We met LaPaz Home Learning!

(Update: fixed the pictures -- I think. Please let me know if they're loading ....)

On Friday, I mentioned missing Poetry Friday because we'd had some visitors.

The special guests who arrived on Thursday were none other than the Lapaz Home Learning family, trekking across the U.S. on their way to Alaska! (I was teasing her when I said she'd just have to go through Nebraska, but was thrilled that she took me up on it.)

After what could have been much better directions from me (i.e., directions that would have led them straight to our house rather than halfway through the town and back again -- I'm directionally challenged, and usually say things like, "Well, I know exactly what the street looks like, but I'll be darned if I know its name ....") our esteemed guests found our home, arriving in the middle of a downpour. They were quickly ushered into the house for -- what else? -- coffee.

We sat down to the brew and Theresa's husband, Ed, very kindly gave us the gift of his new book, Cuban Exiles on the Trade Embargo: Interviews. It looks great, and the story behind how it came about was so interesting, too, and we indulged in a bit of writers' chat. Very fun. (Ed had the notable experience of having his book accepted by the very first publisher to which he submitted it. Congrats again, Ed, on its publication!)

Theresa and Ed:


I, being the picture of gracefulness that I am, promptly dribbled coffee down the front of my shirt, betraying my nervousness and self-consciousness about meeting new people. But all of that quickly faded away (and I don't think I spilled anything else the rest of the visit, not even my wine) as the conversation was relaxed and flowed easily.

The kids and I had planned to take the family to a park to stretch their legs, but those plans were set aside due to thunderstorms, so we lazed around, gobbled up Atticus's delicious grilled dinner, talked, enjoyed a great many chocolate chip cookies, moderate amounts of beer and wine (not WITH the cookies, of course), more talk, and finally commented on how all the kids must be getting along tremendously because we barely heard them all evening other than some screaming, running and door slamming.

All the kiddos --
Betsy, Superboy, JBug, Ramona, Anne-with-an-e:


They stayed overnight and were on their way on Friday morning.

Theresa and Ed are wonderful, fun, funny people, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with them. Superboy and JBug are cuter in person than they are on Theresa's blog and I am so grateful for the internet and for the amazing homeschooling community that it helps to create. What a blessing! If the Gonzalez family is ever tooling through Nebraska on their way anywhere, they know they have a place to stay. No longer would it be with "people we don't really know."

It will be with friends.

Morning coffee:



Betsy and Anne helping Superboy load up and getting their last dose of dog time: