Where Is Everyone??

The Hines Four

So here we are.  Mid-August already.  How did this date arrive so fast?  After three solid months of houseguests (plus or minus a few days here and there) the last of our Summer visitors have headed home.  Having people stay with us and be part of our daily lives and routine (or lack thereof) has been the new norm for us, and I'm not sure how it will be without people here...quiet??  Is that possible with 4 kids under the age of 5?  Will it be lonely?  It has become so normal for the kids.  Chloë has asked me quite a few times if "after these guests leave, can we start over??".  She wants to start the cycle again with Gramma & Grandpa visiting, then Aunt Helen & Aunt Traci, followed by Myke's sister and her family, then the Stocker family, then Mom-Mom & Pop, etc.  She really loved having all the different visitors.  

I tried to do a count and I think we had 21 different people spend the night here over the summer, some for a month or longer, some for just a night.  And, honestly, it has been a lot of fun!  There is definitely an entertaining aspect of it that can be exhausting after 3 months straight...but we didn't really let that happen because we kind of stopped "hosting" and expected our guests to just help themselves when they needed something.  We already have 4 kids and a dog to feed, so we weren't exactly cooking up big breakfasts and meals for everyone.  Sorry!  That's just the way it goes.  We couldn't keep up with that for 3 months, even if we wanted to!   The Hotel Hines is no bed & breakfast...  I like to think we offer a "working holiday" of sorts for our guests.   I think most people understood...and everyone who came pitched in in some way or another, whether it be taking the dog out in the morning, walking the kids to preschool, running to the grocery store, helping with baths and bed, doing dishes, etc.  It's a team effort.  If it takes a village to raise one child....imagine four.  

Right now the house is a disaster downstairs.  Breakfast dishes are all over, the dishwasher needs unloading, the carpet needs a vacuum, clothes need folding, the guest bed needs stripping... but instead of doing all that, I'm taking a breather and writing this.  Now that Chloë, Owen and Eli are all in preschool on Monday and Friday mornings, I'm really looking forward to a little quiet time to myself during that time.  The "should do's" can wait right now.  Ella is napping.  There is about 20 minutes until we need to go and pick up the kids (those morning are nice, but man do they go by fast!).  I'm looking forward to those two mornings per week to run errands with only one child in tow, get some things done around the house, just sit and have a few moments of peace and quiet, and to just have time with just Ella.  Ahhhhh.....

On another note, last weekend we had both Ella & Elijah baptized.  One summer, three baptisms!  Here are some photos from that and a few other occasions:

Post- Baptism Photo

La Jolla United Methodist Church

(Pastor Walt is in a t-shirt as it was the end of vacation bible school this particular Sunday and they were celebrating that during the service as well)

Elijah and his godparents:  Vanessa & Hagan Briggs

Visiting from Virginia

Ella and her godparents:  Anie Benton & Hunter Walker

Ella & Hunter

This is the Christening gown that I wore when I was baptized as a baby.

Chloë wore it at her baptism in July 2009, as well.

Hagan & Ella

the girls!

Ella nuzzling Vanessa

Breakfast at Ki's on the beach.

(photo quality not that great...)

I'm a big girl!  

Portable "high chair" contraption.

Ella & Myke

Gramma sent a new Wisconsin shirt for Chloë

Ella is sitting up on her own now!

New pool toy.  I couldn't resist!

And last but not least: Heidi!

Super-Woman!

Our very first non-family member to babysit all four kids!

Actually, the ONLY person to take on ALL FOUR kids by herself...at bedtime!

She put all four to bed...Ella doesn't really take a bottle so we weren't sure how it would work out...but it was fine..AND Ella slept 7:30pm - 5am straight (after the past month waking up every night between 1 & 3am...ugh!).  We need Heidi to come every night!  

I don't think I have even had to put all four to bed on my own...

Heidi is awesome!