A visit from family

My mom, dad, brother Shaun and nephew Nathan came out for an orthodontic convention on the island of Hawaii. They stopped over at our place afterward. We headed for the beach where Nate took Nathan out surfing, enjoyed some shave ice, and played games. They all got to see whales on a whale watching trip. The excitement of the week was way too much for me and I chose to stay home and crash. It was so great to have my dad and Shaun and Nathan out here. And we are so grateful for all the fix-up jobs Dad and Shaun did around the house. Thank you!!


A Tribute to my Mom

My mom stayed another week after everyone else. She was a lifesaver. She was like Cinderella--taking care of everything around the house (I just hope I wasn't like a wicked step-sister ;)) In the morning she would say, "Today I'm your servant. What do you want to get done?" She spent the day washing dishes, playing with the kids, showering them with gifts, caring for Elysse, doing the laundry, and cleaning the house. Then she would care for Elysse during the night. And this is her 5th "baby run" in the last 4 1/2 months! I thought she would arrive exhausted and shutter every time she heard a baby cry.
Funny thing is, when she arrived home, she said she felt like she didn't do anything!! I wonder what else she could have done to feel like she did do something!! Anyway, I am really really appreciative because it gave me the much-needed time to relax and heal.

We moved 2 weeks after Kezia was born. Ivy was born during a very stressful remodeling and sale of our first investment condo, and I feel like the rush of activity shortly after both births had an adverse affect, so I am so grateful to take such advantage of her help.

THANK YOU, MOM!!!

Super-Grandma

Getting Beautified by Grandma

Like with each baby, trepidation began to sink in a few days before she left (Can I do all this by myself? Am I going to go crazy?!? Will the piles of laundry grow to such heights that we won't be able to find the front door? How can I handle going anywhere with three children?) Well, it's been a week now, and although it hasn't been easy, I have survived (and so have my children) and my energy level continues to increase.