Cousins Club Revised

When I was little there were times when all my cousins would converge at my Grandma and Grandpa Lowman’s house. For the most part we’d have a great time together playing dress up, rummaging through the back bedroom and eating delicious treats.

When the time came to either go work with Grandpa in his shop or stay with Grandma in the house, Danielle and I would often choose to stay with Grandma. We’d pass our time folding her napkin collection, dusting her bell collection or just talking. The rest of the grandkids would go get dirty in Grandpa’s shop and work with his tools. I loved the order of Grandma’s cupboards and the feel of the soft napkin collection.

Perhaps it was the napkin folding, but my two older cousins, Megan and Nate, rallied the other cousins into making a Cousins Club without Danielle and me. Megan, Nathan, Phil, Ben & Cody took over the chicken coop and made it their clubhouse – with a sheet hung as a door and a sign to boot!

Danielle and I sat outside the Cousins Club on a huge rock passing our time while our cousins and siblings held their Cousins Club meetings inside the coop. To this day Danielle and I have not let Megan or Nathan forget the heartbreak we felt – oh, the pain!

After years and years of sadness related to not being in the Cousins Club, Danielle had the brilliant idea of starting our own Cousins Club with Maggie! We’ve even got shirts to prove our membership!

Yesterday Maggie and I had a long talk about different things that our Cousins Club stands for: napkin folding, bell dusting and equity for all Lowman cousins.

Just so happens that there is only room on the shirts for her, Danielle and me!

A Fast Race

This is Barry.

This is Izak

This is Flip (and Maggie).

This is Barry, Izak, Flip (and Maggie) discussing the Ski to Sea course that Izak and Barry were about to compete on. Izak and Barry had a bet – the details aren’t important – about who would have the fastest time.

Barry’s team was the first to come through the kayak leg and my lens wasn’t ready to capture the moment…the look on Barry’s face is one in which he is wondering why I am taking pictures and not standing next to his boat ready to help him carry it to the launch site. I’d decided to pass that job to Izak.

While on the way down to the dock Barry’s number that was taped on his back….

suddenly wasn’t. The race organizers were not impressed.

Not. One. Bit.

So, the job fell to Izak – Barry’s competition – to help tape the number back on.

The amount of duct tape he used was astonishing…..by the looks of Izak’s face he seems to think the amount he used is hilarious. Or maybe, just maybe, he set Barry up.

Too bad Barry is so awesome and kayaks as fast as the speed of light,with or without a number.

According to the bet between Izak and Barry , the details aren’t important, the winner was Barry.

Hands down.

I did manage to get a picture of Izak’s arm completing the race….