Is that the Chattanooga Choo-Choo?

We left to pick Zoë up from spending a week at Rosie and Austin's house right after church on Sunday last week. She had a good and busy time at Rosie's house—they went to a stake primary activity, a water park, a fun farewell party at a playground for one of Rosie's friends, and did a lot of other fun things! 

Rosie and Austin were kind enough to drive down and meet us in Chattanooga (we took a 5-seater car and left Miriam and Benjamin at home because our van is...the way it is) so it wasn't too far of a drive. 

We met at a park by the zoo and the kids enjoyed playing with each other for a couple of hours (even though it was hot) while the grown ups visited. 

Zoë loved being a baby whisperer and entertaining her little cousins, but I think she found that it was exhausting work (and...she got bit a couple of times by an angry toddler). On the way to meet us at the park she told Rosie that she's glad she's not a permanent member of Rosie's family (because at least after all that work she gets to go home). 

Turns out it's exhausting to have three kids five and under!

I have lived through those odds myself and can confirm that it is, indeed, exhausting. 

But it does get better!

Or at least...different.

It can still be exhausting (see my post about June) but just in different ways...that somehow don't feel as desperate. I think having everyone be able to feed, toilet, and clean (up after) themselves helps a lot. It is stressful to have multiple people dependent on you for everything. Hurrah for independence!

My mom texted to ask when Zoë was coming home soon after we arrived, so I snapped this picture to show that we were in the process of bringing her home right then:

Here are a few more pictures of the cousins enjoying each other (and the playground):

Here's Andrew taking a turn with Dean (before I stole him, meaning Dean, back):

And here's a picture of our group together before parting ways:

It was a fun little afternoon, but a little sad knowing it was the last time we'll see Rosie and her family for a while. We'll have to organize some video calls with her kids so these little girls keep remembering each other!

Oh, and the kids were excited that our route out of the city took us through the long tunnel! Sometimes we go through this tunnel when we drive through Chattanooga and sometimes...we don't...and we haven't ever quite figured out when or why we'll be routed this way, so it's always exciting when we get to drive through!