Families Are Forever

My very favorite part of our trip to Kona was getting to reconnect with my twin cousins Kris and Karen Anderson. I hadn't seen Kris for 17 years, when Chuck and I had last visited Kona.  I had seen Karen at my Mom's funeral 8 years ago.
Kris' twin sons were infants when I last saw them, now they are seniors in high school- unbelievable! 

The most amazing thing was to get together with them and it feel as if no time had past at all, our conversations just flowed- no awkwardness at all. Family is remarkable, they know your history, your baggage, your shortcomings, but love you inspite of it all.

Kris, me, Chuck, Christopher and Karen

I got to spend quality time with each cousin individually.  As kids growing up, it was always the twins together as a unit, so getting to know them as individuals this time was a new experience. 

 Getting to know Kris as a mom, and spending some time with her and her sons Christopher and Kyle was a joy.  The boys are very accomplished and involved in lots of extra-curricular activities at school. Their major focus right know is the robotics team they are on as they are gearing up for a major competition occuring in a couple of weeks. Kris and I met the boys after school in the lab and they demonstrated their robot's capabilities for us. Kris has been a single mother for several years now and has made a wonderful life for herself and her family. Her boys are two young men to be truly proud of. 

 Karen is an accomplished writer and created quite the publishing niche for herself. She has published a book called "Tips For Tropical Living", which is in its 2nd printing. She is also the editor of a monthly magazine called "In Home".  Karen interviews island homeowners with unique and gorgeous homes and gives the reader a home tour. There are also reviews of local restaurants, artists and events. While I was there I got to tag along with Karen as she interviewed two different homeowners and took pictures for the spread in her magazine. I love to snoop through peoples houses, and Karen has made a career out of it! How cool is that??

I am so glad I had the oppportunity to reconnect with these two amazing women!