Home again, home again, lickty split!

I started writing this post last week, but got busy with life and never finished it. So here it is...a couple days later. Sorry it's so long, just could not make it any shorter and still give the feel of the wonderful trip we had.

The girls and I just returned from a 6 day venture up to N. IL to visit family and friends. I got a chance to go swing dancing again, very briefly, but I danced. I so miss swing dancing. We spent two nights and two days (Thurs-Sat)with my sister. Pleasant days, despite my car being towed (I didn't realize you needed a sticker to park her apt complex lot, and she forgot as we are her first visitors to stay overnight.) and then a parking ticket because we parked on the street between the hours of 2am - 6am. Now tell me, where does one park if you can't park in the lot and you can't park on the street?!?!?! Oh well...she'll be leaving that complex soon and moving to a much nicer one, one with a visitors lot! While there I rediscovered the joy of reading. I can't remember the last time I just sat down and read a book. Thank you JenG for so graciously watching my gals so I could! I finished a book on Friday, and started another one on Saturday! I had forgotten how relaxing reading is. I'm definitely going to have to find/make some time to read in my crazy schedule.
On Saturday afternoon Abby and I left Miriam with Auntie JenG and headed to my dad's house. We spent a relaxing evening at papa's just hanging out. I finished the book I had started at JenG's while Abby charmed her Grandpa all over again!
Sunday morning we headed to church where we reunited with Miriam and a worn out Auntie! hahaha! JenG now completely understands why I'm usually tired and at my whit's end most of the time! Miriam was proudly displaying her new "tatoos". Auntie has a rubber stamp temporary tatoo kits which my daughter loved! This little activity my sister did with my daughter got me thinking about all the fun crafty stuff we used to do with my mom. I haven't done much of any of that stuff with Miriam...just had really thought about that fact that she is old enough for all that. They grow up so fast! Anyway, when we got back to my dad's I decided to go digging through our old art closet to see what I could find in the way of craft stuff to "steal". I ended up in a two day cleaning and organizing project, but the treasures I found were so worth it! So many memories are tied to some of this stuff! I found Hello Kitty pre-inked stamps that date back to the mid 80's...and they still work!!! I found some of those four colored ink pens. You know the ones that you push down a different "clicker" for each color...and they still worked (probably a good 10 years old!). I found lots more stuff that took me back down memory lane. Miriam and I are going to have lots of fun making stuff with the treasures I brought home, the best things we'll make are the memories.
Monday I got to go visit a dear friend of mine, Betty Harbecke. She was my spiritual mentor while I was in high school. Some one I trusted and could go talk to about stuff I didn't want to discuss with my parents. She is like a favorite aunt to me and being in her presence again brought me so much joy and peace. She is one of those wonderful people who just make you feel so at home and comfortable. We had a wonderfully refreshing visit. Miriam LOVED her toy room!
I was supposed to return home Tuesday morning, but due to the weather forecast back home decided to stay one more day and drive back when better weather was predicted. This extra day was a blessing because it allowed me to go visit my favorite Aunt who was sick over the weekend so we couldn't see her when we had planned. My Aunt Sis (her real name is Marilyn, but she's my dad's only sister...so the family calls her Sis, thus she's Aunt Sis!) has always been like a second mom to me. Growing up we spent most Christmas' at her house Christmas afternoon, or when we lived in WI we'd be there for a couple days! I was so excited to discover that, due to her being sick, her house was still all decorated for Christmas. I had so missed Christmas at Aunt Sis' the past five years! She is so wonderful she even pulled out her Christmas dishes to use, which she had already cleaned up and had ready to pack away! Needless to say being there, with my Aunt (and Uncle when he got home from work) in that house full of so many warm and wonderful memories was a balm to my soul. I can't remember the last time I was so relaxed, or felt so refreshed and okay with life. I was also a joy to watch Miriam bond even more with my beloved Aunt and make her own special memories much like my own. Much to Miriam's delight we ended up staying the night, which was unplanned. Time got away from us and suddenly it was very late and snowing decently. Oh the memories that flooded back watching my daughter bounce around the room absolutely delighted in her sleeping bag bed! And she got to participate in one my favorite memories the next morning. I remember cooking breakfast with Aunt Sis many many times...and always with cinnamon raisin toast. This time Miriam helped make breakfast...cinnamon raisin toast included!
The next morning we headed off for my dad's again. After a brief visit, and packing up all of our stuff that was there (it was only supposed to be a day visit to my Aunt's so all our luggage was still at my dad's) we headed home.
I must say it is good to be home. It is wonderful to see Brad. Miriam and I were both homesick for him by the time we came home. I must admit, she was crying for him by day two away...it took me a little longer to really long to see him. Abby even blessed her daddy by a big smile when she saw him.
This trip made me realize just how nostalgic I have become. I really really enjoyed my trip down memory lane. It was so nice to relax with people who know me and with whom I have bond of love that spans years of my life. What a joy to watch Miriam (and Abby to some extent) "discover"these wonderful people who have touched my life in special ways. I really wish my girls could have known their Grandma Garden, but since they can't I'm glad they get to know the other "mom's" in my life. And, I'm gonna do my best to do the fun activities my mom did with me, with them! With all that said I want to leave you with this thought...taking time and making special memories is the best gift you can give anyone. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving year after precious year!