Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder?

I have returned to Viking Star after 10 days away.  Two of those days were taken with travelling to and fro.

So I had eight days to enjoy being Grammie!

Even though we had 'just been there' for Christmas, three months is a LONG time in a child's life.  Baby Ranger is nearly twice as old as he was the last time I saw him.

One of the first things Ryker told me was that he wanted to come to my house.  He was reminded that Grammie and Papa live on a boat, and he said ' I know!  I want to go there!'  It's a long ways away, you know, it took me a whole day to get here!  Some day, you will get to come visit us for a week.

I really enjoyed staying at daughter Lindsay's house, and being much more a part of their lives than we had been at Christmas time.  I slept in the boys' room, trying out one of the new beds they had just got.  It was made even more comfortable by the stuffed animals Ryker placed there to keep me company, the special 'Sparkly Kitty' tucked close to the pillow, and a favorite super ball slipped under my pillow.

Some of my favorite memories will be a 5-year-olds arms around my neck and the words 'You are the best Grammie ever!' for no reason other than just being there.  And a three-year-old playing the 'I Love You' game that his family shares that went 'I love you, Grammie!'  I love you too, Evan. 'I love you more!'

I am grateful that the reason for the trip -- Milo had surgery -- went as planned, and he bounced back so quickly that we were all able to go to the zoo at the end of the week.

Here they are all lined up!  Not a one is as tall as the smallest bear, yet!  But they will grow so fast.  L to R, Milo 19 months, Emrie nearly 3, Madalyn 5, Evan 3, Ryker 5, Troy 8, Ranger 7 months.

And then I got to go home to Al.  I have heard others say 'How can I miss you if you don't go away?!'  There was none of that going on here.  We truly enjoy being together, and are very rarely apart.

It was nice to be greeted at the train station with a big grin, a kiss hello, and a little-tighter-than-normal hug.  It's nice to be back.  Maybe absence DOES make the heart grow fonder.