Visitors...

Over the last 2 weeks we've had a full house of visitors...which I love. Cleaning the house, washing sheets, stocking the fridge, waiting for the car to pull up and friends to jump out. Welcome hugs, new home tours, and the first crack of a beer. Catching up, long dinners, late nights and early mornings.

Last weekend's visitors were cousin Steve and Amanda. Steve is Mike's cousin and the closest person he has to a brother. The girls adore him and we love him all the same. He and Amanda came down to attend the IU vs. Wisconsin football game on Saturday.

 And everyone knows that a true 'Sconnie comes bearing beer. Native beer. And Spotted Cow is the gold standard of Wisconsin beer.

 Friday night we stayed up way too late for as early as we had to rise on Saturday. Par for the course.

 We arrived in time to tailgate for a few hours before the game started. Amanda and I noticed the college-aged-girl trend was the following: fanny packs worn over leggings that were worn as pants. And when I say 'worn as pants' I mean that their shirts did not cover their toosh. We stopped counting in the 20's because we realized we were outnumbered. And old.

 It was a beautiful day for a football game: high 60's and sunny. Not such a beautiful day to be a Hoosier fan. But we had amazing seats (thanks to a very generous friend) in the new portion of the stadium and plenty of people watching.

 Of course a trip to Bloomington is never complete without a stop at Nick's. To play Sink the Biz and devour their famous stromboli. Check out Fozzy Bear sinkin' it up...

 I'm an old pro...

 A big thank you to Grandma Laura for watching the girls all day while we were away.

 Before leaving on Sunday we took a bike ride to the park where Steve proved he is a little kid at heart. As if there were any question.

 He's such a great uncle...and will one day be an doting father.

 The very talented Amanda made "Viking Princess" hats for the girls (pink & purple glitter!). Not sure if Mike and I like them more than the girls or not (we've both worn them already). Let's just say our new address is offering a ton of comic relief for everyone.

 And this weekend my high school girls came down for a visit. Jenny & Erin arrived late Friday night and once again we stayed up far to late. But there were stories to tell, beers to drink and laughter to be had. We all went to gymnastics together on Saturday morning then crafted the entire rest of the day. No joke. It's what we do. We sit for hours creating treasures with our hands while talking and catching up. Mike joked last week when I told him we were going to craft, "Don't you think your girlfriends are crafted-out?!" Nope. Never. How dare you say such a thing. It's part of the fun of the visit; brainstorming ideas, roaming the craft store in search of supplies, coming home to plan out our project, and then the creation...all of which is a collaborative effort.

My mom arrived late Saturday night and here everyone is Sunday morning with the big reveal...Jen & Erin made a few things for the girls:

 I've known Erin since about 3rd grade and Jenny since 7th grade. These girls mean the world to me.

Erin and Jenny have returned to Chicago but more visitors are on their way. Mom is already here, Aunt Gail & Uncle Thomas arrive on Wednesday and my sister and her kids arrive on Thursday. Let the beer keep flowing and the memories keep building!