Ready, Set, Go!!

All those years of accumulated frequent flyer miles have finally paid off: we're going on vacation!!! We had been watching the transatlantic fares for months, hoping they would come down low enough to make the trip to visit Nik's family in Switzerland. We're a family of five now so the difference of a few hundred dollars per ticket is a big deal. But imagine my glee when I discovered that for the cost of one ticket we could purchase enough miles for all five of us to travel! The only downside is that on the return trip, Nik and RT will depart a day early since those were the only seats available. That means that I will be flying alone with both kids, transferring once in Munich. I'm a bit apprehensive, but the thought of 26 days of real vacation makes me think I can handle anything! It has been two years since we visited last. Too long.

Nik's mom is the most wonderful hostess. She is the kind of person who always has a smile on her face and laughter at the ready. And all of Nik's four other siblings live within a stone's throw of the old farm house where he grew up and where his mother still lives. Also, Nik's sister has Down Syndrome and his mother worked in a home for people with autism as a cook for years and years -- so they all understand what it is like to live with, and love, a person with differences. This means that I'm not constantly worried about Oliver's behavior while I'm there. They just really and truly get it. The time I spend there is always so precious.

Five weeks until lift-off!!