Weekend: family

Nathan and family came this weekend!  It was a wonderful weekend.  The kids keep getting older and entertaining themselves and sometimes it feels like we barely see them.  (Although, to be fair, we kicked them into the basement a few times because they were being loud.  You don't get to be loud in the main area.)

Friday: we worked medium hard all day before they arrived, but it did also include a nap and making some food.  Isaac finished his deviled eggs (all by himself!) and I helped Joshua with his Pikachu cake.  Now, we had gone to the library to try and find some easy dinner ideas that he could make by himself that sounded good.  What we ended up with with an involved dessert.  Oh well.  It was very good and I expect we'll make it again.

Saturday: in the morning we went rock climbing.  Nathan and Liz also tried it out, while I still haven't made it off the ground.  I did get to belay some adults though, so it was nice to do that for the first time.  Liz was no problem, but I did feel the weight difference a little bit with Nathan.  I was floatier than normal.  Isaac worked on the challenge wall a lot.

After lunch we opened presents!  Yay!  We all got some good ones.

Kate came by for dinner...it was nice as we haven't seen her in a long time.  We did a New Year's countdown around 9 and sent the kids to bed.  They were out quickly.  (Actually, they were out quickly the night before too.  Maybe they had had enough time to see each other and burn off some energy.)  Isaac stayed up both nights to watch the new Top Gun movie with us.  I just though it was ok, although the plane scenes were good.  I don't know if Isaac understood all the minor plot points.

Sunday we went to church to watch Pat play the organ.  She did a lovely job.

In the afternoon the kids made a wood craft with Dad.

After the three youngest went to bed Ben and Isaac taught Nathan how to play Magic: The Gathering.  I read my book.  I just started a new one and it is hilarious and excellent.  (Beware the Chicken!  However, it is based on an Eastern genre, and if you haven't read at least a few of that type it might not be as good.  Still funny, but some items might not make as much sense.  Thousand Li was the series I read first to help out with some of the background knowledge.)

Then, as always, they left the next morning.  While it's nice to go back to normal and not run the dishwasher twice a day, it's also always very sad and quiet.  However, there are plans to see them during Spring Break!