Friday, March 1, 2013

The Trip

Despite the long day I had on Wednesday, I have to say that the trip overall was a success.  I got to see my sister.  I got to see my Mom.  I played with my sister's dog and got to know my nephew as an adult (because I haven't seen him in twelve years and he was just a tadpole then.)  I met my sister's husband for the first time - even though she's been married for ten years. 

And I set my little bird free.

But enough about that.  I'm doing an excellent job of not thinking about it (and therefore not crying about it) and I plan to keep it that way.  She's out there, taking the first steps into her adult life and I'm proud of her. 

Anyway, here's the beginning of the trip...






We weren't supposed to sit together, but thanks to 'online check in', I managed to move our seats around.  Yay.  It's not as much fun flying alone.  And trust me, we have fun flying. 

And here's a shot of Chicago as we came in for a landing...


Not a bad shot through the plane window, eh?



We got to my sister's house about 6-ish, and then just hung out, catching up and getting to know our family members again.  Nice and relaxed.  The next day was pretty cool.  We drove up to Lansing, did some stuff, and then drove back.  I even got to eat lunch at Big Boy!  (Sure, not an exciting thing for most people, but I haven't eaten at a real Big Boy in over a decade, so it was a highlight of the trip.)  I also got to drink Vernors*.

The next couple days were just spent hanging out, running errands, catching up and getting things set for the Kid to transition from living in Colorado to being a Michigander again. 

Sunday I snatched my sister and my daughter up.  We drove a couple hours east to see my Mom...





She wasn't laughing at me, she was laughing with me.  (Although, from the look on my face, she should've been laughing at me.  I had a total 'ermagerd' look going on.)

Unfortunately, most of the pictures I took turned out blurry.  I blame it on a lack of sleep making my hands shake.  Here's a slightly blurry pic of my sister**...


I took a picture of her while she was taking a picture of me - because we're silly that way.

All in all, it was a great trip.  It was nice to be able to hug my mom and my sister again.  The internet is a wonderful thing for keeping in touch, but really being there is so much better.  Now I just need to make sure it isn't another 12 years before we're together again.




* If you have never had Vernors, you will never understand why I make it a point to drink a bunch while I'm in Michigan.  Oh, the gingery goodness.


** I could never get away with posting pics of my mother and my sister if their faces weren't obscured in some way.  Trust me when I say they're both beautiful, though.

10 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had a great time. Love the shot out of the plane!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like you had a great time.

    Love the shot out of the plane!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your trip sounds wonderful. It's so lovely when families are able to get together and have fun.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 12 Years! That's a long time to go without seeing family, B.E. - so glad you got the opportunity to travel with your daughter and to visit with your sister and mom!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It was a great time. Thanks for liking the shot, JB! (Who I think is also Unknown, but I didn't want to delete the comment in case it wasn't hers.)

    It was a wonderful trip, Debs. =o)

    I know, Janet. It sucks, but sometimes life gets in the way. And it's only been 4 years since I saw Mom and my other siblings. My sister just couldn't make it over when I was there last time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, good, because 12 years!!! It's hard when family is so far away - I blame it on Canada being too big (wouldn't be a problem if it was, say, the size of France)!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds like you spent lots of quality time! Trips are fun but it's always good to be home. And with your daughter living there now I'm guessing you'll be back more often!

    ReplyDelete
  8. So glad the trip went well and how wonderful to reconnect with your family. Daughter will be fine! You are a good mom to let her test her wings, but with a nest she can rely on if needed.

    Now, get on with the rest of your life! ;)

    Vernors is good stuff and man, I hadn't thought about a Big Boy in ages! And your mom and sister ARE beautiful. Just like you!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Having family on the other side of France from you would be a breeze, Janet. The other side of North America?? Bleh.

    We'll see how that works out, Karyn, but I like the way you think.

    Thanks, Silver. I'm trying to be a good mom - and sometimes that's the best you can do. And we're getting on with it. As for the compliment... Thank you and aww, shucks. :blush:

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds fun! I want to try Vernors now. And I definitely hope you get to connect again in less than 12 years.

    ReplyDelete