When I have

A day off (self imposed because I had to go out for a Drs appointment and Gary was going to be gone all day), I spend it going from one thrift store to another.  Among other things, I buy used cookbooks that I love and already have one of, and then spend hours cutting them up so I can put them in my recipe box.  Probably  not everyone's idea if relaxation, but it works for me.

Footnote:  10 minutes later.

So, after posting this on my phone and I was getting ready to go to bed, I looked at the calendar and realized that it was October 27.   It just never really registered what the date was today. 

37 years ago our 2nd stillborn daughter, Emily, was born.  Maybe that is why I had that "searching for something but not knowing what" feeling I had all day.  These are the only pictures I have of her.  I so wish I had taken pictures of her and Annalee.  

 I love the little hand in this last one.  It looked like she was waving at us.

They arrive home tonight at 9:30.

It looks like they have had a wonderful trip.

Some views I've been enjoying while

sitting in Tiffany's house.

I'm sitting here

at Tiffany and Justin's house feeling grateful. 

We arrived at the airport on the 9th to a welcome sign for all the grandparents flying in to stay with the kids.  All the Idiart couples are traveling in France and the Basque country where their grandparents immigrated from.   A wonderful opportunity for them and a wonderful experience for us as grandparents.

  

All the Grandparents.  It has been fun to get to know the Nadalds and Gardners better.

Then we had more special greeting gifts.

 Since we've been here for the last 9 days, we've been to soccer games:

Gymnastics:

Powder Puff football for Eliza:

Taken Ashton to his Eagle Scout interview, which he passed with flying colors.

Gone to Football games:

Had a sleepover with lots of cousins bouncing around on the mattresses placed in the living room.  Why did I not take pictures????

As Gary and I were hanging out on the bed with lots of noise and activity going on in the living room, Luci walked in and said, "My parents would usually be asleep by now."  So, with that endorsement, we decided to go to sleep.  They are such good kids, that I had no worries.

Sunday morning before church we had a lazy day.

After church and dinner we went to their cousin Elise's birthday party.  Again, why did I not take pictures?  The Idiart family is very blessed (and, yes, I admit I am a little jealous) to have all their children and grandchildren live right here in the same ward and neighborhoods.  Just about every Sunday they get together for dinner and the cousins are best of friends.  I am so grateful they have that, as that is how I grew up with my aunts and uncles and cousins, and our daughters grew up surrounded by grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins.

Tiffany left this schedule for us:

 And the kids have done all their parent's requested without us even having to look at this list.

And the couples have been having an amazing time.  I'll post some of their pictures tomorrow.