Just as one would expect...

I am so predictable, right? I leave this blog for more than a week and the first thing I post is a picture of carrot cake cupcakes- just as one would expect. =)

The cupcakes were delicious- compliments of Ashley Wren's husband, Sean. One has to love a guy who not only lets his wife go away and leave him with 3 kids all weekend, but sends a couple of dozen cupcakes along with her for her friends on top of it. {Thanks, Sean!}

Guess what happens when you bring a baby to Nashville?! Yep. He finds a way to get a guitar into his little hands. The cabin we stayed at just happened to have a little guitar telephone,which just happened to be the perfect size for Crew to hold. He was happy to pose with not only the guitar, but also his new fox t-shirt {Thanks, Corrine!} and knitted cap too {Thanks, Diane!}. I regret not taking more photos of some of the fun and getting pictures of me and all my friends {miss you all already!}, but part of that just couldn't be helped. We all just wanted to catch up and laugh and relax without having to capture it all on camera. Then, when we had a bit more time to relax, the lighting inside was so dark the pictures came out terrible anyway. So, these are just a few of the ones I could salvage. I'm hoping some of my camera-expert friends did a better job at capturing the weekend so I can relive the memories through their photos. None-the-less, there was a lot of laughter and fun to be had- regardless of photos for proof.

Crew and I arrived back home yesterday at 1 am. It felt so good to be home and I think Crew knew right away that he was back where he belongs. =) He slept well the rest of the night and was all smiles for the kids when they hugged him and welcomed him home in the morning. I'm not sure if they missed me or him more. We both got hundreds of hugs and kisses to make up for our absence. Like I said, it felt good to be home.

The day went on to include a nap for Crew while our nation made history as the inauguration of Barack Obama took place at the Capitol. What a day, huh?! I loved that it was a time to put away "sides" and just come together and look forward to the future. With hope. I am already praying for President Obama as he faces all sorts of choices and major decisions and trust that he will be a man of character and good judgement. Forget about the left or the right, I just pray that he can help bring much needed change and inspire people at home and abroad to make the most of their own lives/circumstances in order that we might all be better as a result.

I snapped a picture of Chip playing Monopoly with the kids yesterday as proof that they all survived and in fact, thrived, while I was away from home. I was without internet connection and even had sparse cellphone service for much of my trip, but I managed to get by as well. It's amazing how quickly we can adapt to our environments when we're forced to do so. I even debated blogging again as it didn't seem to affect my life that I didn't blog for so long.

But here I am. I'm back and getting into the swing of 'normal life' again. It feels good. Just as I'd expect it to. I hope you all didn't miss me too much {Mom!}. =)