Visitors

After realizing I have a multitude of pictures to share, I made collages so I could make the point in a smaller space.  We were so blessed to have my friend Katie come visit us from Gilbert.  Katie and I became great friends when we were both counselors for Academy for Girls at BYU.  We have been meaning to get together since we both moved to AZ a couple years ago.  But, the best plans can always fall to the wayside if we let them.  So, I felt very lucky that she came all the way to Tucson to play with us.  Our Ruby and Madeline are only 2 days apart, and they enjoyed playing with each other.  Betsy and Elizabeth (yes, they share the same name, it is a great one after all), also played together.  And Mitchell and Cannon found their own way to be happy.  It was so fun to reunite, remember, and renew our friendship.  Katie is one of those fabulous women that are amazing to everyone they meet.  She has such a great eye for beauty, she always brings a gift when she comes, and she puts me to shame in almost every way.  But, even though she is so much better than me in every possible manner, I love her dearly, and she inspires me to be better.  And, now, I hope we can keep in touch with each other a little better than we have in the past.

Here's our backyard visitor this weekend. Bj and the kids enjoyed trapping this little lizard in our backyard.  They loved catching him and petting him.  Elizabeth loved looking at him, but when he ran over her feet she was certainly offended.  Me thinks she's not quite ready to be friends with wildlife yet.  Madeline was very concerned about putting the lizard back into the desert, she didn't want to keep him from his home.  But, Mitchell, he was looking for a bottle to keep him in.  

We also had our family, the Avey's come for Sat./Sun.  The kids absolutely adore each other.  McKay(3) loves spending time with Madeline, and Madeline loves being looked up to.  They just might be kindred spirits, because I saw a lot of similarities with them this trip.  Mostly, though our kids just loved holding little Luc.  Babies always bring out the best in people, and our kids really loved seeing this new spirit.  Mitchell thought Luc was pretty cool until Luc spit up on Mitch, at that point he was ready to throw the baby off his chest.  Note to self...train Mitchell on how to hold and protect a baby.  We had a blast with the Avey's and we are always sad to see them go.  Elizabeth has been asking  for McKay and Kimball all day, and I am so glad she loves her cousins.

Update on Liz:  She is doing better physically.  Emotionally?  Still traumatized.  And, let's just be honest, so am I.  These trips to get her blood drawn are draining me.  I think I am going to have to take some antidepressants by the end of this ordeal.  Okay, I'm doing better than all that, but this just makes me very grateful for the general health of my children.  We are more blessed than I usually recognize.  Even though I didn't really enjoy the way I was reminded to cherish my little ones more. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to stop the usual craziness and take small opportunities to give them a hug, kiss, big spinning hug, a kind word, or just a squench to show them how much I love them.