Finding time to get a busy family together gets more difficult as every year passes by; especially when one of them lives over 800 miles away. However, we were lucky enough to pull this off this past weekend. My oldest daughter lives in Atlanta, GA. She will be turning 20 on Friday. She moved away 3 months after her 18th birthday to pursue her dream of being a professional dancer and even though she misses home and our family time, she has found the strength and courage to stay there to live her dream. She was feeling a little homesick and came up with the idea of meeting somewhere halfway between Atlanta and Michigan so we could spend some time together. She dances six days a week, so we would have to make our adventure a short one. She would leave after she was done with rehearsal on Saturday evening, drive to Kentucky, spend Sunday with us, then get up at 4:30 a.m. on Monday to drive back to Atlanta to be back to work that day.
We arrived in Kentucky at about 8:00 p.m., so my hubby, the twins and I had time to explore and relax. My oldest didn't arrive until midnight, after we received a tearful phone call from her because she had been stopped by the police for going the wrong way on a one way street. She got lost looking for the hotel, was dead tired and just wasn't paying attention. My husband went to find her and luckily, an understanding police officer felt sorry for her and let her go without a ticket. She got to the hotel, tired, crying and wondering "why did we do this?"
The next morning we woke up and it seemed like the old days. Everyone laughed and joked and enjoyed each other's company as we spent the day together sightseeing and "ghosthunting" in Kentucky. It amazes me how when we get together, it seems as though she never left. She and her sisters get along better than ever, and even though she has had to distance herself from her dad and I somewhat to make living so far away bearable, when we are together, she is still our little girl. I remember when I was younger and my dad always said that I would always be his little girl, and of course, being a teenager and young adult, thought that was the most lame thing ever. What 20-year-old wants to be thought of as a little girl? It really is true though. Now that I am older, as are my kids, I can see life going full circle.
So we spent a fantastic day together as a family once again and at 4:30 a.m. on Monday, she was back on her way back to Atlanta WITH the twins. We made the long trip home and when we talked on the phone that evening, we all agreed; it was a lot of driving, but it was one of the most awesome days we had all experienced in a long time. I feel so blessed to have my husband and family. We can be strange bunch, but we're all strange together and love each other more than words can say.
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