My first memories included my first friends, my cousins. My family was from small-town Georgia, and cousins were all I knew until my Dad joined the military and we began our trek around the country with the US Army.

Family holiday gatherings consisted of so many cousins. On my Mom's side of the family, girls outnumbered the boys by at least double, and we were all close in again, so saying that they were my first friends is no lie. We handed down clothes, wrote letters to each other, and couldn't wait for the next opportunity to spend the night at Grandma's house. J names were popular in my family, beginning with my cousins, Jane, Judy, and Joan, then me, Jeri. My grandmother had to name us all to get the right child. Thankfully, my mom broke the trend by naming my sister Linda. By the way, that's me front row far right-hand side with the bag of plums in my hand. Must have been picking plums out of my teeth as well!

When I grew up in a family of 5 children, I knew that my children would have the same experience with their cousins. My son, Tyler was born just a month before my nephew, Chase, and they are so, so close. And like my siblings and I, they cannot wait for family gatherings so they can see each other and catch up. My niece just got married at the end of June, and the family picture was massive, as many of the cousins were in attendance.

FOR A HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF NATIONAL COUSINS DAY CLICK HERE

When I remarried almost two years ago, my husband had a family all his own with two grown children and 4 grandchildren. Our families nearly matched! Now together we have ten grandchildren. They love being at Nana and Papa's house so much. My goal in life is to create special memories for them each time they are together at my house. We have a Christmas Cookie decorating contest the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year, and this year, we had the biggest ever Easter Egg Hunt. Last Christmas, we spend the evening at Holiday in the Park with our Ugly Christmas Sweaters on.

FUN FACT: IN SOME STATES, YOU CAN MARRY YOUR COUSIN! FIND OUT WHERE HERE

National Cousins Day

Cousins were my first friends, and I know that they will be my oldest friends. My wish is that my kids and grandkids get to have those memories that will last a lifetime.

Celebrate National Cousins Day this Sunday, July 24, 2022! Maybe a phone call or Facetime with your cousin is in order!

Lawton's Worst Roads As Voted By You

Roads have always been a hot topic in Lawton. The local government always promises to fix them when elections are at stake, but the improvements never come. It's more of the same crumbling roads and bandaid patches due to what the city describes as "too little funding," even though we continually vote for bonds to satisfy these issues.

Here are the worst commonly used roads in Lawton as voted by you.

Take a look inside this epic 1960s retro motel in Oklahoma!

It's the ultimate retro vintage motel stay in the Sooner State! If you've ever wanted to step back in time and experience the "good old days" once again, or maybe for the very first time, you're in luck. Take a break from the usual, boring, and mundane hotel room by booking a stay at this 60s-style motel in Oklahoma City, OK. The Classen Inn is one of the most unique and colorful motels in the state, if not the entire nation. It was originally built back in 1963 and has been completely remodeled, refurbished, and reimagined. If you're looking for a place to stay while on vacation, staycation, or on a weekend getaway why not make your accommodations a part of the vacation fun by staying at the Classen Inn in OKC. You can click here to book your stay. Scroll through the photo gallery below to take a virtual tour of this EPIC 1960s retro motel!

Look Inside This EPIC $6,950,000 Oklahoma mansion!

Take a tour of this incredible mansion in Oklahoma City, OK that's for sale. If you have $6,950,000 you could be the proud new owner of this one-of-a-kind estate. It's located at 9200 N. Sooner Road in Oklahoma City, OK. and is listed by Kermit Brown of Chinowth & Cohen Realtors.Can you imagine actually living here? Scroll through all the pictures for a look inside and take a virtual tour of this one-of-a-kind OKC mansion.