Happy Monday!  Don't hate on Monday!  Monday was nice to you and let you wake up alive so be nice to it:)

Another great weekend spent with lots of friends and family!  It was nice to spend the weekend at home rather than in our hotel room.  We were welcomed home Friday evening by a feast from my Mom.  She made my favorite home-made roast beef and noodles, home-made mashed potatoes, home-made bread and home-made cookies!  She invited Grandma Deb and Grandpa Bob too.  Always great to see my family.  We sipped on a pot of coffee, a bottle of wine and just talked talked talked!  Thanks, Mom!

I am having a hard time getting caught up on my household chores this week!  Did pretty well plowing through mounds of laundry Saturday afternoon but  still didn't finish.  We went to Josh's Uncle Brett's lawn party and listened to live music, ate good food and spent time with family!  Joshua had to cover his ears for the first half hour or so because the bands were loud!  He got used to it after a while!  The kids again were so good considering we were there until midnight!  They fell asleep on our way home and Josh and I made several trips back and forth from the car to the house carrying in kids and all our loot.

Sunday came quickly and we found ourselves at The 3rd Annual Swihart Reunion with a dish to share. Everyone but my brother was there (no surprise)!  It was great to catch up with everyone-including Dad!  I like to see him with his brothers.  SO many times we all get too busy and families grow apart.  You stop and think about it and you grow up so closely with your siblings and then one day you are only seeing them once a year:/  I hope my kids continue to have a close relationship.  Life is waaaayyyy too short to not see your family!  I don't see my Dad and brother as I often as I would like:(  I need to work on this.  Maybe this week I will arrange to see both of them.

Was blessed with lots of visitors Sunday evening and this is exactly how I wish everyday could be!

Was blessed to watch Josh change the oil and allow the kids to help.  I am thankful to have found a patient man.  He wasn't worried about the kids messing up his fancy tools or spilling something or being in his way-he was worried more about his kids growing up and no one ever taking the time to teach them how to change the oil.  This is the stop and smell the roses moment.  The kids will take this with them forever!  And in this moment I was thankful for cameras.

God is patient with us day in and day out so we too must be patient with the little ones.  Lord, please give me patience today as Emma, Ella and Joshua's Mom.