The Leavitt's visit!!

Okay, so I actually typed everything up and was posting pictures from this trip last week, but my computer froze up and everything was lost. I got frustrated and left the computer alone for the last 4 days. Sorry this has been so delayed, but here it is!

We have been positively spoiled. Bryce's parents came up to visit us the other week. Rhonda and Ronnow arrived Thursday afternoon and Ronnow stayed until Sunday and Rhonda stayed until the following Thursday. We had so much fun!! Unlike most of our trips, we didn't go around everywhere and sight see the whole time. :) Perhaps because we already saw most of the touristy things Rochester has to offer during their trip here this past fall.

At any rate, we spent a lot of time at home just relaxing and playing with the girls. Ronnow helped Bryce complete his garage, update our kitchen light fixtures, and build a shelf to mount our microwave over the stove top. I'm loving all of the upgrades in my kitchen!! We also bought a grill that weekend, and Ronnow cooked the best steaks ever! It was so fun to see the girls with their grandparents, they read lots of books together, roared at each other (mainly Cady and Grandpa, and went on walks and played on the swings.

While Rhonda was here we went to our favorite story time and then saw the Byron zoo. We also went to visit my friend's parents who are Amish. My friend left the Amish community 4 years ago, and she has been so patient answering all of my annoying questions about the Amish. I've learned a lot of interesting things. For example, would you believe that she's never even heard of Amish friendship bread?? And they hand wash all of their clothing and hang it out to dry on the line outside, even in the negative weather during the winter! Interesting things. At any rate, her mom makes hand sewn quilts so Rhonda got to visit with her and ask her quilting questions (she's very big into quilting). I loved getting to go inside the house and see what a real Amish family lives like. It was not as different as I had expected it to be. The only difference was there was no overhead lighting, the toilets consisted of a hole in a plywood bench and the waste gets pumped out twice a year into a big truck (it was just like a permanent portapotty), and the furniture was made of wood. The people were very friendly and they practically had their own built in petting zoo with all of the animals they were raising (pigs, goats, sheep, cows, horses). We had a great time.

The end of the trip came far too soon, I was sorry to see them go. There is just nothing better than having family around. We've been trying to sell them on Rochester so they'll move out here, but Ronnow said we'd have a better chance of doing that if we moved back to Oregon. Definitely a possibility. :)

I'm sorry that I don't have very many pictures. I carried my camera around everywhere with me that week, I just kept forgetting to get it out and take the pictures! Here are the few that I have from that wonderful week:


It was definitely nice and cozy in the backseat. Rhonda was a great sport about it though. :)




Claire was so excited the night before her grandparents came that she made up her bed all pretty to show them. She actually fell asleep on top of her covers because she didn't want to mess up her bed.