An Update

No beds are made for the day, breakfast still sits on the table, my hair is up in a towel, and mountains of laundry await, but for now - Ransom naps and the boys are playing (somewhat) happily together, so I thought I'd catch up a bit over here.

We've had company with us this past week - the best kind of company - the kind that's family or "just like family" where you can be yourself and not worry about putting on any airs. The kind where you can just "be" together and enjoy each other. And the kind where you can burn many a meal because you're distracted (sorry, guys) and they will still compliment you on it, because they love you!

My little bro and his wife breezed through for a night at the beginning of the week. He is freshly home from Border Patrol training in Texas, and he will now courageously protect and defend our borders in Rangeley. Who knew there was even a border down there? Anyway, we Love Rangeley - it's where we spent part of our honeymoon, so we shall see them lots over the summer, hopefully. They have no kidlets yet, but didn't seem too overly taken aback by the loud, crazyness of our lives. In fact, I think they quite enjoyed themselves. I know for a fact my boys LOVED them. Kaden cried when they pulled out of the dooryard! Aaron is one of my dearest friends, and I am so thankful that he is back in Maine now.

And then, for the past four nights we have had some of our dearest friends that we made when we were in Pennsylvania stay with us with their two little girls. Her oldest is just 4 months older than Jesse - they are our PA "souvenires" - and her baby is just 5 days older than Ransom! It's been really fun walking through life together - doing very similar things like moving just days before giving birth etc. - even though we now live hours away from each other.

I always called Rachel my "sanity" while we lived out in PA. She was my kindred spirit out there when I was so sad about leaving home and family, we have the same loves and interests, she came and slept on my couch at 3:30 a.m. when I went into labor with Jesse - and made the day really fun for Kaden while I was in the hospital, and she went on many a walk with me during the early days when all Jesse did was scream. Our families always loved playing together, yard saling, and camping together. There were not too many other couples out there who found the same things to be fun that we did - LIKE camping in freezing weather etc.! She left a year before we did, and I was SO not impressed......

So, anyway, we haven't seen each other for about a year - we were both pregnant with our babes when she last made the drive. It was too short of a visit, and I fear we wore them out more than relaxed them, but it was lovely to have them here. We just did a whole lot of nothing really - wading in the stream, collecting bugs, frog's eggs and all sorts of "treasures" outside, antiqueing, playing outside as much as we could, having a fire at night, hunting for Easter eggs together with our kids, a trip to Campden, and a lot of catching up on each other's lives. Our kids played so well together and her little girl was just as psyched about catching frog's eggs and leeches as my boys were! I think Jesse may have a wee little crush - about five times a day each day that they were here he'd say: "Mommy, I love that girl!"

We were all kind of bummed to see them go. And we're trying our hardest to figure out a way to convince them to move to Maine.....

I love you, Rachey Rach. So thankful for your friendship......