It was a wonderful trip. I hate to go back to work today. I soooo want to retire! I left the house Thursday at 7AM to drive to Fargo to pick up John and Ashlyn. After packing up the car and locking the house, John and I had lunch at Spitfire Grill before going to pick up Ashlyn from daycare. She was thrilled to see Daddy but upset that he hadn't picked her up in his pickup. (We took my Malibu on the trip), and that she wasn't going home. At 2 1/2 she has trouble with some transitions, not unusual considering the upheaval to her little life over the past 3 months. But he is so good with her, answering her with "I know buddy, I know." and focusing on positives. She was comfy with the familiar snacks, toys, blankies, sippy cups, nuks and movies that we played on the portable DVD player I'd brought along for the trip. I think I have the entire dialogue and sound tracks to The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast memorized now. LOL We got to Noah and Kay's about 5:30 Thursday night. We had a great evening visiting with Noah&Kay, Julie&Matt, Kay's parents Harry&Phyllis, the neighbors/friends Chad&Sarah, and Noah's college friends Matt&Amy and thier 2yr old Jameson. Lots of yummy appetizers in crockpots and from the grill. Lots of laughter. Friday morning I asked Ashlyn if she wanted to take a bath with Grammy in the big tub, and she agreed. So funny, I meant that I would give her a bath and watch her play but when we got up there and got her in the tub she said, "Grammy, you can't take a bath in your nightgown, take it off! Take off your nightgown Grammy and take a bath!" LOL so Grammy did. She thought that was pretty cool. We had a great time! In the rush to get us both dressed to vacate the bathroom so others could shower and dress I left my hair dryer and hairbrush at Noah's. I had really bad hair all weekend! Ha! We went out for Breakfast at a favorite bar&grill where Kay wanted to show off Ashlyn. We had a delicous breakfast. They had a claw machine and I gave Daddy some $1 to try to win a stuffed animal for Ashlyn, he wasn't lucky but the man refilling the machine let her choose an animal, she got a fluffy yellow puppy that Auntie Kay named Monte after the establishment. Ashlyn loved it. We got on the road about 11:30 and arrived in DBQ at Mike and Martha's about 5:30. Another transition for Ashlyn that John handled so well! He's an amazing father! Ashlyn had a great time. She adored her Auntie Martha. Her cousin "Uncle Jack", was so sweet and attentive, and played with Ashlyn, they bonded. Her other cousin Hughie is such a cutie too! Love those boys! Saturday morning: Hughie had football practice. Ashlyn was very impressed with the chocolate donut that Hughie picked out for her for her breakfast when he and Martha stopped for donuts before practice. John, Jack and Mike had left early for a 7:30Am tee-off for 9 holes of golf. They had a blast! Ashlyn and I took a shower together Saturday morning before everyone got back home. Sat morning my sister Sheila arrived and we had a good visit and she was so happy to meet her great niece! My mom and sister Terri arrived early afternoon. Ashlyn was so cute! When my mom came in she said "That's my Great Gramma." And she would look at Great Gramma and say that's my Great Gramma dozens of times that afternoon. She was talking about Aunt Terri later to me and said "Aunt Terri laughs alot, I like her." My brother Smokey, his wife Sue, and our niece Brianna arrived later. We all enjoyed a lot of laughter and good food, Mike did a pork tenderloin on the grill, amazing delicous, Iowa pork is not to be compared! Martha made apple pies that morning too. Delicious! Smokey and family brought her a stuffed dog that she loved and that was named "Smokey" LOL. Sunday morning we were on the road again before 7:30AM and arrived back in Fargo about 4:30PM, dropped Ashlyn off at her mother's. That was kind of sad, Ashlyn cried, "But I want to go to your house Daddy." John was sad too but was so good, telling her "Your mommy loves you very much! You love your mommy and you'll have a really good time with Mommy." When we were on the way to the X's house he told her that they were almost at Mommy's house, and she said very sadly, "Okay Daddy." It's so hard for him to drop her off at the X's. It sours his Sunday nights. We got back to his house about 5PM and unloaded the car. I was leaving and saw that his neighbors Laurie and Nancy were outside so drove down the street to say hello. Nice to see them and Laurie's husband Kramer. I maybe shouldn't have stopped down there. A while back, Nancy introduced John to a friend of hers from the hospital, a blind date, another nurse. She and John were texting and talking on the phone while we were away. She makes him smile, and he likes her. Casey was there, had I known that I wouldn't have stopped. It's no where near the "meet the parents" stage. I'm sure it made her uncomfortable, I'm so sorry about that. I said a quick goodbye to the girls and wanted to leave before John got down there so as not to make him really uncomfortable too. But he was on the way down when I made my getaway. :-) He called me later when I was on my way home. I stopped at Barnes&Nobles for a quick pickup of zines, a Pumpkin Spice latte, and a sandwhich for the road, and then stopped to fill the car again before leaving Fargo. I got on the road about 6 and got home around 10PM. So good to see Tom again!!! And to sleep in my own bed! Tom was away Friday and Saturday, and Sunday was a long day so he picked up the dogs yesterday from the kennel. Our old dog is not doing well, Tom took him to the Vet in Warroad this morning and now is taking him to the animal hospital in International Falls for X-rays. I'm preparing for the worst. Snuggles is 13 and in pain, he collapsed last night and is just not himself. He seems to be having trouble breathing and when the vet was examining him this morning he yelped when she pressed lightly on his abdomen. He seemed fine when he got back from the kennel yesterday afternoon. I'm doing laundry and cleaning up from Bear being sick in the night. It happens sometimes when he's been at the kennel, a difference in food is partially to blame I think. Snuggles didn't eat last night, and just sniffed at his "cookies" and didn't eat them. Very unusual for him. I was so exhausted yesterday that I didn't do much more than recline in the loveseat and gaze into space and doze. I wish I didn't have to go to work today. I'd love another day off. I'm off to the shower and then off to work, waiting for a phone call/text from Tom about Snuggles. I'm feeling sad, preparing for the worst. Thankful that he didn't get sick while at the kennel. Love that mutt!!