I have some very exciting news! A new precious member of my family has been born today!! My new little cousin, Lyla Jade. We've been waiting for her for what feels like a very long time!
Isn't she beautiful?!
She belongs to my cousin Scott and his wife Sunshyne who has become like an older sister and best friend to me. I love them both dearly and man, do they make some cute kids! Lyla's older brother, by just a little over a year is Rylan Jasper and he is my best little buddy!
What a handsome boy!
As you can see it's been a crazy past two years for them, but I think they've done such an amazing job as first time parents. Obviously I'm no expert on raising kids seeing as I don't have any, but I can't tell you how proud I am of them! It's still so weird sometimes, seeing my cousin Scott, who's been like an older brother to me all my life, with kids of his own, but he's been an amazing dad to Ry and I know that both Rylan and Lyla are lucky to have Scott as their dad. When I first met Sunshyne, or maybe the better word is encountered her, I was just Scott's cousin from across the street randomly peering through the kitchen window to find her eating her breakfast. We saw each other for a second, made eye contact, waved, and then I just kind of ran away. Despite my marvelously goofy first impression which we still joke about today, once I finally met her we hit it off right away, it was like she'd been a part of our family all along. She never fails to make me laugh or give me great advice and I'm so proud of how amazing she is with Rylan and how amazing I know she'll be with Lyla. Thanks for picking a great one Scott! Love you guys!!
My whole family has been in a bit of a tizzy the past few years with babies being born, the first of which being my little cousin Carter who just recently turned three and then the addition of this girl right here who came along in 2011...
Isabella Marie saying "CHEESE!"
She can be quite the hurricane when she gets going, but man is she adorable! Her mom has done such a good job keeping up with her! With all these new babies showing up it goes without saying that my family is excited. These little ones are all just so freaking cute and I can't wait to see who they grow up to be, and I'm so very glad they get to grow up together because that's how it was for me, growing up surrounded by cousins.
In my family cousins are important. To us, our cousins are basically just like siblings who live in different houses. We've grown up together, we've played together, we've laughed and cried together, we've vacationed together and we've had some seriously epic games of wiffle ball together. I am who I am today because I had them around growing up. I understand that some families aren't as lucky as mine. They have cousins who live far away or cousins who they've never even met, but in my family growing up surrounded by cousins is like a tradition, each new generation growing up together and sometimes wearing matching Halloween costumes (once my cousin Josh and I went as Barney and Baby Bop). All of my earliest memories involve them in some way and I feel so incredibly lucky to have them in my life. It's like having a whole bunch of siblings who don't hog the bathroom or steal your things because they don't even live with you, but they still know how crazy your family is and they're there for all the important stuff; birthdays, holidays, vacations, all of it.
One of my first Halloweens. In case you were wondering, I'm the one in the Thumper costume sitting on Belle's lap...
Excuse our outfits, it was the 90s...
Some of us at the ZOO
One of my favorites...
Out in the woods by Mark Twain Lake
Most of us with Great Grandma
Out on the pond. Another favorite of the Three Amigos...
Without all of you, my childhood wouldn't have been the same. You all helped to make it extra special and one that I will always cherish. You provided my sisters and I with older brothers and sisters, as well as younger ones, that we couldn't live without. You've helped me stay grounded while also cheering me on and supporting me in everything I've done. You've provided me with endless laughs and a treasure trove of memories that I will always carry with me. Because of you I've had a childhood some can only dream of. Thanks for being my cousins, my siblings who live in different houses, and most of all my friends. Let's play some wiffle ball soon, yeah? I'm getting a little rusty.
Meeting Lyla today and having Ry, Bells, and Carter in our lives gives me hope that our tradition of cousins will be carried on with them. I'm so happy that they'll all have each other now (as well as any new additions that come along) and I'm so excited that I'm around to watch the next generation grow up together, just not too fast, okay little ones. You're all really cute just like this. Hopefully someday my future kids will get to play some wiffle ball with you, just as I've done with your awesome parents. And just remember, you're never too old to chase lightning bugs, or get excited about the moon, or play ghost in the graveyard, or put one half of a watermelon on your head. Your parents and I are proof of that.
Thanks for all the wonderful memories, the ones we've made and the ones we've yet to make. I love you all, always.
Love and Chaos,
Sam
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