A Nice Visit

Well my mother in law just left. It was a real nice visit with her and I am so glad that she was able to take us up on the offer of coming out here and her boss let her off. Mike really needed it! And it was so great for her to finally meet Kaeli and see Ethan after a very long year, oh how 1 year is so drastic for a preschooler. Patti and Mike were afraid Ethan would not remember her, but he loved on her and made her feel very special! He slept on the floor next to her the whole time she was here, and every time she talked to him about leaving he would say "what a bummer". He really wanted his nanny to stay!

We did not do a whole lot while she was here because she lived here many many years ago, so we just focused on spending great time together. We played Yahtzee, talked, took her to where they lived 26 years ago when Mike was a little one, and we were able to take her down and show her our property ... she even hiked down the mountain side with us, she was quite adventurous! Ethan told her that he wanted her to have a house right next to us when we build our farm on the property, it made her smile. He loves her so much! Kaeli was quite entertaining as well. She really enjoyed meeting her nanny for the first time and even fell asleep on her the first night she was here! Mike can't even get Kaeli to sleep .. it is always me that has to do it.

I love seeing Mike with his mom. He loves her so much and it breaks my heart that he does not get to see her more often! We really have to try and do something about that, because I cannot stand to see him hurt so much from not seeing her, and her seeing our kids grow up.

I have not always been that close with Patti, not for lack of interest or for dislike ... but I think just because of lack of time together. Usually when we see them I try to stand back a bit and let Mike have his time with her, but I was sick of feeling like I didn't know her very well. I have been with Mike for 9 years, I thought it was time to have an actual relationship with her ... and when she left today I felt like that was accomplished. She really is such a sweetheart with a huge heart and she wears it on her sleeve. She loves her family and her boys and now she has grandchildren that she is dying to know better, so we will work on that!

Enjoy the pictures!