Recuperating!

 Last week was looonnggggg, very busy and very tiring!  

• (Last) Monday (April 3rd):  Dh spent several hours at the car dealership, waiting while a regular service check was performed. The brakes also had to be replaced. (Ouch!) 
• He also stopped on his way back home to see how his brother was doing. 
• Tuesday:  SIL took BIL for a lengthy medical appointment -- which meant we were up at 5 a.m. and at their house before 7:30 a.m. to stay with (and play with) Little Great-Nephew -- who was slightly more naughty/mischievous than usual (!)(but still really very good). Didn't get back home until 2:30 p.m. 
• Wednesday was an at-home day, but we were busy doing several loads of laundry. 
• I also received an email from my best friend from my working days:  her longtime partner has inoperable cancer.  :(  I tried to think of at least some small thing I could do or send to help, and wound up ordering something from Edible Arrangements to be delivered to her the next day.  
• Thursday: BIL & SIL had more medical appointments that took up most of the day. Thankfully, LGN's mom took the day off;  otherwise, we would have been on tap for another long day of babysitting. (We love the little guy, but he can be pretty tiring!!)  
• Instead, we spent the morning housecleaning.  
• I also spent half an hour on the phone when my friend called to thank me for the delivery.
• In the afternoon, we masked up and braved the mobs at the supermarket (all shopping for the upcoming long weekend) to pick up some things to take to BIL's on Good Friday, as well as for our own dinner on Easter Sunday. 
• At BIL's request, we also swung by ToysRUs to look for and buy a portable playpen/play yard that they can use for Little Great-Niece when she visits. 
• Good Friday:  We headed over to BIL & SIL's for dinner with both of our nephews, their wives and the kids (Little Great-Nephew and Little Great-Niece).  BIL's spirits were boosted considerably to be surrounded by his family and especially his grandkids... he made several comments about how wonderful they were, thanking the parents for this "beautiful gift" -- comments that would have wounded me deeply at one time, but (given the state of his health right now) I was able to (mostly) let it slide. Overall, we had a really nice time. 
• I did have a few other "ouch" moments, watching Younger Nephew's Wife open Little Great-Niece's Easter presents -- including lots of adorable tiny pink outfits from SIL and Older Nephew's Wife (as well as us!). She really is a cutie, though.  ;)  I got to hold her again for a while and she didn't fuss once. :) 
• Little Great-Nephew is still not overly impressed with his baby cousin (lol), but took several curious peeks into the playpen where she was laying while we had our meal, and even generously offered her some of his Easter chocolate. (But he was happy to take it back when we explained that she wasn't big enough to eat chocolate just yet, lol.)  
• Saturday got off to an early start with a 7:30 a.m. phone call from BIL (always an early riser and always surprised to find that we're not up yet! lol).  
• Later that morning, off we went, back to our old community, where we dropped by the cemetery with some Easter/spring decorations for Katie's niche, then for much-needed haircuts. And then to one of our favourite food stores to stock up on some items that we can't get hereabouts, before we headed back home. 
• Back at our condo, we put away the groceries, changed clothes, got back in the car and drove over to pick up BIL & SIL, and then to dh & BIL's aunt's condo. Earlier in the week, she'd called to say she'd been baking some traditional Italian Easter goodies and had some set aside for them. Her two daughters (dh's cousins) and one of her sons-in-law were there too, and we all had a nice visit over coffee. 
• After that, we went to Walmart to pick up a few things, and then to the supermarket for some takeout for dinner, which we brought back to BIL & SIL's to eat. 
• Finally got back home, exhausted, around 6:30 p.m. 
• Easter Sunday/Yesterday:  We were very happy to spend a quiet day by ourselves, lazing around at home!  We heated up a little pre-cooked ham, which was fine, and I made scalloped potatoes to go with it that turned out extremely well (yum!), and warmed up an apple pie for dessert. And dh flipped back & forth between the Masters golf tournament and the men's world curling championships final in Ottawa. 
• I called my mom. 
• I had a text from Parents' Neighbours' Daughter (PND) -- with an ultrasound photo!  Yes, she is expecting a THIRD baby, in August! -- a little brother or sister for the two Little Princesses (who will be almost 9 & almost 12 when their sibling arrives). (Yes, this one was a surprise! -- PND is now 39.)  She actually told us all at Christmastime, shortly after her pregnancy was confirmed -- but has not made any public announcements yet (albeit one will be forthcoming soon). 
• This morning, BIL & SIL had another lengthy (and early!) appointment -- so dh & I got up at 5 a.m. (!), aiming to be at their house when Older Nephew dropped off Little Great-Nephew for the day, around 7 a.m.  However, as I was gulping down my breakfast shortly after 6 a.m., Older Nephew called: both LGN and his mom are sick this morning, and he was staying home to take care of them both. :(  Disappointed not to get to see LGN -- but also glad we have another day to recuperate from a very busy week! (even if it did get a very early start!) 
• We do have to go out later:  dh's cousin's mother-in-law passed away last week, and visitation at the funeral home is today -- afternoon & evening sessions. We were going to attend in the evening, but now we'll go this afternoon.  
• Dh's birthday is tomorrow!  The agenda (and dinner menu) are entirely up to him. The weather is starting to get warmer and is supposed to hit 20C (!)/68F), so plans may include our first gelatos of the season.  :)  And the forecast is calling for 27C/81F on Thursday. (This is NOT normal...!)  

Here's to a quieter week ahead...!  Have a good one, everyone!  :)