The Letdown

So here it is Tuesday morning already. Our company is gone, Chris is back at work, the kids are whiny and exhausted beyond belief and I am dealing with the inevitable letdown that comes once something so highly anticipated is over.

You know, the feeling you get after returning home from a much anticipated trip, the loneliness that creeps in after dear friends have come and gone, the "I can't believe it's over now" way you feel after pulling off one fantastic birthday party!! That is where I am today. I am far better than the emotional wreck I was last night, but I am still sad and lonely this morning. Bummed that something I had looked forward to for so long somehow managed to fly by faster than the blink of an eye. Bummed that although we have great friends here in Arizona, we don't have what we had back in Kansas. Bummed that what we took for granted just two years ago is now a rarity and passes by all too quickly. Bummed...just bummed.

Not that we didn't have a FABULOUS time, because we did! That is what makes it all the harder to face this reality we call life a million miles from home! I mean, who wouldn't have an amazing time with friends who are like family and who love our children just like they would their own? Friends that make you laugh harder in one day than you have in weeks. Friends who don't need to be entertained every second of the day and let me sneak away to update my blog while they were here?! I mean really, THOSE are some good friends!!

So, Gareth and Megan, we had a WONDERFUL time with you guys! Please don't wait so long to make it out our way next time!! You are more than welcome here and we cherish your friendships and the memories we have created with you over the last few years! You are the kind of friends everyone needs and you will forever hold a special place in our hearts and the hearts of our kids! (They missed you before you even got into the airport yesterday...Huntler cried and carried on for quite some time! And first thing this morning he was already looking for you. Talk about breaking a mama's heart into pieces seeing her little man so sad...)

Despite the fact that I am sad today, I have a lot to look forward to! We have a lot more excitement waiting for us J*U*S*T around the corner and there is no time to sit and feel sorry for myself! Well, maybe just for today I will sit and feel sorry for myself, but tomorrow will be better!

And even more good news...I met the people moving in across the street this morning and they seem NORMAL!! Yeah!! Although we have been in our house for 20 months now, we have no real connections with our neighbors. No more than the occasional "Hi and how are you?" or wave as you drive off sort of connection. This has been extremely hard for me because where we came from was the COMPLETE opposite. As in night and day opposites! Anyway, I was taking out a load of diapers to the curb to stick in the trash this morning and what do I see? People. I wanted to run back in at first considering I opted for comfy clothes today and I had not yet fixed my hair or gotten completely ready at this point in the morning, but it was too late...we had been spotted!! So, I sucked it up, explained that I don't normally look like this, and proceeded to meet our new neighbors!! They have two little girls who are 2 and 5 and Huntler hit it off with them right off the bat! They should be settling in over the weekend and we are all very excited!!

Now, what would a post be without pictures?! I mentioned a couple of days ago that we wouldn't be able to break in our pool for 2008 this weekend since it was so unseasonably chilly, but I was wrong! The water was really cold and it wasn't much warmer sitting on the side (where Gentry and I hung out!), but those crazy friends of ours somehow talked my sweet hubby and little guy into swimming with them!!  

Huntler had chattering teeth and was on the verge of being blue by the time he got out, but he had a blast! Here is the funniest part...Gareth decided since it was so cold he was just going to go down the slide and immerse himself all at once so he didn't have the shock of wading in and freezing! So, no biggie except for like one second later we look up and Huntler is at the top of the slide getting ready to go down! What?!! We sent (as in forced) him down a couple of times last summer so that he wouldn't be scared of the slide, but both times he hit his head and it was not pleasant. Anyway, this year he shot up those steps like a rocket and was ready to come down in nothing flat! Gareth was there to catch him, but he did go under a little bit which scared him. He wasn't traumatized this time like he was last year, but he sure didn't try it again!!

I did manage to get one shot of him going down, but because I wasn't prepared I didn't have the camera on the right setting and it wasn't very good. However, here is the splash he made! See his foot peeking through?!! Way to go little man!!

Ahhh....Gareth and Megan! These pictures turned out so cute! The one of them behind the waterfall is kinda hard to see because of the water coming down, but it is still neat!! 

My wonderfully sweet and incredible husband...

Gareth coming down the slide on his stomach!

She takes things at just my pace! LOVE that!

Seriously...does anyone else's kids drink pool and bath water? I realize it is totally disgusting, but we can NOT keep our kids from guzzling water out of the bath and obviously now the pool! The silly thing is that at all times they have a sippy cup with them, so they are not that thirsty!!

He was soooo incredibly cold but this child was not about to get out before the rest of the gang! He sure loves having friends over to play with!!