As they say, if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans!

"The best laid plans of mice and men, often go astray". So I'm saying, nothing really went the way it was supposed to go.

People I wanted to see I didn't see, people I hadn't expected to see I saw. Some things that I wanted to happen didn't happen, but other good things did.

I was going to see Amsterdam on my way home, but chickened out. I am not good at doing things alone. I like sharing my experiences with someone else. So I spent my time sleeping in the airport.

Things were a lot different this time. I wasn't a burden to my family, I chose to spend a lot of time at home, but I also spent time with friends and went out when I wanted to. I had an extended birthday celebration... my kids got me some awesome gifts, cute things... a little perfume bottle, and a.. ummm... "horse". I loved them both. The perfume bottle is delicate and very beautiful, and the horse is clunky and ridiculously funny. Both of them are very "ME".

Then a few days later,
a friend of ours had just had a birthday as well, so we had a combined birthday dinner. My son told me I could have anything I wanted and he would make it for me. I only thought for a few minutes and decided on lobster tails, and corn on the cob. He made them for me, too! He found a marinade in a cookbook for the tails, and he grilled everything outside, we had a luscious dinner followed by a birthday cake and then the last NHL game of the Stanley Cup Finals. What a birthday celebration! Of course it was all about a week early because I was going to leave before my birthday, but I never had anyone do something like that for me before. Not since I was a kid. It was so great. I felt very loved.

I guess fate decided who I would and wouldn't see this time around, because it sure wasn't my choice to miss the ones I missed. I'm thrilled to have spent time with the ones I did see. We had a great time. It's funny how you just pick up where you left off and it seems like you never left.

I went home to be there for the new baby. I left with no new baby in sight. But my daughter got to the house the day before I left and will be able to help with things for the next month. I'm so happy that we were able to overlap that way.

The way things look right now, I may not see the baby before he is walking and maybe even talking! But I'll get pictures!

All in all, life was really good. It went way too fast, but, isn't that the way it always goes? So tonight I go back to work. And everything goes back to "normal". That's life, though. Never expect things to go the way you plan them. Just roll with it and enjoy the ride. All I have left to say is that I'm homesick. Yes, already. So... FLY, time!!!!