Back to reality...

It comes every year.  The dreaded day when the last of the cousins leave for home. After a whole week of constant companionship, the kids are a little depressed and a lot bored.  Can you tell?

We said goodbye to the Virginia cousins on Wednesday morning, and the Chicago cousins this morning, bright and early.  The nearby cousins are back to work, and we're back to reality here.  We gave the kids a lot of time off this past week, but this morning they were back to the barn...bedding up, sweeping up and helping Jim with a fresh cow.  To add insult to injury, they head back to school on Monday!

We packed a lot into the last week...Christmas dinner...three sleepovers...family pictures...seeing the new Narnia movie...watching an Eagles game together (fun even though they lost and one of the cousins is a Chief's fan!)...and so much more...

But...despite the let down feeling that always accompanies the end of Christmas vacation, and the return to "reality", I know that it's because we have been blessed with a family that enjoys being together...and for that I am thankful!