happy for kids

 It's been post-holiday, post-vacation, inauguration funk within me.  This whole week was such a drag.

Back to reality:  ugh.

My parents are gone for a long time.  It's gloomy and dark.

Just, ugh.

Well, some kids came to play yesterday and they made me happy.

 There was a sleepover with this cousin who made her way back from Disney earlier in the week.  Joe and p.j. drove to Florida with Kirsten taking her back to her house. They spent a couple days together having fun and flew back again.

The whole thing was made possible by patience and generosity.  John is generous with his frequent flyer miles.  Joe and Kirsten generous with their time and patience--1000 miles in the car. p.j.?  She was just lucky.  Dad and Aunt Kirsten and Disney and the beach at the ocean?  I mean, seriously.

So glad that going home was a celebration too.

Tonight was a hard fought basketball game lost by only a couple points and then supper at Pizza Ranch.  This ranch, sadly, had no animals, but the food was good.

 Posing for a serious photo:

 Another pose:

And that is the end of that.

It's been a long week.

Maria went back to school yesterday.  Yeah, gotta go back, I understand. It's life.

James left today.  I told him I was going to cry.  But I got busy so I wouldn't.

Sigh.

But all you kids?

You bring so much happiness.

I love all of you people incredibly much.

Love, Mom, aka Grandma