Grandma and Lizzie visit!

I have always thought that anyone who pays us a visit during the heat of the summer is as good as gold.

We already knew that about Debby and Lizzie, but they proved it once again by coming to visit for a week toward the end of June.  As expected, it was delightful!  I am so blessed to have a mother- and sister-in-law whose company I honestly enjoy.  And of course it's easy to see a Gram and an Auntie love on and spoil our boy...  This was Lizzie's first trip to Phoenix since we moved here, so we especially cherished having the time with her. 

They drove from western OK, which put them at our house long after Nolan had crashed for the night. The next morning, he was so happy to wake up to this surprise!

We were glad that Debby agreed to bring her two dogs, Maggie and Paisley.  They are super well behaved (much better than ours....), and we have brought our dogs to her in the past.  Maggie is getting older, and it worked out well that they didn't have to be left alone for a whole week.  Stupid Khaki chomped poor old Mag on the nose right away the first night, but that was the only skirmish.  We're making progress.............  (ugh.)

This photo about sums up a lot of our week...  Playtime with Grandma -- and all 4 dogs looking on!

Anyone need a dog walker???  This photo cracks me up!

What a sweet aunt!

It was great to have some lazy mornings.... and Grandma's biscuits and gravy.  Yum

Debby, you sure have a lot of reasons to be proud!

I think these are such a lovely photos of you, Gram!  :)

*****

Debby brought these bubbles along, which were a HIT because of their spill-proof cap.  I can't tell you how many bottles of bubbles have met their demise at the hand of Nolan this summer.

Then it was swim time (which is all the time around here) -

Sweet and fun Buddies.

(I think this was right before Nolan pooped in the pool...)

Big swimming calls for a big lunch of BBQ ribs.  Nolan knew just what to do with these!!

 

If you haven't gathered from some of these photos, we are in a stage of major book enjoyment -- I love it!  It means lots of lap time and snuggles.... which Grandma also took full advantage of.

One afternoon, Mikel took his mom and sister to see an IMAX movie -- a fun treat not readily available in Sayre.  I stayed behind with the baby and the menagerie... and this little deaf dog Paisley about drove me up the wall.  She bawls like a little baby if Debby leaves her sight... And do you know how loudly a deaf dog can cry??  Let me tell you: LOUDLY.  She just stood in the middle of the most empty room in the house and wailed like a newborn, unaware that her cries were bouncing off the walls and echoing off the floors.  She wanted nothing to do with me.

In the middle of Paisley's sob fest, we had our exterminator show.  He knocked on the door which sent all of the other canines into wild disarray.  At this moment, I'm holding Nolan (who is crying due to the barking) and Paisley (who is crying because Debby left) while also yelling at Scarlett to be quiet and holding Khaki back with my foot.  I opened the door to the exterminator -- and Maggie trotted right on out ---- down the steps --- and across the street before I could free up a hand/limb to stop her!

Me: "MAGGIE!  MAGGIE!" 

Everyone else: BARK BARK CRY CRY WHINE BARK BARK

The Exterminator: "Is she okay to be over there?"

Me: "Not really...  (BARK BARK BARK CRY CRY)  These aren't all my dogs they're my mother-in-inlaw's well two of them are the skinny ones are mine but not her MAGGIEEEE!! her name is Maggie, the dog not my mother-in-law."

The Ext: "Will she come back?"

Me: "I don't know...  I think so.  MAGGIEEEEE!  she's from the country so is my mother-in-law."

The Ext -- finally observing my state: "Do you want me to go get her?"

Me: "Would you??"

He set down his clip board and chased after her.  The Ext: "MAGGIIIIEEEE!"

And Maggie came trotting right home.

And that's the story of that.

*****

Another fun morning was spent at the Children's Museum of Phoenix with Debby and Lizzie!  I bought a membership there for Nolan and me this summer, which has been lifesaving.

Taking Lizzie through the Noodle Forest (or the Lose Your Kid Forever Death Trap, as I like to call it),

then showing Gma how to turn the crank and make the owls fly!

Grandma is a much more fun Museum play friend than Mom is.  She even climbs the structures and holds Nolan up so he can do the big kid events.  

Tea party!

Best photo of the trip, right here:

Any time we go to the Children's Museum, Nolan needs a big nap afterwards.  It's a lot of activity!  This time, he had his usual wake-up crew of Khaki of Scarlett PLUS Paisley.  (I think Nolan was more amused than Paisley.)

No idea why this is in the middle of this trip's photos, but there you go.

There two additional favorite activities around here lately: 

1) Playing with cars, trucks, trains or anything that "goes".  

2) Digging in the pantry for chips ("diphths").

 

Sweet old lady MagPie

On their last night visiting, we snagged a few family photos!

Lovely ladies!

*****

It feels like most visits just don't last long enough.  I'm back-logging this after several weeks have passed, and I'm wishing you guys would come back!  Thank you for making the looooong drive to see us.  We love you and miss you!!

(This was Nolan's response the next morning when he woke up to no Aunt Lizzie or Grandma anywhere to be found..........  Let the detox begin.)  ;)