Happy Surprises

Do you ever have one of those happy little surprises? Those unexpected events that lift your spirits and remind you that life left unplanned is a tad sweeter?

Tonight as I was preparing dinner I received a call from Denton Wood, a little boy who lived down the street from us until about a year ago when his family relocated to Kentucky. Denton and his brother, Zack, were in town and really wanted to come visit Abby and Noah. Of course we were excited for a visit from the Wood family! They were one of our neighborhood favorites!

Let me point out that we had had a really, really busy day. It went something like: feed baby, put clothes on, make up soccer snack schedule, soccer pics, feed baby, soccer game, feed family, birthday party, feed baby, pest control guy, pick up from b-day party, pull weeds, feed baby, sit down for a few minutes, begin to prepare dinner --- phone rings! I am throwing down a look that can only be described as "homeless woman chic" and have my hair in a ball cap because - uh, yeah, it WAS that bad and I'm questioning whether or not I brushed my teeth this morning. All that glamour be damned because I was so excited at the prospect of seeing the Wood boys as well as the opportunity to visit with their mother, Kari Ann, that I threw all care to the wind and anxiously awaited our friends.

At this point you would think that I'd change clothes or brush my teeth, but I don't! I finished dinner and then they were here.

What a treat to sit and visit with Kari Ann! She is one of those people that makes me smile. I love a good story and she's always got at LEAST one that makes me giggle. Tracy even sat with us and gabbed (well, as much as he gabs - basketball was on in the same room, but we'll pretend he was there to visit) until Denny, Kari Ann's husband, came over as well. I think both men were happily content with a ball game on the tube!

Poor Kari Ann! I drug her all over the house showing her this and that - begging for validation of all my decorating experiments and ideas. What a sweet friend to be so patient and feign interest - because she is the master at what is hip and cool in interior design (here's the link to her design blog: http://www.kariandkijsa.com/).

I think they finally escaped our house a little before 10 o'clock. We then scarfed down a warmed over dinner and shuffled the kids off to bed.

There's something sweet about surprise visits. While we miss our friends, I know they'll be back soon. Until then, there will be more neighborhood stories to collect and decorating ideas to create. Friends are such a blessing!

Since I didn't bust out the camera this time, here's a pic of the kids during the summer: