We are family

Em and Mark are going on a big vacation. When I was pregnant with Em, Curt and I did the same thing, thinking that it would be our last trip by ourselves for a very long time. We drove to New Orleans from Rockford, Illinois, and spent a week in the French Quarter. It was the winter of 1977, and as the Northeast and Midwest got pummeled by record snowstorms, we were eating beignets and sipping strong coffee at outdoor cafes. We had a great time, but after Em was born we had many more great times. We found out that while it's fun to get away alone for a weekend here and there (and we did, thanks to my Mom and Dad), we defined ourselves differently once we had a child. We became a family, and our happiest times were spent together.