Slow Learner

I've just finally been learning how to add pictures. I can't seem to make them do just what I want. But I have been able to go back to older posts and add on to them. This is going to become more fun as I figure things out!

And just for fun (because I think the kids would laugh) here's a picture of Sunday nap time on the little love seat in the living room.

We're All Together Again

I know I've felt this happy before. But I am just so very happy. Having my children all home this past several days has been a hutge treat.

Alex arrived in Detroit about noon thirty on Thursday. We carpooled with friends picking up their daughter, so the drive for me was relaxed and wonderful. But with some bad traffic, we didn't arrive home until nearly dinner time ... starving! So I took the kids out to Asian Express and we enjoyed some delightful Korean, Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Knowing that the next day was going to be a beauty (and warm) and basking in the glow of Alex being home, I succommed to Brigham's plea: "Please, please, please let me stay home tomorrow!" Grant wasn't feeling well due to allergies, so I figured I'd keep him home as well. Carley and Kimball both went to school, but came home for lunches, bringing lots and lots of friends (it was our weekly Lunch Bunch day). And the day was PERFECT! Warm without being too hot, slight breeze, calm and peaceful. I would have been contended to live it forever. The only thing missing was Todd. He was in Arizona on business. (If he had been home I may have let him talk me out of keeping the little boys home, so it probably was all for the best.)

Alex has been a trooper,being very good natured about sharing a room with Kimball for a few days. Our friends who have been having a lot of trials finding a home here needed to come back again this weekend to find a home for sure. So they stayed with us again. We didn't see much of them, but when we did it was delightful. They even provided two roasts and lots of fruit and other good things for our Sunday dinner today. We look forward to them moving here permanently.

We watched "The Kid" for Mom's movie night tonight. As usual, it made us all laugh and cry and think. I just enjoy it every time. We will probably be immitating finger moves and eye twitch all week.

So now Alex is moving his things down to "his" room, and we will all slip into a routine of all kids at home, and helping a boy prepare for his mission. This will be a joyful and busy season. I plan to bask in this joyful glow all summer!

Spring Break

Here is a Spring Break stop at the formal gardens at the Lilly Mansion in Indianapolis. We loved our walk through here. No blossoms yet (other than magnolias), but very promising and lovely.

I love to connect and stay connected with people. And I made an interesting discovery recently -- yesterday in fact. I enjoy people. I never ever thought of this as unique until a conversation with a spouse and a friend regarding our Spring Break plans caused me to just say it "I enjoy people", and the reaction I got surprised me. "Yes you do, and we don't so much" was basically the answer. I know they love people. Especially they love the people that they love! I have been the happy recipient of that affection. However, in that particular crowd, I stood alone in prefering to just visit with people to some other activities. But this morning as I am catching up with other's blogs and deciding to update mine, I will go public an say that I just enjoy people, generally and individually. I love knowing their quirks and strengths and soft spots and being able to communicate with them on levels that are meaningful. It's fulfilling and I feel my love and unerstanding of them and myself deepen.

So here I am in Inianapolis, IN with my family and our friends. We chose to rent a home at a golf course which is a state park here, and it's an old colonial home (I think the beds are from the same era, unfortunately). It used to be a military post of some kind, but now is a golf course/resort. It's too early in the year for the golfing, but we will love the surroundings and take advantage of them by having a fun easter egg hunt on the golf course with the kids this afternoon.

If you have happened to peek in on this blog and find yourself bored and wondering why you have read this, I really apologize for wasting your time. I have not got my footing on how I want this to go yet. But I plan to have some bigger news soon as Alex is expecting his mission call to arrive today. I may want to post about that!