Family party

Being in an LDS ward means that you get very close to your neighbors. You see each other multiple times per week sometimes (with church and then weekly church activities), you serve in callings together and so get to know lots of different people that you may not know as well otherwise ... There's book group, play group, craft nights, movie nights, girls night out, etc.

So moving out of a ward is a big deal. We only moved a few blocks away, so we're technically in the same neighborhood ('ish) -- same school, same church stake -- but it still makes a big difference in who you see every week. And while we love our new house and have felt so welcomed by our new neighbors, we still miss our friends from our last neighborhood & ward. So what do you do when you miss someone? You find an excuse to get together!

The kids & I delivered invitations to everyone in our last ward and had a Family Night open house to see everyone. They all brought food to share and it was a fun night of yumminess, kids playing and adults staying and hanging out for the evening.

Loved the pile of shoes at the door. :)

I wish I'd taken pictures all evening because the crowd rotated and changed often. The kids were playing in every room in the basement -- hide & go seek seemed to be the favorite. We had about 70 people and wish we'd had more. We'll have to do it again this summer, bbq-style.