Hanging with family

The kids and I ended 2014 spending the last 3 days of the year with my extended family.  We went to Cherry Hill, NJ and stayed at my Aunt & Uncle's house.  My cousin Leslie and her family came in from Connecticut and joined us. 

I am not exaggerating when I say Ian and Max (only 6 weeks apart in age) and Samantha and Ellie (only 6 months apart in age) are like two peas in a pod.  There are twins that have less in common than these 4 kids.  It is pretty spectacular how amazing it is when these kids get together.  Having 2 more kids is like having 4 less. 

From the moment we arrived Ian and Max instantly ran outside and started throwing a football around.  Sam and Ellie were like 2 sharks circling around each other in the water.  Leslie took one look at them and said, "You two just need to pick up where you left off."   We don't have enough time for you to warm up to each other again.  From that second, they were bonded to each other's side. 

We spent Monday afternoon at a roller skating rink/bounce house/climbing thingy combo place.  This was Ian and Sam's first time on roller skates.  Sam enjoyed roller skating very much, Ian not so much. 

Monday night at dinner, Sam and Ellie taking a selfie together.

On Tuesday we went to an indoor waterpark for over 5 hours.  Yowzer!  I never thought we'd last that long, but we did.  We had a delightful surprise when my friend Jen and her family decided at the last minute to join us. Yes! They drove from VA to NJ and back in the same day to go to the waterpark.  I love that my friends are crazy like that.  :)  We had a great day and the 3 older boys all did well together. 

On Wednesday, we had a few hours to spend together before hitting the road in the early afternoon and heading home.  We have annual New Year's Eve plans with close friends and needed to be back by 5:30pm.   The girls (my aunt, Leslie, her daughter Ellie, Samantha and me) headed to the Cherry Hill Mall for a little shopping and lunch.  The boys (my uncle, Matt, his son Max, and Ian) had a special treat.  My uncle was taking them to South Philly for Nick's Original Roast Beef for lunch.  Unbeknownst to my uncle, this restaurant had been featured on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" back in 2011. Ian had seen a repeat of the episode and remembered it well.  It was one of Guy Fieri's top 10 all-time favorite stops.  In recent years, Ian has broadened his palette and appreciates good food.  Apparently, according to my uncle (and now Ian), this is THE BEST roast beef sandwich a person can ever eat.  It is a hot sandwich served in a dive bar.  Literally, a dive bar.  The only veggie available is fries.  That pretty much sums up their whole menu.  With all the hype my uncle gave it and of course, the tv show, it did not disappoint.  Ian said roast beef from anywhere else has now been ruined for him.  I believe we've finally crossed the threshold of an experience Ian has had that Jeff wishes he participated in too. 

After lunch, we loaded up the car and headed home.  It was an easy drive back.  We simply had a wonderful visit.  My heart melts seeing the kids together.  They are growing up knowing their cousins.  To me there is nothing more important than family.  

With my cousin and her family living in Connecticut, it would be so easy to let the years fly by and life get in the way.  Our time together could easily be reduced to only major life events (bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, funerals, etc).  I love that we both put in the effort to make time to see each other.  We are doing the beach again in August and will bring both families together.  We are all looking forward to returning to Ocean City, NJ and picking up where we left off. 

Love.