Yay!

I am officially going to Chicago! I leave on Wednesday, March 11 and will come back home the following Wednesday! I cannot wait! Raymond has already scheduled that week off of work and he and the kids are already making plans and getting excited about all of the fun things they are going to do together.

I wasn't even really sure I'd be able to go. We don't have a lot of extra money and I haven't been working lately. Well God has truly blessed us! I'm speechless and don't really even understand why they wanted to do this, but Raymond's brother Joseph and his wife Crystal told us they wanted to buy my plane ticket! And they did! Seriously, I cannot even express how thankful (along with surprised and shocked) I am for this. All I can say is that I genuinely have some of the best family members a girl could ever dream of! Raymond's family has welcomed me and loved me like a sister and daughter from the beginning and I love them all so much.

This gift is enabling me to spend a week with my parents and sisters and most importantly, my brand new nephew! It is going to be so fun to be with them again! My sister Danielle is going to take off of work while I'm there so we'll all be one big happy family for a week. Whoo-hoo!

I know I'm going to miss my husband and kids so much though. I hope I'll come home rejuvenated and refreshed and ready to take on motherhood with a new perspective and joyful heart. I can't believe this trip is actually happening. I am so excited!