The Surprise of the Century!!!!!

It had been 4 months since I'd seen Gia, her family was our first stop on our cross country trip. Missing her has truly been like missing a limb, a good limb, like your dominant hand, kind of limb!!! You know, like you can JUST barely function without that limb!!!

I've had my days, my funks. Back in mid August, I received a delivery, white daisies, my favorite!!! YUP, they were from Gia! She wanted to cheer me up, brighten my day, make me smile. Since then we've really joked a lot about her visiting, she'd say how one day she'd just show up at my door, she'd ask me what was for dinner some nights, and how she wanted it and was on her way to come eat with us. Just little things like that.

Yesterday I woke up to a text from Gia that said "I need a Gia-Renee Day!!!!  Coffffffeeeeeeeeee".
My reply of course was "So do I" and we began a text conversation of our 'plans' for the day as if we were together. Throughout the day this went on, I ran to Greg's work for lunch, she had to 'pick up Ava from school early' and so forth.

I finally made it home and called her to finish the conversation (tired fingers and all) and after a 20 min convo, I dove into house duties. After about 10-15 minutes, my doorbell rang. Looking out my window puzzled, I saw a duffel bag and I was unsure of why my neighbor would have a bag (she was the only person I assumed would be at my door). Sooooooooooo, I open the door and........

Yes, I have "ugly cry face" right now, watching it again.

 Now, this is where I usually am when the boys or Greg get home, so Gia is playing me.

Sean catches a glance of her hair and says "What's up Gia"! We're thinking "What the heck, little punk figured it out and is playing cool?" but when I asked why he was calling me Gia, he said cause I had my hair up like Gia always does. This is where Gia and I both realize if he REALLY thought it was Gia, he'd have said Ms. Gia, not just Gia.

 So Mike gets shoes off first and comes in, he just basically stutters, thank goodness, so he didn't blow it yet with Sean either.

 Sean is STILL taking shoes off around the corner, darn high tops and all the lace loosening!

 Gia goes in for the attack, and Sean has to take a shocked step back

My boys and their other mom!!

Time to surprise Greg, same play, he says something to me and Gia just hums and waves, then I ask him if he can come in here..... (Ugly Cry Face...again...)

 Sean had football practice so we all got some snuggles with her while watching.

 That's Mike under there!

 Red Robin, yuuuuuuuuum, at Gia's request!

 Strawberry Lemonades all around, keep em' coming!!

 Greg the strawberry thief (noted in All Day Greg & Renee Day). Hmmm, Greg, you DO know those are non-alcoholic right? See his shirt? That's what happens to strawberry thieves!!

 Minus a Miles but + an Ellis!! (somebody has to take the pic and our server was too busy trying to keep up with our Strawberry Lemonade Addiction!

 Tuesday morning was the start of our Gia n Renee Day that we were JOKING about on Monday in texts!!

 I had just emailed her a pic of these trees days before to "rub in fall" in her face, yeah, I'm a good friend like that! So we had to get a pic!

 Sbux is ALWAYS the first stop on Gia n Renee Days!

 I called ahead at like 6:15am to see if they had Pumpkin Scones (Gia was beginning to think they only existed in Lejeune and hadn't had one in forever! They offered to put one on hold for me, JUST IN CASE. After telling them that we really aren't THAT strange, and Gia had come to see me from SC, she played the Ugly Cry Face video of me for them. We made Vicki cry beautiful tears of joy!! She bought us a coffee. WE LOVE YOU VICKI!!!

 My surprises are never on Gia Scale but hey... lol

 We were a Sbux baked goods moaning mess

 I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Reduced-Fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake!

 We were having a Latte fun!!

 Another (not posed) shot that I'm so tickled with!! I love it when I get lucky like this with photography.

 Unbiological Twins

 Next stop, the mall, a REAL one too. Cell phone case dude that did or did not like us, I'm still trying to decide. I negotiated him down a couple bucks on her new, SUPER CUTE zebra print case!

 The guy in here DEFINITELY didn't like us I'm sure. haha

Reason for this (which I remembered after we were asked not to take pics in another store) “Using storefronts constitutes copyright infringement. That is why you cannot shoot photos in the mall.” Even if you are not shooting SAID store front. Oooops!!


                                                     

 MOVIE TIME! Funny funny, and we had the theater to ourselves!

 We weren't going to get anything, having planned pizza and baked goodness later, but once we smelled the STUPID MOVIE THEATER POPCORN, we were screwed.

 After the movie we hit Winco for some necessities, I made Gia bag my groceries, she did such a good job.

We stopped at Papa Murphy's (second time ever my family has had it) and while waiting, flirted with Frank here.

 Once we stuffed face with pizza and salad, the baking commenced, Gia and Big Red (my Kitchen-aid) made Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies, aka, Pumpkin Goodness.

 After she finished with Big Red, I made 2 loaves of Zucchini Bread, while it baked, we went through pictures on the computer.

 She also got some lovin' from Skittles.

 Kitchen cleaned, kids in bed for school, pj's on, it's time for BAND PRACTICE!

 We haven't played together since April, so we're VERY excited!

 Our matching pj's, what's a visit without wearing them!

 "Pick a good song Greg", he did, he had downloaded Just Dance - Lady GaGa, Gia was stoked!!

 ROCK ON

 Silly girl

 We played from 9ish till 2am! Greg got a bit lethargic on us though.

 Stupid time wouldn't stop for us, so morning came and we had to send Gia on her way because we couldn't convince the Marine Corps to move them here!

 I told this security guard that I didn't like her for taking my friend away, I told her to reject Gia so she could stay. She said she didn't have the power to make that decision. She liked us, not everyone hates our silliness.

 All my sad boys, watching her go.

Till March, HOPEFULLY!!!!!

We are SO thankful for our visit with you G, and the surprise was truly the SURPRISE OF THE CENTURY!!

Love you Sis....Little G....other mom!!!