The Perfect Homecoming

Braedan and I had a great time in Houston. The weekend started off with a very early start, a 7:15 am flight, which meant we needed to be at the airport by 5:30 am. I have to say Braedan was a very good sport considering we had to be up so early, but I think he was ok with the whole thing because I let him stay in his pajamas. By the way, his dad thought that was very cool and if he could I think he would love to be able to stay in his pj's for an early flight like that. But despite the early wake up call, Braedan was very good on the flight. Luckily we sat next to two ladies and the charmer that he is got them liking him from the moment they sat down.


From the moment we arrived, Cousin Ian, Aunt Amy and Uncle Mickey were the best hosts. Ian and Braedan were very cute together and got along very well. There is a two year age difference between them, and you can already tell that Ian will be the cool, older, and not to mention, helpful cousin to Braedan. One of the highlights was a trip to Memorial City Mall. We enticed Ian and got him excited about the trip with the promise of a ride on the mall's carousel. Of course Ian had no objections after that. All in all, Braedan's first carousel ride was a hit despite its fast speed. If I wasn't looking out to the crowd I know I would have felt pretty dizzy, and fortunately Braedan seemed to catch onto that plan faster than I did because he smiled and waved his arms the whole time we went around. Aunt Amy and I also had a good time shopping and never mind the fact that we bought the same exact outfit but in different colors. We did this unknowingly but laughed and complimented one another on our good taste. I didn't get to take a picture to capture the moment, but trust me when I say we looked cute.


Part of the trip also included spending some time with my best girlfriends. We celebrated a baby shower for Angelique who is expecting her first baby this April. Angelique was my roommate in college, and it was great to be able to spend time with her and the rest of my friends. Since graduating, we all manage to keep in touch with each other pretty much on a daily basis thanks to the Internet gods. All but three of us were able to make it for the weekend. Recently, one of the girls noted that it has been 10 years since we graduated and then another mentioned that we've known each other for a total of 14. I'd say that's pretty good considering all that goes on with the daily bustle of work, family and other commitments.

Visits with them in addition to the time spent with family always makes for a perfect homecoming, and it's even more enjoyable now that I have a new traveling partner in Braedan.