Fully Alive…Ready to Smile

posted by erin on Oct 19

Okay, so here I am in lovely Illinois visiting an even lovelier Val : ) She’s sweeter than her blog give her credit for and yes, we can in fact be friends (or perhaps long lost sisters). It’s rather uncanny how similiar we are, and the similarities just keep appearing (even weirder how alike our husbands are).

(here we are after 2 LARGE glasses of wine, 7 pictures hung, 10 bones buried, 1 spinach dip made, lots of candy corn eaten and some wheat decorating…you can click on us to see how awesome we are larger than life).

I went to bed last night at 10:00 like a good girl. I was so excited that I couldn’t fall asleep until 1:00 which is not necessarily a good thing when you have to be up at 3:30, which I was. Then it was off to the airport for a 6:20 flight where I spent the next 56 minutes squished between two old men…awesome, I know! No sleep on that flight.

Against my mom’s better judgement I wore my Josh shoes to travel (in case you forget, they are 4 1/2″ heels). I had looked at a map of the Minneapolis airport so that I would better be able to figure out where I was going and it didn’t look THAT big. No problem for Josh shoes! Then I got to the airport. It was a looooonnnnnggggg walk. Many miles travelled in those shoes…but I looked good : ) (in case you didn’t really know, I’m only pretend vain so that I can make myself feel better).

Then it was off on another plane ride to Indianapolis where Val was waiting for me and it was like we just hadn’t seen each other in a long time. So comfortable and natural. We, needless to say, haven’t really stopped talking for the last 9 hours. I’m not even exhausted…that could be the wine, though. Her kids are great…Maia stared at me for the entire 2 hour car ride from the airport and then when we got to the grocery store and got out of the van suddenly there was a little warm hand in mine. I guess I passed the test : ) I love her to pieces. Noah’s still not sure about me, but he’s warming up to me and I got a few smiles…what a doll. I feel an affinity with Neil as he has the head shake down pat (not just for me, Val gets them too, so there!) and he’s so like Jer in so many ways (same height, same kind of personality).

We’re slowly working down the list of things to do to get ready for tomorrow’s party, so I should go get back to helping her and not sitting here talking to all you out there. Just wanted to let you all know that she’s not a 60 year old man and I’m quite safe and sound. More on our awesome advetures at a later date…