Family vacation!! part 1

After 4 months of waiting and 2 canceled/postponed flights my family FINALLY made it down to see us!!  We couldn't believe they made it.  Back in March they had scheduled a flight to come and see us.  The week before they were to fly here, my aunt went in the hospital, had surgery and a 3 week hospital stay!  So, they rescheduled for May and the week before they were supposed to fly down here, my precious grandma got sick, went in the hospital and after 2 days, left this earth to meet her beloved Savior.
So, we rescheduled their flights again..... and the morning they were leaving, my sister called me from the airport to tell me that their flight was cancelled due to weather in Chicago.  WHAT?!?!?   No way!!!  I thought she was joking. Were they ever going to make it???  Praise the Lord, they left only 30 minutes later on another flight and finally made it to Arkansas! 
I haven't seen my family since last November when we traveled up to MN for Thanksgiving. That time we brought the flu with us (unknowingly) and passed it around to everyone except my dad!!  Oh my, what a week that was.  Every day someone got sick and the last few days we were there, we started dropping like flies- 2 to 3 at a time!!  Oh joy. 
So my sister and I joked that until we saw the whites of each other's eyes, we weren't going to believe that we were going to see each other.  And it finally happened!!
Here is our week together in a nutshell.  Oh, what a fun, memorable and absolutely wonderful time it was.  Thank You, Lord!!

This is the moment we saw them sitting in the airport

for the first time!  (That's why I look so "scary") 

I was so excited and couldn't believe they were actually here!!

After we got to our house and got settled a bit,

we all went out to the back porch and talked

while the girls played in the pool.

It was so fun to see the little cousins play

together.  They are 3 months apart (almost

to the day!)

love this girl!!

Evie's nickname was "the tornado".  This girl couldn't sit still

for a minute!  And she really got into splashing in the pool.

She kept calling it "bath bath"!

I don't think H ever saw a girl run around so much.

She spent much of the time looking just like this...

thumb in mouth and just staring at Evie.

If she wasn't splashing wildly or running around

the pool, she was filling the big orange tub with water.

Mom and dad "enjoying" the heat!  :)

Leo found a friend in Joyce.  :)

The day after they flew in, dad, Sara and I

drove to Arkadelphia to pick up

V from camp. 

One of the classes she took was a black light music

class.  It was so awesome to see them demonstrate

what they learned during the program.

Sara snapped these pics of H while we

were picking up V from camp. Love them!

Evie sure loves her cousin V!

Here is H again just watching E run around!

Quick!!  Grab the camera. 

Evie is sitting down.  :)

H needs to take a break from watching E. 
It's hard work!!

Almost every night they took a bath in the big tub.

This night they found the big expensive bottle of California Baby

bubble bath and dumped the whole thing in!!!

They loved sitting on grandpa's lap

to either play or listen to him read stories.

We spent a lot of time outside on the porch.

The girls either played or went in the pool.

H loves to squirt anyone and everything!  So her

and grandpa had a squirt bottle fight.  :)

Snack time!!

Joyce and V loved to play games together.

We had a few issues with sharing.  Notice how the

lunch box is on the opposite side of E!  H is trying

to keep it from her.  She is like her mother (not a good

thing)...  DON'T mess with our food!  :)

E loved little Leo.  She would give him kiss after kiss.

Hanging out with Auntie Sara and grandma.  Awwww.

Too cute!!!

Joyce getting a little relaxation time in the pool!  :)

One of H's favorite things is reading books with someone.

Grandma and grandpa loved doing that with her!!

Grandpa made some special time with V. 

I know she will remember that for a long time!!

They had a huge water gun fight too!

Friday morning Joyce and Sara went with me

to pick up V from swim practice.

Saturday we all went to V's swim meet.  It was so fun

to have everyone there to watch her swim!!

Remember the not wanting to share??

H didn't want to share her chair either!

Chad flew in from MN late friday night so he needed

to catch up on his sleep while we waited for V to swim.

Look at her go!!  Sooo proud of my baby girl!

Saturday night mom, Sara, the girls, Leo and I

went out for a walk.  It was so fun taking the

girls on a wagon ride!

Well, that was the end of the first half of our vacation together.

Stay tuned for part 2!  :)