Flying Home

January 6

This is another hard day with another hard goodby. How can anyone leave this beautiful and loving family? Only with great difficulty and promise of future visits soon.

Our plane carries us home to Texas where we depend on love (and some technology) to help us stay connected.

Saturday

January 5

Big breakfast of bacon and eggs this morning is a great start to the weekend.
We took down the Christmas tree a couple of days ago and use time today for putting away more holiday decorations. Main errands are ordering a specially decorated cake and buying supplies for younger granddaughter's birthday party at Vertical Endeavors next Saturday.

At 4:30 girls have rehearsal for the Circus Show next weekend. Their circus gymnastics class has been working on routines, and Pawpaw and I are happy we can see them perform today since we are flying home tomorrow. Younger features the trapeze, older the silks, and some photos show both. Class also jumps rope and forms pyramids.

Tonight we "tailgate" for dinner at home and watch football on TV. (Sadly, Vikings lose.) Girls wisely opt for a movie in the basement. Their bedtime brings lots of hugs and kisses this final night of our trip.

Later I face my luggage and pack for the journey back to Texas.

Friday Farewell

January 4

This morning we take younger daughter to the airport. I focus on the time spent together and the love that keeps us together across any distance. She returns to one island for a week of packing and settling affairs before she leaves for another island.

Pawpaw and I run errands and pick up the granddaughters after school. The four of us go to the public library to return books and check out more. They know the system well and handle the process efficiently.

Tonight we prepare a salmon dinner and celebrate the end of school week and work week, even though only three days long. Chocolate helps. The dad arrives home from his business trip just in time to tuck in his daughters. I think about the years of tucking in my daughters and never imagining they would be so far away.