On the road- day seven, eight and nine

Day 7.  Today was family reunion day, so we tried to keep our stops to a minimum.  Drove through Indiana, stopped somewhere in Ohio to let the kids run around a massive field. And then, Cincinnati! 10 miles before our final stop, my mom began with the hyperventilating.  She was so excited and nervous to meet her sister, she could barely sit still in her seat. And then we were there.  Hugging and screaming, introductions amidst the tears.  A new aunt and uncle.  4 cousins and their 7 kids combined. It could have been very awkward, but it just felt like coming home. The rest of the night was spent looking through pictures and telling stories.  Looking forward to just staying put for a few days and being with our wonderful new family.

Day 8. Cora and I left everyone behind to swim, and went out sightseeing and thrifting. Oh Ohio! With your quaint neighbor hoods and your Amazing! thrift shops! We drove around Glendale, looking at all the sweet homes, built mostly in 1850's. Cora scored carts full of boots in the local stores, while I didn't do too badly myself.  Back to the family for dinner and more gettin' to know ya's.

Day 9. More thifting, more family time.  Our kids loved swimming in the indoor pool and they were so delighted to discover fireflies!  Running in their acre of a backyard, pushing each other on swings hanging from tree limbs.  Julia and Jocelyn were the perfect hosts, sharing their toys and putting on fashion shows with my Lily's clothes.  Chad, Katie, and Eric. Madison and Miley.  All were the perfect playmates.  And our cousin Lexie, 16, was the perfect baby whisperer, soothing Miles when no one else could.
The similarity's amongst the family's are outstanding.  My mother named us all "C" names, while her sister named her children all "A" names.  My grandmother and her siblings were all "J" names just as Julia and Jocelyn are "J's" and Madison and Miley are "M's". Lot's of family resemblances, including redheads!  My Ella, whom I couldn't find any family resemblance to, is the spitting image of Madison. Chad and Angel have our red hair.  Aunt Marie has the same profile as my mom and grandma and all of us kids were shocked at how much our mother's looked alike in some photos.
Marie and Mom have quirky things in common, like stuffing the glove compartment with straws for just in case moments, and being an hour late for everything. They drive the same car and have the same affinity to clutter just like Cora and I do, a trait handed down from our great-grandfather. We stayed up late each night, and slept past ten each morning. Of course the 3 hour time difference had something to do with that too. We really felt at home though. This was family and we bonded so strong. Pretty amazing how life has it's way of unfolding itself in the most mysterious of ways.