The Minnesota Yohs weren’t able to come at Christmas time, so we hadn’t seen them for a whole year. I always think it is nice of them to travel to Ohio. I remember the burden (fun?) of going to Kansas every single summer. For the most part, I really wanted to go and see everyone. But there was a part of me that just wanted a regular vacation to anywhere else. That said, I wouldn’t trade the family time and memories with relatives. While I am not visiting my cousins and aunts and uncles every year, I do feel like whenever I do see them it takes very little to reconnect and just enjoy being together again. I am hoping the reward will be the same for these cousins.
When they come in the summer, the New York Yohs also come, so we can all be together. It is a good time. We have, once before, convened at a different location. I think that would be fun to do, too, so we all have a bit of a vacation. Maybe we will start talking about ideas for next year…
They arrived on Sunday afternoon. We joined people at Gloria’s for supper and catching fireflies – a novelty for even my kids who are not usually out that late to do it.
Monday morning, Jeremy was still feeling a bit under the weather from his hoarse voice he acquired on Thursday at the Guardians game, so he tested for COVID. Positive result. Negative consequences. We called and talked to the out-of-staters to see what they would feel most comfortable with. The verdict: Jeremy can quarantine. The rest of us can hang out. Best case scenario for the cousin bonding. (Random photos follow…)
That afternoon, we hung out for awhile indoors before heading to Johnson’s Woods to walk the boardwalk in the old growth forest. Only Miles survived the car ride over without falling asleep, so he joined us while Jason hung out with Theo and Zadie sleeping in the car. We meandered slowly on the boardwalk while Arturo spun tales with Ellie about landmarks in case we got lost. We paused frequently to learn about jewelweed and other plants and trees. Miles and Madison stayed on the look out for numbered benches – each with a predication of how many we would find. The answer: 9. One hour, 1.4 miles, and an unmentionable number of mosquito bites later, we emerged.
Monday night we went to listen to the Ohio Light Opera and Orchestra perform in the square in Wooster. It was a beautiful evening for it.
Tuesday, I took the girls to hike around Kidron park with we met everyone in Wooster for aerial yoga. This was a gift from Marianne who had one a free personal class in a drawing. Madison, Ellie, and Erin B. were super excited since they had done it before. Theo took to it like a monkey in the trees. Miles and Zadie were much more tentative, but gave it a try at some point in the hour.
Tuesday evening, Jen and Arturo took the kids exploring in Kidron Park. They stumbled on clay and began making pots.
Wednesday, we met at Steve and Stacie Tshciegg’s house to go swimming in their super fun pool. We are so thankful for their generosity. It was a lof of fun – jumps off the diving board, slides down the slide, swimming with flippers, diving for treasures, touching the bottom on the deep end, running from sharks in the shallow end. The sprinkles and clouds didn’t dampen anyone’s mood.
Afterwards, people came over to our house for chipotle chicken bowls. (And Jeremy stayed secluded in the basement.) The kids immediately gathered with the toys I had set out and began playing – kitchen, doctor, vet, and train engineers. The adults hung out and talked.
Grandma took a picture in front of our patio fence to compare to one a year ago.
Thursday, we met people in Moreland at the historic church for a Bricker reunion of sorts. Ellie dressed just like me since I bought these “cool” ripped, mom-jean, jean shorts.
It was a lot of people the girls (or me) didn’t know, but we shared a meal and caught up with some we hadn’t seen for awhile.
After playing a bit with the 3-D wall upstairs in the church, we headed home by 3pm. Madison had 4-H judging for her Designed by Me project (next post) at 6pm.
Friday, we headed over around 9 to wish the MInnesota Yohs good-bye. It was a good week for cousins to bond. Ellie stayed in Kidron to fire the clay pots with Arturo in the fire they built together.
They turned out pretty well.
Saturday, Madison, Ellie and Jeremy joined Jen and Arturo hiking in the woods a bit. I stayed home and knocked out some much needed to be done chores at home. Then, we met Diane (in from Florida) and Amanda at Broken Rocks for lunch. After a bit of meandering around the shops in Wooster, we headed home.
Sunday, church was followed with a mid-afternoon lunch at David and Marianne’s. Julie and Amanda joined us there. We ate, played some charades, and talked. It was a relaxing afternoon.
Monday evening Jen and Arturo stopped over to say good-bye. They were heading back to New York the next day. They are so good with their nieces and nephews – thinking of fun things to do, teaching them new things, spending quality time with them. They are a gift for sure.
