It’s been awhile...

Hello my friends. I’m back! It’s been a while since I posted and although I’ve tried to keep up on all of your blogs, I’m afraid I may have missed one or two over the past week. I have been very busy with our kids and I have loved every single minute of it.

Jamie left with Kyleigh and Caleb on Saturday, then Mandy and Piper flew home Monday morning and Alex and Tara left Monday night. Last night when we arrived home from the airport, the house was SO quiet. I have to admit, I sobbed most of the way home. You all know how I feel about our children living so far away. I love them all dearly and cherish every single minute we had together.

I was feeling much better while they were here, although I still have a cough that is hanging on. Mandy got sick Wednesday evening and pretty much lost her voice on Thanksgiving and for the rest of the weekend.  Apparently there was a little boy that coughed on her on the airplane throughout the entire flight from Omaha to Seattle on Monday. The incubation period would have been right for her to be sick on Wednesday. It’s too bad she felt so bad although I think she still enjoyed herself.

I thought I would share a few of our photos with you. My best friend Jenny came over on Friday and took some pictures for us. I sure appreciated her taking the time to do that.

Mandy and Alex decided it was time to put the tree up on Tuesday. They dragged everything out from storage and then Mandy and Piper decorated the tree.  Dennis, Jamie and Alex put up the outside lights. Our house looks like Christmas!

Here are our three kids all together for the first time in almost 7 years.

Here is Jamie with Kyleigh and Caleb. Kyleigh doesn’t like to be on the Internet so I blocked her face out as per her wishes.  She is a beautiful girl and is in her first year of high school.  Caleb is in his last year of middle school and is a bundle of energy.

Here is my beautiful Mandy and Piper.  I think I told you in my last post that Brad didn’t get to come. They told his department that they had to work Friday morning to meet a deadline that had just arisen and so he obviously couldn’t fly here just for Thursday. Wednesday morning he turned his airline ticket back in for a refund. Wednesday afternoon his supervisor came around and told them they could have the weekend off. Of course, by then it was too late to get his ticket back. We were all so disappointed that he couldn’t be here.

Alex and Tara. We had such a wonderful time meeting Tara in person for the first time. She is amazing and fits into our family perfectly. I can’t wait to get to know her better as time progresses. We have a standing invitation to come visit her in London and if my back would just cooperate, I would be taking her up on that very soon!  Don’t they look perfect together? She brings out the best in Alex and as a mom I appreciate that.

And here we are. The old folks! I believe I am married to the most handsome man ever.

The whole crew! I love this picture and plan to get it framed.  Kyleigh, Caleb, and Piper hadn’t seen each other for well over two years. They had such a great time together and the older kids were very patient with Piper. It was so much fun to watch them interact.  She was so excited to spend time with her cousins.

I have more photos that I will share it with you over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoyed seeing this glimpse of our family as much as we had fun taking them.

Our family means the world to us and I miss the kids desperately already. Alex and Tara flew to Las Vegas last night and rented a car. They are going to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, as well as a few other spots over the next two days. Friday they’re flying to Omaha to spend the weekend with Mandy. Alex‘s birthday is Saturday and Mandy is planning a party with all of our family there in Omaha.  He hasn’t celebrated a birthday with family in at least 12 years! This will be fun for him. He’ll be with all of his cousins and grandma as well as Mandy and her family.

Monday he flies back to Tokyo and Tara flies to New York City for some business meetings before she flies home to London.

So, we celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday and we open Christmas presents on Friday. I guess I’m pretty much done for the year! Ha!

”Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.”  Psalms 127:3

Wishing you all a wonderful day today.

Blessings,

Betsy