The slow (and a little sad) return to normal

After a very busy week filled with visitors, our last guests left this afternoon. Amy, David, and the kids arrived on Thursday evening and we filled the weekend with a whole lot and not much at the same time. We went to the Balloon Fiesta on Friday morning for the Special Shapes mass ascension. Abigail's reaction was pretty much what I'd expected--and very much like her Uncle Paul's--this whole balloon thing would be a lot neater if it wasn't so danged early in the morning. Thankfully as the balloons went up, the crowds thinned out and we were able to let the kids run around while watching the Key Grab. And after seeing a couple hundred hot air balloons floating by, Benjamin now does a *fabulous* impression of the sound of a propane burner.

Saturday, we went to the children's museum where I think the favorite thing was the elevator. It's probably the size of my living room, with a couch, three chairs, and plenty of room to walk around inside. It only goes between two floors so there isn't really much need for it but I think Abigail would have ridden in it the entire time we were there. We were also able to get in a good hour at the park behind our house where Abigail and Benjamin made new friends and so did Amy and I. As Amy and I were watching Benjamin, a lady that was also there with her two-year-old commented on Amy's Texas Tech shirt, as she is also an alum. She and her husband just recently moved to ABQ and as we were chatting, we learned that she graduated from high school in Canadian with our cousin. (And Scott, Laurel S. says hi.)

And now, Paul and I are working our way through the extra laundry created by a week's worth of guests and cleaning up sticky fingerprints left behind by our four littler visitors. Jubjub doesn't know what to do without little people trying to sneak in pets (which I think even The Cranky One has to admit he liked) and, in the case of Benjamin, following him around meowing. It was hectic week and a little frazzling and overwhelming with all the extra people but this afternoon, as we were heading out by ourselves for the first time in eight days, both of us agreed that we're so thankful to have such wonderful friends and family visiting us.

We just hope they don't all decide to do it at the same time again next year.