Great Day!

Aside from my trip to the hardware store today, it seemed like a perfectly normal day. The only time I was reminded of the pandemic was at the hardware store given all the new rules for shopping. I feel badly for employees who have to wear masks for hours on end. I couldn't wait to rip mine off the minute I exited the store. It has been music to my ears to hear the sounds of kids laughing today. The three girls had a great time together. We picked Evanna up at her house around 1:30 yesterday, and Abby's mom dropped Abby off at our house around 2pm yesterday. I'm driving them home around 8:00 tonight. They have really enjoyed spending about 30 hours together. They slept from about 1:30-8:30am. Yesterday it actually got up into the 80's. Today it was in the low 70's, which is perfect in my opinion! Today I mowed the lawn, weed whacked, stained the front door, mulched the flower beds, and put down some top soil, grass seed, and straw on the two stripes in the lawn that Paul accidently created when he drove his Dad's truck in our lawn. The truck was stuck and had to be pulled out by another vehicle a year ago. The five kids have played a little inside, but they spent most of the day outside - riding bikes, jumping on the trampoline while being sprayed by a garden hose, using the spinning seesaw, playing with bags of water, on the swing, using scooters, etc. Oliver and Ian played with boys in the neighborhood - most of the time with Camden who is nine years old. Oliver and Ian threw some water balloons at Camden's house with Camden and his two older brothers. Ian and Oliver also went swimming in their pool today! I'm very thankful for a day that felt almost completely normal. Tomorrow won't feel normal because we can't go to church, but I'm very grateful that after two months of isolation, at least the kids are playing with other kids. Since the community pools won't be opening and the kids can't swim at camp, I am also very, very grateful that Camden's family had an inground pool installed in their backyard last summer! Earlier Camden had said that because of the coronavirus only their family would be swimming in the pool this summer, but thankfully they have started letting some other kids join them. Staying at home all (or most of the) summer will be far more bearable if the kids can play and swim with kids in the neighborhood. 

I took the picture at the top of the post. The girls have been wearing some of Nadia's dresses yesterday and today. The bottom two pictures were from Evanna's or Abby's cell phone. Evanna has two gerbils. The girls have enjoyed Nadia's guinea pigs. I gave the kids a choice between taco salad or French toast for dinner tonight. They picked French toast. I made scrambled eggs, sausage, and French toast with strawberries and blueberries on top. I haven't had French toast with fresh fruit on top in a long time, and it's something I really enjoy. Evanna and Abby are on the same Bible Bowl team with Nadia. They're both in seventh grade at Meadowbrook Christian School. Ava, who is the other member of their team, wasn't able to come. Ava, Evanna, and Abby are all the youngest in their families. Abby is the youngest of six children, and Evanna is the youngest of seven children. Abby is an aunt of two, and Evanna already has thirteen nieces and nephews! Ava has two brothers like Nadia does, but her brothers are in high school. I'm grateful they were able to spend some time at our house this weekend! It's nice to have people over and act normal - meaning no wearing masks or following any other "social distancing" protocol. I didn't go for a walk today, but between mowing and lugging around 40 pound bags of top soil and bags of mulch, I feel like I got plenty of exercise!