Weekend Recap from trip to Minnesota

I just got home last night and since I didn't take my camera with me (trying to keep the carryon light) I am relying on my parents & sisters to forward some photos my way...so, I will apologize for not having any at this time.

The weekend was very nice and relaxing - very different feeling than the anxiety I use to feel when I would go to MN and stay with my parents. The sister who graduated didn't have a clue that I was coming in for this event. In fact, she & her husband sent out an Evite for a dinner that they were organizing for after the graduation ceremony...which I didn't respond to at first. I purchased my airline ticket in the middle of April, but still didn't respond. After a conversation with my mother on April 30, she told me that my sister was asking if I was coming...and since she hates being surprised, therefore making it fun to surprise her, I told my mother that I would email her and tell her that I wouldn't be able to come. So, on May 1, I wrote an email stating that "due to all the hockey travel our family incurred since the beginning of the year, our finances were tight and we really needed to cut back inorder to catch up." I continued to tell her how proud I was that after dropping out of college when she was college age - going back to finish college 3 years ago and then graduating now with a Masters was totally unexpected...I would definitely be there in spirit and thought, but just couldn't make it in person. The morning of May 2 my mother called laughing..."you did it," she said, "your sister is pissed off at you big time; she is ready to blast you with an email or phone call to tell you that your priorities in life are screwed up."

She never did call or email. Earlier last week I received the follow up Evite that says, "you have not responded yet." So, to make it official, I decided to respond by saying "no" and wrote a similar response in the comment box explaining why I would not be able to attend. So, I get to my parents' house on Friday - that evening my mother has planned to have both of my sisters and their families over for a BBQ. At 5pm, my graduation sister arrives and I hide behind a wall while she gets out of the car and to the front door...just as she starts to enter with her DH and daughter, I walk over to help everyone in the door. She looks up at me, drops her purse, grabs me and starts to cry. She couldn't believe that I actually came. She felt, with me here, her graduation would feel complete. That whole scene made the trip priceless and definitely worthwhile.

Saturday morning she came over and we took a wonderful walk...it was a cool (38 degrees) windy, sunny morning (a perfect Minnesota morning with lush green trees and the blooming lilac bushes). We walked over 6 miles and talked about everything. It was good. I can't say that we have the most wonderful relationship, but as sisters go we all love and support each other. That afternoon was the graduation ceremony, followed by the dinner and then a surprise party thrown by her husband. My parents, grandmother and I made an appearance and then went back to their house.

Yes, my 90 year old grandmother flew up from South Carolina to witness this graduation as well as visit with her grand-daughters and her great-grandchildren (my younger sister has 2 kids). So, aside from surprising my sister and being in MN for her, I got to visit with my grandmother again - as well as my parents. In fact, after we left the graduation surprise party and went back to parents house, we sat around until 11:30 or so talking...mom, dad, grandma (my mother's mom) and I. It was so nice. Since we have recently lost my other grandmother (dad's mom in Nov. 2008) and my grandfather (mom's dad/grandmother's husband of over 75 yrs - Dec. 2008), there was a lot of memories shared and stories told. It is moments like this that are so special - I feel so blessed!

I got home last night - DH and boys picked me up from the airport. Sounded like they had a good productive weekend: Saturday they worked on year end school projects all day and Sunday they had hockey all day. So it was a good weekend for all.

On the stitching front...I worked on my Prairie Schooler on the plan going to MN and on a L*K freebie ("Friends grow") coming back. The L*K is for a birthday present for a neighborhood friend, which I need to finish up tonight.

Hope you had a good weekend too and are ready to start the new week set before us. Take care and remember....Live, Laugh, Love and Stitch often! Lisa