cooling off in the bowling alley

Two days after we returned from Maui, my best friend E came to visit us from Georgia. Over the years, each trip seems to get longer and longer. There never seems to be enough hours together, and this recent visit was no exception. This time, we got her for 12 days.

My cousin (left) and The Tortoise are so cute!

There was also the added bonus that one of my cousins was going to be with us for a couple days too. It was going to be a full house, but one full of laughter and joy.

E and I maneuvered around my house like an old married couple most of the time. I usually got up first and put the coffee on, then she would get up and fix our coffees. She knows how I like it without asking. If dinner needed to be prepped, we sorted through the pantry, fridge and freezer making sure we had everything we needed based on the meal plan I have clipped to the side of my fridge. Most of the time the kids were still sleeping, so we could slip outside to sip our coffee on my deck. Luna snuggled in between us. On other trips, she has helped me paint, reorganize, pack, unpack and prep for a trip. This time we swept the decks and porch, cleaned out the flower beds and potted all of the pots and barrels scattered about the yard. It was nice to sit on my lounge chairs, listening to the morning birds sing their songs, admiring our hard work. A few days in, my cousin J.O. was added to the mix and we got to hang out with her on the deck as well. This is what I imagine having sisters would be like.

A fish tail braid in my hair by E

Besides the usual shopping, dinner and wine tasting, we found ourselves “playing” hairdresser one afternoon. I’m not sure how it started, but my cousin J.O., E, The Tortoise and I started combing through my Pinterest boards looking for interesting hairstyles to try. And before we knew it, we were four little girls crammed into my bathroom, with hair products, accessories and mirrors spilling out over counters and crevices. Of course, it didn’t end there, and the afternoon wrapped up in makeup tips and trying clothes.

I guess little girls never really grow up.

The four of us after an afternoon of playing beauty shop