TRIP TO NEW JERSEY

One reason I was excited that James ended up working in Philadelphia is that we were close to New Jersey! As most of you know, I was a nanny out of High School and lived with the Martin Family of Berkeley Height NJ for a full year. I've kept in contact with them through the years and have been back to visit 2 summers ago but was very excited to go see them again!
James Parker and myself left Saturday morning, and drove 2 hours to their house. It felt so great driving into Jersey as we've made a lot of memories here. Not only did I live there for a year, it is where I met James!!! It was fun having James with me this time, and we were able to reminisce about the good ole days of dating!!
recap of how James and I met.... I was attending a family ward in Short Hills NJ. James was living in Jersey doing summer sales (yep same thing is is doing today, just different company) He had been attending the singles ward in Manhattan all summer but one day while he was out working he came across a spanish family and they asked him how he knew Spanish. He told them he went on a mission for his church to Brazil and knows Portuguese but has since learned Spanish. This led into him giving a first discussion and giving their names and numbers to the local missionaries. He invited them to Church one Sunday which happened to be the ward that I was attending. So we met in Sunday school one day and it was love at first sight!!! okay it wasn't really but we did meet and I had a group a girls that I ran around with and he had his buddies so we all started hanging out, going to the beach and what not. I was only living there for a few more weeks as my year was almost up and I was headed back to utah! I thought it was a summer fling and someone fun and hot to hang out with! needless to say... we kept in touch through phone calls and when he came back to Utah ( he was living in Orem, I was in St. George) he called me up to come down and visit one weekend and the rest is HISTORY!!! Married 10 months later and I am SO grateful I found the love of my life. Guess we both had to go to New Jersey to meet each other! haha
back to the Martin visit.... When we arrived at their house, they came out to greet us, hugged and went into their house. Parker was a little older then the last time we came to visit, so it was fun as he was able to play with their kids. We all went out to their backyard, hung out for awhile, let the kids run around and then got ready to go out to lunch together. They took us to a fun little restaurant called Chimney Rock. We had a great time reminiscing about when I lived there, and ate some great food! Later we went back to their house where they have this water slide in their backyard so the kids played in the water. They had a great time! It was crazy to think that I watched their kids long ago and now their kids are playing with my own!!! I felt so old. Parker loved them and followed them around their house all day! At the time when I lived there, Julia was 5 and Tommy was 2. Now Julia is turning 11 years old next month and I can't believe what a smart, beautiful girl she has turned into. Tommy is now 7 and has definitely changed the most! He was the same age as Parker is right now when I nannied him so it's amazing how much he has grown up. He's into soccer and baseball and is a great athlete. I can't believe how fast time has gone by and how much they have matured. They are great kids and I love them so much!
We stayed until around 6pm that night and then drove back to our house. I am so glad we were able to go visit them, it worked out perfect as I am leaving this week to go back to Utah! They are a great family and I am so glad that I have kept in touch with them and hope that I always will. THANKS ED CATHY JULIA AND TOMMY FOR SPENDING THE DAY WITH US!!