in the name of sunshine and family time

this past weekend, in the interest of staying on the good side of our host and hostess (i.e. leave them plenty of room without us breathing down their necks all hours of the day) while we lay waiting for news on the security front, joey and i trekked back to sioux falls and enjoyed time with more family for a few days. we arrived late friday night to a welcomed span of excess living space, air conditioning, and free access to washer/drier facilities - of which my mom and her husband have plenty, and our current living arrangements lack just slightly (okay, lack a lot, but we're still so lucky to have a place to stay in st. paul until we move!). if i have not yet mentioned how grateful we are to family willing to offer up their homes and endless patience, let it be known here and now that we are blessed - straight blessed - to have the family that we have.

speaking of family, we got to spend time with these chunks of sweetness on saturday.

my mom has a great little (but really i mean large) backyard with a swimming pool many would drool over (and i do). my brother and his three kids came over to enjoy and hang out with us for the day. i can't tell you how much it breaks my heart that this is one of the last times i'll get to hang out with these guys before we move. shattered hearts. lots of crocodile tears to be shed. but alas, there are pictures to cheer me up.

i can't get enough of them. i wish so desperately that i got to see them more than once every month or so. we live three hours from each other now, but it will soon be closer to 18. yet, for my sake, i will declare once more that this move we're about to embark upon will be epic and soothing to our adventure-seeking souls. we will love our new home and bring our new baby into a life that is broad and rich with culture, adventure, and healthy amounts of change. it will be good for us all, our little family of three... it will. it will...