the trip home

ok sorry for the delay. Here is the long-awaited posts about vacation and goings-on since the last post on my first day of vacation.

The last few trips home for me have not been the most pleasant. Not because i didn't love being there, actually that was the problem. At the time- I wasn't happy being in Ottawa, which meant leaving home (Kingsville) all the more difficult. Let me tell you, getting into a car for a 9-hour drive (alone) going to a place that after 9 years you question if that's where you're meant to be- makes that drive seem all that much longer. Everytime I've left, mom worries a little more- she worries about me not loving life, about me not being happy, and especially about me being too hard on myself.

This particular vacation home was unlike any other. It was filled everyday with visiting people whom I've been reconnected with thanks to Facebook, and oodles of time to spend with my pumpkin niece who at 5 (and a half) is the light of my life and the two of us had some very special times together, that I hope she will remember for years to come.

The reason I went home was because my darling niece asked me back at Christmas to come home for her first dance recital- tap and ballet. I couldn't reisist- she wanted me to be there so I did! She was so adorable... we took her to get her hair done and I did her make-up she was a little diva. It was so precious. When she got on stage, she saw me front and centre with my camera and waved as if no one else was int he audience. I don't know how she found me- but she did... She was so adorable. We bought her a bouquet and gave it to her after the show for her brilliant (i.e. she didn't fall) performance.

So thanks to Facebook I was able to meet up again with friends of mine from elementary school (go mighty Bees of St. Michel!) which considering our graduating class had 12 students and I grew up in a small town- these peeps were more like brothers and sisters. Jackie and I were very close in elementary school, but hung around different crowds in highscool and of course went to sepearate universities. Jackie lives in oakville now and was going to be home the same weekend I was- so we decided to hit up theclubs and do some damage! I will say this about that: going to the Honest Lawyer on a Saturday night when there's Stanley Cup Finals hockey on- you'd expect to have it playing on TV- well it was, without sound because back home the (not so mighty) Detroit Pistons were getting their collective arses kicked by the Cleveland Cavaliers and apparently the guys in the bar wanted to have the sound for the basketball game. Needless to say whent he Sens won that game, I was the only fool cheering in the bar! Met up with my good buddy JP that night too- JP and I have been friends for 20 years- and I think that (thanks to MSN) I've probably been in most contact with him over the years... mind you we rarely see one another when I go home... I also met up with an old boyfriend from highschool and we went to the local pub where we then saw literally a dozen people we knew. I also got the chance to hang out with my dear friend Denis. I'm so happy he found me on Facebook. That guy is awesome.

Hanging out with mom at Art in the Park (big craft show at a gorgeous park in windsor) was really nice- extremely hott, but nice. It was a difficult time for mom as she always went to this with my Aunt Pat-her sister who passed away in October. Who knew a craft show could be so emotional! that night- we decided to have a family picnic at the park in Kingsville. Mom's potato salad was the hit of the picnic. The table that we sat at even had the name Matt carved into it which meant somehow my brother living out in Alberta was a part of it too...

I also had dinner with Meaghan and Kelly and got to see Lisa with Silver who's now running around and is such a toddler and Lisa's bun in the oven- the un-named princess-to-be will be born in October. It was so good to see these girls. They are sisters to me. I love them very very much and am reminded why everytime we talk.

Shopping in the States with Jen on Monday was dangerous. We knew it would be. thanks to that trip- I now own a small share in Victoria Secret, Forever 21, Bath and Body Works and Abercrombi and Fitch. Most items were on sale- all were wonderful- us two gals spent an obscene amount of money in less than 5 hours, and luckily for us we got the pretty girls discount through customs and sailed right on through! I'll spare you the pic of me with all my shopping bags...

Tuesday was Aunt Becky and Bailey Day. She went to day care in the morning so i could sleep in (thanks to my sis for that brilliant idea) then i picked her up before lunch. We decided to go see Shrek the third. We decided (i.e. I decided) we were going to watch the 1pm show up in windsor- it's the baby-friendly one. I know she's 5 but hey it was super cheap and i didn't correct anyone when someone referred to me as her mother...My brother i.e. Uncle Matt made Bailey a Shrek doll at one of the make your own teddy bear places so we had to bring that to the movie. Bailey also received a Shrek face mask. Luckily she decided not to wear it the entire movie... but the pictures are too cute! So with Shrek on her lap and Bailey on mine, we snuggled and watched Shrek the third together. After which we went home and I napped (she had the luxury of doing so in the car ride home).

Throw in visits witht he G-parents, sleeping in and good times with mom and my sister, and you've got one grand vaca home! Leaving on Wednesday was surprisingly one of the easiest things to do. Was it because i knew i didn't have to go to work the very next day? Was it because I truly had an amazing time at home and spent quality time with people I love? Was it that somehow I knew something huge in my life was about to happen??.... maybe a bit of all