Reunited

Today we picked up the kids. We knew that Abby was well and that she was having a blast, but we weren't sure about Bruiser...but I'll get to that.

We left the cottage early and soon enough, arrived at Nana and Papa's. One of my favorite things to do is sneak in quietly and then surprise her with my unexpected appearance when we get there - I love that moment when she realizes that I'm there. Today I did that and when she saw me, she had that momentary blank look, followed by a happy one and a yell of, "Mama!" She ran right over Papa (but did pause long enough to throw a, "Sorry, Papa" over her shoulder) and into my arms. Ahhh..it was great to see her. Next came Dada's welcome home hug, and then it was back to me, with a question of, "Home now?" I told her that we would head out soon enough and she was good with that.

It was a happy ride home, with Abby entertaining us and Mom and Dad laughing at nearly everything she did. Before long, we were home and as we walked in the house Abby turned to me and said, "Where'd Bruiser go?" I reminded her that while she had a sleep-over at Nana and Papa's, Bruiser had a sleep-over at the vet's.

For the first time we boarded Bruiser. Now, Bruiser is a family man, in other words, he really does not like to be apart from us, but since we were having a weekend away, we thought a few days at the kennel wouldn't hurt. Once we got everything out of the car, Jason headed out to get him. The report was that he was okay, but they could tell that he was sad. Insert knife to heart. The poor guy had a spot on his nose that was a bit raw, and like lots of other nervous souls he'd started biting his nails. It made me wonder if he thought we weren't coming back for him. Abby went right to him and looked him over - once she'd gotten her vet gear on that is. She then just spent some time, sitting next to him, petting and singing - it was just what the poor guy needed. Before long he was out like a light for the rest of the afternoon.

We all settled into the rhythm of being back home, and as I sat knitting in the corner I looked over at Abby, who was enjoying a snack and Winnie the Pooh; Bruiser, who was crashing on the carpet; and Jason, who was mowing the lawn outside the window next to me, and thought that even though our weekend was wonderful, it was so very good to be reunited and to be home.

Weeee! It was a perfect day for rolling down the windows
and letting some wind in!

Popcorn, Piggy, and Pooh - Oh My!