The kids and I took a quick trip to the ABQ … Rio Rancho, New Mexico to be exact. We went to see my sister Amy and her family, since we haven’t seen them in forever. Four of our kids are close in age and have a lot of fun playing together, so this was a great opportunity to give them a little cousin time.

Since our trip fell over the 4th of July holiday, we got the chance to do lots of 4th of July specific activities including painting their driveway (they paint their driveway every year with something patriotic); sparklers; fireworks; and swimming. We tie-dyed shirts red, white and blue. I made a fancy red, white and blue cake. The cousins had a blast. And there was lots of laughter with the grown ups (Mike came in Tuesday night and then went home again early Thursday morning … thanks to easy, direct flights on Southwest).

Shelby was sick for most of our trip, but that didn’t slow her down. She would throw up and then bounce right back. She’d be up all night with a fever and then with the help of a mid-day nap, she’d keep up with her cousins. She was a real trooper.

Cooper endeared himself with his cousins and Auntie. He’s such a character and all the silly things he says cracked them up … all the time. The cousins were constantly competing for his attention and he just ate it all up. Coop was especially enamored with Trevor, whom he called “Ever.” Each morning he’s wake up and immediately ask for “Ever.” So, so cute.

I have a ton of photos from the trip, but I haven’t had a chance to edit them yet. For now, this small batch is a great representation of the awesomeness of our trip. I’m glad we made the trek to the ABQ. We had a great time. Thank you to Auntie Amy and Uncle Patrick for hosting us … same time, same place … next year?