We are back from our vacation! Well rested and thoroughly tanned, we are more than ready to dive back into "real life".

A few days after arriving home from Miami, I got on a plane to North Carolina to host my little sister’s (Tanya) baby shower. I was devastated when I found out that I will be flying alone without Teddy. Stand-by tickets can be a treat and also a trick. The obvious pro of flying standby is that it saves money. The risky con of flying standby is that there can be a low number of seats available. This time, the return flight booked really fast and didn’t leave room for Teddy to return back home in time for work on Monday. Although I missed my husband like crazy during the 3 days we were apart, I had a blast in North Carolina. I got the opportunity to reunite with my awesome mom, my cool-cat sisters, and my fun girlfriends.

I flew in on Saturday just in time for the shower. We dressed up and left to the location of the event. Tanya’s sister-in-law was kind enough to let us use her spacious, country-style backyard. We embellished the simple decor, the cooks prepared the food, and soon thereafter the guests showed up with gifts. Everything became twice as beautiful every time our future mama smiled. Tanya looked especially radiant that day. Everything went as planned despite Tanya having a nightmare the night before about her baby shower being a disaster. Thank God for hope!

My program turned out to be a success. Thank God! The mama-to-be was satisfied, the games were engaging for all ages, and the atmosphere was relaxed. It was a pleasure hosting my little sister's baby shower.