Family

Saying goodbye is never easy, even when you're almost two years old.  Piper had to tell her best friend Addyson goodby Tuesday night and Mandy had to tell Addyson's Mom, her best friend goodbye too.  There were lots of tears, mainly from the adults.  It's so hard sometimes.

On Wednesday I took Polly, the 95 pound lab in my car and Mandy and Piper followed me the 362 miles from Portland to Spokane.  It was a great trip.  The inspection and appraisal on the house have gone very well.

Polly and Chloe were ecstatic to see each other.  It's rather doubtful they'll ever be together again and I'm glad neither of them know that.  They LOVE each other and play together and even sleep all cuddled together too.

Friday our son Jamie brought our other two grandchildren, Kyleigh and Caleb from Helena, MT to say goodbye to Mandy & Piper.  We had a wonderful weekend of family fun.

Here's 6 year old Caleb playing with the huge stash of Legos his dad and Uncle Alex left behind when they moved out.  We have two larges totes FULL.  Caleb built a boat, among other things, that he floated in the bathtub.  :-)

Here 8 year old Kyleigh letting Piper climb all over her while the dogs played in the yard.  Kyleigh is SO good with Piper.  So sad that they won't see each other much anymore.

Piper loves hair and played with Kyleigh's all weekend.  Usually it's Grandma's that gets all the love.  :-)

See what I mean.  She has my hair in her little fist here.  It's a big reason why I haven't been wearing my head covering.  I do need to get back to that but the little miss just takes it off my head.  I do wear it to church but have been lax in wearing it other times.

Anyway, here I am with ALL of our grandbabies.  My heart was SO HAPPY!  Aren't they cute.  And yes it was cold Friday so we were cuddled under Caleb's camoflouge blanket.

Here are the girls taking care of Grandpa who woke up with an awful migraine Saturday.  He hasn't had one in several years.  He told me he was better because we had promised to take the kids swimming at the lake and he didn't 't want to let them down.  Well, he wasn't better.  I should have known something was up when he handed me his precious truck keys and told me to drive.  I took Jamie & the kids and he rode with Mandy & Piper.  He barely made it for the drive before he lurched into the trailer and was really, truly sick.  He then slept in the bedroom for a few hours and was miraculously better.  Even well enough to go out in the boat and race around the lake with Paul and the kids.

Our son Jamie with our babies.  Jamie is our middle child and I really miss having him closer. He's 312 miles away. :-(. Of course with Alex in Japan I know that's even worse for distance.  Not sure of the mileage to a Tokyo though.

Grandpa and Grandma with our precious ones.  Grandpa taught the sermon today at church so it was extra special for him to have two of our kids there.

Alex face-timed with all of us twice this weekend so it was almost like having all three of our kids home.  Not really~but I'm tring to be positive.

And... I started Piper's new Wonderful Wallaby sweater.  I'll make a matching one for Mandy and Kyleigh and Caleb both told me their favorite colors so they'll each get one for Christmas.  Goodness, I need to get busy. :-). I can make Pipers out if this new skein of yarn that I found at Michaels.

Everyone except Miss Piper left after lunch.  They have all texted us that they're home safely.  Mandy is meeting the movers to pack and load the house and will hopefully sign the papers for the sale this week.  We're going to enjoy every single minute with Piper.  It just made sense not to have a little one needing naps, etc., around when you have a houseful of movers and who better to leave her with but a Grandpa and Grandma that adore her?  Mandy is having a tough time though, since she's never been away from her.

We have lots of fun planned.  I have to make as many memories as possible in the next few weeks.

I promised you the pattern for the dishcloth in my last post.  Here it is:

Size 6 needles

Cast on 45

Row 1-knit

Row 2-knit 4, purl 1 across

Row 3-knit 2, purl 3 across

Row 4-knit 2, purl 3 across

Row 5-knit 4, purl 1 across

Row 6-knit

Repeat these 6 rows 10 times.

Bind off.

I'm writing this from memory as the pattern is in the bedroom that a sleeping Piper is in.  I'm really hoping I have it right.  If it's incorrect would someone let me know and I'll fix it?   :-)

I hope you have had as wonderful a weekend as we have.  There was and is always an undercurrent of sadness, knowing the huge move about to take place, but we're trying to tuck away these moments in our hearts.  I'll be back soon my friends.

Blessings,

Betsy