Oh where to begin...where to begin....? I'm back on tour in Canada now...One month ago today I was in the air an hour shy of landing at the DFW airport...can you believe it's been a month. It feels like yesterday that my vacation began.
Mom's party went smashingly...(I really just wanted to use that word)...the party was amazing! Everyone came...friends as far back as elementary and jr. high. Joi and Alex showed up early to decorate and Bonnie and I picked up some extra decorations ourselves...Mom walked in and did not realize the party was for her until she saw all her friends she grew up with in the room. She then threw her purse on the box that I was hidding in and went around and hugged every person in the room. After things calmed down, she was shown the video I had made. (I made a video while on tour and used a few of the kids to sing happy birthday and tell her I was sorry I could not be there but that I had sent a gift and Aunt Joi would give it to her) She turned and Kyndell and Alex lifted the box and out I jumped with a dozen roses my dad had bought...she was so suprised!!! (There are videos of this on my picture site... www.picasaweb.google.com/amandareed84) She had to touch my face to make sure I was really standing in front of her...it was great!!! I am so thankful everyone was able to make it!
Day 3 was spend the day with my niece day!!! She has grown so much and is so cute! She is a chunk...she turned one while I was home. That was great to be able to be there for my Mom's 50th and my niece's 1st! I took her everywhere with me...we went and spent time with Kelli and her two kids that evening!
Day 4 was Ranch day with the girls...two of my favorite days of the year. (We try to go twice a year) Bonnie, Cassie, Estes, Erin, Rachel and Myself all loaded up in my truck and headed for the Ranch. Dad of course went down there ahead of time and cooked for us like he always does...it's always fun to have my dad there with us! We rode 4-wheelers, went fishing...Erin, Estes (i think) and Cassie all caught a little something...Cassie's being the smallest of all...;) Made our traditional Iredel run...however to all of our dismay the gas station we always go to was closed...it's such an old gas station I don't think the pumps go up to $4.00. So we had to drive around to find Dublin DP and ice cream...no place had good Dublin DP like the Iredel gas station however. Of course we played a game of darts as well...
I pretty much stayed busy the rest of the time I was home...parties, graduations, catching up with people and spending time with family... a lot of time with my niece!
I was suppose to leave Monday June 9th however there were storms in Texas...my flight was delayed and I got to spend an extra night in Dallas. Mom and I met Cassie and Nathan and went to see Kung Fu Panda...to take advantage of the extra night. I thought the movie was funny.
Tuesday I woke up around 5 am to began my trek back to Canada...borded a plane for St. Paul/Minneapolis around 8. Around 1 I borded another plane for Thunder Bay Ontario...this plane looked like someone had taken two fans and placed one on each wing...I made it safe and sound though. I actually like the smaller plane better than the big one...boy am I backwards or what?
Marci our choir manager, who was visiting our team for the week, picked me up at the airport and brought me back to the church where the kids were. They were in the middle of testing so I did not want to disturb them. I tried to go in the back door...there was no good back door. Peter saw me through the window and yelled "Auntie Amanda!!!!" That was it for testing, I walked through the door and 25 children jumped on me at once! 25 because the 26th Jerome was doing flips under the table! I was greeted with hugs and laughter as well as many many stories... "Auntie looke at our new summer clothes." "Auntie I behaved so well while you were gone" "Auntie have you seen my new summer shoes?" "Auntie today is Harriet's b-day" Auntie this Auntie that it was so fast paced... Then the question came. I got sun burned while I was home...shocker right?...so my skin was still peeling when I came back to tour... "Auntie what is wrong with you skin?" "Auntie you have a lot of dots on your face." (referring to all my freckles) "Auntie was your mom suprised?" "Auntie how is your niece?" It was a great day...because then after I arrived all the staff went out for a staff night out...where we went to eat and went bowling. We even 5 pinned bowled...it's a Canadian thing...the bowling ball is smaller and does not have any holes...and there are only 5 pins...hence the name!
Now I'm back into the groove of things...settling back in...it is great to be back and it was great to be home...I enjoyed every minute of it!!!
