Day 46

We are having such a great time; I do not want it to end!

We got up this morning and had our typical chaotic breakfasts.  It was awesome.  I only had time for a big cup of coffee, because we had places to go!

We loaded up the diaper bags, snacks, strollers and my GPS and drove to the Bronx.  I was so excited to introduce my family to the Bronx Zoo!  I got us there without making even one wrong turn!  Unfortunately, once we were there, we realized that it was "free day" at the zoo.  Every single church group, daycare group, and senior group was there. 

We decided to take a ride on a monorail and see "Africa."  It was all fun and games at first...until the train in front of us broke down, which put every train on halt.  There we were, up in the air, with no air flow.  The kids were hungry.  We were dripping in sweat.  It was awful!  A lady kept getting on the intercom and reassuring us that they were doing everything they could to get the train up and running.  Seriously, we were all about in tears at this point!
Finally, we hear her voice again, "Folks, thanks for your patience.  We will be leaving in five minutes!"

We really didn't explore much more of the zoo!  We were so hot, hungry and exhausted after that ordeal, that we decided to leave and find something else to do!

The babies both fell asleep in the van on the way home.  We put them in their beds, fed the big boys, and then they ran off and played.  Then, the fun began...

My mom, sisters, daughter and I were out on the deck.  We were eating and having a great time.  We were talking "girl talk" and laughing so hard that it hurt. 
I knew, before they even arrived, that we would have some of our most enjoyable moments right here, at home, just simply spending quality time together.  That has proven to be true.

I took one of my sisters and her daughter down to the pond to feed the momma duck and her ducklings.  They are getting so big!  At this point, it is difficult to distinguish between the momma and her babies!  It must be all that bread we feed them!

Then, I went into the pool area with my son and nephew.  My nephew arrived here and was a little leery of the water.  He wore a life jacket and wasn't thrilled to go under the water.  We have all spent a lot of time in the pool.  My son and I were convincing him to jump in and go all the way under the water.  It wasn't long, and he was going under.  Soon after, he was swimming under the water without his life jacket, and finally, he was letting me throw him in the water and he would pop up and swim to the side! 
We were cheering and so proud of him!

My husband and brother-in-law went to play golf with my husband's boss and another friend from work.  So, I took everyone downtown in our village.  We parked and walked to all the different shops, cafes, pizzerias, toy stores, and ice cream shops.  We ended up at Cold Stone Creamery and then Dunkin' Donuts to get breakfast for tomorrow morning.
I have really enjoyed showing them not only my home, but the entire area in which my family and I reside. 

Tonight, we put all the kids to bed.  We were all in the kitchen and dining room.  Of course, we were snacking and laughing about everything there possibly is to laugh about.  The house is a mess, the kids are in bed, and we were just having a ball. 

I asked them if there was any way that we could just all move in together.  We decided it would be just perfect if we built one large home, and each family would have their own "wing."  There would be a "central" space, which would be a huge kitchen. 
What a dream!  There's nothing wrong with dreams...

My son and his best friend, his little cousin, have been counting each day they are here.  They don't want the visit to end.  My nephew said, "I never want to leave this place."  Wow...I love that he feels that way about our new home, but it also breaks my heart.  What I would give if we all lived near each other again. 

I've mentioned this before, but this is the fourth night they have been here with us. That means there are only three more to go.  It makes my stomach hurt to even think about this visit ending.  Having my extended family here with us makes me feel like all is well with the world.  Obviously, I know that is far from true, but it has certainly felt like that during their visit.

I keep reminding myself, "Live in the present, Heather.  Savor every second.  Cherish every minute.  Don't worry about them leaving.  That is the future, and you don't focus on the future!"
I'm reminding myself of that, but I don't always listen to my own advice.

Tomorrow, we are taking the train into NYC.  We'll spend the entire day there and late into the evening.  None of my family have been there, and I am looking so forward to witnessing their reactions to all of it.

My family is here!  Life is good.