Curtis, Emma, and I spent the long weekend in Chicago with my sister's family, to celebrate my niece Sophia's third birthday. We were looking forward to being out of the unusually hot weather in Phoenix, but it seems we just missed the unusually cool weather over the weekend! Sophia was sick with a bad cough. When I called the morning of our travel to see what her condition was, she insisted on speaking to me. She got on the phone and said, "Hi, Auntie! I'm sick. But I not cough on Emma!" I asked her if we should come to Chicago, and she said we should. We were looking forward to it because Nicholas and Sophia had made plans for us. Sophia had a princess birthday party on Saturday. It was pretty fun to see a bunch of three-year-olds in princess outfits at the party. Emma missed most of it, napping upstairs, and didn't even get to wear her princess dress.
Emma was a trooper! She was easy to travel with - sleeping most of the time from the car ride to the airport to checking through security to boarding the plane. (Actually, she sleeps just about anywhere and everywhere. See?)
I woke her up at take-off and landing just to make sure she nursed (to avoid earaches). She was just as easy on the way back on Monday. We keep telling people that she's an easygoing, mellow baby, and I keep praying that we're not jinxing ourselves and that she will continue to be easy on us. While in Chicago, despite the travel and different environ ment, she managed to sleep through the nights, too. See what I mean?
My sister is a great hostess - we pigged out all weekend. She's a great cook, and Curtis and I were happy to indulge. She's supporting her family as the primary breadwinner while her husband finishes his PhD at University of Chicago. She works 4 days a week for the NLRB as a staff attorney, is wife and mother to two children (with third on the way, due to arrive in late June), runs her Stampin' Up business, publishes her blog weekly, sews, knits, cooks, bakes, stamps, never misses writing a thank you note, handcrafts gifts for family and friends.... She's amazing. And my brother-in-law is no slouch, either. He's working on his dissertation, teaches classes, is a great husband and father, and pitches in for household chores. They're a good pair. Watching the two of them work together made me realize we should be grateful for all of our blessings, that we could always do more. I love my family, and I'm so grateful we have the means to see them from time to time because I miss them when they're so far away. I have been able to travel for free this year on Southwest whenever I fly with Curtis because we were able to earn the Companion Pass for me. With Curtis' frequent flights for work and our American Express points, we got to the magic number. We're using it as often as we can before it expires this fall. Between the recently implemented numbered seating and the free Companion Pass, Southwest has definitely moved up in my list of favorite things!
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