Surprise!

Last week I FINALLY got to share all the surprises I had been planning for a month!  Rachel found some awesomely cheap flights to Arkansas the weekend of Halloween, which also happens to be a favorite holiday and THE prettiest time of year in Arkansas.  So we flew home together on Wednesday night and Zac picked her up and Allison and Lily got me.  Allison was the only one in my family who knew I was coming and we were both DYING inside to tell everyone!

Lily was my first surprise.  She was told that they were picking up tickets for a trip Allison is going on later and to watch for a man who would come and bring them the tickets.  I got in around 10:30 that night and it was a struggle to even keep Lily awake that long, but when she saw me she got a sudden burst of energy!  She saw me and I hid behind a pole, but after seeing Rachel she said "Mom, that WAS Katie!"   She then hit Allison and said "I don't even like you!" and then ran to hug me.  It was a very sweet reunion.


The three of us then headed to my parents house and surprised them and the boys.  Lily and I stayed in the car and Allison brought them outside telling them Lily had a surprise.  I jumped out from behind the car and said "Trick or Treat!"  John Michael immediately hugged me and mom just stood there speechless (If you know her you know that never happens!).  After hugs and laughing we went inside and I had to surprise Stephen after he got out of the shower.  Bless him. Lol.

The next day, Allison got Claire and Rebekah to agree to come to Nanee and Papa's because Lily wanted them to see her costume when she trick or treated their house.  Claire and Blake were there when we got there, but Becks was running behind.  I was dressed in all black clothes with a black hooded cape and a mask.  We walked up to the porch and no one really noticed me at first.  Then, Claire asked who I was and all of a sudden realized it.  She didn't say anything but covered her mouth with her hand and started crying.  After Nanee tried to figure out who I was, I took my mask off.  Her reply?  "KATIE!  Oh my garsh!!"  Classic Nanee.  We sat around on the porch until Becks got there.  When she walked around to the porch I was dressed up with the bowl of candy in my lap.  Everyone tried to get her to grab some and she wouldn't.  Again, I removed my mask to surprise her!  The surprises were officially all out at that point!

We spent the next few days on the mountain, watching Avery play his last Jr. High football game and first Sr. High game, hammocking, and seeing friends.

On Saturday, I went up to Harrison for the annual Mouser Family Halloween Party!  We dressed up as the Billings and the Billings dressed up as the Mousers.  We couldn't have planned that better if we had tried.  I think it's safe to say we all know each other WAY too well!  It was such a blessing to get to go to church at FCC again and spend time with friends and Nana!! After an afternoon taking pictures at Maplewood we drove to Conway to spend the night with Jamie and Em before flying out Monday.

And we will just leave out the story about the flight.  Let's just say 5 hours of waiting in the Little Rock Airport and a complimentary $75 E-Certificate for United Airlines later, we rolled into our apartment at 12:30 a.m.