I'll reference another blog I posted last month about the true bond of cousins & I feel so thankful that I got to spend an amazing childhood growing up with this one! For a little while, it was just myself, Sarah, & Garrett. We had the most ridiculous Christmases when we were the only 3 DuPont grandchildren....literally, the floor was covered in wrapping paper and toys galore! 
I have very warm memories from summers in Connecticut, where the three of us would spend hours playing outside catching fire flies, running through the woods (quite frequently getting poison ivy), playing wiffle ball, wrestling with our uncles, or riding the same freakin mini-roller coaster at Lake Compounce over and over again. Sure we got in fights, yes there were tears, we tattled on each other, and one of us had to sit in time out while the others continued to play (that was mostly Garrett), but some of my happiest & earliest memories were with little Sarah Dupont....always carrying around her little Puff, or perhaps a plastic grocery bag "purse". 
Even though we lived 3,000 miles apart, we picked up right where we left off & made sure to see each other at LEAST once a year. As we started to grow up, and more Dupont cousins were born, we still maintained the closeness, in different ways. We graduated to a little bike gang - that now included Andrew - and we rode all over Bristol during those steamy summer days. Instead of cooling off at Uncle Roger's pool, we attacked each other in cut-throat water balloon fights. Instead of an innocent game of chutes and ladders, Uncle Russo taught us the art of blackjack in his basement at Casino Camp. And our 8pm bedtimes turned into all-nighter slumber parties. 
The past three or four years have been exceptionally special because for the first time in our lives, Sarah and I were finally re-united, for good - myself in New York and Sarah in Hoboken. In 24 years of being cousins, we were finally close enough to have dinners together & visit each other's apartments, and share commutes out to Connecticut for family holidays and parties. During a time when this California girl was newly engaged and felt swallowed up by the big city during my first few months in New York, Sarah was my saving grace. When my parents were all the way across the country, she would remind me that I had family anytime I needed it. And when I was getting used to Mike traveling the first few months, she would come over with an over-night bag for a "grown up slumber party". And when I had come close to some Bridezilla moments, Sarah what just a few blocks away as the most attentive & thoughtful bridesmaid anyone could ever imagine. I'm not exaggerating when I say, that I don't even know how I could have gotten through a 14 month engagement without her every step of the way. 
So it goes without saying that I'm beyond excited to be welcoming Ian into the family. I feel like he's been a part of us for years and we love having him be a part of the Dupont family festivities. Sarah & Ian truly are a great team & they've had such an amazing journey since they met in the vending machine room at Providence College. They have grown from carefree college students into working New York City professionals and it's been a pleasure and an honor to be along side them for the ride.
Sarah was the friend every bride-to-be could dream of, and I hope to be able to even come close to reciprocating that for her during this beautiful time in her life. I'm so giddy with love & excitement for the two of you, that I don't even know if I can wait until the 2014 nuptials! We love the two of you more than I could even capture in a blog post & we can't wait for another Dupont wedding and a new member of the family. Congratulations to the happy couple & let the wedding planning begin!
No comments:
Post a Comment