I went to Utah for Thanksgiving to visit my sister and her family. It is important to note that I have been campaigning for the "favorite Aunt" title since Margaret was born almost 8 years ago. This tactic used to be easier when I lived in Colorado. I was an easy one hour flight, or 8 hour drive away & I found myself in Utah almost every two months. But now that I'm living in Virginia I have to put in alot more effort. The flight is almost 4 hours, and I would NEVER drive. I am only averaging two trips a year. Even though my time is limited - I still get a pretty good reception. I love spending time with the munchkins and I often wish I lived closer to them.
Stephen is the newest bundle of joy. He is already a year old and he is so fun! I only had two previous meetings with him, so I was worried that he would be shy. But my fears were unfounded. We had so much fun together. He is at the mimicking stage. I was so tired the third day of the trip and he was staring at me when I happened to yawn, (I may have forgotten - been too lazy - to cover my mouth) from that point on it was our new inside joke. He would open his mouth to the point of shaking - and then laugh, laugh, laugh. He loves to try and do everything the older kids are doing & he also loves to wave at himself in the mirror.
Seth is almost four and he is growing up soooo fast. We had an outing together and he is so cute and convincing that he suckered me in without much of a fight. We ended up at the grocery store - where he talked me into using the "car" cart. I wanted to buy him a gift - so he settled on a puzzle box. We also decided together that we needed some sugared cereal and some pretzels.
Margaret - Well it is crazy to me that she is almost eight. The two of us went out one evening. We started at the craft store - where I offered to buy her whatever craft project she wanted. We walked around the store at least 4 to 5 times. Sometimes it is hard to make a decision. We talked about what she would like and came up with the brilliant idea of her own "chapter" book. They didn't have what she wanted at the craft store - so we ended up at another store where we bought a journal. The lined pages & fancy cover equaled the perfect start to her masterpiece. One last stop at an office supply store to buy an erasable pen because, and I quote Margaret, "I would really like one. I know they exist. A girl at school has one."
Margaret, Seth & I also went to see a movie. It was a good adventure. We all sat still, watched the movie and made it back to the house without injury. Although later, when asked, Seth said it was a little scary.
I love my sister - she is one of my very best friends, and to top it off she has three amazing kids (and a pretty cool husband). Thanks for everything Amy!
