Ritter visit

On Saturday we went down to Salem (about an hour away) to visit our good friends, the Ritters. Jason is a high school friend of mine, and he and his wife, Jessica have 4 children. Kaden, Ivy, Isaac, and Jonathon. It's a busy life, but they love it. Isaac about 3 weeks younger than Addie, and we hadn't met him or his younger brother...it has been far too long. That's the great thing about good friends though, even when you don't see them for over 2 years, you just pick back up and enjoy each other's company. It was exactly 1 hour door to door and so we kept laughing that we had somehow let it all go so long.
Lily trying to get Addie and Issac to pose together, they weren't in the mood. Good try Lil! Addie loved being in the mix of all the other kids. We decided we would leave around 1 when she would probably start falling apart and needing a nap. Nope. At 3pm when we finally packed it up, she was happy as a clam. Then we thought she'd nap in the car on the ride home. Nope, happily talked and played the whole way and napped at 4:00-5:00 when we got home! This kid does not sleep in the car, it's odd.

Me and Jay, a lifelong friend! I didn't know we were supposed to be sucking in our cheeks in the photo below, but thought for sure Jay would want it posted to show how skinny he really is! :) hehe.
We were impressed that Lily knew that Salem was the capital of Oregon, then she told us the capital of :Paaainsilvania" was "Haaaaaairisberg". (THANKS to Tamara) She wanted to know where the water was in Salem to go Sail 'Em. That made us LOL for a while! :)
(L to R) Jonathon, Kaden, Lily, Ivy, Isaac, & Addie - the treasure of kids on couch w bare feet pics!

Ivy is about a year younger than Lily, but I knew they would be good friends. They have the same fun personalities, strong willed and rule-reciting-rule-following and sweet and lovable and HELPFUL. Ivy will certainly be added to Lily's list of BFFs. Especially if we make an effort to see each other again before 2 more years sweeps us by.

We teased them that they always have double the kids of us. When we had Lily, they had Kaden and Ivy, when we see them next, we have 2, they have 4! So when we have another one, they better gear up for twins! :) Haha, not gonna happen! Well not yet. Their plate is full to the brim right now, and mamas not getting much sleep. But no complaints, just a lot of love over the all the joys of a big family and all the benefits that are to come in the future. Kaden will go to Kindergarten this year, so Lily is right in the middle of him and Ivy. We barely heard from these 2 the entire day. There is something to be said for a house where the kids behave and the layout is such, that all kids are free to roam with no dangers to themselves or the house! The whole way home Lily talked about all the fun she and Ivy had, and she was so sad to leave.

Such a beautiful family and wonderful friends, I certainly left that day with a very happy heart! :)