Elizabeth’s Journal

I Want to Stay Here Forever

Friday afternoon Jonathan and I packed up to leave Amanda’s and headed over to Kathleen & John’s house to spend the night. We were most pleased to find Courtney & Matthew still there, and then even more pleasantly surprised to find out that Tim, Felicia, Cat, Gisele, and Hannah were coming over also! How sweet to have a nice uncle like John who uncomplainingly cooks for all these people who descend on his house every time I show up in town. I hadn’t told anyone else we were coming since I knew the house was not in its best state due to the recent pipe replacement and also since we were going to be there less than 24 hours, but of course our wonderful grapevine did its job, and I was happy it did.

At bedtime Friday night, Jonathan got to have his story read to him by his auntie Kathleen (up in Courtney’s bed—thank you Courtney!), and he was also accompanied by Hannah (Kathleen in the middle, of course). They read out of the Beatrix Potter book that Jonathan got from his uncle Lee et al. for Christmas, and Hannah seemed to be delighted with the story. Kathleen said that when she & Hannah left the room, Hannah said to Jonathan in a very sweet tone, “Good night, Jonathan. I love you so much.” K. and I agreed later in the evening over popcorn & ice cream that it’s too bad they don’t live closer together as we think their personalities might mesh nicely and they’d become good friends.

On Saturday morning I entertained Kathleen while she cleaned up the kitchen and did laundry by relating to her all the stuff I’ve found out over the last week about our family, going back to one of her ninth great-grandfathers. (John was also forced to listen since he was putting up drywall in the kitchen, but he said he didn’t mind.) It was fun to share it all with someone, and K. said it certainly made doing the chores a lot more enjoyable.