I think it is safe to say we have recovered, physically, from the exhaustion of phase one of the move (getting to the States). We are enjoying our extended vacation so much that we are in complete denial that phase two (getting to Kansas and receiving and unpacking our worldly possessions) even needs to occur.
For those familiar with our itinerary, we indeed made it to my cousin's wedding, which was beautiful, fun, hectic, and filled with wall-to-wall cousins, aunts, uncles, and loved ones galore. I love my family. All of them. Seriously. How many people get to say THAT? Ah, life is good.
After the wedding, we headed to Heron Island, a first for Madelyn and Tilly, but not for this old hat.
Chris and Dad and Hark finally resurrected the flagpole at the cottage, and Chris raised the flag that flew over his "office building" overseas when he was on the Ridiculously Long Business Trip. It feels right.
After a week of rain and wearing the same warm outfit every day and burning many trees' worth of logs to keep warm, we caravaned up to PEI, where I learned how to spell ceilidh. Alas, we didn't get to go to one, but we did go to a raucous Kitchen Party instead. It's like Prairie Home Companion, but Irish and Country-Western and Canadian. In other words, it's very PEI. The fiddler had us all stomping and slapping our knees, I kid you not. Some old ladies got up and step-danced. I ate rhubarb torte.
Between hunting down artisanal pottery and other treasures and gawking at the red-dirt cliffs and ocean- and wind-mill-farm views to die for, a few other things happened. Mom and I did a lot of cooking. We kayaked. We played Cootie (vintage, at that). I killed 7,000 mosquitoes. Madelyn had her first solid food.
And we were spoiled with beauty everywhere.
How can we possibly top this, you might ask? Well. As I type we are preparing for a newborn visiting double-header. Two of my dearest friends in the whole world recently had their babies (on the same day, even) and we get to go meet them, one right after the other. If you're lucky, you just might get to see pictures of little Elodie and little Gabriel before the week is out. If you're not lucky, you'll just have to believe me, they are sweet-as-candy adorable. This quasi-aunt is already swooning...
