Finally!!!

It's been a long time since I've written! So much has happened! Michael and I had an amazing time at the clergy cottage in Alexandria. It was like a Bed & Breakfast. My Aunt Renee came to visit. Jayme flew in for a day and then we went to Gallaudet in Washington DC together for the CIT conference. I saw Eric & Annette my last day there. We went to the new WWII memorial and Arlington to see the changing of the guard. Had a very exciting trip there that week! Wish I had time to share all of it. Then this weekend, Michael's Mom and Dad came to town to visit. It was Glen's 70th birthday and the whole weekend was like a long celebration. It was a great time. We had dinner with Lynn & Velma on Thursday night. It's becoming a ritual for us - every time they come to town we end up at Lynn & Velma's for an amazing dinner the first night, breakfast at our house on Saturday, and then to Maynard's for Walleye that last night!

Friday night we went to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre for dinner and a play. Mazen was tired and getting too cranky for the play and I didn't want her crying to upset it for anyone else so we went home after eating just as the play started. Michael stayed to celebrate with his Dad.

Then Saturday morning I cooked breakfast for all of us. It was so much fun. I made ham, eggs and of course crepes, the only pancakes I've ever known in my family, with strawberries and whipped cream. They were really good. Then Glen, Betty, Lynn & Velma went off to the big Yankees/Twins game. Glen was dressed in his new Twins t-shirt and matching twins baseball hat. Betty had on her pretty red shirt with a homer hanky around her neck. They looked so spiffy!

I got Mazen asleep and ran over to the Deaf Aware Fair (talking to Jaymie via VRI all the way there! I miss her so much! I'm glad we can chat through an interpreter now! Much better!) and came home in time to get ready for some friends to come over for dinner. We had a great time with Ryan and Sarah along with Abigail (5), Caleb (3) , and Jairus (8 months). Jairus is Mazen's playmate. He's a month ahead of her and she has a hard time keeping up with him! They have fun.

Sunday morning we all went to church. Michael's parents and friends went home to watch the Vikings game and Michael and I decided to drive around looking at the Fall foliage. The trees are at peak and it was 70 degrees out! It was gorgeous!!! The leaves will be gone by next weekend. So we drove over to Stillwater and it was so beautiful on the St. Croix river over there. We took some pictures. It was so much fun. Mazen got a 2 1/2 hour nap in the car!

Then we went home, changed clothes, stopped to take a few pumpkin pictures of Mazen and the family at a pumpkin patch and went over to Maynard's.

When the weekend was over Sunday night I told Michael that his parents sure know how to party! They do more in a weekend than most of the college students we know! As I was praying for them this morning I thought about all the great times we've had here in Minneapolis together. What a blessing to be close to family! What a blessing that they have such good friends here. It can be hard to find couple friends to hang out with and here they have people they have known practically their whole lives. We always have so much fun with the four of them. They laugh and enjoy life so much. I thanked God for my family today. And I even feel like I got an extra set of in-laws when I married Michael that I never planned on - Lynn & Velma! :)

I told Michael how much his family has been a blessing to me from the beginning. I wanted to say things at my wedding about them, but I lost all sense of things by the time I could say something and the words had left me. Partly due to exhaustion - you know how weddings are. But I remember being so amazed that Michael had come from a "normal" family. They really are normal. I guess some people might misinterpret that as something critical, but I mean it as the biggest of compliments. There are so few families out there that are normal. I've told my mother-in-law that once and she laughed. I think she thought I was crazy and I guess no one ever thinks their own family is normal. (Except Michael - he says he has a normal family and a normal childhood - doesn't that sound wonderful?!)

They really are amazing people. I am so blessed to have amazing in-laws. I think what touches my heart the most is how much they love Mazen. After all the grandkids they have, they are still just as thrilled by her. She loves them so much too. She sat on their laps at church and talked to them and played and was content. That doesn't happen very often. Grandma is always bringing her a gift of something new along with something of the first Mazen for her. This last time she brough these beautiful figurines Mazen One made a long time ago. They were just precious. I can't wait to find a safe place to display them. Mazen Two will cherish them always. I can't wait until she is old enough to understand her name and the family roots and connections she has.

I have got to get off this thing now. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. Life has been insanely busy this weekend. I'm still trying to catch up at work too. Eeek! Not enough hours at work to work or at home to get more work done. But my family needs me and they are my priority, so if it can't be done at work, it will just have to wait, I guess. Easier said than done!

Hope to hear from some of you who read this. I know you've been waiting to hear what's up. Hey Kristy B. if you read this I have been thinking of you a lot today and yesterday evening. Send me an email or call and let me know how you are doing. You are on my mind and in my prayers. :)