Surprise!

So last week on my way to a wedding in Napa, I flew home to Phoenix and surprised my family for a 21 hour layover.  SO MUCH FUN!

Brother had planned an evening out with some of our mutual friends to see Gaelic Storm. These guys are a great Irish band that we used to watch at a little pub in Santa Monica when we were in college. Once we even took my folks and the amount of Guinness consumed that night was remarkable, but I am digressing. The fact that my layover last week just so happened to coincide with their concert in Phoenix was pure luck (of the Irish)! It was a super fabulous evening with great friends, delicious beer and lively music. I couldn't have planned anything better.

Wanna hear them?

I have to say, one of the the best parts of the weekend was surprising Miss E & Mister P (niece and nephew).  Mister P's greeting to me was by far the best I've received in a long time. When my good friend, H drove me over to their house, Mister P just so happened to be standing at the door in his fire engine underwear (as you do). He saw me and ran across the yard in his underwear and yelled, "Meeeeee-yaaaaaaa!"

A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Now Miss E wasn't so sure what was happening and why her brother was running across the yard in his underwear (understandably) but once she figured it out, she ran up to me, grabbed my neck and would not let go of me. I hugged her tighter than I ever have.

BEST WELCOME HOME EVER!!!

I surprised my parents and my brother too but none of them ran out in their underwear screaming my name. That's probably a good thing though, right?

Ah, it was so fun to see them.

The next day, Brother let the kids play hokey from school. So Mom and I went over in the morning to pick them all up for a coffee date. Miss E decided that she should dress just like me. Here's how that looked.

Meya & Miss E : Matching!

How darn cute is that?

We had fun all morning coloring and playing tic-tac-toe and making noodles out of play-dough and just being Auntie and Niece and Nephew.

Surprises rock! I wish they could happen more often. Thanks to all my "friend"ly co-horts who were in on this with me and made it possible. You guys are the best!