Lots and Lots of Visitors!

Potty training has been a bit challenging. Ryan did great when I set a timer for every 20-30 minutes, but then I did it longer or just kept asking him if he needed to go. Sometimes he'd try and not go, but if I waited too long after that then he would go in his pants. I was so tired of cleaning up messes Jeff told me to just put diapers back on him and try again later. School would start soon so I didn't feel like I had much time, but I was tired of trying. However, once he put diapers on he would tell me when he had to go and didn't have one accident! It turns out Ryan can hold his bladder a really long time and I was just annoying him by asking him to go so often. And he has done great since!

We have had an influx of pictures. Lily LOVES to do art and this is a small sample of what she produces. I love it! I love seeing her busily work away and come up with her own drawings or creations. 

Watching the train go by. 

Kids having fun means lots of clean up later. 

This makes me tired looking at it. 

We have been so lucky to have lots of visitors! I felt bad not taking Lily to Virginia to see cousins when I went last, but then they all came out here, lucky us! Greg, Holly and family stayed the night and we got to enjoy spending time the next morning before they headed off to Utah. It was so fun to have some time to talk and catch up without a ton of other people around like it usually is when I see them.

Fun at the park.

Brigham, Caleb, Mark, Lily, Ryan, Max. Jacob was already in the car. 

The same day they left, Trevor, Heather, and family came on their way from Utah to Virginia. They were just going to leave the next morning, but their car had a problem and needed to get fixed. Even though I felt bad they had to get a later start on the road, I was so happy we got to visit longer! We took a walk to get Dunkin' Donuts and could have really used my double stroller. But the kids were troopers and made the long trek. Later, Trevor took Lily and his kids to a trampoline park while the boys napped. They played with the new race track for a long time, had tea parties, built train tracks, castles, towers, princesses, and had a great time.

Building castles with Emmett.

That car track entertained for hours. 

Having a tea party with Addi and Z. 

Z, Ryan, and Lily spent a long time making the perfect train track. 

Z and Lily in the foam pit. 

The day after they left, Jeff's cousin Stephen, Jenny, and their six kids came to stay. They are vegan and I was worried about what to feed them, but they gave me some recipes to try and the one I made was really good and very easy. They are really into The Child Whisperer and Doterra Oils so it was fun talking to them about different things. It's always nice hosting people because it gives you so much more time to talk to people.

The next day I drove with Stephen, Ryan, and Max to Westminster to drop the boys off while Stephen and I went to the temple for Nick and Lisa's endowment. Lily stayed rode back with Jenny. I always love going to the temple and don't go often enough, so it was wonderful to be in a session with lots of family!

On the way back from the temple Ron, Stephen and I picked Jeff up from his two weeks at Duke. He was tired, but had a wonderful time and is so excited about his program and the people he is doing it with. We feel very blessed for this opportunity.

The kids were all so excited to watch a movie together at Mama Baer's. 

Jeff, me, Jenny, and Stephen, such a fun reunion!

Wow, what a whirlwind two weeks this was, but I was extremely blessed this whole time and could not have done it without help from lots of prayer.