Blessed by my Cousins

When I tell you that I'm blessed. PLEASE don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying "blessed" like rap singers say it when they get up on stage and the Grammy's and end their expletive filled acceptance speech with "I'm so blessed". 

I am blessed by a God who has chosen a family for me that is perfect for me (of course!).  A little back story for you:

I grew up in the Kent area and because my mom was a young mom we lived with her parents for a time when I was young, this led me to having an extremely close relationship with my grandparents, my cousins, some of whom lived about 40 minutes away (a lifetime when you're 6) would come to my grandparents house for events and just to visit, this led to a close relationship with that group of cousins!  My other set of cousins' mom had an in-home daycare that my mom took me to while she worked, thus leading me to have a close relationship with THAT group of cousins.

One of my cousins, Kim, she and I went to Junior High together!  I don't know what forges a stronger bond than that!  Her brother Paul loved to sing and every time I hear the song "Oh, Donna" I think of him. :)

My other cousin Paul (we have a lot of Paul's in our family....grandpa, uncle, two cousins...), he was the big brother I always wanted.  In the middle of the cul de sac where they lived there was a big sticker-y bush planted and we would ride our bikes around it and Paul would stand there and push us over into the sticker bush.  Another time he convinced us to make baby food for our Cabbage Patch dolls....out of flour and water....IT'S PASTE!  Do you have any idea how hard it is to get dried paste out of baby doll clothes?!?!  What a butt.  :) My cousin Angela, is....Angela.  She was always playing sports, which she never let me play, and one time she got into the bathtub with her socks on.  Their sister Robin was famous for getting up in the morning to sit over the heater vent on a cold winter morning. :)

And now that I've thrown some of them under the bus, I can tell you all what wonderful people they've grown up to be!  We're all fairly close in age, the Paul's bookend us at 7 years between the 6 of us. 

Paul B, married a wonderful lady (Hi Becky!) after his time in the Army and lives in Illinois with his kids (Forest, Nicole, Chris, and Tyler) and grandkids (I don't know all of their names but I think there are 5?) and continues to be a diehard Seahawks fan!  I don't know if he's still pushing kids into sticker bushes....

Angela W. married a fantastic dude (Hi Brian!) has 4 tremendous kids (Abby, Ellie, Amelia, and Rigby) is the biggest Seahawks fan in the family (no contest) and has a way of seeing the good in everyone.

Robin A. married a fantastic dude too (Hi Eric!) they have 3 great kids (Lydia, Charlie, and Colton), Robin is soft-spoken (when you first meet her) but she'll fight for you and she makes really good ranch dressing.

Kim M. married a fantastic dude TOO (Hi Larry!) they have 2 amazing kids (Jamie and Evan) and Kim is the busiest human I know!  She works full time does those home sales things, takes her kids to Girl and Boy Scouts and makes the worlds best cupcakes! 

Paul K. is yet unmarried but he'll find that lucky girl!  I'm pretty sure he still likes to sing, but I haven't asked him yet for the "Oh, Donna" 2015 Remix :)

And me, you all already know about me!  I have my wonderful Trace and our Lucas! 

Our grandmother is still just as amazing as ever, as are her children.  My aunts (Pam, Bobbie, Merri) and my Uncle Paul are simply outstanding people and I am encouraged by them everyday.  They make me want to be better people and they challenge me in God's Word and His plan for my life and they encourage me to accept that things are not always as we'd like them to be and to "just keep swimming"

Looking back I can absolutely see God's hand in my life from the beginning.  He placed me with a young mom who needed (for a time) to live with her parents, thus forging that bond, that same mom needed to have me in a home day care that was in my cousins home, thus forging that bond, my cousin Kim's parents moved just before she finished Junior High and she was able to stay and finish by living with my grandparents....we happened to live up the street at that time, thus cementing that bond. 

Through my adult years I have grown closer to my cousins and realize that they were such a gift.  So yes....I am blessed.