where've i been?

took a quick jaunt up north to the land of my ancestors---Freeport, Il
My mom turned 40 twice---so Eden and I surprised mom with a quick weekend.
I flew to Chicago and caught a bus to Rockford, my brother Matt-- picked me up at the Clock Tower Inn (Matt works in Rockford)---we drove to mom's house--Matt walked in and chatted with mom while I walked into her kitchen and made noise---her reaction---not the "Oh My Goodness! What are you doing here! I am so surprised! How wonderful"---no it was "Oh! what are you doing here!"---thats it---she explained that it felt so normal to have me there---whatever. then the next night Eden called her and was chatting---that was my cue to open mom's door---so Eden could walk in! Eden got the reaction that I deserved! for mom's birthday we did her traditional Taco Bell birthday dinner! Taco Bell staff heard us singing to her (in harmony, thank you) so they brought her out the leis---not sure why Taco Bell has plastic leis---but it was funny---and she likes pie---so instead of birthday cake we had birthday pieit was a lovely weekend just playing, eating out---lots---watching lots of movies---chatting with my cute nephews and their lovely mom, Shelley...went to my home branch (now its a ward---my bro is bishop) and saw all the people that were adults when i was a kid---they are still adults---just really old now---what a great feeling---to walk into a ward and have people stream---yes---they streamed---almost formed a line---to hug me! one woman came up and introduced herself and said she felt like she should hug me because everyone else did! :) we visited my dad---mom goes over and talks to him---and prunes the grass around his headstone---my dad was a big hedger back in the day---so he would be very proud...
he would also love the view from his gravesite----a brand new Menards was built---which is a big Home Depot-type hardware store---and next to it is the first and only Super Wal-Mart in Freeport! His two favorite stores right across from him---my mom is a fun lady---she's a dynamo---yes---at 40 twice you can be called a dynamo---in the RS presidency, on the homeowners association board, grows vegetables in pots, volunteers at the hospital----she shops for shoes (they only have one Payless there---INSIDE the shopko---poor Freeport!)--colors her hair a lovely red--- funny story---when she was 25 she decided to color her hair---she had 1 1/2 kids at the time---or maybe just 1---but she was a college graduate---so anyway---she got mercurchrome and put it in her hair!---to make it red! mercurchrome was used back then to help heal cuts---and it hurt--and turned the skin around the cut bright red---anyway her hair turned out HORRIBLE---she went to church with a scarf----but ever since then she uses Nice & Easy medium Auburn!---she has a color pencil ready so if she 'goes'---we can touch up her hair.
ah that at 40 twice we can all be such....