Throwback Thursday Stories: "Distant" Cousins

June 1996 - Hayden, Daniel, Van

June 1999 - Daniel, Hayden, Van

In late 1994, I had just found out that I was pregnant with my son and I heard through the family grapevine that my uncle's wife, Suzanne, was expecting twins, due about the same time that my baby was due in June 1995.

Interestingly, my uncle's twins were his second set of twins. His daughters, my identical twin girl cousins had been born on July 2, a few years after me. When the twin boys came along, Van and Hayden, in my generation (first cousins), were just six days earlier than my son, Daniel. I think that makes Van, Hayden and Daniel second cousins, or maybe first cousins, once removed. Who knows?

In June 1996, when my son was almost a year old, our little family of three took a long road trip from Tennessee to Oklahoma to visit my grandmother and other relatives who lived in Oklahoma City. We got to meet Van and Hayden for the first time and had an early celebration for all three boys who were getting ready to have their first birthdays.

Then in June 1999, my dad, sister, Daniel and I took another road trip out to Oklahoma and our visit coincided with Van and Hayden's 4th birthday. Our OKC family included Daniel in the celebration and we had fun eating cake and ice cream and watching all three boys open presents.

Today, June 26, Van and Hayden are turning 19. Next week, on July 2, Daniel will celebrate his 19th birthday and my girl cousins will also celebrate their birthday. Van just graduated high school in May and plans to go to school to learn welding. Hayden is learning life skills in his school and plans to stay in school for a few more years. Daniel will be starting his sophomore year in college in August. Time really does fly!