SEPTEMBER 7, 2006
HEADING HOME TO OUR BABY GIRL AND LIFE AS I USED TO KNOW IT!

OOOOOH, I was soooooo tired this morning when I woke up! Exhausted is probably the correct word! I finished my last minute packing, said my goodbyes to my girlfriends & the hotel staff, and then we headed to the airport. Although I was super tired, I couldn't help but be excited at the fact that I would soon be reunited with our little one. I missed her SOOOOO MUCH! It was so hard to be away from her for that amount of time, and when I finally held her in my arms, I promised her that I would never be away for that long again. How she has changed! She is SO chatty and communicative! Luckily our flight was on time (big surprise, I slept almost the entire flight). When we walked in the door of my in-laws home, Ava spied me immediately and yelled "MOMMY!!!!!" and came running to me with outstretched arms. She was SOOO happy to see me, and of course I started crying right away. She kept stroking my face and saying, "Mama, Mommy" over and over. She would not let go of me for the next two days. We sang our songs and I was just so happy to be with her again. She is truly the biggest blessing in our lives and there is no crown that will ever compare to the love of a child. It was an amazing experience but I am SO GLAD TO BE HOME! I hope you've enjoyed the ride along with me...now it's back to being a mom and wife! And of course Mrs. Minnesota! Stay tuned for more...and thanks for visiting!

PHOTOS:
1) By the "Arrivals" sign at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport - I'm finally HOME!
2) Reunited with my "Sparky" (our nickname for our 22-month-old daughter Ava)
3) Singing "Did You Ever See A Lassie" with Ava (one of her favorite songs)
4) Ava wearing her "dressy shoes" before bedtime (a present from Grandma).