TOM & EMILY come to town

What a gorgeous group. We were so happy to see Tom & Emily and their sweet family. I can't believe how well the kids remembered us! I was afraid they would have forgotten us. Jack-o knew my name! Grace gave big hugs to everyone-especially her favorite Uncle Mark. Even shy Miss Faith had a hug for everyone. Lucy was...well, Lucy; but we know that game well since we have our very own youngest child, Jeffrey.
While Mark and I had meetings, the kids, young and old, played in the pool. I spoke with a woman who had been watching our children play together. She was amazed at how much they were enjoying each others company. She was especially impressed with Taylor and Grace-he was so kind to her and Grace trusted him so much.
Faith said one of her favorite things was the 5 & Diner. I'm not sure if it was because of the chocolate shakes or "Olivia", the kids' new best friend. She bought all the kids gumballs and then proceeded to chat with them for about half an hour. It was fun to listen in on the conversation-but Tom kept a sharp eye on her to make sure she didn't accidentally wander off with anyone. She was a really nice lady; I guess I'm not being very appreciative. I know Emily appreciated the chocolate shake, but I'm not sure if 5 & Diner makes it on her list of 'the 5 restaurants you would choose if you couldn't go anywhere else for the rest of your life'.
The kids of course loved all the games in the pool: the giant waterfall, the fountains, Marco polo, categories, sharks n minnows, tunnel tag, hair-do, craziest jump contests and chicken fight towers. They also managed to sneak in some other games, a dance party, and some card games. We also wouldn't want to forget Brian Regan (Tom, I can't believe you fell asleep), 'world's deadliest catch' or the homemade blizzards. Who'd have guessed Emily had never seen 'Count of Monte Cristo'

After a tour of the house, Tom left this little memory of himself. Sigh...I miss my family, so I'm glad to have this little memento. We were all sad they had to go. When Mark was telling Jackson good-bye, he said "Please don't go!" Jackson's reply, "But I'll give you a hug." I guess he was done with Arizona and ready to get back to Snickers. Gladly, he was full of compliments and hugs all week long. We started comparing notes after they left and realized that Jackson went up to half the family and whispered, "You're my favorite Bassett." He also had the habit of telling you he liked your shirt or your shoes or your hair and then tacking on, "I think you're pretty." He told Jessica he tells that to everyone. Gotta love it!