Joy

We had already made airline reservations to Chicago last weekend and with Dave and Nan's encouragement we decided to keep them. The service for Jeff is this coming Saturday in Twin Falls.

What a beautiful time we had with Matt and his family. The kids are SO precious and delicious. It was wonderful to have them right in our faces for a few days. Mostly we just hung out around the house and walked to the park in the gorgeous Chicago autumn. In the evening we sat at the dining room table and worked a ridiculously difficult 500 piece puzzle. We played scrabble, we munched El Salvadorian food and homemade brisket (it was all my fault it scorched, Mon - you shouldn't listen to me!) we drank many cups of coffee, we coloured with markers, changed diapers, cuddled wiggly girls in our bed in the mornings.

We went to church and got to watch Matt and Monika interact with their faith community.

We went to the Navy Pier and rode the ferris wheel and played mini golf, and harnessed up for a climbing gauntlet 20 feet up in the air; we did some Chicago sight seeing and ate hot dogs in the open city air.

We dropped the girls at school and delighted in their obvious love for their respective teachers.

As we boarded the plane Tuesday afternoon we found we were exhausted as well as refreshed from this little loop in time we had inhabited. The hugs and kisses we gave and received will warm our hearts for quite a while. Thanks kids!