I’m up earlier than I’ve been in a couple of weeks, even though the kids don’t go back to school until next Monday, but it’s all for good reason. No, not that reason just yet, but I’m not complaining, because in just one short hour I’ll be heading out to the airport to pick up my wonderful, fabulous friend Leslie, who’s taking time out of her Stockholm vacation to make a whirlwind visit to me up here in the hinterlands!

It’s been close to four years since we’ve seen each other, so even the short 36 hours she’ll be here will be very, very welcome. I’ve spent the past month or so fearing that of all the possible days, baby would decide that just this very day would be the one to make an appearance, and I have to say I’m relieved that appears not to be the case. At the very least, we’ve got time to catch up over fika and get Leslie comfortably installed in the guest room before I’d have to dash away (and honestly, since I’ve never — not one time — gone into labor in the middle of the day, I expect we’ll make it to tomorrow morning at the very earliest, which would be okay).