We LOVE having visitors and due to the fact that we live in Arizona the winter brings everyone to town! Two months and still going, our house has been washing many sheets on the guest beds.
My sister, Katherine, came to town for Christmas and hasn't left yet! We love having her here, especially me since Nick is gone at class 4 nights a week until after 9pm. She graduated with her masters in occupational therapy and decided after 6 months of being all over the country doing internships that she was not going back home to the snow. Everyday she has spent studying for her boards, which she took at the beginning of Feb, and just a few days ago she PASSED! We are thrilled for her. I must admit I am jealous of her winter suntan that she has accumulated by going on her daily walks. Everyday I come home from work and say, "you are so tan!" She is moving to Washington, DC within the month and we are sad to see her go. She could live here forever as far as we are concerned. She is such a clean house guest, and I am spoiled with how much she does around the house. We've done lots of fun things while she has been in town, and just this weekend we had a sisterly outing to see the Justin Beiber movie (I'm not ashamed to admit that I really liked it). Here she is showing off her skills after one of Nick's great shooting lessons.
My Mom, Terry, came to town for nearly two weeks in January. Even though we had a little cold spurt when she was here, nothing beats shoveling sunshine compared to the white stuff they have back in Kentucky. My grandmother also lives here, so my Mom stayed with her and did the daily drive over so we could all get together. Somehow, we did not take a single picture! Not quite sure how that happened, but we do not need pictures to document the great time that we all had. We ate lots of great food, my mom taught me a few new recipes, and let's not forget my request of the whole trip--teach me how to use the Christmas gift she got me: the sewing machine! So I took a day off of work, and we literally spent the entire day sewing. I had quite the pile of clothes that needed some repair, and Nick is glad to have 1/2 is wardrobe back in functioning order. We made the beautiful curtains pictured below, and made patterns for pillows that I will make in the future. If only I can attempt this on my own now. Hopefully, it doesn't take another visit from my mom to drag the sewing machine back out. So great to see my mom as always. Nick is such a trooper for being able to put up with 4 women for that long while on semester break from school! We love when Mom comes to visit!
These curtains cover the glass sliding door to the backyard
Lastly, the month of January ended with a visit from the one and only, Taylor Shell! I've known this girl for about 10 years now. She's a great friend from Kentucky (she now lives in Houston, TX) who I only see occasionally, since most of her family has moved away from Louisville. Over the years, we have continued or weekly (if not more) phone chats and so when she called and said she booked a ticket to Phoenix, the calendar was immediately cleared! Truly, her visit deserves its own post (soon to follow), but here she is in all her glory (and Nick's boots....haha).
So if you are reading this, consider this to be your formal invitation to come visit us in AZ!
