The Epitome of Cuteness

Look at this little peach--she's positively edible! You just want to nibble on those chubby little arms! And those huge blue eyes, that button nose...what an irresistible little girl! You would have to have a heart of stone to be able to look at her and not say, "Now she is just the epitome of cuteness; it's as simple as that."

This little muffin is the youngest of the many Pearl family first cousins. There are 33 in all; my firstborn son is the oldest, and this little cutie pie is the youngest. She's 22 months old, she's the spitting image of her mommy, and she has a personality to match that cute little mug of hers.

This week, my husband's family--all eight siblings and all but two of their spouses, and most of the incredibly close first cousins (along with one cousin's husband and three cousins' boyfriends)--are gathered at the family's lakeside homestead in Upstate New York. Each year, we get together over the Fourth of July weekend to play in a golf tournament to honor my husband's father, "Papa," the late and beloved patriarch of this sprawling clan, and to just sit and talk, laugh and catch up with each other. This family reunion is something that we all look forward to throughout the year and enjoy to the fullest.

I have mentioned before that I adore hats (see "Mad Hatters," April 29), but I don't think I've ever seen a more adorable hat on a more adorable head than this one. All I can think is this: I'm going to have to see to it that my twin granddaughters have some awesome Easter bonnets and various charming chapeaux such as this one to wear on their precious little noggins. The hunt for stylish and adorable millinery begins in earnest! In the meantime, I can enjoy this image, which is just the epitome of cuteness in my book. I thought you would enjoy it, too!