Nevada

The meadow at Birch Creek

Earlier this month Elise, Emerson and I flew to Nevada to meet two of our new cousins, Trey and Mariah, and see Grandma and Grandpa Young and the Young aunts and uncles. 

Can you believe how adorable these kids are? 

The first morning there, Elise ran outside and was greeted by seven adorable border collie puppies! She about died with excitement. Every day of our entire visit she spent hours outside with the puppies. I also received the guilt trip of a lifetime when I denied the repeated offers to take a puppy home with us.

Elise: "Mommy, he can live in my woom."

Me: "We can't have a dog in the house, Sweetie. I'm allergic."

Elise: "He can live in our backyaaad."

Me: "It rains too much at our house. A puppy would be very sad in the rain all day."

Elise: "But it can live in the sed (shed) when it wains."

Me: "It rains every day, and the shed is much too small for this puppy. It likes to run around a lot."

Elise: "But...whyyyy?"

[insert never-ending conversation with a three year-old here]

We also had a serendipitous surprise when my parents' old neighbors, Tal and Ophir, and their son, Yael, stopped by to visit on their way home to Israel. Yael and Elise are the best of friends and play great together.  I've never seen Elise get along with someone so well--except for maybe her cousin Charlotte.

We spent the rest of our time there visiting, helping Grandma bottle pears, gathering eggs, going on the tractor and in the semi with Grandpa, riding horses, meeting kittens, riding 4-wheelers, and having an all-around great time!

I loved visiting with all of my siblings and adoring my new niece and nephew. Having three babies around meant everyone got to hold a baby as often as they wanted!

We love all of you and hope to visit again soon!