Best Family Night. Ever.

We planned to have Family Night on monday at this awesome park in Park City with Kate.
Monday morning I just happened to make my every-other-weekly visit to Facebook, and saw that my cousin Amy had posted that they were in town! They live way up in the Northwest, so we rarely see them. I shot her a message asking if they'd like to join us, and they did!

These dear dear cousins are especially dear to Caleb, Kate and I. They worked at Camp Loll with us the year that we met (1999)! They were newly weds, and partially the reason that we went up to see the camp. After a week of working on the crumbling log structures there with my family, I asked them if they had a job for me so I could stay the rest of the year. I was in love with the woods, in love with Caleb (did he know my name yet?) and in love with the idea of being 15 and free. So I took my sleeping bag and change of clothes, waved good bye to my family (except for my older brother, who also stayed) and moved into my Teepee! Which happened to be situated next to Katie's Teepee:) How convenient!

 That summer changed my life in more ways than my 15 year old mind could have imagined it would. I learned more about myself there than any one could have taught me elsewhere. To say we were 'roughing it' would be putting it nicely. I worked hard that summer, and played even harder. And fell head over heels for a scruffy, introspective, black haired boy who was too shy to speak to me.

Apparently I loved it, because I went back again the next year.
Then off Caleb went on his mission, and off I went to Alaska 3 days before he got home.

He must have learned some wisdom on his mission though, because he followed me:)
We were married three months later, and the rest is history.

So getting together with these two and their 4 kids and our 3 kids and Aunt Katie Kate was more lovely than words can tell. There was some seriously happy reminiscing going on.

Because of their ever loving presence during that life changing summer, these two will always be dear to Caleb and I.
The fact that they're related to us makes it easier to keep in touch, but isn't it strange how little we see our family?