For the last week we have been having a wonderful time! Not that the previous weeks weren't wonderful in their own right. But we reached the January 1st date of re-entry into the outside world, and with it came a few visitors.

My sister arrived a week ago, and brought with her a family friend of ours, fondly thought of by us as a younger sister. It was such a gift to have them here! Nick and I had been working hard to get through the Christmas season with our soap business, along with building a room in our basement, all the while surviving the first month with our newborn. It was a lot to handle, and by having our guests here, it made us slow down and enjoy life, which we desperately needed. 

Nick and I took advantage of our free babysitters and went out to the Japanese steakhouse, Arigato, for a date one night. It was glorious! I was able to curl my hair and get all dressed up for my man, which hadn't happened for months, and reminded me of the person I'd like to see in the mirror a little more often.  We got to watch our chef prepare our food right at our table. Sometimes the chefs will do tricks while they are cooking, like flinging food into a bowl and spinning it around their head and behind their back without it dumping all over. The restaurant was packed the night we went, and I was glad we had the foresight to make reservations. Going out on a date was one of the best things for Nick and myself. We could look into each other's eyes as much as we wanted, talk without being interrupted, and we were able to eat our food while it was still hot! Those of you with kids will know what I'm talking about. The food was delicious (sorry the pictures are awful! I had to taste each course as it came since I was starving, and the lighting was low in the restaurant).

It was nice having two extra pairs of hands around the house to do things like regular housework, taking care of kids, and going grocery shopping. But we also enjoyed shopping at the mall, staying up late to watch movies, buying drinks from Starbucks, having a marathon soap wrapping session, and of course, cuddling little boys.  

They also made sure I took a nap whenever I got tired. Being that I'd only had 2 naps since Baby E. arrived, this was a gift in itself. I felt like a whole woman again, and like I could focus more on being a better mom and hostess. Amazing what a little extra sleep can do! My sister also took a nap with Baby E. So sweet! ---------->

The time came all too soon for my sister's visit with us to come to an end. She left yesterday morning. However, we are going to be enjoying the rest of our time with our family friend, who has another week with us. That's our "little sis" in the picture to the above left, as she was in the middle of making a batch of chocolate chip cookies. This girl is a joy, and has been a huge help! 

This is random, but look at this outfit that we were given for Baby E.! Total cuteness. He's finally big enough to wear it. Seeing the little cape on his back just makes you smile.

Seven weeks old yesterday and only a little over one pound away from doubling his birth weight already. That kid is growing incredibly fast.

These last several weeks have been a gift, what with Baby E., Christmas, the soap business doing wonderfully through the holiday season, and this past week of having family in town. 

And with the extra help around, maybe I'll even get around to posting a little more often on our blog, like I was able to before Baby E. rocked our world! Who knows? The possibilities are endless!

How have YOU been? What have you missed about our blog posts, and would like to see more of?