Making Lemonade

          This past weekend,  we welcomed a new member into our family. I now have another sister!! As excited as I am about my brother-in-law taking the plunge, I was so frustrated with Amtrak. What started out as a ten minute delay in boarding the train translated into a 2 1/2 late arrival at our final destination. I really, really wanted to be there to see my sister's grand entrance (not to mention my adorable Carrie and Grace, who were her flower girls). My hubby, who was a groomsman, had droven out the day before with all four girls. It was so nice to play and snuggle Mr. Blue Eyes on the train. At eight months old, he doesn't really enjoy or understand long car rides...so I'm extremely grateful that Charles agreed to let me take the train out.
          My mom had vacationed in Arizona last week, and took her return trip so that we met up in Missouri for the remainder of the trip. It was awesome to see my mom and chat for hours, literally. What a present! When we realized we'd be late, it was nice to discuss it with someone...and tell each other that getting upset would do no one any good. My mom had left her van and keys at a church for the week she was on vacation,  and the pastor had promised to have a member drive it to the station so it'd be waiting for us.  When we got off the trian, we both groaned to find the van missing. Thankfully,  a friend of her's was being picked up at the same train station by her son, and he happily ferried us to the church. This made us even later, but we made it to the ceremony in time to hear them exchange rings, kiss and walk down the aisle together.
          Although I wasn't there for the entire wedding ceremony, I got to stay for the entire reception. The wedding was beautiful,  and I loved the fall theme with green yellow, orange, and purple dresses accented by brown sashes. No one seemed to mind that I showed up late. Clearly, there was much more to talk about than my presence or absence. The next morning we all slept in, which rarely happens with a little one and pets that need tending. I actually felt a little rested when I woke up.
           When I checked my phone, I saw a message from my mom. She decided to pick up the unused keys that day and hang out with me while I waited a few hours for the train. I know that you are thinking,  why didn't you ride back with Charles? Well, I still don't relish long car trips with Blue Eyes. Also if he sleeps a lot during the day (which is what he did when we moved), he is up a bunch at night (which is what he did after our move...leaving me with a bad case of red eye, which is still better than pink eye). After months of spending the weekdays flying solo, an afternoon and evening with just one was something to savor. Anyhow,  it all made perfect sense at the time I booked the return ticket.
          So maybe you're thinking, why didn't she just ask for the keys to be mailed to her instead of driving thirty minutes to pick them up? She told me that she decided to make lemonade out of the lemons we had been served. The afternoon we spent shopping and giggling sure tasted sweet to me. She even brought pears and tomatoes from her home. What a treat! It has been a long time since I've been able to spend time with my mom without the distraction of kids. Maybe it was even sweeter because I live so much farther from her than I used to.
          At the end of the trip, I did feel a little tired from the late nights and early mornings; but my soul felt nourished from the companionship. It took me almost a day to feel grumpy about the mounds of laundry awaiting me; and even then , it was easier to correct my thoughts than the week before. Like a tall glass of lemonade, this past weekend refreshed my thirsty heart.