Bitter~Sweet

 When we moved to Iowa about 2 years ago, we expected to be here in the middle of nowhere alone, that is without family near by.  Crazy, yet wonderful, our "lone" expectations only lasted a year.  About a year ago my sister (Alexis) and her family moved to Davenport Iowa , about 2 1/2 hours away, and Ted's brother (Brad) and his family moved to Burlington Iowa, about 2 1/2 hours away.  We have LOVED having our family closer and have loved getting to know their families more intimately. 
We have had visits and have gone visiting on free weekends and even not so free weekends (with family you just have to make the time).  The Holidays were a super special time, as all the families of Iowa (and 2 from Utah) came together for Thanksgiving Dinner: Jim~Nancy, Brand~Tonya Family, Ted~Allie Family, and Alexis~Paul Family.   And then for Christmas Break, we traveled to each families home to visit for a few days. 

Well, this weekend Brad~Tonya~Family stayed with us for the last time as they head west to Utah.  They have stayed with us a number of times through the past year... and I have loved it... { tears trickle with how much I loved having them stay at our home} ... I have loved the closeness and the chaos of it all. 
I had the opportunity to watch their kids for 5 days while they went "dental practice shopping", in which I grew spiritually, and in patience and ooh the love for their kids and my own.  To be trusted with someone's most important gift(s) is pretty amazing, I feel so grateful!

I know they are going to where they need to, but their family in Iowa will miss their presence... A LOT.

Brad, thanks for always trying to make my kids like you the best... you're such a fun uncle!
Tonya, thank you for your love, your confidence, and your hospitality.  You're such an awesome example of how a mother should be.
Branson, Lizzy, Abby, and new little Rockwell, what a joy you all are!

Jim and Nancy, thanks for being here to support Brad~Tonya on their move to Utah, you are such dedicated and loving parents.
We love you all and can't wait to see you when we visit Utah!

(Of all the times we have spent with them I have neglected my better judgment and NOT taken pictures.   So, I took some pics of their last stay here and unfortunately my camera decided to misbehave and take some good and some awful quality pictures... ohh well, what can you do...)

 

No matter if baby Rocko is happy or sad, Chloe ALWAYS loves to hold him.

Such an active and fun family

 

I'm sure I'll never live to see the day that a Butterfield of the male gender will EVER take a serious picture together...seriously, it'll never happen.

 

How Chloe and Porter adore Grandpa Jim and Grandma Nancy!

2 weeks of...FUN!

 What a trip!  The pics show much of what happened, so I'll just commentate as it goes...

 

Wiped Out!  The drive was long (only gas and potty breaks), but the kids did AWESOME! Ted did all the driving, bless his heart.

 

...And then the SNOW?  When I told Chloe is was snowing she yelled "YEA!, let's go play in it!".  With NO winter clothing packed the kids did with what we could find.  Chloe thought the plastic sandwich bags were fun to wear as sock water-proofers.

 

...and then...as Utah weather loves to do, the snow comes and the snow goes, only the snowman left (I love the lilacs in the background)

 

Fishing is such a huge part of Ted and thankfully he was able to do quite a bit of it (in my opinion, I'm sure not in his). Porter loved being with his daddy, he really seemed to understand that this was dad's break and that he needed to take every moment to be with him.

All sorts of fishing: Fly Fishing on the Green, Bate fishing on Utah Lake (twice) and Fly Fishing the Provo... pretty good!

 

I love Chloe's dedication to life and making sure she's a part of everything going on, and then Porter's willingness to touch the only fish caught that day, one cool kid.

  

I love all the fun things the Butterfields have introduced me to... bugs, spinner/bate fishing, more bugs, cinnamon rolls (probably the best of all ) and many many more things!

 

The best "fish-hooked" kid Ted could every catch.

Family...and Food...and Graduations!

(You better believe my Two oldest brothers in the back are talking politics)

(such cuties)

Happy Graduation Chris, you are AWESOME! (and HANDSOME if I might say so myself)

Of course park playing and running (me running...I don't usually go around in little shorts, I promise)!  

Cute Porter decided he was TOO BIG for his "porter-crib"(as Chloe calls it) and he slept on the floor/bed by Chloe for the whole two weeks.  It's amazing what an older sibling can make the younger one want to do, such a BIG Boy.

I was able to get together with some of my dear cousins (and forever friends) for an afternoon.  I just love them to pieces!  

(I wish I had more time to see more of my friends...time just flies within two weeks.)

Let the cleaning of the bricks begin...

 

Well that's not what the ballons are for, but in a way it's fitting to celebrate that my parents finally have a brick mailbox.  They've only had the bricks hiding in the corner of their yard for uhmmm.... yeah, 20 years, just waiting to be made into a mailbox.  Well lucky for them, I married a guy that thinks he can do anything...AND HE CAN ;)

The before (not really) mailbox. My dad had a nice post holding it, but it didn't make it to the picture.  

The mailbox was done in a 3 day period, work one day, play one day, finish the last day.  We forgot to take pictures of the first day, which is too bad, but we got sunburned on our ears and neck.  Plus on the "play day" Ted went fishing with his dad in the canoe and had an amazing time, however he fished in shorts...with NO sunscreen... yeah, his legs were FRIED!  In short, the canopy was a true life-savor for the finishing day of the mailbox. 

 

Our sweet little chillins' just played around and let us work for the most part, however, Grandma Lou was a BIG part of keeping an eye on them and keeping them fed and happy.

Thanks Grandma!

Master Mason Ted

Ta-Duh!

It's BEAUTIFUL!

 

My parents neighbors enjoyed watching the creation of the mailbox.  It was fun to have people frequently asking Ted if he "did this for a living"...or... "you want to do mine next" ... Ted would just laugh and somewhere in conversation explain that this was his second mailbox ever and that it's really not that hard... (so modest).

 

 

One of the neighbors that took particular interest in the mailbox invited us to take a swim in their pool to celebrate the mailboxes completion... which we did, ALL of us!  It was so fun to spend a couple hours with the whole Howard clan (well most of them, we missed you Johansen family and Trevor/Hillary).  Nothin' like family!

 

Thankfully, we got one last dinner with the Butterfields, in which all of Ted's current Utah residing sibling could come.  Family is WONDERFUL!  

Sweet Marie, we're SO excited for your baby girl to come!  We can't wait to meet her!!!

I'm just the luckiest person in the whole world to have TWO amazing families!

My husband, that I think loves me, but who can tell with a face like this...?

Yeah, he loves me... and I love him... A LOT!