Sara and Baby Lucas visit

Elissa needed to get in on the action when Sara and I were taking side by side pictures of the babies.
You will note that Hunter is not in the pictures. Yes, we miss Hunter who departed earlier this week for a family visit to the west coast. This is an annual event for him since he was a small boy but it is never easy for him to leave. Elissa says “Hunter back” often and looks in his bed to make sure he is not just sleeping late in there. Thanks to a pre-paid cell phone, unlimited text messaging and mobile to mobile minutes we will keep in touch with him often. Plus I printed off a bunch of pictures for him to keep in his back pack to look at when he is missing his sisters and the rest of us. Until he returns Hunter is following this blog and we will keep him updated on Anika’s growth spurts and Elissa’s adventures. We love you Hunter James and miss you every day but know you are having a lot of fun!

The babies are five weeks a part. Lucas is the big handsome boy and Anika is the peanut pretty girl. We will be taking pictures of them by one another for years to come.

Sara and I spent a majority of our time together nursing our babies, burping, changing a lot of diapers and being entertained by Elizabeth. We had no schedule and mostly just talked. When you have a friend for nearly 30 years, almost our entire life times, our conversation comes naturally and we enjoy doing nothing together. Nothing meaning no intense schedule, no shopping, no going out and about (plus where are we going to go out here?). It was relaxing, easy and fun. As young girls, we certainly never thought about being mamas together that would sit in our living room, nurse our babies and change diapers together–and that it would be so much fun! We have a fulfilling friendship that has endured and blossomed through the decades of our lives.

Don’t we look like some sporty moms? Just add some ankle weights and we would be kicking it.

Nathan put together the double stroller that arrived via Ebay this week. Spending $250 on a new Graco double stroller seemed high to me but the double jog strollers I would love to have are anywhere from $400-700 new. So I perused Ebay for a few weeks waiting for the right “like new” specific Graco stroller I wanted to show up for the price I wanted and $86 plus shipping later, it is here. Yes I have become a bargain hunter…in some aspects of my life. Sara and I strolled together down the driveway to the neighbor’s and back. It is a heavy thing but very useful to have both girls in it. We did go walking together minus Elissa and used the single stroller with only Anika which was a much easier push for me. However, I plan to use the double stroller now every day. I have plenty of baby weight to lose before my sister’s wedding next spring and that double stroller is going to get me moving again.

While finding a home for the double stroller in the garage, I pulled out all of our strollers. Plus you’ll see Elissa was pushing her baby stroller. We have three kids and only two are stroller worthy. Sorry Hunter, you are a stroller pusher or bike cart tower. But now we have five strollers, one qualifies also as a double bike cart. The jog stroller Sara found at a garage sale in her area for $25 and delivered it to us last summer. We just like good deals. Nana is keeping a stroller now at her house for grand daughter walks.

Don’t get any ideas that we plan to fill up all of these strollers with babies. But we definitely will have a stroller or two ready for shopping trips with kids, trips to Disney World, daily walks and family bike rides.