Aussies visit Memphis

Joey's dear parents who just completed a mission to Australia (their 4th mission!) drove all the way to Memphis to see their 2 kids, 2 kid-in-laws and 7 grandchildren. And meet their newest (and 46th!) grandchild Maryanne.  We had a blast with them and really cherished their presence.

grandma and maryanne practicing their "ones"  and grandma surrounded by admirers

Lucy was making G&G laugh that morning doing her ritual of checking to see if her clothes fit her before putting them on. She lays her chosen clothes out on the floor and then lays on top of them and measures it out.  Then jumps up and says "yep! they fit!" and puts them on.  

  

 after loving and hugging and eating and lounging with these dear folk - we took them to our memphis zoo.
the 4 of us in the underwater sea lion bubble

 maryanne enjoyed the zoo... and had her very first ice cream which she seems to be taking pretty seriously

wishing her top teeth could look like this hippos.  She's got bulging, red and swollen top gums and is just waiting in pain for them to break through.

rebel grandma encouraging luke to bang on the fenced off bell 

 Joey & Kate shooting the breeze with their pops

  I love this pic of Joey with his mommy eating ice cream in the sunshine.  a rewind moment from 30 years ago.

 back at home - bedtime stories.  grandpa and grandma obliged us by reading to the kids.  my heart swells to see my kids in their jammies curled up next to Joey's parents getting some grandparent one-on-one time.

reading the Lucy book

Lucy wanted to recreate a picture in her book of Grandma Hale and her with a curlers.   (we think Lucy looks the most like Grandma Hale.  Those beautiful wide set twinkly eyes.)

 Next day Joey took all of us deep into Shelby Forest to share his hobby with his parents.  All 13 of us golfed 9 holes which I'm sure wasn't Joey & Caleb's fastest round ever.   His parents were awesome!  Dad Hale was a natural and his throws looked effortless.  Mom Hale said she could see how someone would really get into this!  (like mother like son)  I followed along grumbling. 

Mom Hale got all sorts of flower bouquets and leaf corsage from the kids.

Lucy threw my pink disk for me when I got done pretending to disc golf

 And Sunday afternoon our neighbor almost hit a bunny with his mower and brought it over for us to take care of.  Luke couldn't have been more excited.  He is always begging for a pet.  So, we played with Peter (a very docile bunny - probably traumatized from the near mowing accident) for an afternoon and then finally let this poor bunny go in our neighbor's yard where he hopefully was reunited with his bunny family.

 oh man, that is a cute bunny.

Well, we loved our time with these two.  Being around Dad Hale with his laid-back approach to life and perfect comic timing and Mom Hale with her quiet melodious voice yet fierce loyalties to family and faith and passion for life leaves me feeling like I want to be a truer bluer human being.