Susan's Visit

For the last two weeks, I have been host to my amazing mother in law.  I am always so grateful when family comes to visit.  I feel like the last 9 1/2 years of living here in Albuquerque I have been constantly begging people to come visit.  We live about 6 hours from family in Phoenix and Kingman, Arizona.  It is just far enough away that a visit must be planned in advance, but just close enough that we can pop over to Arizona for a weekend.

Susan came to stay with us for Edward's birthday and stayed for two weeks.  It was so fun!  We talked and talked and talked.  I don't usually have someone I can just talk to all day every day.  We accomplished a lot of my crazy to do list items.  I wanted to go through the boys papers and photos so that I could put them in to their own keep sake chest.  For the last 9 years,  I have been putting their keepsakes in my chest.  Their stuff finally became over whelming.  We also finished decorating the piano room.  I still have a few things left to do in the room, but we really made a huge dent in the decorating project.  I love how it is looking.  It is truly a little retreat.  I teach about 16 hours a week and it is nice to be in a room that I absolutely love and that is inviting for my students and their parents.  

Susan and I also did the 5 day detox by Tone it up while she was here.  I have sort of been eating what I want the last few months and it was nice to get back on track.  I have found that Christmas is really hard for me to stay on track.  I also have a hard time getting back on track after Christmas.  I teamed up with my friend Melanie Iverson to train for a triathlon.  This has really helped with my motivation.  It has been so fun to train with someone and have a fun race to work toward.

I wish we lived closer to family; however, I know we have about 15 more years in here in Albuquerque.  This city has become our unexpected home.  All I can do is continue begging family to move here or just come for a visit.  I am so glad Susan was able to come and stay for a while.  We love her so much!