Visits with Friends

I have to share our visit with the Choates next. They arrived last Saturday afternoon, extending their Christmas trip to include us. I love that our families can keep in touch no matter how many miles separate us, but words cannot what a joy it was to visit with this precious friend face to face.

Fortunately for Joanna and me, our husbands and children enjoy each other as well! For two days our house was full of games…

sword fights…

piggyback and horsey rides…

(Katherine had been on my Olivia’s back, but she decided to get down. Benjamin carried everyone’s bags!)

(hmmm…I just realized that Angie seemed to be involved in every single ride! )

and just the general joy of togetherness.

Even Jack got in on the extra loving!

I’m sure you can tell how much he hated it!

There were many chuckles over the sleeping arrangements. Angela’s room is smaller than Steven’s (and Uncle Aaron & Aunt Joanna had Olivia’s room), so Steven and Benjamin got the girlie room.

And Sarah, the two Olivias, Angela, and Katherine filled up the boy room!

No one minded, though. A pretty easy-to-please bunch! (Oh, and these pictures remind me of the other activity that filled our time – sharing books.)

We originally thought they would have to leave after lunch on Sunday, but when all was said and done they got to stay until mid-morning on Monday. Oh how excited all eleven of us were! (I think Joanna and I might have squealed and jumped up and down more than the kids!) No one was ready to say goodbye. In fact, Steven and Angela shed more than a few tears over the empty house on Monday, and I could tell Olivia was a bit melancholy, too. Even Jack kept sniffing around as if looking for those extra loving hands. What an incredible blessing, though, to have a family of friends like these, even if the goodbyes are tough. I never would have imagined such a bond when we first met in seminary housing all those years ago. Nor would I have dreamed that my children would continue to love Sarah, Benjamin, Olivia, and Katherine even though they see them so rarely. That can only be a God accomplishment, and I am so thankful for it and for the times He allows us to be together!