Just Us: And It Snowed And It Snowed And It Snowed.......

We were on the road again this past week....we went to Cleveland for our Financial Planner's Christmas Party and stayed with Rose and Joe. I was eyeball to eyeball to a Blue Jay who was munching on the bird feeder they have outside of their kitchen window, but I missed getting a picture of him. I did get some Woodpeckers and that was cool.

We saw Jon and the kids and had lunch (separately)--me with my sisters and Tony with Parker friends. We packed so much in and it was fun. We saw Donna and Bob, Chris and Shannon and of course, Emma.

After that, we headed to Charlotte to attend a baby shower for Bill and Andrea Kall and babysat Coleton on Monday. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, we picked up a bug and got really sick. I'm not sure who was taking care of who on Monday. I know Cole was in the kitchen, I just hope he wasn't cooking dinner.

Dixie had a rough time too. She threw up again and I spent hours in the back seat holding her. She did better, but was shaking the whole time. She didn't do well with the movement and I think the noise of the road bothered her too. West Virginia was one big ice puddle with freezing rain and traffic was nuts. By the time we arrived, I smelled like dog barf and second hand dog pee. But the good news was that she didn't throw up again....as long as I was in the back seat holding her. That may be my mode of travel from now on.

Rose and Joe were great hosts. We just chilled and enjoyed hanging out our first day. The Christmas Party was fun but again, the weather didn't cooperate. It snowed and snowed and snowed. It was a real reminder as to why we moved to North Carolina.

Sister lunch was fun too. Sarah joined us and we had fun pimping Lynn and just being together. Steve and Fritz got Tony and me engraved glasses as a host present from when they were down here....totally not necessary, but really, really nice.

We went to Jenna and Jon's from there and saw the kids and Jon. Oh what fun we had. We were not pushy with Ellie and Zach in case they didn't remember us, but in a few minutes they were all over us. This time, I got in on the "piggy back" rides--no, I didn't ask Tony for one, that would have crippled him for life...but Ellie and Zach asked me to ride them. That was a first and I really enjoyed them. Ben and Sam are huge. Ben almost comes up to my shoulders....how did that happen? I kept reminding him that he was at most supposed to be 2 or 3 and he just laughed at me and told me how much fun he was having being 7. He told us about school and showed us some of the things he made in pottery class. He's really good. He told me that his stuff was just as good as the stuff his dad made in school (college) and, of course, I had to agree.

Sam is a brick--still. He is solid and fast. He will be such a good athlete. I just love him. He is all boy, all voice and would make a great ninja.

Ellie told me that she was pretty and her father was handsome. Of course, a few minutes later, she said that she was handsome and her father was pretty. She told me her Mommy was pretty and had pretty hair. I asked what her Mommy's name was and she said, (OF COURSE....) MOMMY.

Zach just got up later and was tentative at first, but soon, was jumping around with Papa and me and having a good time. It was nice of Jon to be there for us so we could see the kids. We will be back in a few weeks for a wedding and will see them again. That visit just made my day.

Tony and Marie were hosting a baby shower for Bill and Andrea Kall, who are expecting a little girl in January--Aviana Nicole Kall. It was really depressing to find out that the 7 and a half month pregnant woman in the room weighed 30 pounds less than I did. But she looked great and I'm sure will have a beautiful baby.

Coleton was great. He was a great host and shared his toys with his friends during the shower. Their trees looked great (they have 3!!!) and it was a really nice shower. He is speaking better and is extremely mobile!!

I was in bed by 5:30 yesterday, sick as a dog. I missed dinner and seeing Coleton this morning, but that was probably a good thing.

I'm starting to re-think that old saying that "home is where the heart is," I think that "home, is where ever you are, as long as you are with people you love." Maybe the same message, but this visit was full of heart and people we loved and loved being with.

Highlights: