Surprise Surprise!

I am having one of those moments where my mind is working so much faster than my mouth, and in this case, my typing fingers. It has been one extraordinary week and finally a moment to share!

About a month ago I got the idea to surprise my Mom with a visit for her Birthday. After much thought I decided to travel with Asjia. I struggled with who to take, but thought it would be nice to have some girl time with my sweet baby. With a few great people in place to help me pull this off, it went almost EXACTLY as planned:)

The plan:
Using a stand-by ticket compliments of my sis who works for US Airways, we hoped to make it on the 1:45 flight. Arrive in Dallas at around 3:45pm, my other little sister Sam would pick us up and we would race to my Mom's job. I made Asjia a t-shirt that read, "I am here to say Happy Birthday to my Nina". We thought it would be great to send her in the lobby and look like a lost child. My Mom would definitely be on the scene immediately after hearing the buzz of a lost child. She would then realize that that child was her own Granddaughter. All went as planned until Asjia began crying and was apprehensive about entering a strange place without Mommy, so I came in and hid. My Mom was called up and saw Asjia first. The look on her face was one of total and utter confusion. She slowly entered the lobby with a look of disbelief on her face(she later told me she thought she was day dreaming) and scooped up Asjia. It was just a few short moments before they were hugging and kissing and giggling in their own little world. It was the greatest surprise ever. We had such a wonderful time, even if only a short one.

Here are some things I observed while on the trip...

People are truly wonderful beings. So many people offered a helping hand as I was trying to make my way through two of our nations craziest airports with a child, two bags, and a carseat in tow.

As hard as it is, when you separate multiples it truly gives them a special time to blossom. I was amazed at my precious little girl the whole time. She held my hand the whole time, she never once cried, she added so many new words to her vocabulary, and spoke so many new sentences. She was Mommy's little sidekick and she sucked up every moment of it. She LOVED the freedom of walking beside me through the airport, the malls, and in to restaurants. Getting adjusted back in to the choo choo or the stroller will be quite interesting. It was also really special for me to be able to give her my undivided attention and really appreciate all of her. She is such an angel.

No matter how much I fantasize about a moment away, I could barely stand being away from my boys and my Husband. It feels so un-natural to be separated. I realized just how tight of a unit we are, and how empty I feel without the everyday craziness, the bucket loads of love, and the noise level of my own little family. Coming home was bittersweet. I could almost feel the tender hugs and hear my boys saying Hi Mama! as I imagined walking through the door. When I saw them, they looked like they had grown, Chris said the same thing about Asjia. Even the scent of my Husband was so much more noticeable. It was that sweet yet manly smell that I used to long for when our Love was just beginning and our relationship was long distance. I miss my Mom and Dad terribly and can only hope and pray that it is God's will for us to be together as one big happy family in the same city someday.

My very surprised Mommy in the wee hours of the night, hence the sleepy faces.

My little sister Sam and I, acting very delirious well past any normal person's bedtime.

My precious Daddy and I.


After a night out on the town with my Husband, and a couple of days away from home, I feel as if our life and even our marriage has been refreshed. It was just the right amount of quality time with and away from one another to give us both a new appreciation for each other and our lives. What we have money cannot buy, it is an extraordinary gift from God. Chris was so great while I was away. He took perfect care of home. The word on the street was that he even had the boys perfectly coordinated and looking very stylish on their evening out. The house looked great and he even managed to get all of the laundry done! What a stud;)