Home...

After a wonderful spring break trip to Lynden...we are home! We were gone eight days. Eight very busy, jam packed, running around, crazy, wild days! We stayed at my parents house. We love staying there. This time was strange because they weren't there. They are off being "snowbirds". My time was full of appointments, working at Dutch Mother's, friends, shopping and shuttling the girls from place to place.

Brielle, devoted all of her time to Larissa and opted out of seeing anyone else since Larissa is her best friend and the only one that really matters. She felt her time was well spent. I think she is wise. She is loyal. She had a wonderful week and wouldn't have changed a thing! I called home a couple of days before we were coming back to tell Erik how excited I was. Brielle told me she was excited to go home...to Calgary!! We both had concerns that going back would be difficult for her, which ultimately means difficult for us. I had envisioned a flight home where all I heard about was how she didn't want to come back, is making plans to ultimately live with Nana...but NO, she missed home, missed daddy, missed her friends here and that made us feel so great. We haven't wrecked her life. She is happy.

Taya had a totally different Lynden vacation than all of us and I probably only saw her for a total of 2 hours the entire time we were there. She saw ALL her friends. She had sleepovers with 4 different families. She had multiple playdates with her "besties" Emily Gish and Abby Miller and Mara Gimse. Christine (Emily's mom) was, as always, "supermom". She held a party for 7 girls, they iced cupcakes and made crafts, and basically made Taya feel like royalty! On the plane ride home she informed me that Demi has grown since we went there and she is so happy she has 27 close friends. Half in Lynden and half in Calgary. God knew she would be the middle child. She is "go with the flow". She is easy going. She has 27 "best" friends across North America. I love that girl!

Demi, had playdates with Kestin and Ethan. Kestin is her best girlfriend and she really wants to hold her by herself and smother her with kisses. She calls her "Kiki" and thinks she is perfect. She loved playing at Aunty Stef's and had her first sleep over away from mama. She loves to do anything that Ethan does, he has fun toys, they played hide and seek and had so much fun and Ethan likes to hug and kiss her as much as she wants to hug and kiss him. She sat like a "little lady" in the shopping carts on multiple shopping trips while mommy bought all the things we can't get in Canada. She missed daddy so very much and has not let anyone else help her or hold her since we have been home.

The highlights of my trip were being with Kim and Kestin. I always cry when I arrive and see them and I cry again when I leave. Kestin is beautiful. She is growing and smiling and cooing. I can't even imagine our "girl group" without her. I wish it wouldn't have been so busy. I could've spent the whole eight days just holding her and being with Kim. I loved all the girl time Stef and Kim and I had at night once the kids were off to bed. We had a fun afternoon with Tiff and kids, sharing chicken strips and Naniamo bars from Dutch Mothers and watching the children play. Olivia "wowed" us with 12 different outfits and then settled in on a tinkerbell tutu she continued to wear for days after our visit. That kid is such a hoot! Stef and I had a blast on more than one shopping trip and Thai food. One of my best moments was finally connecting with Traci Likkel for a quick lunch. She is one of those people I haven't gotten nearly as much time with over the years as I would have liked to and yet we are an easy fit. Kindred spirits, people who could at any moment evolve into bestest friends if given any amount of time. Conversation flows easy and lots of laughs...thanks Trac! As always, I love to see the Dutch Mothers crew...they are like family. Some of them have been in our lives for 15 plus years. I had a wonderful time subbing for my mom's bunko group. It was so much fun catching up with all of them. AHHHH...such a good trip!

When it was time to leave I was so ready. Our hearts were full and we all agreed that it had been a wonderful visit. I have heard that is the sign of a great vacation...when you are ready to go home...and we were. I missed Erik so much. We could have been heading back to Antarctica and I would have been estactic. Because wherever he is...is where home is.