Though we’re already in the thick of the worst tax season SVV has experienced to date—and I’m buried under writing deadlines with a month of college-like all-nighters on the horizon—we still managed to steal away for the perfect MLK weekend in Memphis nonetheless.

Memphis is a four-hour drive from where we live, I’ve been visiting my family there all my life, and yet I hadn’t been in Tennessee’s largest city since this same weekend last year for St. Jude’s annual Country Cares event.

My cousin Coco, who’s practically my second sister—or should I say my first sister since she was around loooong before Kari?—lives there with her husband and their two girls, who are practically my nieces and also certifiably the coolest kids you ever did meet. Let’s just say, I jump at any chance I get to hang out with this fab foursome, and seeing as we hadn’t all been together since The Royal Wedding in September, it was high-time we caught up.

Especially since this party of four is about to be a party of five! Baby Boy is joining our wacky family on Earth Day, and this is the last time we’ll all be together without a newborn in tow.

Originally, we had grand plans—go see a movie! do a bunch of shopping! spend all weekend outdoors!—but Coco’s pregnancy (she’s seven-and-a-half months along) coupled with the weather and the fact that we were both feeling a bit lethargic put a bit of a crimp in those plans. Instead, Saturday was spent lunching at Panera, making a quick stop at Justice, then retreating to our respective couches for naps.

And we also had donuts. Lots and lots of Gibson’s Donuts. 

Still, SVV and John did manage to ditch us all and head to the fringe of Holly Springs National Forest for a boys’ night at their family cabin in Mississippi, while us quartet of girls stuck closer to home. We were fine with that arrangement. No boys = even more excuse to laze around all weekend long!

We had big plans to get out and see the sights, but were quickly hypnotized by the idea of all weekend in our jammies on the couch. OK, I should rephrase that: Some of us were in our jammies. Others of us (i.e. this girl in her yoga pants and Gap Fit sweatshirt) don’t have nearly as fancy jammies, but all the better to get Oreo dust and Pop-Tarts crumbs on!

We worked our way through the girls’ Netflix queue—I may be newly obsessed with Good Luck Charlie (though the lack of a comma seriously bothers me) and Grace Stirs Up Success, and I know it’s not healthy as an almost-33 year old—and when they went to bed, Coco and I got some quality catch-up time the second the clock struck 9.

On Sunday morning, Margaret—our defiant, strong-willed one—simply would not allow us to avoid the outdoors for much longer, despite the bone-chilling 29 degree temps, but getting outside turned out to be just what everyone needed.

We headed to their local park and swung and swung to these little girls’ hearts’ content. We played hide-and-seek. We threw rocks at ducks. We took so many silly videos.

Sometimes, you just need a weekend like this one to recharge. And sometimes, you need kids in your life to remind you that having a bit of good, old-fashioned fun is good for the mind and heart.

Thanks to Coco, McKayla and Margaret for always showing me the recipe for a perfect weekend, even when I didn’t know it’s exactly what I needed.