A family visit!

This week, Kalina and Elise (and the rest of us) were thrilled to welcome the Kansas branch of my family as well as family friend, Angela, to our stomping grounds.

And while one child was all grins and twirls, the other would only tolerate about 10 seconds of attention from most of our guests before the puppy lip emerged and she had to be handed back to Mommy.

We had a lovely time, beginning with a barbecue picnic at one of our favorite parks and ending with a big chili dinner at Grandpa's house. We did, unfortunately, have to dodge Elise's naps and bedtime as much as possible, seeing as the girl was/is still recovering from Monday's sleepless night.

Between eye rubs, though, she lavished her share of grins, as long as she was safely in Mommy's arms. Kalina, however, soaked in the attention, providing our guests with a fairly comprehensive tour of her toys, and telling some of her best jokes. I think I had as much fun watching as she did playing.

Here are our photos from the occasion (my apologies: I'm not the best at candid shots, but you get the idea!) (thank you to Grandpa for submitting a few more!):

Photo 1: Elise was amenable enough to Angela, who made her flight despite a blizzard. Fortunately, we had some nice, warm weather waiting for her when she arrived and she thawed out quite nicely.

Photo 2: The group digging into barbecue.

Photo 3: Mixing up some corn muffins with Angela. Everyone agreed they were delicious, but who wouldn't when faced with Kalina? (Or Angela, for that matter!)

Photo 4: Kalina had an amazing time showing off for a roomfull of admiring relatives, and especially her Great Aunt Jo.

Photo 5: Cousin Renae finally got to hold Elise--for about 10 seconds!

Photo 6: The cooking staff.

Photo 7: A family dinner!

Photo 8: We couldn't all fit inside. :)