I'm a creepy old lady

This was a difficult post for me to create. I took approximately 976 pictures of my nephew this past weekend on my visit, and I had to narrow down just a few winners to include. No easy task, since he always looks good.

 I'd been eagerly anticipating this visit for months. Like, fantasizing about it on cold February runs eager. To the point where I was afraid it could never live up to my expectations. But, it not only lived up to them, it exceeded even my wildest dreams (spoiler alert - I'm pretty easily amused, so that's not really saying much). 

Friday, after work, I was so excited that I ran too fast. Let me repeat that. I ran too fast. I was supposed to run 10 miles at goal marathon pace, 8:53. I did it at 8:39. Usually people saying they accidentally ran too fast makes about as much sense to me as that crap about dessert being "too rich to finish". But this time I was pretty much buzzing with eagerness to get the weekend started, and took it out on the hills. 

After my run, Eric took me to the airport. Just a few short hours later, I was in my parents' family room, enjoying the homemade caramel sauce that my mom just casually whipped up on top of strawberry ice cream, an unlikely yet delicious combo, by the way.

Saturday morning, I was so excited to go watch Harrison in his little swim class that I woke up too early. Again, unless you are a child under 6 on Christmas morning, the idea of waking up too early is completely ludicrous to me. To throw out another eating analogy, it's like when people say they are "too stressed to eat" (everyone knows eating is the cure for stress, duh). 

Even though I said I wasn't working out this weekend, I ended up doing 45 minutes on the elliptical at the YMCA before the swim class because I was too wound up to sleep. 

Then finally, I was reunited with the love of my life.

For new readers - I mean the baby.

No swim class is complete without a creepy stalker lady walking around the pool taking pictures.

The last time I saw Harrison was in February, and he wasn't exactly loving our bonding time then. He didn't really want me to hold him at all, and really, can you blame him? Some crazy lady that he'd seen a few times through the phone and the computer was suddenly there in person getting all up in his personal space. At first this weekend, it was more of the same. I held him for approximately 3 minutes while his dad changed out of his swim clothes, and he screamed the whole time. 

Then he went down for a nap, and I went out to visit my good friend Katylin and her adorable daughter, who is a month younger than Harrison. 

I don't know if he smelled baby on me or what, but after I returned from the visit, it was smooth sailing and we were no longer BFFs only in my mind. It was real.

I CAUSED THIS SMILE

Not impressed with the swings, but I swear he liked me.

Just playing in the car after the park.

I'm now realizing these pictures don't necessarily back up my claim, but I swear he was crawling after me and crying when I left a room. And plus this happened.

Our goodbye kiss Sunday.

So that was a major high point, not for this weekend but for the nearly 30 years I have spent on this planet. But that's not all.

College was pretty much the best 4 years of my life, as I assume it is for most people. I miss it desperately. While I've reunited with my college buddies in various cities around the country, I'd never been to an alumni weekend on campus, and I finally got to experience one in all its glory.

My sister is a fellow alum, and she really put the whole thing together.

Rocking out at the IB, the campus "club"

Her friends are awesome, but luckily two of my college roomies joined me. So I had some fellow representatives from the class of 2005, and didn't have to be the sad old lady tagging along with all the 23 year olds. 

In our apartment in spring 2004

Alumni weekend 2013 - haven't aged a day.

A night reliving our glorious college days was absolute perfection. We revisited all our old hangouts, which naturally included taking pictures in front of our freshmen year dorm rooms.

Can you tell I went to a state school?

I also met a professional body builder. This picture sucks, but seriously his body was just disturbingly jacked and tan. I had SO many questions for him.

Once again, I stayed out until 2am, and also once again, I was up at the crack of dawn. We drove back to our parents' house, where our mom had an amazing homemade breakfast waiting for us, and our stepdad roasted coffee beans to make the freshest french press coffee possible. Spoiled. 

I had to say goodbye, which we won't even discuss, and after a day of travel, I'm blogging from Tulsa, Oklahoma!

Did you love college as much as I did? What was your favorite part? I can't even choose. I loved it all. I mean except the classes, obviously.