"cousins week"

ahh! cousin's week. no one is exactly sure when it started, or even when it ended. but, it's one of the fondest memories we have.

grandma and grandpa manwaring would invite all the girl cousins that were close to the same age to their home in blackfoot, ID for a few days each summer. during that time we would play house in grandma's night gowns and with her jewelry, have devotionals every morning, read the scriptures together, sing songs, walk around town, do chores, and play games.

we really had the time of our lives. and CRIED when it was time to leave.


this picture was taken at one of our many cousins weeks

in my group we had seven cousins, including three sets of sisters.
tressa, melissa, me
hayley, becca
camille (holding stephanie) and helene

i think it was when we started getting boy crazy (maybe 14) that my grandma ended cousins week. seven girls chasing boys doesn't sound like too much fun to me either. ;)

so, that was nearly twenty years ago. and each time i see my sweet grandma (who is now 94 years old) she mentions something about how much fun we had at cousins week. it was at her birthday party in march that the impression came to me to surprise her with a cousins night at her home. i knew she would love it, i just had to find a time when all seven of us (four being in utah) could get away for a sleep over at grandma's.

that time finally presented itself the last weekend in september. i had warned my grandma a couple weeks in advance to reserve that friday and saturday for me because i had a surprise for her. i know that sounds silly having to tell a 94 year old to stay home, but my grandma isn't your average 94 year old. she still drives herself around and has many friends and groups that she runs around with.

we made it a point to all arrive one right after the other. she was outside when i pulled up with my sister melissa in the car. i'm sure grandma thought that was the surprise until my other cousins all came driving up. ;) she put it together quickly that we would be having a cousins sleepover and she shed tears of JOY! actually, most of us got a little teary. we had made food assignments, brought out sleeping bags, snacks, and hunkered down for a fun night.

grandma went on to tell us that she had just come across the picture from our cousin week LONG ago and had pulled it out to so she could show me when i arrived. she was in awe that all those faces were now in her living room smiling back at her in real life.

it wasn't long before we were all acting 20 years younger, including grandma. we had so much fun remembering all the good times. we (grandma included) could barely stop giggling long enough to pray over the food. melissa and i made pizza for everyone that night and our cousin becca made a tossed salad.

here we are together.
grandma, helene, camille, hayley, tressa, melissa, becky, and becca

after dinner we played "grunt piggy, grunt" one of our favorites growing up. it was hilarious.

we spent the evening playing games, eating goodies, laughing, looking at old scrapbooks of grandma's, and asking her to retell stories from her younger years, stories of grandpa, and aunt sheila. we sang MANY songs, said MANY prayers, and cried some tears. we were up until about 2 am.

i was one of the first ones up. i woke up to grandma all dressed and sitting in her chair admiring all the sleeping bodies on her floor. she was so sweet. we sat outside for a moment and then she was off for a walk to "check on the road construction to make sure they are doing it right." LOL! she told me she did not want those sleeping mothers to wake up until their eyes popped open on their own.

we slowly all woke up and sat on her front porch enjoying the morning and each other.

melissa and grandma
grandma and grandpa ALWAYS had powdered doughnuts in the freezer at cousins week so that was a MUST. 

hayley and camille 

me and becca 

melissa looking through an old scrapbook

hayley, helene, tressa, and camille put together a delicious breakfast. tressa and camille did the wheat pancakes we always loved during cousins week. they even pulled out the old blender (can't believe grandma still has it and it works...they don't make things like they use to) and the old warming plate that they use to put them in as well. hayley and helene did bacon, sausage, eggs, and fruit. it was fun!

 

after breakfast, to follow tradition, we had a devotional. and then, i had to rush home to my kids. i hated to leave but, i am so thankful for the fun memories we were all able to make together.

i'm proud to belong to such a wonderful woman. 

melissa and grandma 

and i had to get a picture of the "older cousins".
me, hayley, and tressa 

thanks for all the fun ladies! love ya.