Cousin Camping

We went camping a few weekends ago with my cousins at tyler state park and it was a blast.  We fished, cooked, ate a ton, drank, relaxed, hiked, paddle boarded, and pretty much just had a great time.  My cousins were in town from North Carolina picking up a van to drive back to NC.  My cousin started this company called MANA that helps give aid to malnutrition kids all over the world.  They created this ready to eat peanut butter paste that if given to a child three times a day for 6 weeks, can save a child's life.  He is pretty much saving the world, one kid at a time.  It is just so inspiring and incredible.  And his wife, Tera, is getting her PHD after just having her second baby.  They are ridiculously smart, selfless, serving and have accomplished more so far in their life than I can hope to in my entire one.  If I live to be 150.  Amazing.  Annnyywayyy, somebody donated this van to MANA and they were here to retrieve it.  The van was awesome.  It had beds and a toilet- the works.  SO, his family and his brother, my cousin christopher and his family, met us all in tyler to party.  Their other brothers Jon Mark and his wife Keali and Andrew, Abbi, and Luke, joined us on sat and it was a family affair.
(Christopher also works for the Caris foundation and is saving the world one life at a time, as well.  And my mom is his boss.  Overachievers.)
To add to all of their superlatives, Christopher and tiff are world class cooks and brought out this whole grilling contraption that kept us ridiciulously full the whole trip.  It was like fresh veggies already chopped for homemade stir fry and bacon-sausage-pancake-eggs breakfast.

(again with the overachieving.  Jeff and I did a lot of partaking and not much helping.)

The boys did a little fishing and found an enormous fish that they could not have been more proud of.

Ben was also very attached.

DT and Tera brought their 5 month old baby, did I mention that?  And she was angelic the entire time.  I think she never cried, ever.  I am telling you.  These people are out of control.
Christopher had camped with us when we did the hilltop campout so we were excited to reignite the tradition.  And continue it, I hope, forever.

Sassy also wants to marry brazos.  Her cousin.  I have tried to tell her its an impossibility but alas, the law does not forbid second cousins marrying in texas (what?!) so I just have to tell her it is highly frowned upon and not allowed in this family (eek).
After laying around on blankets the entire next day, and paddle boarding, and eating, and then stopping at wendys on our way out, the van broke down (noooooo!!!!!) and had to be towed back to dallas.  I do not actually know what has become of said van, but I hope it is going to make it to NC eventually.  I mean, it had a toilet.  It was practically an RV.
Thank you family for our weekend.  We love you and miss you already!