Yay For Family!

Another benefit of having our birthdays so close to Memorial Day--makes it a lot easier for people to come visit and celebrate with us! So maybe that's not actually why Stephen, Claudia & Brianna came, but it was a happy coincidence anyway!

We love having their family here--the kids play so well together, and the adults get to stay up until all hours playing Dominion, Acquire, and Ticket to Ride. 

Saturday we took the kids to Annie's Playground (a new adventure for us--somehow we've never made it there in our almost-five-years of kids). Stephen & Jonny took the kids around while Claudia and I chatted. It's SO nice to not be the one chasing the kids around, especially when you're tired and pregnant (Claudia's due a month after me--another little girl for them!). 

We managed to find a babysitter willing to take three little monkeys that night, and off we (grown-ups) went to Famous Dave's for Jon's & my birthday dinner. We ordered the All-American Feast and stuffed our faces. I think I ate more meat in that one meal than I usually do in a week or two. AMAZING ribs, and the corn-on-the-cob was actually pretty good for being out of season. We ate until they had to roll us out of the building, then headed home to put our babies to bed.

Sunday Claudia snapped some cute picture of our babies while I was running around trying to get singing time stuff ready (a weekly occurrence). 

Three cute cousins, all ready for church

Two princesas (Brianna found one of Catherine's headbands and helped herself)

My handsome boy

Brianna is such a hoot--she LOVES modeling for the camera.

The kids also had a great time investigating a tree next to the church while they waited for me to clean up all my stuff after Primary: 

Half the time he gets stuck up here and whines until we get him down

Ring around the tree 

Brianna tries out the tree-climbing thing

And, finally, photographic evidence that Jon DOES actually cook. Once or twice a year: 

Memorial Day we were up and ready early-ish for the Memorial Day breakfast. 

Brianna & Catherine enjoying some milk before the breakfast

I finally got Catherine in pigtails, and I'm in love! 

Did I mention how much I love her pigtails?

Too bad she only cooperates once every six months or so...

I really, really hate pictures of myself while I'm pregnant.

Maybe I'll crop this one just below our heads.

Jon decided to take the entertainment portion of the breakfast into his own hands. Most important thing we brought that day? His water rocket launcher. 

After we ate our fill and he played some basketball, Jon assembled the launcher and shot a bottle off. It was like a mating call for Scout-aged boys: by the next launch he was surrounded: 

After lunch we had to say goodbye to Stephen, Claudia & Brianna. This no-family-close-by thing gets really old sometimes! Luckily we'll get to see them again as soon as Jon's work figures out when he's going to be traveling.  Thanks for coming! Please come again ANYTIME!