Maryland Again

For the past five years I have visited Cheverly, Maryland to rightfully spend a birthday weekend with my twin sister Emily. And every year I cry when it's over.

Most years I blubber through the airport after giving a final hug to Em. Last year I believe I actually held back the tears until I got home, being busy with my squirmy 5-month-old traveling buddy. So this year I was quite proud of myself for making it all the way home and through the next day (our actual birthday) happy and satisfied after a great trip.

But yesterday the tears came. There weren't many, but I couldn't hold them back. I'm not sure what brought on the crying. I was just tying my running shoes when my eyes began to sting and I came to that repeated realization that Emily and her babies live thousands of miles away. I only cried for a few minutes, as Julia is very sensitive and would be seriously concerned if she saw me distraught in any way! So we went about our usual business and of course everything was fine.

Jonny made me a card that had a picture of each birthday since we met. It's amazing to think how much has changed over the years. The photo collage included a picture of each of my past four trips to MD. (The trip doesn't always fall on our exact birthday, but much celebrating and a cake are always involved. So it counts.) The first birthday trip was back in 2006 when I was morning sick with Julia. In 2007 Julia accompanied me. In 2008 I went without Julia but pregnant with Gabe. Each of those years a happy baby or pregnancy was involved for me, but not for my sweet sister longing for the same.

Last year Gabe traveled with me and we met the two-month-old triplets for the first time. I think leaving Em was the least difficult that year. Finally we parted ways and she was left busy at home with precious babies of her own. All the other birthday trips I dreamed of the day that would happen.

So why did I cry this year? Emily and I are both at home with our chubby children, being the moms we always wanted to be. We both have the sweetest husbands that take care of us and make us laugh. We both have family members close by. I guess it is just asking too much that we live next door to one another? Or at least in the same state?! For now, maybe so. We'll just have keep up the phone calls, blogging, and web cam business for a little longer. Their visits to Utah and mine to Maryland will continue to be highlights of my year. And if the tears come once in a while, I'll let them fall. They just remind me how much I love my sister. And being reminded of that is okay with me.

P.S. This post turned out to be more sentimental than the fun travel log I set out to write. Luckily, Em has already done that! Check out her blog if you are interested in the awesome details of our sister weekend. And I can't leave this post without saying how much fun I had partying with Lili, Penny, and Jeff who now live in Em's basement apartment! Now there are even more reasons to miss Maryland, but my mind is more at ease knowing Em and Lili have each other. We've found that we sisters need to stick together if we possibly can.

Birthday fun in MD:


Birthday fun in UT