*Cousins’ Sleepover*
We came together, after looking forward to this night for so long . . .
Velma Magill, Judy Stroop, Gloria Diener, Amy Herr and Lucy Yoder
There were 16 of us here. When it all began, there were 60 first cousins. 28 of us were female, 32 were the other kind. But we lost four of the boys, and so, that makes us pretty much even. 28 of both!
Naomi Miller, Alma Heatwole, Sarah Slaubaugh
The evening was pretty much the kind of thing that Yoders love (and that lots of other people seem to find threatening) Laughter, tears, stories, memories, a devotional, and then time for every single one of us to share where we are in our lives right now, and how we are coping with the packages that life has handed us. We were supposed to bring something that symbolized who we are, or where we found ourselves right now, and those objects were left on the coffee table and it was left open for people to pick up the different items with the understanding that it would remind us to pray for eachother.
Lucy Yoder, Amy Herr, Karen Miller, Melanie Ressler.
What an incredible blessing this time was to each of us! If there was any one thing that seemed to be mentioned over and over again as the night progressed and the morning came, it was that this time was appreciated more than any other activity.
Judy Morgan, Joanie Mills, Gloria Diener
Ilva Hertzler, Shirley Miller (The two cousins whose pictures didn’t make it on here were Donna Jones and yours truly. If you are counting, I think that really does make 16!)
Ilva was the one who hatched the idea of a cousins’ sleepover, more than a year ago. Ilva loves slumber parties, and she is always trying to coerce people into coming to one that she is either planning or thinking about maybe having sometime, somewhere. This was one that finally came together, and all of the gals who came agreed that it was over much too soon, that they would never have wanted to miss it, and that we needed to do it again.
To my dear cousins —
I’ve known your names and your faces for as long as I can remember.
Tonight I know part of your life stories. Some of your sorrows. Some of your triumphs. Some of your failures. I know your hearts in a way that I have never been privileged to know before. And I cry for the broken hearts, broken relationships, broken children, broken dreams, broken bodies.
But I salute your bravery, your resilience, your love.
And I bow in awe before your faith. We really do have a treasure in earthen vessels. No one knows better than we do how imperfect we are. But we also know that we have a Great Savior. And we have learned to trust HIM!
How my heart sings to know this to be true!
Delaware Grammy 
Mary Ann, I’m choked up and I don’t even know most of the people or their stories. What a beautiful tribute! What a heritage for your children.
I confess,I think I am jealous……….Is that the right word for wishing I had been there also? Or that I could do the same with my family? Jealous may not be the right word or maybe I should just say I do really admire you for having everyone together and having such a good time sharing the joys and the sorrows of your lives. Yes indeed I admire you gals for bonding together in such a nice experience. I appreciate your sharing this with me.
I like your site. My 2 yr old likes your song (and I agree).
I linked over from Charlotte’s. What a blessing your sleepover sounds like. There is nothing for the heart (especially of women) like sweet fellowship. 🙂
Hello , I like your picture’s now. Wilma is the one it a little people now. She can help out alot if she wants to. Your over night sound like fun now. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!
What a neat idea. You’ve proven you’re never too old for a sleep over!
Wow! what fun and what a blessing to be able to gather like that! loved the pictures
We women really do need each other!! Looks splendid!!
Wow what fun, treasure the time you have with your girl cousins. I so long to have time like that with my family but we are all on a different page so to speak. Thanks for shareing the pics with us, have a blessed week!
What an inspirational post!!!!
What a wonderful time! When I think of all the 1st cousins that I grew up with, and how our paths are widely scattered it makes me sad. I would love to have a sleepover just to catch up on their lives. Did you actually sleep, or was it a term used to stay up all night talking? My mind is already spinning, trying to see what I could do with my cousins!
We slept a little. I was blessed with an empty house except for the two handicapped ladies that our family keeps. The boys are both away, and Middle and Youngest Daughters were at a Renaissance Faire in PA with Eldest Daughter and Beloved Son in Law. So there were five empty single beds upstairs as well as two empty queen beds. We talked and talked and ate and laughed and finally, at three A.M. I stopped the chiming clocks so that people could sleep and we SLEPT (at least for a little bit). It was really a great time, and I would encourage you to try it. You will be so glad you did, I am sure.
The sleepover looks/sounds like lots of fun!! RYC: That would be a really neat thing for you to do to remember your son. Even though their lives where short, they still had a big impact.
RYC: My granddaughter has been doing a lengthy project on a chosen state, Georgia. It is something I would have done in H.S. not 5th grade. She has to wrap it all up after a 20 page typewritten report, a 3-D topographical map of GA etc. by bringing in a food that is specific for the state and doing an oral report about the state. I would have chosen peanuts, but then again, maybe someone would have been allergic to them.
Your daughter sounds like a very practical student. She is going to make some guy really happy that she can do all those plumbing tasks!
Hey aunt mary! thanks for the comment and the story! although now i’m gonna have to check and make sure there isn’t any unknown substance in my closet! 🙂 looks like the sleepover was a blast! hope you continue to have a GREAT week! love ya!
Thanks for the picture of Ilva