kidnapped.

We sure love our kids.

About a week ago, I was talking with Alyssa, who told me that her Friday classes were cancelled. This is significant when you know that she also has no classes scheduled on Thursdays. It became an un-scheduled four-day weekend for her.

Her text to me said, "Come get me???"

A bit unusual, considering it's nearly a 6-hour drive, one way. She's fully aware of that, so she really was only half-serious. She didn't actually expect us to come and get her. Normally, we might have just dismissed it, and said, "suck it up, buttercup" ---- but......

-  the weather has actually been pretty good lately (winter weather + travel = misery)

- gas prices are down

- the schedule at work was empty for the day

- her sweetheart was out of town for job-training

- we miss her, too!!

...

My return text to her said:

,
"Can you be packed to leave at noon tomorrow?"

"Wait. Are you serious?!?!"

...

"Pack your bags, sister. Prepare to be kidnapped!"

So, I got a sub for my seminary class that morning, we pulled Emma out of school, and off we went. Despite glorious weather at home, we did come across this scene, not long after leaving home:

... but after that, all was good.

Emma's a good little traveler, and a few hours later, we showed up at Alyssa's dorm:

And went out for lunch...

Oh, my. Those two DO look alike!!

The sneaky part about this was misleading Darcie about our trip that day. We told her we were headed in the opposite direction, and made no mention of Alyssa. Miss Darcie is so busy right now with softball practices and pit orchestra rehearsals (for the school's spring musical), and she wouldn't be home most of the day anyway. Lately, she doesn't even see Emma, since Darcie leaves before she's up and comes home after she's asleep.

So even after 11+ driving hours, going out to lunch, and doing some wedding shopping, we still arrived home that night before Darcie.

She was speechless when Alyssa popped out and said, "Boo!"

It was so great to visit with her again. All of us thought so:

We'd thought that Alys would drive her Jeep back to school, since she didn't take it this semester. But she elected to still leave it behind -- the price of a parking permit doesn't seem very cost-effective. So we packed up again when the weekend was over, and drove her back to school. This time, we stayed overnight, to break up all that driving.

Emma's favorite part of traveling is going to the hotel pool. She showed off her new 3-piece swimsuit for us:

Sure can tell she's had cameras in her face all her life!!

And finally -- I'm such a sucker for sleeping kids. Emma's new habit is to say goodnight after we read a story, and then read to herself in bed. It almost always ends like this:

And then I take the book away and tuck that sleeping adorable-ness under the covers. Sure love her.

And sure love our Alys. I mean, it takes LOVE to go drive that distance, and get her for the weekend, right??

And ..... we sure miss this little sweetheart, too:

(That's her first time sitting like a big girl in the shopping cart. She's growing SO fast!!)

I'm turning into quite the old mother hen. I miss my kids when they're gone, and I love to have them all back under our roof again. (Well, at least to visit!!)