Kirksville, MO and Back

Last Wednesday morning I headed to Kirksville, MO to visit Mike & Mara, sans the boys. It had been a long time since I had seen them plus I needed a little getaway. It was just what the doctor ordered. Mike and Mara are up to their eyeballs in work/school (Mike) and school (Mara) so that allowed me time to relax..and, of course, run. I logged 33-miles this past week, a record for me. Needless to say, I see the doctor tomorrow for custom orthodics. If I keep this mileage up I'll ruin my hips! Speaking of keeping up the pace, I have no idea how Mike and Mara keep up with the amount and detail of the material thrown at them; it's incomprehensible. Most of our conversations surrounded horrid diseases, biochemistry and genetics. I loved it! I will say, however, that I will never look at Maple Syrup the same again (you both know which disease I'm talking about), weird stuff. In summary, I ate famously (believe it or not Mike cooks!), spent loads of time at the coffee shop, went to the University gym (thanks for sneaking me in!) and enjoyed every second I visited with Mike and Mara! I can't wait to meet Baby Boy Syring in February!


The only downer part about being gone was, well, being gone! This was the longest I had been apart from Jackson...ever. It didn't bother me until I received a voicemail on Thursday from Chris with Jackson saying "Hi Mommy". I told him not to do that again, it made me feel like my heart had been placed in a blender. I didn't realize it would affect me like it did. Things were OK after that until I was about an hour from home on Saturday night. That hour went so slow I may well have been driving in reverse. I wasn't prepared for just how much I would miss him. When I walked into the house his response was priceless, and according to Chris mine was too. I'm sure all you parents have seen it...Jackson came running full speed at me with a smile so big he looked like the Cheshier Cat, with his hands waving up and down, squeeling and his eyes gleaming. The emotion that spread over me took me off guard, I missed him so much and now I didn't want to let him go. I s"mothered" him the rest of the night : )

Funny side note: Chris called me while I was in MO and asked if I had shown Jackson photos of Mike. I told him I hadn't. Well, Jackson was given a book before I left with photos in it of family members holding him in the hospital. I hadn't had this book out since he was 9 months old. Anyway, when Chris opened up the book to a photo of Mike holding Jackson he said "Mike" and pointed. And then he said it over and over. It's all downhill now, he knows his "Uncle Mike" does exist....



Sunday was a Jackson and Mommy day as Chris went hunting. It was much needed by both of us. We had a fabulous day that involved hiking, swimming at the YMCA, baking banana bread (me), playing with water and the baking utensils (Jackson) and putting together an animal collage. Great way to wrap up the weekend!