Easter Weekend with the Phippses

Aaron, Jaimie, and Isabella drove down from Charlottesville this weekend, providing us with some much-appreciated distraction from a much-anticipated birth day. Although they kept us busy and entertained, their visit really only made us more eager for the arrival of our own little girl since they brought us newborn diapers (of which we had zero), helped us build a few shelves (all in the name of nesting), and let us play with their cute baby (who easily spawns baby-on-the-outside envy). At 6 months old, Isabella is so full of wonder and giggles right now; we had a great time just watching her this weekend.

A hike around Monticello and Mexican food provided a prelude to Jaimie's labor with Isabella, and we (mostly coincidentally) followed suit on Saturday afternoon, beginning with a good, long walk around Falls Lake. We drove across the street to the Falls Dam Visitor Center, where we were just over a month ago; it was fun to see how much everything has filled out and greened up since the last time we were there. Aside from feeling like I'm walking around on a pair of borrowed antique hips, the exercise and fresh air were good for all of us after a rainy day indoors with too many zombies.

After our walk, we had dinner at Chubby's Tacos and ice cream at Brewsters - a combination that never disappoints. Then, we headed back to our apartment for Isabella's bedtime routine and many more rounds of zombie-killing for Drew and Aaron. On Easter morning, we had some breakfast, planned a Sunday School lesson, and just hung out until Aaron and Jaimie had to get back in the car, Virginia-bound. We mostly skipped the traditional parts of Easter this year (but only mostly). There were no Easter baskets or special Easter dishes or new pastel-colored Easter clothes, but we've eaten plenty of egg-shaped candy over the past few weeks, and with 11-year-olds to teach on Sunday, we did get to spend plenty of time talking about and contemplating the renewal and hope of the day, so we didn't really feel like we missed much. 

Although it can be a long drive, we're so glad the Phipps family made the trip to visit this weekend. And we're looking forward to future outings as a party of six, with two little girls in tow!