family circle

this weekend was really focused on family.  my cousin is getting married in just a few weeks and it was a shower/party on saturday to celebrate the upcoming occasion.  exciting to see him taking this step in his life and was fun to get to know his bride-to-be.

the shower was a l-o-n-g one, four and a half hours to be exact (and we left early.  we won't mention that the guy party got started at 2:00 and my guys came home at 10:00 PM!)  i am not a big shower game fan and this was the shower game olympics.  mingle games and count the candies in the jar game, jot down your observation games, answer the true/false questions game, how well do you know the bride-to-be trivia game, how many words can you make out of the bride & groom's full names game, and then a blindfolded game and we just won't go there...  i so admired the bride-to-be because she was so incredibly gracious and handled it all well. (even when the video tape in the camera needed to be changed because the first few games took an entire tape)  i really was trying to have a great attitude about it all, but i was definitely maxed out.  i can handle a game or two and will enjoy it, but when you get to the fifth and sixth games, my attitude dwindles...

despite my less than stellar attitude, it was a nice time to catch up with some extended family i hadn't seen in a bit and a great opportunity to get to know a new family member and welcome her into all of our craziness. :)  the wedding is just a few weeks away and we'll get to see everyone again--will be a very happy day.  (and then they are off to fairbanks, alaska--their new home!)

on sunday, we celebrated my brother's birthday--he and my sister-in-law, my mom and dad joined us for carter's basketball and then to eat at olive garden.  he turned the big 3-0, so of course we made them come over and sing their birthday song--he was thrilled.  (about as thrilled when we delivered balloons to his work on friday)

evening was spent just at home, chilling together and getting ready for a new week.

looking back over the weekend, i am reminded of what a blessing family is.  you celebrate together, plan things together, just be together.  i am grateful.