Happy 2015!

We had the best start to our new year.

It started with a visit from the Pearsons.

I knew that because line-up Brinlee put  dolls on my stairs,

 

lined-up dolls in the bedroom,

who came back for a repeat line-up.

There were game tiles lined up on my living room table

 

and stickers neatly stuck in a line around the table edge. Oops. That may be a problem.....

 

 

Yep, no one puts the "stumble" in "I stumbled down to breakfast"

 

 

quite like this sweet thing.

 

Brinlee's also a pro at shutting bathroom doors, making you think they're in use. Don't worry, she provides you with a key.

I may have a little clean-up after all these extra little-people hands in the house.

 

We got to have Christmas all over again when the Pearsons arrived.

Nora pretends to love her new gift,

but I know she's actually just as happy banging a pot lid on the floor.

 

 

Don't let Nora's blasé expression fool, you-

Brinlee is endlessly entertaining.

Just when we thought we were having all the fun a person should be allowed, Megan made an unexpected and spontaneous visit. She left poor David home to study.

Of course we went bowling again--dang! These balls are heavy!!

Grandpa helping Hailey with the positioning.

Ashley's either bowling or posing for a Grecian statue.

Makayla had some pretty good games.

Here's my favorite part

although I did toss and ball or two, just to prove to Amy I've still got it.

Sadly, McKay had to go back to school. 

Don't tell, but we managed to continue having fun without him.

There were lots of spontaneous art projects.

My favorite artists covered the windows with snowflakes (because, you know, after our 18" snowstorm we just didn't have enough snow to look at outside)

These three found, pulled-out, and colored things I haven't seen in years.

The markers got a good workout. Man o man, do I have a lot of markers.

We even pulled out the paints one day when Hailey had a friend over.



Makayla got rid of her winter pallor but painting her face instead of the paper. Oh, Makayla! 

The puzzles Makayla used to love when she was just a little girl got dusted off 

and put together in every corner of the house. Several times. Brinlee is a puzzle whiz.

 

Cute little Nora, helping make laundry day more fun.

Nora is standing with ease. It just doesn't seem fair that she'll be walking next time I see her.

 

While Megan was home, she went through several boxes of childhood she left behind. I don't think I appreciated how in love she was with Usher, even before we ran into him in New York. Let's just say some of Megan's notebooks will need to be burned and leave it at that.

Megan is taking a class this semester, and she, too, needed to leave us. Seriously? In this weather??? Argh!!!!!!

We had to call Stan home from work to pull her out of the snow with his truck.

Yeah, the thought of my baby driving home in this weather subtracted 40 years from my life. Thanks, Pookie! I didn't want to live to be 130 anyway.

Cute little sisters.

We managed to work in a few fine dining experiences:

Chuck E. Cheese, home to that epic pizza,

 

and Hu Hut for Ashley's 25th birthday. I can't tell you how fun it is to be able to celebrate Ashley's birthday with her again.

For birthday cake, we stopped by Cherry Berry frozen yogurt. Just keeping it healthy, guys.

 

Brinlee was pretty excited to have this magical box. She doesn't have one at home.

Poor thing had a horrible ear infection most of the time she was with us. She's got tubes, but her ears were draining buckets and buckets of goop.

 

Alas, the day came that even the Pearsons packed it up and went home. When I came home from dropping them off at the airport, I came into this bedroom.

 

Sniff.

I'm feeling a little lonely if someone needs to come visit us.