Christmas cousins

We spent a week in Hattiesburg, Mississippi with the Hightower family for Christmas vacation this year - mostly to be introduced to the newest cousin: Charlotte Rose. She was born the Monday after Thanksgiving so this little 3-week old spent some time in my arms while the others slaved away in the kitchen or played with the kids! I dare say Miss Charlotte was very happy to meet her Aunt Moo and even wanted to come back to Colorado with me and her big boy cousins... but she couldn't manage to sneak away. There was much discussion about how much she will grow between now and the next time we see her... so I cherished these moments with my teeny-tiny niece! 

I wasn't the only one who thought she was pretty special!!!

As for all the big Hightower cousins, they resumed their sweet friendships - picking up right where they left off last time they were together. The 'littles' (in a month they will be 8, 9 and 10 years old) spent hours dreaming up plays and building a bamboo raft and making musical instruments and forming a band...

 

Meanwhile, the 'bigs' (in a month they will be 12 & 13.... yikes!) would only take enough time away from their video games or social media accounts to either play soccer, terrorize the littles, or chase me through the neighborhood in the golf cart!

 

These five have always been so fun to watch and such sweet friends...

 

 

 

 

ALL the Hightower grands!!!

Once the gifts were all appreciated and everyone was full on Christmas ham and we had seen the Broncos lose to the Chiefs, it was time to plan the trip home. This time we took a different route which was no more or less interesting or exhausting.
It just got us home...

 

 

 

 

... and it was good to be home!