Country Cousins

My cousin Kari is a couple years older than me and we always enjoyed playing together when my family would go to Utah every summer or when she would come visit us in Miami. We had a bunch of matching outfits and I can specifically remember a mustard-colored button down shirt with rustic red flowers on it. Sadly I do not have a picture (or can't find it) of us posing with our aunt's guitar, but we did and it's quite clear in my mind. We called ourselves the "country cousins" and it has stuck for about 20 years. 

Now we really are the country cousins since she lives in Nebraska and I live in Oklahoma. Blaine and I stayed with them in their small town of Columbus when Blaine was interviewing at Creighton, and then her and her husband Ben came to visit us last fall and went to one of my football games at McLoud. Blaine and Ben both like guns and hunting and BBQ and all of that manly stuff, so its been extra fun having them nearby. (If you would like to re-live the memories of that trip, go here

When they came to visit us in the first of November, Kari was actually pregnant but didn't tell us. Little did we know that I was pregnant at the time as well. So our babies are 2 months apart and now they have matching outfits as well thanks to our aunt Suzanne. I tried to schedule Easton's baby blessing so both Blaine's and my family could all be there, but thanks to a variety of factors, it didn't work out that way. So unfortunately my family wasn't there, but my sweet country cousin drove 7 hours south to be with us on his special day, only to drive home 48 hours later-- all with a 2 month old baby!!

I SO appreciated them coming, especially since I didn't have my immediate family there and it probably wasn't the most convenient trip for them. When they knocked on my door I started to tear up and Kari said, "Don't cry yet-- we just got here!" :)

Can you notice a difference between the above pictures from November and now the July pictures below? Keep in mind I had just had a big baby 2 weeks prior :)

Easton was 2 weeks old, Annalise was 2 months old