Ah, Surprises!!

Every 4th of July weekend in Minneapolis, MN

This intelligent, handsome man

And his tremendously incredible wife (my seeeeeester!!!) team up to throw a party of epic proportions - beers and sausages - 100 pounds of homemade sausages

grilled on their grill

some 300 people milling in and out of their house and yard over the course of a night

maybe more...

This year I surprised them with a visit, carrying a 20 lb. bag of ice behind my father:

B. Rose laughed

Julie fell back against the wall and asked if we were trying to kill her after she hugged me

fiercely:

it was a coup!!!

Hard to pull off since my sister reads this here blog and

knows every facet of my life

PLUS

her instinct is fox-like.

Somehow we pulled it off!

I stayed for five heavenly days, full of cats and hugs and long conversations

about every possible subject

I love my family to the point of ache -

no matter how hard the distance can be, I feel so lucky to know this kind of bond.

There were pedicures

stormy skies and 27 mile bike rides through the Grand Rounds

perfect light

bungalow envy (my parents' bungalow has the most amazing woodwork!)

And then before I could freeze time, it was back to the airport

with a full chest

and a watery eye....

My seatmates were mother and daughter

and baby Luke

and we chatted and laughed and had a wonderful four hour

trip.

Schmilly met me at the airport and I tucked my newly shorn head under his

chin and buried my face in his barrel chest.

Inhaled the warm and familiar

wrapped my arms tight under his hug until we were two Lego blocks fitting perfectly:

Home

from

Home

to

Him.

xoxoxox,

Allison

P.S. Convo responses coming slowly but surely: there are a lot to attend to - your patience is lovely for certain!