An Al Fresco Lunch

We tried sleeping in the guest room because the new mattress is a tiny bit smelly,

but I had a restless legs (in fact, a whole body restless!) night and I was twitching and getting up to walk and stretch, so I went back in the master bedroom.

I barely got any sleep, so the fact that I made it to the end of the day without breaking down in tears or having a road rage incident is a miracle!

Before lunch, Mark, Jillian, Cora, Esme, and my parents came over to see the updates we've done lately to the house.

Esme LOVES animals and was immediately excited by the birds at the feeder.

She trucked right over there and started smiling and waving at them.

I feel the same way about birds (and animals in general!) 

Cora looked for the (hidden and terrified) cats and then got interested in all our books.

She asked if we had any we would be willing to share with her.

Of course, we found some!

Then we took off for lunch at the Original Chop Shop in downtown Chandler

(which has experienced a reinvention that has led to some great restaurants and fun stuff - and it looks cool, too).

We sat outside, where there's a huge connect four style game and this BIG chalkboard

with a bucket of chalk.

Cora dove right into drawing stuff. 

This is a heart: 

This is a heart, too. 

She worked very hard!

This says "Cora":

Grandma drew a house!

We even got to eat!

Esme was very excited about that.

She had some of a fruit parfait made with dragonfruit, which was bright pink!

PINK, PINK, PINK!

After lunch, we hung out some more and the adults got to eat.

Esme ran around in the little turfed area and smiled and bewitched every passer-by.

I'm surprised she didn't get stolen!

"I like to be on the move!" 

She loves her Grandpa, too.  Look at that cute little hand on his knee! 

She was scared of the chalk at first, but Grandma encouraged her to be brave, and she was! 

 "I love Papa!"

Esme loves Grandma, too!

I LOVE THIS PHOTO!!!!!

All these photos are precious, but this one was a quick aim and snap and I expected it to be blurry, but the camera did a great job and this photo turned out and it's up close and sweet and everyone looks happy and beautiful.

"Hi!  I'm EsmeLou Who and I live in Who-Ville!" 

Cora and I got to draw a bit. 

I drew a palm tree and an apple and an ocean with fish and a shark and a cloud with some rain.

 The older boy behind us drew a fish in the shark's mouth - ha!

I snuck in some stealth snuggles!

It was a wonderful day with the blessings of family.

Greg and I read and went to bed early last night and I slept MUCH better

(in the afternoon I did prayer & meditation, yoga, and I'm back on the Melatonin, an herb known for helping to regulate sleep schedules - made in the gut, and people with Crohn's usually have decreased intestinal absorption, so we often don't make enough and have bad sleep patterns).

Today I'm my positive and happy hopeful self again - yay!

Though I think I'll still take a nap, just for fun.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend

and maybe even a nap!