::: the girls are back in town! :::

At first, I was afraid I wouldn't be ready with everything I wanted to accomplish by the time they got home, but it didn't matter anyway, because I was so busy looking out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of my mother-in-law's car cresting the hill of the lane that I didn't get much done, anyway. Bo came home for an extended lunch, my dad, who the kids call "Pop" or "Papa," was asking about them every five minutes, and I was looking into the last details of their big surprise, a renovated room, a room with a few fresh coats of paint, beds that were brought back from the dead--or at least from the barn and livened up with a few coats of white--, a vase full of clear candy lollipops in room-matching color animal shapes, and a dish of chocolates from the chocolate factory where Bo works.

When I finally did hear the crunch of gravel, and that car finally did crest the hill of our lane, I could barely contain myself. Three weeks! It had been three weeks since I'd seen my little girls! While Pop and Bo made their way downstairs to greet them, I stayed in the house, in the kitchen, behind the door just waiting, waiting, waiting for my prey, and when The Baby giddily climbed the stairs and rounded the corner--RAWR!--out I jumped, with my arms opened wide. She flew into them and I lifted her high as we spun and laughed and hugged and giggled and interjected and punctuated it all with I-missed-yous and I-love-yous and it's-good-to-be-homes.

Then came Sweetheart, toting her heavy bag up the stairs, steadfast and faithful, and waiting for her to come to the top seemed a lifetime, but then there she was, also in my arms, laughing and hugging tightly. Oh, it was so good to see them again. So down we sat to look at their treasures and creations--The Baby's rock collection and garage sale finds (she's a thrifter, like her mama), Sweetheart's scrapbooks and photos, and The Baby's favorite find, a pink ("Yes! It's pink!" I thought as Grandmas pulled it from the bag) garage-saled lava lamp that survived the trip from Illinois to Ohio. Chatter and chatter, giggles and giggles, one girl talking over another, and then, it was time for Bo and I to reveal our surprise. Up the stairs they ran, and I hurried behind them, trying to get there in time to see the reaction. Would they like it? Would they be surprised?

They loved it so much they didn't want to leave it, and so, they didn't. A fashion show ensued, with me taking pictures of each outfit they donned, and then, after dinner, they asked me to cuddle with them in their room, so we turned off all of the lights, save the PINK lava lamp, and all climbed in to one freshly painted twin bed and cuddled and talked and cuddled and talked until I fell asleep.

This morning, when I peaked in on them, I found that The Baby's bed was empty.

I guess more cuddling was in order, as I found her curled up next to Sweetheart in the other bed.

I'm so glad they're home.