Today I’m thankful for breakfast artwork.

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11.11.2021

My cousin Jared and his family are in town for the week. What a fun surprise to get his text asking if I wanted to meet up while they are here in Arizona. Of course I did, so this morning I met Jared, his wife Cara, and their three sweet boys for breakfast.

I have lots of fun memories of spending time with Jared and his sister Amanda when we were kids. I loved when their family would come visit us in Wisconsin and when we’d visit them in Iowa. Amanda and Jared are younger than Libby and I, but we always had lots of fun together. When I was in college I would often visit Aunt Renee and Uncle Terry and family for the weekend. Renee and Terry would make sure they had some of my favorite home cooked meals when I’d come, and they always let me do endless loads of laundry. We’d all play Phase 10 late into the night and laugh and laugh around their dining room table. Amanda and Jared were in high school and middle school at this point and I loved getting to be part of their lives and having them be part of mine. I really treasure those visits.

This morning at breakfast Jared, Cara, their boys and I laughed and joked and caught up. Breakfast was delicious. The coffee was hot. The weather was perfect. But the company was the best part.

I haven’t always been the best at keeping in touch, but I love that this cousin connection remains.

Jared and Cara’s oldest son made me some super awesome artwork during breakfast, and I promised him I’d hang his pictures in my classroom on my special ‘kid art’ cabinet. They’re already in my school bag ready to head to my classroom in the morning.

Today I’m thankful not only for my awesome

breakfast artwork, but also for the memory it will invoke and the smile that will cross my face each time I see it.