Visitors

Despite the fact that I have threatened all potential visitors with the likelihood of sleeping in our second hand wardrobe, we have still had some brave souls who were willing to traverse the distance. We are so glad; there truly are few things that bring the joy of seeing old friends.
In November we were lucky to have Jana come and spend Thanksgiving with us. (Along with Benji's grandma.) We spent our evenings watching the BBC production of Sense and Sensibility and our days cooking and eating and shopping. Need I say more?

At the beginning of January, the Trauntvein family came to stay. This time we actually gave them the grand tour of Boone (it was too cold when Jana was here), and showed Nate & Lori all the sights our little town has to offer. We tried to make it look as great as possible so they might be willing to relocate here in a few years. (No pressure.) We played and ate and visited. Maggie still talks about Miss Olivia all the time.

The day before my birthday the Andersons (Christian and Michelle) came to visit. These guys are troopers. They really may have been afraid that I was going to make them sleep in our closet, because they made the drive here and back (three hours each way), in one day. Again, we had a great time, picking up exactly where we left off. While the kids played, we talked, and talked and ate and talked and then we talked some more. I think Benji and Christian snuck off for a bit to see the university, but I can't be sure because Michelle and I were having such a good time talking. (Shocking, I know.) We had a little pre-birthday celebration and a lovely dinner together. We had such a great time that I didn't even think about snapping a photo. (I think Christian may have taken a few. He and Benji were not talking nearly as much as Michelle and I. Yet another surprise.) I guess that means we will have to get together again soon, so that I can get a picture of us all together.


I write of these visits because they have been such bright experiences for me. Sometimes moving can be kind of lonely and starting over can seem like a really daunting task. It is great to see friends and remember that we were all 'new' friends once too, and not really that long ago. This gives me hope that while it is such a beautiful thing to see those that we love and hold so dear, there are new friendships to be made. I hope.