We were spoiled with tons of family time and an extra long weekend when our family from the East Coast arrived last Wednesday. I haven't seen some of them in 10 years and most of them had yet to meet my husband and kids. Needless to say, we had a beyond wonderful few days and thoroughly enjoyed our time with all of them.
We had cook outs, homemade Mexican food, weenie roast, and lots of sugary treats on the menu.
Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of absolutely everyone together, but we still managed to get a good majority of us in a couple of pictures.
These kids had so much fun together! The minis were really sad when they realized their playing buddies "got on the airplane to fly back home." It was amazing seeing the bonds of family run through these kiddos.
We got in a few nights of Pictionary. Obviously Elizabeth was a huge help..... Max and cousin Jack were pretty awesome at it though! We may need to add this game to our family game nights.
The minis and I took a moment to grab some fuel at Grounds For Celebration. We dropped Max off at school and then headed to the Blank Park Zoo for a big family outing! Harrison nailed it when he said "this is the best zoo trip ever!"
The kids were really excited about the bounce house!
Max and Elizabeth snuggling before heading off for a night at the fire pit.
Harrison's newest bff: cousin Natalie.
We made signs for Carly who was a competing gymnast in the Junior Olympics National Invitation Tournament. This was the first time I've ever experienced something like this (other than watching the Olympic gymnastics on TV every four years) and it was quite interesting to see up close. I've never truly appreciated just how much concentration has to go into this sport--there was so much going on at this competition that I was shocked.
I'm so proud to report that Carly did an amazing job and placed 2nd on floor and 5th on bars! I think it's safe to say that we all felt blessed to be a part of her day!
Priceless memories with priceless people. Sometimes it's easy to forget how important family is in life, but I'll never forget this time or the excitement my minis conveyed as we saw everyone each day. We're all exhausted from our many late nights, but they were totally worth it!
Naturally Max asked when we could go visit everyone on the East Coast. My reply: "soon son. Very soon."