Katie Kate

My cousin Katie came for a visit this past week. It was so good to see her! She lives far, far away so it had been a long time. We stayed busy hanging out with the kids and sneaking her into the YMCA with me to workout. We also attended our family reunion this past weekend. It was all of my dad's cousins from all over the place coming together to share a meal and celebrate my Great Aunt Ollie's 92nd birthday. It was a surprisingly good time.

Katie is pretty special to me. She is actually my dad's cousin's daughter so, the rumor is that we are second cousins once removed. Who knows if that's correct. Anyway, we are fairly distantly related and didn't really meet until I was 15 and she was 11; but we connected immediately. Actually, our entire families clicked and we have been close ever since.

The interesting thing about Kate and I's connection is that not only are we very similar and get along splendidly- but we look just alike! The summer we first met people that had known me most of my life were confusing Kate for me! I wish that I had a scanner so that I could share the photos that we took that summer. I do, however, have a photo from the lovely family reunion this weekend. I'm not sure if you can tell in the picture how much we look alike, but I think at least enough to pass for sisters!

Katie eloped this year and married the love of her life, Jamie. They met on a bus in New Zealand and it's an incredibly wonderful story; of a whirlwind romance involving a boy from England and a girl from the Pacific Northwest falling madly in love away from home. Anyway, so they eloped and were married with very few family and friends present. However, they are having a blessing to honor their commitment to each other and to celebrate with their friends and families. The most amazing thing about this is that Katie has asked me to stand up with her at her blessing. Only my siblings have ever asked to do something like this for them before. I am completely honored and can't wait to be there in anyway I can for her as she plans this big event in her life. An event to honor such an amazing commitment.

I love you KATE!!