I think that most extended family sets have that one family that always has the fun toys. You know, jet skis, boats, motorcycles, etc.. In my family, it was/is the Masoners in
Heyburn, Idaho (you know, the metropolis between Rupert and Burley, duh). Since I was a wee child, we would visit the Idaho cousins every summer and it was always, and I do mean
always something I looked forward to. And it still is. We've started a new tradition of getting the now grown up cousins together every summer on the weekend after the 4th of July.
I've moved a lot in my life. And as a kid, we seemed to move every other year, sometimes only a few blocks away. But not the Masoners. They moved once when I was about 4 years old and that was across the street to the house with the boat dock on the Snake River. In a way, their house represents the only constant "home" of my past.
The three cousins that were once kids there are now parents themselves with a minimum of 3 children each. They still live in town, though some moved all the way to Burley. Rebels. My Aunt Joanne still lives in the 50's style brick rambler but my Uncle Gary, sadly, passed away last year. Fortunately, he passed on the love of "playing hard" to his kids and grandkids. And hopefully to me. I miss him.
Now, our kids are getting to enjoy each other's company and the fun that I had for so many years. And it's still just as fun for me.
