Visiting Grandpa Clarke and Gma Margaret

 Joel has been working a lot lately.  We had asked for time off for a day before or after a weekend so we could all go up to Aurora to visit Grandpa Clarke and Gma Margaret.  They said yes and then changed their mind and he ended up working overtime that whole weekend.  I was stressed and needed a break and I really wanted Grandpa to look at my serger because the other store couldn't seem to fix it. 

So we left Joel at home and the girls and I went up.  The girls had a blast.  They were excited yet timid to give hugs.

The first thing Emi did was run to where Grandpa keeps his chocolate raisins and dehydrated apricots.  Then the both ran to the player piano and asked us to play the music.  Then they ran out the door and said, "We want to play in the shop!"   They love the kitchen and sliding down the banister.  I told Margaret the whole reason for the bannister being so smooth is from all the backsides going down it!  Hailey loved it and Emi eventually warmed up to it. 

I love that the shop isn't far and Hailey has developed the confidence to open the door and run over there herself.  If I can't hear Hailey or find her in the house, she's probably in the shop.

I had called Kelly Strand a couple days before and told her that she should come down and visit.  Even though she was busy and had many long late nights with the new boyfriend, she still came down.  It was a lot of fun just hanging out, playing and talking way into the night.  Kelly came down Saturday and left Sunday evening.

Dana and Lucy came down Monday mid morning and stayed for a couple hours.  It was a full weekend.

I worked with Margaret and we finalized a spelling of Brystol's name so we could embroider it on her blanket. 

The surprise came Monday morning.  Joel and I had been pretty stressed. He sent me a message Monday morning saying to call.  When I did it was strange because it was 730 and he should have been at work.  He called and said that when he woke up he had the impression that he needed to be up in Utah with us.  He ignored the thought and proceeded to go to work.  Once he got to work, the impression was even stronger.  You need to go to Utah and be with your wife and girls.

He was early to work as usual, so he told his main boss and called the others to say that he wasn't going to be able to stay but he had to leave for Utah.  It could have jeopardized his job, but he didn't care.  The impression was strong and his family was more important.  He drove home and grabbed food and clothes, forgot a change of underwear or toiletries... and left.

It was nice to have him up there.  It helped calm the tensions that had been growing.  There's always something about Grandpa's house that is calming and restoring.  We left Tuesday around lunch time and headed home.  One of the things Dana loves about Aurora is Ideal Dairy's ice cream.  Emi was toast and asleep before 5 minutes in the car had passed.  So we all stopped and got gas, then grabbed ice cream for the drive home.  Hailey loved it. 

Emi had a meltdown when she thought Kelly was leaving her without giving her a hug and a kiss first.

We were getting ready to go when we realized the stash of Golden Books on the shelf.  I read Hailey one and then asked Grandpa if he would read her one while I finished packing the car.  4-5 books later... :)  She loved it. 

This is how we keep the sun out of Emi's eyes while she naps. :)

This is how Hailey keeps the sun out of her eyes and still colors.