Summer Fun With Cousins

As usual, I am behind in posting pics and blogging about our fun summer activities. Our family has had lots of fun playing with cousins this summer. My sister-in-law Doris has three kids roughly the same age as our three (our third child has the biggest age gap with hers--about 4 months).

On our first trip down to Pasadena this summer, we all went to Travel Town at Griffith Park. I remember trying to go to Travel Town as a teen and ending up at a model railroad place that we thought was travel town until we realized it wasn't while on the little model railroad train and seeing the real Travel Town next to it. So it was great to finally explore the real Travel Town. The kids loved riding the train and climbing the old engines. Following Travel Town, we spent some time at a really neat playground at Griffith Park. It is a park specifically designed to be universally accessible. Mark tells me that the bathrooms at this park, however, are not so neat--in fact they are downright disgusting. So plan a potty break before going! I forgot to take my camera to the park, but Doris got some great pictures of the kids.

Doris also brought her kids up for Father's Day. Emma is in love with her cousin Sammy. I think it is because they both are obsessed with lining things up (although with Sammy I think it is always cars... with Emma it is pillows, storage bins, cars, books, toys, anything she can come up with on a whim... you get my drift).

We also took a trip down to the Arboretum and met Doris and the kids there. It was super fun for Ira and Emma. Ira still talks about going back to the "jungle" to hike and find tadpoles, fish, and turtles. Plus, it didn't cost much since Doris has a family pass--we only had to pay for Mark. Great times!

Emma and Hannah are the two kids with the closest birthdays--only five days separate them. So we decided to throw a birthday bash at my in-laws for both of them. My wonderful sister volunteered to make a castle cake. Poor thing was devastated when the towers fell on route to the party (until it was discovered that Tink took a face plant into the "B" in "Birthday" and then it was too funny to be bummed). I thought I took a picture of the face plant, but we can't find it on anyone's camera--BUMMER! I don't have any good pics to post of this event, but my SIL Doris has some great pics on her blog.

It is great to have cousins the same age. As we were pulling up to their home in Pasadena to go to the Arboretum, Emma said, "I love Sammy and I love Hannah." Ira quickly chimed in too, "I love Sammy and Hannah too!" We love enjoying time with cousins. :)