She has ponytail holders, and she's not afraid to use them...

One of my husband's sisters, who now lives in Mexico doing counseling and foster care work as a missionary, comes back home every summer- just to join in on the camping trip.

Imagine...traveling thousands of miles just to camp when I purposely chose not to camp.

But for my husband's family, it is a tradition that dates back decades...and is their way of bonding with each other in the ever changing years.

I haven't yet seen her this year (just spoke to her on the phone) but will be definitely visiting her before she heads back.
Because I genuinely like "Auntie A."

And because I want to know how she braided my girls' hair into a million little braids, changing hair styles on them almost every day...especially when my youngest screams when I even approach her with a brush in one hand and tangle spray in the other.

When the girls mentioned their braids in one of their phone calls, I told them to tell Daddy to take lots of pictures.
I was tickled when they came back to find that he did...

And the one that makes me smile...


Just look at those tight, tight braids.
When I first saw this, I almost asked, "Who ARE these children?"

When I greeted them with hugs and kisses last Saturday, they were indeed still sporting a sort of Jamaican thing each. And let me tell you, if how it took to UNbraid it all is any indication, then all of these do's took Auntie A. a looooooooooong time to achieve.

Anyway, great job, Auntie A. Not only did the braids actually prevent the dreaded"Camping Tangles", but you succeeded in having my youngest allow you to comb and braid her tender hair follicles every single day.

Yep, great job. We're definitely going to have to talk...