Cousin Reunion #11: It comes to an end.

Well, here we are the 11th entry of this epic blog journey. One blog entry for each cousin who was present. After the second breakfast on that Sunday morning two weeks ago now, we gathered our things from the cabins and said good-bye in the Kanuga parking lot. When I was a little girl, I always burst into tears when it was time to say good-bye to my family. This really may not have helped my coolness factor but my seven-year-old heart could not bear the pain of separation. This time I was more or less okay because we'll all see each other again in just two months now for my cousin Mary Henry's wedding to Brad. By the way, where is Brad? I miss Brad. I love Brad. Brad, I'm scared.

So as this account comes to a close, I'd like to salute the true hero of the weekend, without this champion the weekend would not have been as wonderful. And that heroic champion is my Oregon sweatshirt. It was so frickin' cold that weekend! I spent so much time in that sweatshirt because it was the only warm thing I brought! Sometimes I disappeared into the hood which made certain cousins sad, but what can I say? It was so so cold, and my sweatshirt kept me mildly warm.

Special thanks to some other clothing champions of the weekend, which included Worth's shorts (they made him look "hike-y"), the multiple pants that Mary Henry had to wear because she kept wetting herself, and also Mary Henry's jacket, which got discarded and swung about as soon as she started dancing. While not an official member of this generation, I'll also give a shout-out to Allison's daughter Sarah, who was wearing a most festive Halloween outfit the first day of the reunion, right down to some adorable orange baby crocs. Also I liked Mary's purple vest. Also I liked the green family t-shirt we all wore on Saturday. But unfortunately, none of those items of clothing were as valuable as my Oregon sweatshirt. And that's about all I have to say on the weekend.

The End.

Oh, it would be silly to end there. So in addition to sending a toast to my warm hooded sweatshirt, I'll also send a toast to all my cousins. What I'm about to mention may not have been their most notable contribution to the weekend, but it is the most memorable to me at this point:
--To Catharine, for her aforementioned dancing skills and for constantly asking what time it was, so that we did not miss meals.
--To Elizabeth, who drove out in her fancy new car to get us Wendy's, and we like her so much that even though she went to bed far too early the second night, we did not pull any slumber party pranks on her like putting her hand in warm water, even though that is TOTALLY what you should do to people who fall asleep too early at slumber parties.
--To Worth for his soulful singing of the blessing and DJ'ing skills that kept the people moving all night long. And George was particularly inspired by your directive to dance shirtless.
--To Mary, who has been extolled so many times in these entries already, for popcorn makers and magazine stashes; this time I salute you for keeping us all confused by the vast spectrum of things you chose to share. (overshare?)
--To Grant, for getting us all Ringo Starr's autograph before he stopped signing fan mail, because I am absolutely certain you must have done that for all of us. And for following me with the golf cart and sending sweet 2 a.m. emails
--To Allison, for taking down Grant and William in a game that will echo throughout history. Before they could land a single shot, you and your sister decimated them. I certainly was remiss for not calling this victory out earlier.
--To Mary Henry, for getting us all your sweet, sweet discount and for not showing any sign of worry about our actions, even though we totally could have gotten you fired. But probably not because everyone loves you. But it would have been fun to try. And also for getting the photographer and getting the man with stilts to show up.
--To Sarah, for her decision to shower upon arriving. While I didn't smell anything bad, I felt that showed a commitment to the weekend. And I was glad to hear you could drink beer the second day without making a face.
--To George, who is not my cousin, but if you weren't my brother I would wish you were my cousin, I commend you for regaining control of your body on Saturday and for building a ladder golf game.
--To William, also not my cousin, but if you weren't my brother I would wish you were my cousin, for building that awesome beer pong table.

Thanks also to everyone who brought cameras and everyone who indulged my narcissism by telling a story about what an adorable child I was. Basically everyone is awesome and if even one of us hadn't showed up it would have been far less fun. See everyone in two months. To readers who are not my cousins (if there are any left), brace yourself for more cousin news in January.