Rocky Mountain Cousins

Another reason for our trip to Utah was to visit my cousins. Anna and Audra were the two cousins that my brother Scott and I spent the most time with growing up, but unfortunately distance has kept us apart as adults. Aside from our grandmother's funeral, I had not seen them since they moved to Utah. I was excited to be able to introduce each other to our children and have a more happy occasion to enjoy their company.

Our drive to Audra's house took us through the mountains during the peak of autumn foliage.

I had met Audra's eldest son, Keynan, before she moved to Utah. Now he is 8 years old and a very responsible big brother and cousin. He took pride in helping care for Anna's baby, Rex.

Audra (with Tobin), Melissa, and Anna (with Katarina):

Five-year-old Julian is Audra's middle boy. All three of her boys were very kind about sharing their toys with the visiting cousins.

Audra planned a wonderful picnic at a park near her house in the mountains, where the kids could feed the ducks after we ate. The scenery was gorgeous and the weather, perfect.

Kati offers the ducks some bread...

and then decides to eat the bread herself.

Three-year-old Tobin found a moth. He was the only other one of the kids I had met, as a baby at Grandmother's funeral. (The older children -- including my own -- did not travel to Texas for the funeral.)

We also visited Anna at her house for lunch on the day we went to Dinosaur Park. Anna's [now two-year-old] daughter, Clara, is adorably photogenic!

Last week, Audra delivered a new baby named Cora. I guess we'll have to plan another Rocky Mountain Cousin reunion to meet her little girl!