Long Lost Friends!

The holidays often bring visits from loved ones and friends, and we've just been lucky enough to receive a few of those!

After the kids and I flew in from Boise we were able to meet up with the Kellys (playing with Dixon was the only incentive worth getting on a plane and leaving Whitney behind, for Lucy), our very good friends from dental school in Philly. Calli's parents live in Henderson, so while they were visiting for Christmas we got the added bonus of seeing them too! Monday afternoon we met them for lunch and were able to catch up, and then Wednesday night they came out to our place for dinner. Lucy and Dixon had a blast playing together again, and Zach and Taylin got reacquainted. We LOVED seeing these guys!

Anybody who's lived far away from family knows what I'm talking about when I say you really depend on your friends for everything--and the Kellys are like family.

Thursday morning we drove up to Cedar City to spend the afternoon with Jon's Grandma Cardon, which is always great to see her and all the various Cardon family who drop in and out. And that evening we were able to have dinner at my Aunt Kay and Uncle Ken's house in St. George, UT, where we got to see my cousin Shonna and her husband Blake, and their baby Caleb-- who are visiting from Ohio.

Shonna is not only my cousin, but she was also my roommate in college at BYU, and one of my very best friends. I don't know what I would have done without her while in Provo! She was my "kindred spirit," and even after she graduated and moved out my new roommates and I adopted the mantra of being "Shonna Hinton nice," because she was just that likable. After a nice dinner we were able to spend the night with Jon's Grandma Del Toro who also lives in St. George. It was wonderful for the kids to get some extra attention, they loved playing with all these long lost friends, and it was wonderful to spend time with family. There's just nothing like it!!