Mom is Here!

I promise not to apologize every time I let time lapse between posts. Let me hasten to say that I am sorry for the delay, but I know it is annoying to have the first page of a post explain why the author didn't post for awhile. So now that is over, I will proceed. :-)

It has been eventful and fun around here! Friday was spent enjoying James' time off from work. He finished his third huge embroidery project just in time for Mom Joyner's visit. Mom had loaned us her thread, the pattern CD, and some fabric to make another nativity tile scene like the one we made for her in January. James finished the last of the 20 blocks Friday so we can give her the thread back during her visit. I am still trying to finish the other nativity scene and haven't sewn any of these blocks together yet. It will get done - but perhaps not right away.

Friday night we had hoped to go to Bear Lake for a cookout. I got just a taste of camping last weekend, and I wanted to enjoy more outdoor time. Unfortunately, it rained so we moved the party to Dad Bryan's house. Three of the five Bryan families were able to be there. Dad Bryan got to experience an Anna giggle fit. She enjoyed the antics of Kylie and Gavin Sanders very much.

Saturday was spent preparing for guests and looking for an exciting package to arrive on our front porch.

I sent this picture to my traveling relatives to hasten their arrival.

The package arrived one hour before Rebecca, Kristen, and Amanda.

It was Catan: Thieves and Barbarians along with an extension to play the game with more than four people. James was so thrilled to get it all out and attempt to figure out how to use this new version of Catan! It is a mind-bender to un-learn the Catan: Seafarers version so we could play this version. We just got it out and were starting a game when the girls arrived from NC.

This is a random picture from the web of this game version.

Kristen, Amanda, and Rebecca all went to the Navarre beach. Amanda hadn't seen white sand beaches before. My girls were napping when they were ready to go, so James and I stayed home and waited for them to wake up. We beguiled the time away by playing a game of Catan together. It was fun to learn new rules and play a different version. I was so close to winning, but James won instead.

By the time the babies woke up and were ready to hit the beach, Rebecca called to say that they were sufficiently cold and wet and were ready to come back.

Aunt Becca with an astonished Anna!

Kristen, Amanda, and Rebecca got to waltz with the babies.

Lily got to waltz with the big bear and Becca

 Mom and Dad arrived from NC in their car just in time for a lasagna supper. After supper John, Vanessa, and Carlie dropped by. It was fun for my parents to get to see baby Carlie, and John played the first part of a Catan game.

After I was done with baby care, I took over for John when he left and we played the game with five people. Again, I was super close to winning, but I ran out of cities - I had a handful of cards that would have given me the last victory point, but I didn't have a city left to build! Guess who won - James. It was fun to play with more than four people. You are allowed to build what you want at the end of anyone's turn.

We settled the houseful of guests into bed and said goodbye to Dad, Becca, Kristen and Amanda. They left early Sunday morning for Texas, their tent camping experience, and their homeschool conference. I was astonished to learn that this will be Becca and Amanda's very first time to tent camp. Ever.

Sunday morning we went to church, came home, napped, went to men's choir and children's choir practices, evening church, Burger King, and home.

This morning I have Anna's doctor appointment, then I would like to attend Bro. James Bloomfield's funeral. The doctor's appointment was made six months ago while Anna was in the NICU. The appointment is with a neurologist to see if everything is normal because she had issues at birth. I don't anticipate any problems since she seems to be developing very well. But we shall see!