Weekend Update: Vrieze Edition

As you can tell with my last couple posts, things have been a bit out of the ordinary here the past week or so (read: Henoch Schonlein Purpura!) and our very good friends were here in the midst of it! Poor things. They didn't know what hit 'em. :) But they have two children of their own, so we knew they'd been in our shoes before.

We are so so blessed to have the Vrieze family in our lives. We met Scott and Kathy about seven years ago when we moved back to Minnesota from Colorado. Kathy and I became close quickly. I was beside her when she and Scott married, and we've celebrated the birth of our children together.

When we moved to Illinois over three years ago, Kathy and Scott were the first of our MN friends to visit us. They came shortly after Drew was born, when their oldest, Grace, was about four months old.


And they've made the effort to continue to visit us twice, sometimes three times, each year.

And it's really really special.

Because, to be honest, they're great people. But beyond that, it's tough to make friends as an adult, in a new town (state!), away from family and friends, and when our days revolve around our work and our kids.

So it's always nice when they come. It's a touch of home. It's a touch of adult conversation.

It's a touch of friendship.

We never do anything particularly special; just enjoy each other's company and watch our kids play together. Take a look...

We played in the tent and the tunnel,

and attended the last night of VBS at church. This is the preschool class; Gracie is on the right in the blue and green top. But where's Drew?

In the nursery with the babies because he's not into that whole "participation" thing.

There we go!

We colored (I didn't realize this until later, but I think Drew was starting to experience some of the joint pain associated with HSP because he moved awkwardly every time I told him to sit down),

made kabobs (delicious, just for the record),

played with water,

a lot,

and stood by the pool and just looked.

We drove,

colored more,

swung (is that proper grammar??),

smiled,

and splashed.

And we introduced the Vrieze's to the fun that is a Pizza Picnic!

(Reed was there, too. See?)

And of course, in the midst of all this was the trip to the Urgent Care on Saturday morning, and an early departure on Sunday after Drew's rough night.

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More than once Kathy and I marveled at how our oldest have gone from this...

...to this!

Thank you, thank you Vrieze family.
The effort that you put in to taking time off work and traveling so far (with young ones!) to spend not near enough time, is appreciated so much. (Especially this time when you headed home early because of Drew. I didn't want you to go, but it showed just how much you care about us and value our time to take care of each other.)

You are so very dear to us.

And this. I love this.

Good golly, could they be any cuter?!