"Leaving on a Jet Plane"

It seems too soon to say goodbye...even though it has been two weeks, but my wonderful sister Amy and my sweet niece Vivienne left yesterday morning. They had an early flight and for some reason the traffic was crazy that we literally pulled up with 6 minutes for her to run upstairs to board the plane. Now this was not how I had planned for us to say goodbye...at least there wasn't any time for tears. I am the worst at saying goodbyes, I actually ball like a baby. We try our best to just say, "see you later on IChat". Do you guys know about IChat? It is a feature where you can see and talk to the person at the same time. Where on earth would we be without this magical device? If some of you don't have it get it now! It is truly the best invention. Now remember she is in California and I am in Iowa so sometimes I need a green grass moment, so Amy walks me outside because she has a laptop and its almost like I can feel the palm trees swaying in the breeze. I will have gone shopping and bought some shoes and ping her so she can see them, so she "pops" into my LR and I give her a 360 and a laugh. My sister often walks me around her house so I can see Vivienne's room or some project she is working on. I swear it feels like I am just walking along side her at her house. I tell ya it is just the best!



It is amazing how much fun we have when we are together and how productive we are when she is here. We are a couple of "get her done" kind of gals. We write a list at the beginning of her stay of all the things we want to accomplish and we cross them off as we go. I tell you it is like therapy when you get into a rhythm of throwing crap away but more so when someone that loves you tells you, "What the hell are you keeping that for?" And then we laugh because God only knows why you hold onto stuff for so long, or even remember that you had it in the first place. I truly love how she and I can just laugh while we are cleaning a closet or sit and fold laundry while watching the Bachelor, and yes I will admit we totally rip on the girls and all the drama they bring. Can you believe they really cry when they leave. How on earth can they say "Jake is going to regret not keeping me here, I thought we had such a connection!" Too funny!

My sister and I have this secret language that only she and I know. I've tried to teach my husband but he looks at me like I am crazy. He has known of our secret language because he has been witness to it for years but when my son heard us, he said, "Oh no, you do it too?" It is a language where we don't want to say the words outright but we say them under our breath but with a sing song voice that we just so know what each other is talking about. If you could only see the horror on my husband's face and son's face, really it was priceless!



What a test it was for my kids to try to be quiet when Vivienne was asleep. Wow, my family is loud and I guess I didn't realize it until we had to whisper, or close doors and cabinets quietly and just plain talk at a softer level. My children love to talk non stop. They should be in the world record book for how much they talk without coming up for air. My sister was exhausted from watching them. She said she felt like she was watching a ping pong game. I found myself shushing the creatures again last night and my kids had to remind me that Vivienne wasn't here anymore. I guess it was just habit but it did make me sad.

I think my sister might have withdrawal from all the commotion she has been enduring and I'll bet her husband will be shocked when he notices how much she talks when she gets home!