What can I say, we're family!

I have again returned to the world of blogging and laundry. My family has come and gone and left happy memories in their wake. Our house is again a lonely place...I mean, besides my own little family. It's sad to have such a visit behind us that we have been looking forward to for so long. So here's the long and short of it.
I had a birthday last week. I have to say, as a matured 29 year old, the day felt a tad like the one before it and the one after it. Some are just like that. I've got one more year to party with the 20-somethings. I got some fun gifts from my husband and girls...one was a whoopee cushion. Let me just say, hours of entertainment for an immature bunch of people. Needless to say, it is now hidden away until further notice.
The next day my little brother and his delightful wife came. We got lunch and took it to a favorite spot near the shore. My parents flew in that night and we stayed up chatting and visiting...I love these people.
Our list of activities included a trip to Historic Mystic Seaport where we toured one of the first American Whaling ships and its old town. That night my dear friends babysat for us while the adults went to the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino for dinner and stroll through smoke/addict infested casino...which is amazing by the way. We ate at a scrumptious BBQ place that had hand-towels for napkins. The next day we went to church then enjoyed a delicious meal and family walk to our little hiding spots around base.
On Monday we went to Boston and spent the afternoon running around good old Medfield where we lived from 6 through 9th grade. We saw our house and schools, bought goods from the town department store/soda fountain, Lord's, and ran into an old history teacher, Mr. Desorger who made living in Medfield a historical delight in middle school. (PS Reeves and Oscarsons, he remembered us all!...) I now have a Medfield hoodie that proves I lived there once. Then we drove into Boston and walked through Public Gardens, patting the Make Way For Ducklings statues on our way. Then we picked up mounds of pasta from La Familia in the North End and headed home. Spencer and Sho decided that they had to get back to D.C. to jobs or something important, I guess. It was sad to say good-bye. I was tired that night and fell asleep right during Scrubs. The last day we slept in and just hung out enjoying each other's company. We visited the Nautilus, the first Nuclear Submarine just off base.
In the afternoon we visited a local favorite, Cows and Cones. It's a most pleasant little farm with cows, rabbits, a wandering yellow lab, pigs, chickens and a rooster that has an appetite for Mia's fingers. "Chicken, bite. Chicken, no no..." after lots of crying. In my defense, I told her not to stick her fingers through the fence. We ate yummy ice cream, Clark and Dad played horse-shoes and then we sat on the grassy hill and talked some more. On our way out we bought some of their most perfectly sun kissed and earthen flavored tomatoes, peppers and corn on the cob. After picking up some bread and cheese from the store we had the most heavenly meal ever...even the burps were delicious. I couldn't stop taking pictures because it was so pretty. My parents humored me that night by watching all of Da Vinci Code before I dropped them back at their car and said good-bye. There just simply isn't enough pictures to show how much we enjoyed having you. Thank you Mo and Papa for such a fun weekend where we were spoiled with good company, delicious food and a gift here and there. Thank you for coming!