Busy Summer, isn't it?

It seemed like we waited months for sun to come out way again. In June when we were getting our van packed to go to the airport, we did so through snow fall. No joke.
We all wanted warmth and fun and greenery again. It finally came and suddenly I relived what happened every year, sunshine brings extra work and play so everyone is busybusybusy. That means I get busy too, or I end up lonely. Ugh.
Usually we get to see my family 4 times a year or so. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but most of it happens in the nicer weather..... or at least, I meant weather that doesn't risk our van sliding on black ice, off a hillside and being buried in so much snow that we won't be seen til August. Really, the roads are well tended in the cold months and the 2 months that there isn't snow, it stays light til 9:30 pm so we can avoid most of the dangers.
This year we started out cold and missed spring altogether, so when we could we jumped on the chance to go see everyone. It just so happens, that opportunity came when my uncle announced he was getting married.
Say WHAAAAAA?

You'd have to have met my uncle to understand my shock and disbelief. I thought I was being punk'd at first. he was married when I was little, he had a wife and two sons. We played together, lived close by, I remember hot summer nights on the porch listening to all my uncles and dad play guitars and sing. I loved those times. Then the two boys and Aunt disappeared and I heard later when I grew up enough to understand, that they had divorced. Bitterly. Cousins moved away and uncle spent a lot of time drunk, living in a sad, angry, poor way and spouting off drunken crap when he came around. His two favorite subjects were race and women.
To hear that he had mellowed and changed, fell in love and wanted to get married? Blew me away.
We went to the wedding and he managed to dispel the shock when he insulted me, then he took his teeth out and relaxed, dressing down for the reception in a black wife-beater and blue running shorts. I hope he's going to spend the next 50 years a happy man. His new bride seems lovely. Grandma cried.
We spent more of our weekend visiting with my Nanny. Since she lost Dandad on Valentines Day this year, she's been sad and needy, dramatic often and scared to be alone. We spend as much time as we can with her, trying to remind her that she is still loved and has family that will be there for her no matter what. She has my mom and brother and his wife, but I guess living moments from them at all times isn't enough. Either that, or the old adage that familiarity breeds contempt is true after all. Maybe she takes them for granted, but they do everything for her. They are always grateful for our visits, though, it distracts nanny from needing constant undivided attention from them as well as gives her a boost emotionally. Noise and great grandkids can do that :)
We didn't actually get to see my dad and his family much, which was a bit disappointing. We saw them at the wedding, but that wasn't really the right setting for our usual family antics, lol, so we held off and then we left 3-4 hours too late in the day to spend too much time with them before we had to hit the road.
Originally, our plan was to see family last month, have a great garage cleaning and sorting for a couple of weeks, a garage sale for the next couple of weekends, and then go see family again. Things change, we learn to roll with it. We saw family and while we were there we heard about my uncle's nuptials. It was informal and planned for , drumroll... two weeks away. OK, we can work the budget to afford an extra trip. Then I hear that my cousin (totally different part of the tree) is coming out to see everyone for the first time in 8 years. She has two older teens boys, recently got married and became mom to two tween girls and then gave birth to a little girl, as well. Last time I saw her, I didn't realize I was pregnant and she's never seen my kids. Wow, what a shocker of a realization.
Of course, I can't miss this visit - but it comes ONE WEEK after the wedding. It falls on a new payday, so we can manage, but not by much.
I got home at 2 am yesterday and will spend the next 4 days doing laundry, cleaning the house, and generally getting ready to pack us all up for another weekend away.
Plans change again. (did you see me slump?) My cousin is taking her time on her way out here, which is smart with a 5 month old, but she called my Nanny a couple hours before I left for hom to say that she isn't showing up til Sunday/Monday of the next week. That means I'll be leaving again before she GETS there, forget talking at all! So Nanny insists that they will find a way to make it work.
FFWD to now. The plan is that Mike and the kids an I are going down this weekend, again, but my dad is fixing Mike's Suburban for him to drive home on Sunday while the kids and I keep the van and stay the whole week.
I hope this all works.