PSH! well..will you just look at this! just look at it!

so, here's the deal: i have GOT to get better at booking my flights so that i don't have to get up at ungodly hours to arrive! 3:45 comes early when you leave the laundry 'til last minute again! story of my life! so, i was able to have a late-night chat with brandy to get on the same page and put some plans together; i had spoken with carrie one evening while in nashville. i don't know why i am not a phone person, because i certainly enjoyed chatting with these two-perhaps i should get better at it.

so yes, dark o'clock came early as usual, and i was reminded of how fortunate i am to have some of the best parents out there! once again dad took me to the airport, and they were again looking after the boys.

as i sat in the lobby, waiting for the flight, this happened:

perhaps they were lucky socks? how much ya wanna bet this guy didn't stay up worrying about laundry the night before like i did?! obviously dark o'thirty came way too early for him too!

pre-spreading out and getting comfy, i was just ecstatic that i had it all to myself...it's the small things!

and then when i boarded the longer leg of the flight, i was grateful because i was alone in the exit row! when does that happen?!? so yes, i took advantage of it and spread out: book to read on the table tray beside me-check! phone to listen to music in the seat beside me-check! tablet to do some writing on sitting in front of me on my own tray-check! letter writing supplies in the seat next to me-check! blanket on my lap-check, check! traveling in comfort! heavenly..ok, not really because i'm pretty sure heaven isn't airline-like at all..thank you JESUS!

when i arrived, my phone battery was low, and i forgot to bring my car recharger-bad news becuase i was going to need the lady in my phone to give me magical directions! (remember when i used to use mapquest, print out a map and go? those were the days!) anyhoo, i know that there was a radio shack nearby, but i found a shop in the airport that had a multipurpose jack, and i caved-it was far too convenient, and i wasn't sure my phone would last long enough to get me to the radio shack. but this thing was like a go-go-gadget charger, i mean the swiss army knife of rechargers! like...for reals, i think it did my windows while i was out running errands...just sayin!

then i was informed that i had to take a shuttle to the rental cars, which was fine, but in fact the website i had tried to book on the night before was actually non-existent...good thing i didn't supply any information! so i took a shuttle to one of the rental car companies and they didn't have the model-size that i was looking for and i had to upgrade-sucka! i may have ended up paying a little more than i had planned, but PSH! whatevs, it was a comfortable, quiet ride and i was just excited to get to fredricksburg, va!

my nav lady was spot on-the traffic wasn't too harsh, but even if it had been, it didn't matter because i was happy. i was listening to music and in a good mood- the only thing i was worried about was that it took a bit longer than i had expected, and i was kinda' bummed because i knew that carrie had taken off work to be there. when i finally arrived, i had that split second of: did i put in the correct address? and once i  went back to my contact list in the phone to make sure it was correct and that there was no random south or north in the address, i thought, is carrie really going to be on the other side of that door?? and i am SO GLAD THAT SHE WAS!!

nothing beats being the center of attention through artwork! ;)

carrie is my cousin with whom i am the closest, in part because we keep in contact. in fact when i lived in HONDURAS growing up, she wrote faithfully and kept me up to date on everything. i actually just told her this story about her handwriting-purely a compliment...i was so fascinated by her handwriting that i would put paper over a letter that she had sent and practice trying to write like her! (i feel like this is a confessional!) and eventually with enough practice, mine became a sloppier version-she was kind enough to say artistic, but let's face it, i get in a hurry and it just gets a little cray-cray...to this day i absolutely love receiving her letters because there is something so metered and artistic (i can say that because hers truly is) about her writing! I LOVE IT! (in fact, i just had one in the mail when i got home! it's one of those writings that is so distinct that it is immediately identifiable.)

but i digress, it was indeed carrie who opened the door, and from the moment i walked in i felt like i was home-home not in the same sense that HONDURAS is home, with lifelong familiarity, as i had never been here before, but rather home in the sense of friendship and comfort-because in the grand scheme of things, isn't that really what cousins are? family that becomes friends? i got to meet erica, who had not been born last time we saw each other-i cannot believe that she is going to be a freshman this year-what happened to the time? living proof that it had been way too long-she surpasses her mother in height, and although this was our first meeting, i felt like i'd known her for years! amazing what 5 seconds of 'awesome' can do! and she truly is awesome! before we even sat to talk or do anything, i knew that we were not going to have enough time.

obviously i cannot recount every moment, but we sat at the table and talked for hours, then after dinner, we continued to sit and talk; at some point, jess had come home and i got to say hello and meet her boyfriend (neat guy). i'm pretty sure there wasn't a night we went to bed before 11-because why would we do that? (and i am usually to bed at a decent hour because i usually do early mornings). carrie took wednesday and thursday off, which in retrospect, really means a lot to me, because i know that she doesn't have the same vacation time that i have over the summer, so that was a sacrifice for her. THANK YOU, CARRIE!!

on thursday, perhaps we were a little bummed at first because we'd talked about going downtown to walk around historic fredricksburg, but it rained all morning, throwing a twist into our plans. Actually, i  was grateful because we got to sit and catch up with eric and learn about his new line of work and the things he does and is learning. we spent all morning and afternoon once again talking-there was at no time a lack of anything to talk about..but then let's be clear, i have a feeling that we could probably sit around and talk about sticks or dirt or unicorns or pretty much anything and it would be interesting, even funny, just because of who we are. i always knew that we had a lot in common, but i don't think we ever really realized to what extent! it felt almost as if we were mirrors in terms of thoughts, humor, desires and interests...everything from guns to motorcycles, politics, frustrations, heart for GOD, and finding humor in the same silly things- it really does make me wish that we lived closer because i can guarantee that we would be having some fun and entertaining adventures together!

and don't you worry (because i know you were), it cleared up that evening and we did go for our little walk! i wish i'd taken more pics of the little row-buildings downtown, because the were so stinkin' adorable! there is a certain allure and draw to quaint historic towns on the east coast!

carrie and me in the f-burg..can i say that? probably not, but i'm not changing it.

if only we'd go back to making things the good ol'fashioned way, they'd last so much longer! craftsmanship is lacking today!

just beautiful!

enchanted by the simplicity

 carrie had to work on friday, which means i had the girls all to myself! so obviously we did what had to be done-we slept in! when we finally took off and grabbed some grub, we were going to be making our way down to the trail that follows the river; on the way, erika suggested that we stop by her mom's office to say hello. so we did stop in, but we chose a slightly inopportune time, as it was directly following their lunch, and they got hit with calls and clients all at once-but i got to meet the office family that i'd heard about, including one of the doctors. and once again, seeing people in their element really adds just one more piece to the puzzle of what makes us who we are!

we then made our way down to the trail and the place we were going to park was no longer a parking place, but rather a construction area, and there was a kid there (construction kid) staring at us as i turned the car around, so of course, jess had to pull out the 'stuck face' and stare at him for a brief moment...he probably wasn't sure exactly what to do with that. spending time with the two of them was quality! i love that i got a chance to know them a bit better and that they were laughing and talking and so playful with each other-sisters having fun; isn't that the way it should be? YES! they were sharing jokes and stories and i think one of the things that was most heart-warming were their answers to the question: what is the one thing that you like most about your sister? open, honest and sincere. these girls are keepers; although carrie insists that they asked of me: where has she been all our lives? may i just say that those are my exact sentiments...i mean, i know that we cannot change the past, nor should we dwell on the past, but if i could have one "do-over" it would be to have made family a bigger priority because at this moment, i realized that i have missed out on way too much.

it was almost like i was spending time with some of my old k2 kampers! erica is a funny one!

absolutely adore them! it was truly refreshing to spend time with these gals! they make their parents proud!

 saturday we went out and took some pics at a local historical battleground/farm area-which was actually a beautiful area (we didn't make it down to the tracks and the old farmhouse below, but i'm betting it would make for some great pics as well!); we had grilled burgers and then later that evening we sat around the fire pit and talked and watched the fire. it is so soothing and calming to just sit and watch the embers of the fire. the fire itself is beautiful and entertaining to watch the flames dance, but there is something mesmerizing and enchanting about watching the dying embers glow, the eerie orange and black just flowing back and forth through what remains. aaaaaaahhh. good for the soul!

and i would most certainly be remiss if i did not mention that i was introduced to my new favorite voice. the artist: josh garrels. wow. i listened to this song on repeat on the way home, and then this one...i am so glad he came up in our conversation because i am loving his stuff!! thanks carrie and jess!!

when it came time to leave, i did NOT want to go-it left me with a particular void that i hadn't noticed before. this is what happens when family turns into friends. I LOVE IT! but let's face it, it sucks when there are so many miles that separate us.

hopefully one day we will be able to meet up for that fun road-trip-where we take a coin and flip it every half hour-hour and turn wherever the coin tells us and at the end of the day, not worry about where we are nor where we are headed, just take pics and enjoy it-no schedules, no worries. that seems like an easy BUCKET LIST item, and i cannot think of anyone i would rather have that adventure with!

this may or may not be my new screen saver because every time i look at it it kinda' makes me laugh!

may your family become friends and my you never be at a loss for good conversation and laughter!
julie