Minus a couple of kids

It's been a quiet but very busy week without the girls. We've talked/texted every day (several times a day) and they are having a really good time! They were both really looking forward to being with family. I know both of them are anxious to get back North permanently and be surround by loved ones.

We spent last Saturday in Atlanta (lunch at the Varsity, the day at the Aquarium and dinner at Hard Rock) and spent the night at the airport Marriott because the girls had such an early flight out of ATL to Harrisburg. Checking the girls in as "unaccompanied minors" took a little bit longer than we anticipated (not the mention the $200 fee plus $25 per checked baggage). So, day of the flight we spent an unexpected $250 on Delta. For that price, Cosmo could have just flown up w/ the girls, drove to New York and spent some time visiting his mom or something. The girls flight wasn't supposed to leave until 8:20-ish. We took our time getting to the gate and had some breakfast. We got to the gate a few minutes before 8 AM and I approached the counter to let them know we had two "unaccompanied minors" (I really love saying that!) on this flight. I barely got two words out and the agent said, "I know! We've been paging you!" We barely had time to kiss the girls goodbye before the flight attendant walked them down the tunnel and on to the plane (which was probably a good thing so KJ didn't have time to get worried or anything). Cosmo and I headed home from ATL and the girls flight was SO early that they actually arrived in PA a good half hour before we got home to BHM! Crazy!

Monday my brother took the day off from work and checked T into PSU lax camp. Part of their afternoon session was rained out and her roomie hadn't shown up yet. She was really looking forward to meeting her roommate and was a little bummed. But, typical Tbone behavior, she made a bunch of friends by dinner the first night. Her roomie finally showed up some time on Tuesday and was from NJ. T also met a lot of girls from NY and discovered that a couple of them had actually been born in the same hospital as her!

Meanwhile, KJ was enjoying the country life in PA. My cousin Jessica took her horseback riding in the morning, they had lunch, swam a bit and took the horses out again in the afternoon. She's been 4-wheeling a lot, too. I think they had a small bonfire one night (KJ said, "no s'mores; just marshmallows'). Tuesday and Wednesday KJ got to spend time w/ my niece- and nephew-who-shall-not be named and Wednesday Tbone came home from camp. She was awarded "The Sponge" award because the counselors said she "was BY FAR the most enthusiastic, had travelled the farthest and did everything the coaches told her."

Thursday they swam at my mom & dad's friends pool for several hours. I didn't realize it was a a salt-water pool and neither of the girls seemed to like it much. Friday my mom & dad took the girls and my nephew-wh0-shall-not-be-named to Hershey and it sounds like they had a blast! Today my brother and the kids spent the day at my mom's and they had a big bonfire again tonight and have been 4-wheeling all over my folks property and out at my uncle's camp.

Cosmo & I have been "honey-mooning" and have had a good time this week. We've gone out to dinner a couple of times and one night I got a pedi and one night I shopped and bought 3 dresses for work. Last night I had dinner w/ a friend while Champ had men's lax practice. We've known each other since she moved here 7 or 8 years ago and I really enjoy her company. We had such a nice visit and I really need to do that more often!

So tomorrow the girls come home and I'm sure the house will be back to normal in no time (whatever "normal" is).