A Daughter Is a Wonderful Person to Have

My daughter, Carrie, came home from Guatemala last night. She's been gone since Last January, although she did come home for one week at the end of June.
It was so good to see her coming walking towards the baggage claim at the airport. We went from there to Chili's restaurant to meet her brothers. I could have sat there all night listening to my children talking. It just made my heart glad to see them together again.
Today we have already spent time talking, we went grocery shopping, and we tried a new recipe for baking peanut butter cookies. We're trying to plan out the days she is home, so that we make the most of the time we have together.
Carrie has grown into such a beautiful young woman. I am going to enjoy these next weeks as we share in the holidays, and share the thoughts and feelings that we have in our hearts.
Welcome home, Carrie!

Two more days

Carrie's coming home in two days. Just two more nights alone in this house. Two nights of eating supper alone, watching TV alone. I am so ready to have my daughter home. We'll cook together, watch some movies together, scrapbook, plan for the holidays, and decorate. And we'll have lots of time to talk.
Carrie won't be just sitting around home the whole time, though. I know she's going to reconnect with some friends, spend lots of time with her niece and nephews, do a little babysitting, and lots of shopping. We're going to the cabin one weekend too, and she'll want to spend time with her brothers at their new house.
I think it's going to be the best holiday season ever!

Christmas is coming

Yesterday Craig and I were out shopping, and we looked at Christmas trees. The artifical tree we have is at least 20 years old, and I'd really like a new one that would fit better in our house. This morning we got all the boxes of decorations down from the garage rafters. I am really in the mood to start decorating for Christmas. We looked out the window and saw our neighbors putting up their outdoor lights.
So, tonight I went to Target and bought a tree! I'd like to have it up before Carrie comes home - but I'll wait to decorate it with her. I can't remember ever being in the mood for Christmas this early in the year. Maybe it's because Carrie's coming home for Christmas, and she'll be here this Friday.

Only 5 more days

Carrie will be home in 5 days! My granddaughter, Izzy, can't wait for Aunt Kiki to get here so that they can spend time together. Izzy thinks that Carrie is coming home just for her birthday!

I can't wait for Carrie to get home either. We're going to have so much fun!

10 days and counting

Carrie is coming home in 10 days! We can't wait to have some time together. We've started making lists of things to do while she's home- shopping, eating out, scrapbooking, baking, decorating for Christmas, chatting, a weekend at the cabin, visiting friends and family. I know that the time will go by too quickly, but I am going to enjoy every minute.

A Weekend At Home

This past weekend we did not go to the cabin. Amazing, I know, but the weather wasn't too good up north. And besides, it was Halloween and we wanted to see all our little neighbors dressed up in costume.
We had a great weekend. We started it off on Friday night, cooking dinner together. Craig had found a recipe in a magazine that he wanted to try, so while I was at work he went grocery shopping. We made dinner together and it turned out really well. We made chicken parmesan with white potates and fresh cooked beets. Everything tasted great.
On Saturday we had fun going to a building supply outlet to look for doors, and then to an antique shop. We ate lunch at El Tequila in Northfield. The food there was excellent! After lunch we visited our grandchildren. We had just pulled into their driveway when a car pulled up and a woman asked if the people who lived in the house were home. It turned out that she was a newpaper deliverer and she had seen our granddaughter, Izzy, sitting on the sidewalk around the corner and she was crying. We drove around the corner and found Izzy. She had been trying to take some things to the neighbors and her bags broke. She didn't know what to do so she sat there in tears. After helping her make her deliveries we went back to the house. Izzy's beautiful smile returned, and she put on her Halloween costume for us. Andrew ran outside to meet us at the car, and asked "Poppa" to carry him. I think Craig held him almost the whole time we were there! Jake wasn't feeling well. His little face looked so sad! After saying hi to us he went back to bed.
We got home just in time to get ready for the trick or treaters. Craig had fun handing out candy and talking with the kids that came to our door.
On Sunday we began the day the right way, by going to church and worshipping our Lord God, the most high God. Then we met our son and his roommate for lunch at a chinese buffet. It was fun to eat and talk together.
Later in the afternoon our youngest son came over and watched the Vikings beat the Packers. It was a great game, and fun to watch it together.
Craig didn't have to leave to go to work until Monday morning, so it was the perfect weekend!