Both Great Grandpa and my mother left on Friday, so it was just the six of us for two more days.
We had grand plans for Thursday and Friday, but rain showed up and didn’t leave. That meant no Splash Country and a shorter canoe trip down the Little River.
The canoe fits three comfortably, which is just as well since Jackson was at basketball camp and Owen had no interest.
When I asked Jacob what he wanted to do while in Tennessee, the one request he had, other than eating at the Asian Buffet, was to go canoeing.
While they floated down the river, Owen and I went home to eat lunch and play cards. This was the only one-on-one time I got with Owen, so I treasured it, however brief! Jeremy and Owen are “best cousins” and stick together as a pair almost 100 percent of the time.
I also took the opportunity to snap some headshots for Owen, who’s trying out for a play in his hometown.
He looks so much like his dad in this photo:
When they got home from canoeing, I grabbed Jacob and subjected him to photos too.
Owen loves his big brother
I drove them to the airport on Sunday and cried as I said goodbye. Jacob teased me – “We’re not even your kids!” – but he doesn’t understand that they are the next best thing to being my kids. I endured his teasing because I know he loves me, that they both had a wonderful time in Tennessee and enjoyed being a part of the Miller Camp for Boys for a week. Their plane landed safely in Chicago and off they went into the care of their grandparents. My sister and brother-in-law flew home a few hours later, so by Sunday night everything was back to normal.
I feel like I’m still recovering from the week – is it an age thing or an introvert thing, or both? Utter exhaustion persisted for a solid three days. Today is the first day I’ve felt semi-normal.
Still, I’m thankful for the time we had and the memories we made, and I think Jacob and Owen feel the same.
