A circle of friends....

Over the past weekend, we were blessed with visits from several out of town friends. On Thursday, Luke, Ellie and I got to hang out with Heidi, Amy and their little ones. It has been a couple of months since we saw them last, and I was amazed at how much our kids have grown and changed in just a short amount of time! We had a wonderful time chatting and going through old books and letters that Heidi's mom had kept through the years, as we kept the kids entertained. We headed out for some lunch after a bit (three children a year & under in age, all together in a restaurant seem a bit daunting at first, but they all did really well....minus Ellie's incessant squawking from her place beside me!) We parted after our Cuca's fix and returned home for nap time. Amy and Sara planned to stay the next two nights at our house, but had a family get together to attend for the afternoon, so I readied the house for her arrival later that night when the kids were down for naps. Luke asked ALL afternoon about when Baby Sara was returning...he was SO into playing with her and loved having her around. At times, I shook my head in disbelief as I watched him interact with her because he is usually much more possessive of his toys and less interactive with Ellie. But he coddled Sara and was so gentle...handing her toys and talking sweetly to her. Hmph. Not that he doesn't do those things with Ellie...he does. But more often than not, I find him stealing toys from her hands (I usually discover this by the sound of Ellie's shrill cry and the 'I didn't do anything' look of guilt on Luke's face!) or getting right up into her face as he pretends to be a dinosaur! LOL. Brothers.

The next morning, Luke was the first to arise (surprise, surprise!) and the first words that fell from his lips were "Is baby Sara still here??" He really loved having her around! And do did I! :) Our morning was a blurred rush as we scrambled to ready the kids....it was picture day for them all! Since we have never had the opportunity to photograph all four of our kids together, today was the day. We had to hustle though, since Heidi and Amy were looking forward to a morning of shopping at the outlets in Cabazon! (When you live so close, you forget how cool all those stores are!). So....in a mere ten minutes we snapped some shots of our tot-sized group. Ellie had just woken up, as I had to pull her out of bed for the pictures, so she had a major case of bed-head. And Luke had just had a time out for not being willing to share his toys, so his poor little face is all puffy and red. Oh well! So it goes, right? They were quite cooperative otherwise though. Here is the finished product....(can you believe how chubby Ellie has gotten lately!!! Wowzers!)


After Amy returned from her short shopping excursion, Ty graciously stayed with the kids (who were napping, so it was pretty easy for him!) while Amy and I got to steal away for a little girl time. We sipped frosty frappucinnos from Starbucks while we pampered our piggies and talked. So, so, SOOOOO nice! Ty spent some time with his buddies later that night, so once the kids were snug in bed, Amy and I cracked open a bottle of wine and sat on the patio talking until all the light had faded from the evening sky. Then we headed indoors, made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and parked ourselves on the couch to talk until our eyes were heavy and the buzz from the wine had worn off! :) I think it was sometime close to midnight when my head hit the pillow. Good times.
Here we are just before Amy left...


Saturday brought a shift change for our guests. Amy and Sara headed out around 9 and Ty helped me re-ready the house for my friend Roni, her husband Neal and their little girl, Kennedy, who arrived about noon. Roni is an old co-worker of mine from Loma Linda, who moved back to Colorado about 6 or 7 years ago. And it has been that long since I have seen her, so this visit, albeit brief, was so sweet for me. We spent our afternoon enjoying my favorite picnic spot in Oak Glen; catching up on lost time. We headed home around 2 so my weary visitors could nap awhile. Poor Kennedy was so exhausted from all the travel that she gave Roni and Neal a run for their money that night with her tantrums. But before all that, I was able to get a couple of cute pictures of her and Luke together in Oak Glen.
Isn't she the prettiest thing you've ever seen?!

Collecting acorns...


Luke LOVED Kennedy...they loved each other, in fact. They are just 6 months apart in age (Kennedy being older) and they got along so well together! There was an instant connection and comfort between them. Before we had even unloaded Roni's rental car when they first arrived, Luke had taken Kennedy by the hand and lead her to his playroom to show her his toys. And their silly antics the rest of the day were evidence of their comfort with each other. They were adorable to watch!



Our families....


(that crazy, long hair of mine got cut this week, by the way! More on that later!)

Saying goodbye...


Roni and Neal left Sunday morning and Ty and I spent much of the rest of our day vegging around the house. I was completely wiped out from the week, so I wasn't in to doing much. I stole a much needed nap in the afternoon, Luke, Ellie and I lounged in his little pool later in the day, and before I knew it,it was time for bed once again. (Thank goodness!!!) It was a long, yet super quick weekend. How wonderful it is to spend time with old friends. Its like wrapping a warm blanket around your soul. Comfort and ease...the soothing balm of life. I consider myself so blessed!