Babysitting Blessings

What a day.  Yesterday was a long day, but in a good way.  It started with some scary news Sunday night.  Some good friends of ours have a baby who was sick and they were taking her to Vanderbuilt.  She is doing much better now and should get to come home in a few days.  What that meant for us was we were going to have company. 

They have three other kiddos who needed a place to stay.  They are about 4, 7, and 10ish.  They camped out on the living room floor Sunday night and then Clay and I got to play with them all day Monday.  (Except for a few crucial hours when their dad came in to get some things done and I was able to run to the grocery store!)  Once we were well stocked, the fun began.  About 6:00 yesterday morning I learned how to play Monopoly while Clay and their youngest slept.  Then we played with Christmas toys, made puppets and had a puppet show, played hide and seek, made our own pizzas, and anything else we could think of.  We even bundled up and went outside for a bit and then warmed up with hot chocolate afterwards. 

By 5:00 I was ready to crash, and we all cuddled up and watched Alvin and the Chipmunks...for about 30 minutes.  Then that was enough of that!  The last of us fell asleep about 10:00 last night and then their dad was able to come in and get them for the night about 11:30. 

I was definitely exhausted, but have a lot to be thankful for with the day.

First and foremost, I am thankful for a beautiful healthy baby!!

Secondly, I am thankful for good friends who feel like they can count on us and who trust us enough with their kids that hopefully that was one less thing they had to worry about yesterday. 

I am thankful that they have good kids!  These are definitely NOT hooligans we're talking about here.  These are the most polite, sweet, loving kids you will meet.  And I don't know how their parents have done it, but they NEVER whine at all!!  Not even if the Wii doesn't work right or Clay tears up their craft they've been working on or their sister spills milk all over them.  NEVER!  They smile and say, "That's okay.  I don't mind."  SO SWEET!!

Finally, I am thankful for a husband who, after working all day on the busiest day they have ever had, comes home and gives me a good 20 minutes to eat my supper in my room in near peace and quiet (the sounds were at least muffled through the closed door :).  And he would have given me more if I had wanted it!

I have much more to be thankful for, but I don't have the time right now.  I am getting off because Clay and I have muffins in the oven and are expecting three loving kiddos soon to help us eat them.