Over the hills and through the woods...

...to grandmother's house we go.

I will never forget visits to my grandmother's house. All 11 of my cousins would get together, excited to see each other after months of being apart, and release energy that had been bottled up inside our tiny bodies in the 6 hour care ride. After all the hugs and kisses and a warm meal provided by the best Salvadorian chef in the world (grandma), we found ways to entertain ourselves.

One particular night we decided the best way to use up our energy would be to have a massive wrestling match on abuelita's bed, every child on his own against everyone. The rules were non-existent and the number of children flying off the bed seemed to increase with every minute that went by. If we fell, we got back up and we scrambled on top of each other fighting to get to the top.

I don't know how we made it out alive or where our parents were(probably having cafe con pan and listening to the blasting music of various trios and duos) that they didn't see us and stop the potentially dangerous chaos.

Although our grandmother is no longer with us, we continue to meet and find entertainment. The reunions are quite different now and time seems to be speeding by. It amazes me to see us applying to college, getting our license, working, getting cars, and going out into the real world. As one of the oldest I get to see my cousins grow up and I remember wondering how we would all turn out. Time keeps ticking away.....but I enjoy every moment. Whether it's filled with screaming children, or dancing teens, the reunion is always worth the drive.