Diego to visit his old high school friends, then back here for a couple of days, and then on the plane home. I know I'm going to have two devasted little girls when their big brother leaves. I wish so much that a country didn't divide us! I know Matt's mom is missing him from her end as well. It must be both wonderful AND difficult to have so many people love you so much! Jeff is in 7th Heaven with all of his kids, and I know he's very proud of what a sweet young man Matthew has become (quite unlike the 15 year old Matt from two years ago...) :)

OK...I'm off to make an assembly line of sandwiches. I have NO IDEA how people feed 5 kids. (Plus tonight I'll have two more cousins added to the mix when Megan and Ian come over.) I can't believe how much food we've gone through in just a week! I adore every crazy second of it, though. I think I'm meant for a house full of cousins.