Being "taken advantage of" and absolutely loving it!

So, it's been such a crazy amazing week...well I'm going to call it a week...even though it started last Thursday, Valentine's Day. I hope you all got some love and some good candy!! We have never really celebrated Valentine's Day, I think we have actually celebrated one time but to us it's just another day. This year, however, would be a little different...a good different! We have come to Tucson for one reason and one reason only...to see my sister, her hubs and her kids...my noodlebugs! My beautiful, quirky, hilarious, creative, awesome, amazing noodlebugs! We came to my sista's house on Thursday night for a Surprise Valentine's Dinner and oh how surprised my nieces were. At this point in their lives, my one niece Emma is 12 going on 32 (in the best way possible), my other niece Jem is 10 and my nephew ChaCha is 3 1/2. I got them all at different times of the day due to different school schedules...all in all it was a pretty fun afternoon of yelling, "Surprise!", giggling, hugging and laughing! And of course crying...can't be an afternoon without crying! haha But these were the best tears I've cried in a while. I haven't seen this part of my family in 3 years and we're really close so it is just awesome to see all of them. The last time I saw my nephew he was about 8 months old...now he's a walking, talking, pooping machine! haha (He just got potty trained and he's doing so good!) It's been a lot of fun just being here. I am able to help my sista' out in ways that most people wouldn't understand or wouldn't want to take on, but I am soooooo excited to help her out with all of it. I mean just being able to wash dishes for her, do a load of laundry and actually get it folded and put away, give my sis and her hubby a break from all 3 kiddos...and not just once (we've already "pushed" them out of the house twice so far and are going for a few more times before we leave). The little things really do count here.

Savannah is getting along really well with their dog, so that's been nice and not stressful. It's just been so nice to have time with my sista', the kids and her hubby (Big E'), along with J' and Big E' being able to do their thing together: movies and gaming!

[caption id="attachment_3935" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Assassin's Creed, Bro![/caption]

And the funniest of conversations of just about everything has been awesome. It's been nice to be able to squeeze Joon into the corner space of their yard/driveway so we are close and I can keep 'pushing' them out of the house and be able to wake up and be here for her so she doesn't have to have the lil one with her to do errands. I just keep telling her, "Take full advantage of me, that's why we're here!" And the best part is...I mean it and I'm diggin' it hard! I'll take my nieces and nephew any day of the week, especially if it means giving them some time together and giving me time with the kids as well.

It will be sad to leave but we're so close it'll just be miles between us, nothing else. Awwww..... I'm just so grateful for them and love them so much and am very happy for us being able to spend the time that we have...before you know it, the girls will be out of the house and onto new horizons and ChaCha will be in highschool and many "boxcars" of life will have gone by.

Take the time and appreciate the now. Time passes by so quickly and before you know it, everything and everyone will be different and in different spaces of life.

For now, I'm taking every potty break, every hug and good-night kiss and every moment that just might be normal to anyone else...I'm taking everything and anything I can. There's no time like the now.

[caption id="attachment_3938" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Treatment![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3940" align="aligncenter" width="300"] My Sailor Nails![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3939" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Artist[/caption]

For now, I must go and listen to one of Jem's funny stories and tell ChaCha not to hit his sister! haha You can say I'm pretty much loving life right now!

PEACE