it's starting to get good, people, it really is

My parents are here for the next two weeks.
And my sister, Erica and her family arrived at midnight on Sunday.
They drove straight from Sunday morning church in Eugene, Oregon, to our house.
There was high excitement in the air.
Because it doesn't get better than summer vacation with your cousins.
It just doesn't.
Monday morning for breakfast we had hot scones.
With my sister's homemade strawberry freezer jam.
Let's take a moment and pause as I wipe the tears of joy from my eyes.
Let it be said that Erica does not play when it comes to jam.
She get's her jam ON. She brought 3 jars.
One for me. One for Jenny. One to share.
I do not think I am going to let Jenny have her jar.
I'm in process of figuring out a good place to hide it.
Yesterday we spent the day at a water park. Raging Waters.
I don't think I have been to a water park for the last 10 years.
And apparently I have been missing out on some good old fashioned summer fun.
The best was seeing my mom and dad coming whipping around the last corner of
the Barracuda Blaster.
My niece, Claire, said she had never heard Grandma scream like that before.
Even Addie went on it. I've never seen his eyes quite so big.
He gripped the side grips on the raft like nobody's business.
After that ride, both he and grandma both opted for the water play park.
Apparently, one ride on the Barracuda Blaster was enough for the whole day.
Our other favorite was the Dragon's Den.
It shot you down a long dark tube and into a toilet bowl like apparartus
that flung you around in a circular motion before shooting you out the bottom.
My niece, Aly, said that I had to try it.
I liked hearing the man in front of us start screaming even before he
went down the slide.
My other favorite moment was hearing a father school his son
on appropriate Dragon's Den water slide skills.
He said, "Hang on tight, Frankie. It's okay if you scream!"
And there was screaming, tsgs.
Sometimes our mouths were open but no sound was coming out
because we were laughing so hard.
And all this fun was had while wearing our swimsuits
and showing our thighs in public.
Lily white legs that haven't seen the sun yet this summer.
That could have been discouraging but we were having too much fun to care.
Our afternoon rounded itself out by hearing the debut of High School Musical 3's first single, Now or Never, on the way home from the water park.
Do your thing, Zac Efron, do your thing.
We ended the day with Mom's spaghetti dinner and homemade angel food cake
at Brett and Jenny's house.
Let's again pause to wipe away the tears of joy.
This is summer on a plate. Cousins. Jam. Sunshine. Swimming. Sunburns.
Homemade red sauce. Laughter. Being so relaxed and tired you can hardly move.
I'm not sure what's on the agenda for today. But I can't wait.
Summer is starting to get good.

ps shout out to Chris, Traci, Cameron, Chloe and Noah! We wish you were here!