As I approach my 21st birthday and seem to be constantly consumed with the stress of taking 20 credit hours, I can't help but think of simpler times. The butterflies I get in my stomach when I think about coming home for the weekend to spend time with family and friends never gets old. Going home makes my heart full. I have been blessed with cousins who are like siblings, aunts and uncles who are like parents, and grandparents who never miss a moment in my life. As my cousins and I get older and our time becomes scarce, our moments together are even more special. My cousins and I share many memories. Some include icees on the front lawn, spending the day at grandpa's barbershop and watching "The Sound of Music" on repeat. There once was a time where we actually looked forward to Mondays. Each Monday my dad's side of the family would come together at my grandparent's house to eat dinner. These are the days I miss the most. No matter what time of year, my cousins and I found something entertaining to do before dinner. Whether that be pickleball in the backyard (which always ended with someone crying because we are all incredibly competitive) or playing a game of Care Bear checkers in the basement. No matter what we had at our disposal, we found a way to have fun together.

Our meals together were pretty routine. If we complained enough about how hungry we were before the meal itself, my grandma always came through with snacks. She would place several styrofoam bowls on the coffee table in the living room. We would all circle around the table or find spots on the couch, whichever one had the best view so we could watch a classic movie with grandpa. The snacks included potato chips, miniature pretzel sticks, animal cookies, and apple slices. We would munch on our snacks and watch The Big Green while our parents prepared the main course.

Although these Monday night dinners ended a while ago, I still remember the gist of what our meals consisted of. We grilled out as often as we could. Growing up a big baseball family, ballpark food was our favorite. Hotdogs, brats, and burgers were the main dish. Our sides varied but mostly consisted of the same thing. We always had baked beans. I remember discovering the beautiful combination of dipping potato chips in the baked beans (don't knock it til you try it) and after that moment, potato chips were a must during dinner. When dinner was over, the best was yet to come. Dessert. Eclairs were a pretty typical dessert at grandma and grandpa's house. Each cousin would grab a handful and find a place to sit on the blue couch as we listen to our parents reminisce on old stories and drink their coffee. Summer dessert was our favorite. My cousins and I would sit on the step in between the kitchen and living room and eat popsicles together. Times like this seem simple, but looking back, are some of my favorite memories.

Unlike most, my cousins and I have grown closer together rather than further apart. Each time we meet at the family restaurant or sit around a bonfire, we talk about the very memories that created this lasting bond. Although most of our communication is through our phones we all know that no matter where we are or what we are doing, one thing is certain, we will always love Monday night dinners.