Love is Real

In early December we helped Mark's parents move up to Pioneer Valley Lodge.  It has been so nice having them closer and we feel the timing couldn't have been better.  Sadly, Mark's mom fell and broke her hip on January 30th.  We have been spending a lot of time with them.  Mark's brother came up for several weeks - that was a life savor!  She is doing well.  Getting old is not an easy thing to do. We are learning so much with them through this process.  Life has a way of stretching us in ways we might not be expected to stretch.

Love is real and vital for each of us.  Mark's Dad has dementia and has been very tender during this time.  Even though a lot of it was confusing for him, it was so sweet to watch him light up when they could be together.  I think his favorite time of day was getting in the recliner next to her bed and just taking a nap together.  Many times Jason or Mark and I would walk into her hospital room and they would be there holding hands, singing old songs together.  Love is real.

Mom got to go home on February 17th.  We are hopeful that she will have the strength to make a full recovery.  She has been a real trooper through this whole ordeal.  Aging ain't for sissies!

Sooo, on the other side of the cookie we have some darling littles who have much energy and their own little agenda of what life means and lessons that they can teach us.  Molly and Owen got to come for an extended stay while their mommy and daddy attended their aunt's wedding in Oregon and then enjoyed some alone time for a couple of days.

We could just stop everything to watch these two do their thing.  So entertaining!

They both took their turns being on the sick bed :(

 We squeezed in time to paint nails and do a little shopping!

The duck pond is always good for a change of scenes.  

They have started calling the Mini, "The Hot Rod"

 Aunt Emily came up for the weekend and helped us make cookies!  

Aren't they the best Valentine treat ever??

{props to Em for grabbing her camera to catch some great photos!}

Now sadly we didn't get any photos of these two little cuties with their Papa!  He broke the most amazing Papa record by taking them to visit 3 parks and get pizza and slurpees all in one day!!

Movie Night

Molly is up at the crack of dawn ready to have some fun!  

It was barely 7 am and we had the Cootie Game well under way!

They love to cook!!  And eat!! 

And at the end of our time together, we were sad to let them go 

 but Mom and Dad were so happy to be back with their kiddos again.  

Yep ... Love is Real
And it is what life is all about.
Nothing else really matters.