Summer 2011 Catch-up

I realized a startling fact today--Labor Day is NEXT weekend.  Summer is over already!  When did that happen!?  Denise's wedding was right before Memorial Day, the start of the summer, and that was oh, maybe two weeks ago, so how can it be the end of summer already??  Wow, does time fly when you're sweltering in 100 degree weather.

Speaking of weather, we made it through Hurricane Irene just fine yesterday--on the beach nonetheless.  High winds and awesome waves were about all we got--Cody even got in the waves and we let Sean put his feet in the water during what was supposed to be the worst of it, which wasn't much.  (FYI, if you're following Aubrey Anne's international travels at all, she did make it through Irene in Nassau, Bahamas unscathed... we are told all is well without many more details.)  We'll be watching the coverage at it moves up the east coast tonight though, and praying for all of our cousins from Maryland to Connecticut!

Speaking of cousins, this summer was full of them, and what a wonderful bunch of cousins we have.  From seeing piles of first, second and third cousins from both my mom and dad's sides at D's wedding, to roaming the waters of Lake Ontario with a Gaggle of Galloway cousins, to spending a glorious week at the beach with Sean and James' only first cousin, Eva, we have LOVED this summer of cousins.  I'll be doing a few summer updates, but in the interest of whittling down some of the 100's of pictures to a definable category-- here are some of the boys and their cousins--of many varying degrees:

First we have my cousin Bridget (aka "Bridget Girl" by sean, to distinguish her from our friend in Charleston Bridget) trying to teach Jamesie how to walk.  This was a main goal of most of the cousins at Knobby Knoll this year.  Unfortunately, goal was not met.

Here we have Bridget Girl otherwise transporting Jamesie.  Bridget is 7.  Many parenting norms went out the window this summer at different times. 

Next, Bridget's sister Meghan takes a try with Jamesie.  Good luck, Meg.  BTW, Meghan is on the U.S. National Juniors Rowing team.  She is amazing.

We all gathered in Northern New York this year for my cousin Kaitlyn's wedding.  She was a beautiful bride, and I loved her colors (hot pink :)).

Sean and Uncle Gabriel (aka "Unc") with their friend St. Francis.  Seannie and Unc may be in seminary together one day. Sean's saving a spot for him at the Vatican. 

Jamesie wore this face much of our vacations this summer-- he didn't particularly take to being passed around.  But he's so cute.

Two Brendans! Sean Brendan and Brendan Joseph (Joseph Sean will be pictured below to complete the Trifecta).

Not a cousin, but 2 uncles.  I just loved this pic anyway.  Shortly hereafter Uncle Tom sprayed some of his "smell nice" on Jamesie, and my baby smelled like my Junior Prom the rest of the week.

Joseph Sean and Sean Brendan discussing old-man things like the weather and Sponge Bob Squarepants (aka "Bob the Sponge" to Sean).

A gaggle.

A gaggle in the water.

A 13 year old cousin!  For those of you who read this blog and were at my 16th birthday party at Fox Hills Pool (first, stop and leave a comment, I want to know who you are!), you may remember that my brother and his wife had their baby girl the very day of my Sweet Sixteen Party (August 21, 1998).  Sweet Eva.  This is that baby, becomming a teenager.  Yes, unreal.  We just got back from a week out at the beach with my mom and Pete and Miss Eva...it was awesome.  The weather was great, the cousin time was fantastic (Eva is their only first cousin so far), and Cody and I caught up on all the iCarly we missed since last year, plus some rockin new series on ABC Family. 

Rockin. 

Thanks to all who made this summer a fantastic success!  We (well, the kids and I) made a new record by taking a total of 4 week-long vacations...precisely what you need when you live in the Lowcountry in the summer.  More to come...