We need reverent prayers for my cousin's 5 year old daughter, Katie, who was hit by a car last night. She is in ICU with a fractured skull, and so far no other notable injuries. The next 24 hours are critical,.. so far, there is no swelling of her brain.
PLEASE pray for Katie-Bug. That God would wrap her up in His loving arms and ease her pains. That He would work through the hands of the doctors to give her the best possible care, and to help her heal. That she will not suffer from any further injuries that may not have presented themselves yet, or brain trauma. Please lift her up in your prayers. Pray hard; pray strong.
PLEASE pray for Barb. As a mother, I know her heart is literally outside of her body on that hospital bed right now! Please pray for her peace & comfort, for strength in this awful nightmare she is going through right now. Pray that she will be able to allow herself the rest she will need for endurance, that her mind will break from panic so that she can be a shining light for her daughter. That God will speak to her softly & remind her that she is not alone in this, that He is there, and that He will carry them through this.
PLEASE pray for GT. He is one of the bravest men I know. He has served in the military for about 16 years, done several tours overseas, and yes, Iraq, too, and I am certain that none of that compares to what he is going through right now. Nothing can prepare a parent for this kind of thing, and I know he is scared out of his mind right now. He needs your prayers, too. Pray for his strength & clarity of mind, and that God would also work through him to be a pillar for Katie, Barb & the boys, but don't forget to pray for his aching heart. Pray for his peace & comfort, too.
PLEASE also pray for Zachary & Jordan. The boys were home babysitting Kathryn when the accident happened. It ocurred through no fault of their own, but I am sure they are feeling a great deal of responsibility. Please pray that God would lift that guilt from them, and that He would give them a peaceful spirit in all of this. That He would remove any doubt from their minds. That they would feel His love around them, and that they will find comfort. Thay they will not carry this burden with them.
Thanking you all in advance!
I will try to post an update when I hear any further news.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Fantasmic!
Here's the Grand Finale, if you will... We certainly have scores & scores of more pictures from this trip, but I think you've gotten a pretty good look at it! :)
We had an AMAZING time, and I believe these new, happy memories will last Brittney a lifetime.........
We had an AMAZING time, and I believe these new, happy memories will last Brittney a lifetime.........
Monday, May 26, 2008
I {heart} My GOOFY Kid! :)
What an incredible bonding opportunity... I have to say that I am so very thankful to have been blessed to have these experiences with my kids this year. People who have multiple children know how difficult it can be to get in the important, one-on-one, quality time with each child. The kind that makes them feel truly special, unique to your heart, and an individual. I highly recommend taking out Mother-Child time, and Father-child time for that matter. It doesn't mean you have to go on some big trip to do it, and it doesn't mean you have to make special acommodations for each child on a daily, weekly, or even monhtly basis, but try to take time out to spend individually, periodically, as you can... they will never forget it, and your relationship will be stronger for it. I even try to make the point to have one-on-one chats tucked away in another room of the house, play one-on-one board games periodiclly, stuff like that as well. But, this trip,.. what a huge treasure it turned out to be for us!
From our third & final day, here are some favorite pics of my "GOOFY" while we were there... I think she makes the cutest Goofy I've ever seen, but then,.. I'm partial. ;)
Disney's Play Parade!
This is probably the most fun of all of the various parades that Disney puts on! It's interactive with the audience, bubbles are flying everywhere, and watch out, you can get squirted, too! This parade consists of the newer Disney/Pixar characters, whereas the Main St parade has mostly the traditonal/original, although it has been updated quite a bit with newer Disney characters as well... ones they certainly didn't have when I first saw it at the tender age of 9, LOL :)
This parade takes place on the Disney California Adventure park side...
This parade takes place on the Disney California Adventure park side...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Lights, Lights & More Lights!
Before the parade, we decided to start off the evening with blinky necklaces & went for some spinning, wobbling fun on the ladybug ride, LOL, those things are a bit wilder than the teacups, and harder to take pictures when you're moving so much,.. see? Goodness though, how we laughed!!
Then, we bought matching, blinky Mickey ears and found a primo spot to watch the Electrical Parade!
Then, we bought matching, blinky Mickey ears and found a primo spot to watch the Electrical Parade!
*Tea-Time!*
We {heart} the teacups... C'mon, seriously though, who doesn't?? Even big, burley, grown men LOVE riding the teacups!! They are FUN!
And,.. they are even cooler at night!
And,.. they are even cooler at night!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Yo-ho, Yo-ho, a Pirate's Life for Me!
We scoured the Pirate's Lair in search of our favorite, heart-throb pirate..... and found treasure!
And then we finally found him...... Cpt. Jack Sparrow!
I mentioned this in a previous post, but here's the story again to go along with the photos:
That day, we had our hearts set on finding Captain Jack Sparrow so Brittney could get him to sign her autograph book, and we could get pictures with him. We dressed in our 'girlie' pirate mouse ears... we were too cute! We searched all over the Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, exploring every nook & cranny, and finally found him on the back side of the island,............. just as he was going on a break. *sigh* But! We used our noggins and stayed there and waited for him to come back, whereas almost everybody else went ahead and left. We waited there for a half hour before he came back, but it was well worth the wait because when he did finally come back, there were only a few other people there besides us so he took a lot more time, and played around with Brittney! It was hilarious, and nobody else bothered rushing up for their turn next because they were enjoying watching so much. It was just too funny! You see, this guy played Jack Sparrow to a 't'. He had the look, the lingo, the hand gestures, the whole mannerism of Jack Sparrow, just as Johnny Depp portrayed him in the films. So, he takes her autograph book, and gets her to turn around so he can use her back to sign it on, then leans 'round and toys with her a bit while unbeknownst to her,... he was pilfering her! While he distracted her, he had gotten into her backpack and taken out a key chain she had just purchased prior to going over to the island (& it was too perfect b/c it just so happened to be a skull, LOL)... So he gives her back her autograph book, and as she is walking away, he says something admiringly about 'his trinket'. Brittney says, "oh cool, I have the same.... hey, wait a minute,.. that's mine!". She asks him if she can have it back, he says, "oh sure thing, love, here you are" and passes her back the little shopping bag. She says thank you, and as she's walking away, I whispered that the bag was empty, then she squeezes it & realizes I am right, LOL. Meanwhile, he has wandered over by a rock wall, and placed his new found 'trinket' on top of it where he proceeds to admire it some more. Brittney marches over to him, and their conversation proceeds as follows: Britt: "Hey you stole that, can I have it back please?" Jack: "I didn't steal it,.. I'm 'borrowing' it, Love"... Britt reaches out for it, and as she's reaching, Jack grabs the skull back out of her reach with one hand while placing the other hand on her shoulder with which to hold her back! ROFLMAO,.... and he says, "You can have it back tomorrow, Love". It was such a hoot! Too fun!
And then we finally found him...... Cpt. Jack Sparrow!
I mentioned this in a previous post, but here's the story again to go along with the photos:
That day, we had our hearts set on finding Captain Jack Sparrow so Brittney could get him to sign her autograph book, and we could get pictures with him. We dressed in our 'girlie' pirate mouse ears... we were too cute! We searched all over the Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, exploring every nook & cranny, and finally found him on the back side of the island,............. just as he was going on a break. *sigh* But! We used our noggins and stayed there and waited for him to come back, whereas almost everybody else went ahead and left. We waited there for a half hour before he came back, but it was well worth the wait because when he did finally come back, there were only a few other people there besides us so he took a lot more time, and played around with Brittney! It was hilarious, and nobody else bothered rushing up for their turn next because they were enjoying watching so much. It was just too funny! You see, this guy played Jack Sparrow to a 't'. He had the look, the lingo, the hand gestures, the whole mannerism of Jack Sparrow, just as Johnny Depp portrayed him in the films. So, he takes her autograph book, and gets her to turn around so he can use her back to sign it on, then leans 'round and toys with her a bit while unbeknownst to her,... he was pilfering her! While he distracted her, he had gotten into her backpack and taken out a key chain she had just purchased prior to going over to the island (& it was too perfect b/c it just so happened to be a skull, LOL)... So he gives her back her autograph book, and as she is walking away, he says something admiringly about 'his trinket'. Brittney says, "oh cool, I have the same.... hey, wait a minute,.. that's mine!". She asks him if she can have it back, he says, "oh sure thing, love, here you are" and passes her back the little shopping bag. She says thank you, and as she's walking away, I whispered that the bag was empty, then she squeezes it & realizes I am right, LOL. Meanwhile, he has wandered over by a rock wall, and placed his new found 'trinket' on top of it where he proceeds to admire it some more. Brittney marches over to him, and their conversation proceeds as follows: Britt: "Hey you stole that, can I have it back please?" Jack: "I didn't steal it,.. I'm 'borrowing' it, Love"... Britt reaches out for it, and as she's reaching, Jack grabs the skull back out of her reach with one hand while placing the other hand on her shoulder with which to hold her back! ROFLMAO,.... and he says, "You can have it back tomorrow, Love". It was such a hoot! Too fun!
M.I.C.K.E.Y. M.O.U.S.E.
Day Two: You know the day is off to a good beginning when it starts with everybody's favorite mouse!
More to come,.. stay tuned! :)
More to come,.. stay tuned! :)
The Sword in the Stone
And what trip to Disney is complete without a tug on the ol' sword, eh? If only Merlin would've given her a little "help", LOL,..
Friday, May 23, 2008
Magical Moments
After the fireworks, we wandered around and checked out everything all lit up... so magical!
Main St at night,.. it just glows!
What a WONDERFUL first day!!
Fireworks Extraordinaire!
Our first evening, we chose to view the amazing fireworks display you see here... it was absolutely, hands down, the BEST fireworks display I have ever seen in my life. Truly stunning! We had an excellent spot right in front of the castle... An unforgettable experience!
Aladdin!
We made sure that we caught the Aladdin show on our first day, too. This is not a show to be missed, and unfortunately, we had missed it during the previous trips. If you haven't seen it, when you are there,.. MAKE SURE YOU DO! You will not be disappointed! :)
Now, the pictures didn't turn out "great"... my little digi doesn't do as well in low-lit environments, and especially with a lot of movement, and this show has both. BUT, you will get the idea of what a fun, colorful & exciting performance it truly is. Here's a peek...
Now, the pictures didn't turn out "great"... my little digi doesn't do as well in low-lit environments, and especially with a lot of movement, and this show has both. BUT, you will get the idea of what a fun, colorful & exciting performance it truly is. Here's a peek...
When You Wish Upon A Star
Okay, so I'm getting some posted sooner than you might have thought, LOL
I know, I can go for lengthy periods without posting, and then suddenly I'm a post-junkie again... go figure.
Anyway, here are some snaps from our first day...
I know, I can go for lengthy periods without posting, and then suddenly I'm a post-junkie again... go figure.
Anyway, here are some snaps from our first day...
And now back to Disney... :)
Yes, I am finally getting around to posting on our most recent vaca... This year, we have been blessed with the ability to plan some individual "Mother-Daughter" trips. Courtney obviously got to go to Chicago, and Ashley will be getting to go to Silverwood, Home to Garfield, LOL :) Brittney got to go back to Disneyland. We felt it was important for her to have a new experience there. Her last two experiences were the trips we took with Grandma before she died. For us, those trips are filled with wonderful memories with her... but for Brittney it had become the opposite, and only reminded her that Grandma is no longer with us. She couldn't remember hardly anything fun or happy about the trip anymore, and trying to relive those memories only made her sad. So, we decided that new memories would be a good thing, and how much more special would they be if she got to go with 'just mom', and have the whole trip revolve around her. Big fun!
We decided to go over Mother's Day weekend, and I have to say another big thank you to Daddy, Courtney & Ashley for being so accomodating & understanding of that. They were truly wonderful. Brittney & I flew out early that Friday morning, and we spent 3full days at Disneyland before flying back home Monday morning. We had the BEST time together!! We rode all of our favorite rides over & over, enjoyed many tastey treats, and saw every parade & show... many of those things we had all missed the first two times in 2006 & 2007. It was definitely a trip she will not forget... what a blessing!!
I will start working on posting photos... We took about a million *cough*, and that's only a slight exageration, LOL Anyway, check back soon!
We decided to go over Mother's Day weekend, and I have to say another big thank you to Daddy, Courtney & Ashley for being so accomodating & understanding of that. They were truly wonderful. Brittney & I flew out early that Friday morning, and we spent 3full days at Disneyland before flying back home Monday morning. We had the BEST time together!! We rode all of our favorite rides over & over, enjoyed many tastey treats, and saw every parade & show... many of those things we had all missed the first two times in 2006 & 2007. It was definitely a trip she will not forget... what a blessing!!
I will start working on posting photos... We took about a million *cough*, and that's only a slight exageration, LOL Anyway, check back soon!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Shedd's Aquarium
We thoroughly enjoyed the Shedd's Aquarium. The architecture on the interior of this building is breathtaking... and check out the details on the lamps!
Part of what marveled us was how many species of tropical fish they have that we, ourselves, have here at home, only their's are MUCH BIGGER. In due time, we will be upgrading from our three 55 gallon aquariums to a 200+ or larger already knowing several of our species will need the room, but how cool to get to see in advance what they will end up looking like!
Unfortunately, we were unable to view the White-sided dolphins we had been so anxious to see so we have no pictures of them... the pool was too cloudy so we only caught brief glimpses as they would flit here & there.
The same was true of the pool that housed the Beluga whales, although a new mother did come near the glass enough for us to admire her in full view, along with her young, nursing calf. Very cool to see!! (Please note that the below featured photo of the Beluga & calf is not one of our own, but looks remarkably like what we got to see only with better visibility! I could not successfuly find a copyright so I am unable to provide due credit.)
Below, enjoy a slide of some favorite shots we took throughout the aquarium.
Chicago @ Night!
Here, we have a few evening pics to share of the city, from just after sunset, and they are pretty, but the ones that will blow your mind are the ones we took from the Signature Room/Lounge on the 96th floor of the Water Tower Building which is home to the John Hancock Observatory. You'll know them when you see 'em.....
To try to sum the view up in just one word is nearly impossible, but a good start would be stunning to say the least..... the very least! Enjoy!
And BTW, those elevators scared the h-e-double-hockey-sticks outta us! Courtney almost cried & I have to say, I almost joined her! They go so fast they start to shimmy!
The elevators shoot from the 1st floor to the 96th floor in a mere 55 seconds!!
Running at 9.1 miles per second, they are the fastest in North America!!
To try to sum the view up in just one word is nearly impossible, but a good start would be stunning to say the least..... the very least! Enjoy!
And BTW, those elevators scared the h-e-double-hockey-sticks outta us! Courtney almost cried & I have to say, I almost joined her! They go so fast they start to shimmy!
The elevators shoot from the 1st floor to the 96th floor in a mere 55 seconds!!
Running at 9.1 miles per second, they are the fastest in North America!!
*Navy Pier*
Haha!
Our sorry attempt at taking our own photo! Hmmm, better to stop a friendly passerby and ask THEM to take it!
*insert cheesy grin*
Here are a few cool shots we got while we were there.....
Oh yeah, and if you ever find yourself in Chicago & down at Navy Pier, make sure you stop in for a bite to eat at
Capi's Italian Cafe'
.....and tell Gino we say, *Hi*!
~ Centinial Carousel ~
For not being refurbished this carousel looked AMAZING. Either it was taken impeccable care of, or somebody's stretchin' the truth because it is one of the most BEAUTIFUL carousels we've ever seen!!
Brookfield Zoo
Here, enjoy some slides of our trip to the Brookfield Zoo, which spreads over 216 acres, and is home to one of the largest, hand-carved, non-restored, wooden centinial carousels in the country. Brookfield Zoo, opened in 1934, and is known for its extensive use of open-air, unbarred enclosures. It is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and is operated by the Chicago Zoological Society.
A was a beautiful day while we were there, and we had so much fun together. It was really nice to be able to share some on-on-one time with eachother. Time we will never forget... I will treasure those 5 days always.
PS- Courtney took AND edited ALL of these photos w/ exception only to the ones I took OF her! Pretty terrific job, I think!!
A was a beautiful day while we were there, and we had so much fun together. It was really nice to be able to share some on-on-one time with eachother. Time we will never forget... I will treasure those 5 days always.
PS- Courtney took AND edited ALL of these photos w/ exception only to the ones I took OF her! Pretty terrific job, I think!!
We {heart} the Cubbies!
So, I know there a few out there that still follow this blog (although rarely comment *hint-hint* LOL), and have been anticipating new pics from my recent trips with the girls. For starters, here's a slide from the *highlight* of mine & Courtney's adventure in Chicago,... the Cubs game! I will get more pics up shortly,.. *pinky swear!*
So after a long, INCREDIBLE day at the game, and surviving both the bus and the subway......... back at our hotel room, we were exhausted. Happy, but exhausted, LOL! And check out the smile on my baby-girl's face,........ *PRICELESS MEMORIES* forever engraved on my heart.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Where Dreams Come True
We are back from Disneyland! We got back in on Monday, but the jet lag has been doing a number on me, LOL. I don't actually think I was quite recovered from it after getting back from Chicago before jaunting off to eastern Oregon, and then to California & back...
Lately, I haven't been able to figure out whether I'm coming or going, but it has been one fun ride for the most part! The aftermath kind of sucks because it really wears me down and flares up my Fibromyalgia, but it has been worth it for all the treasured moments with family, especially my kids!
So Brittney & I got up at 2:15 A.M. Friday morning, grabbed our stuff, and headed up to Hillsboro to pick up Scott so we could have him drop us at the airport and not have to mess with parking the car at the airport. Got through security without a hitch (no snow globes on me this time! LOL), and got settled in at our gate with plenty of time to spare. The flight went well, although Brittney did kind of start to freak out a bit on take-off, but once we got high enough she was all, "Hey, this is cool!", and she started snappin' pics left & right, LOL. Landing at the SNA is bumpy! But Britt loved it! We caught our shuttle to the hotel, checked our bags and then headed across the street to Disneyland! We hit the California Adventure Park first, and spent about 6 hours there before we headed back out across the street to grab a bite to eat. Oh, while on that side, we made sure and caught the Aladdin show, which we hadn't gotten to do before, and it was AWESOME! If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you do next time you're there,.. It is well worth the time!! After dinner, we went to our hotel room and laid down for about an hour before heading back over to the parks, then we did the Disneyland side for another 6 hours. We made sure we caught the Parade of Dreams and had front row seats for the huge fireworks display that night. By the time we got back to our hotel and settled down for bed, it was after 1:00 A.M., and aside from the quick nap we took, we had essentially been up for 23 hours! We were exhausted so we let ourselves sleep in a bit the next morning, got breakfast & were back over at the parks around 10:30.
That day, we had our hearts set on finding Captain Jack Sparrow so Brittney could get him to sign her autograph book, and we could get pictures with him. We dressed in our 'girlie' pirate mouse ears... we were too cute! We searched all over the Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, exploring every nook & cranny, and finally found him on the back side of the island,............. just as he was going on a break. *sigh* But! We used our noggins and stayed there and waited for him to come back, whereas almost everybody else went ahead and left. We waited there for a half hour before he came back, but it was well worth the wait because when he did finally come back, there were only a few other people there besides us so he took a lot more time, and played around with Brittney! It was hilarious, and nobody else bothered rushing up for their turn next because they were enjoying watching so much. It was just too funny! You see, this guy played Jack Sparrow to a 't'. He had the look, the lingo, the hand gestures, the whole mannerism of Jack Sparrow, just as Johnny Depp portrayed him in the films. So, he takes her autograph book, and gets her to turn around so he can use her back to sign it on, then leans 'round and toys with her a bit while unbeknownst to her,... he was pilfering her! While he distracted her, he had gotten into her backpack and taken out a key chain she had just purchased prior to going over to the island (& it was too perfect b/c it just so happened to be a skull, LOL)... So he gives her back her autograph book, and as she is walking away, he says something admiringly about 'his trinket'. Brittney says, "oh cool, I have the same.... hey, wait a minute,.. that's mine!". She asks him if she can have it back, he says, "oh sure thing, love, here you are" and passes her back the little shopping bag. She says thank you, and as she's walking away, I whispered that the bag was empty, then she squeezes it & realizes I am right, LOL. Meanwhile, he has wandered over by a rock wall, and placed his new found 'trinket' on top of it where he proceeds to admire it some more. Brittney marches over to him, and their conversation proceeds as follows: Britt: "Hey you stole that, can I have it back please?" Jack: "I didn't steal it,.. I'm 'borrowing' it, Love"... Britt reaches out for it, and as she's reaching, Jack grabs the skull back out of her reach with one hand while placing the other hand on her shoulder with which to hold her back! ROFLMAO,.... and he says, "You can have it back tomorrow, Love". It was such a hoot! Too fun!
We played on the Disneyland side until about 5:00, and then went back out to get dinner & take a short rest before going back over to the Cali-Adventure side for the Electrical Parade. It is still as awesome as I remember it! Better even! Britt LOVED it! We got front row right along the bridge so we lacked for nothing, it was fantastic! We bought light up neck rings & matching mouse ears so we could twinkle & flash right along with the parade, and that just added to our fun! I don't think we had stopped smiling for either of those first two days!!
After the Electrical Parade, we called it a night so we could get some rest and use our early entry pass the next morning. That worked out great because aside from a handful of other people, we pretty much felt like we had the entire park to ourselves for the first three hours! There were so few people that we got to take second rides without even having to get off from the first,... no lines, no waiting, just running around and having a ball! What a fun way to spend Mother's Day! The only downside was that I didn't get to spend it with all my girls, but this was such a wonderful time for Brittney & I together. Something not to be forgotten, for sure! About 10:00, we went back out and had breakfast and then over to our room to lay down for an hour before heading back over to the parks again. We had quite the experience that afternoon on Splash Mountain, too,... We had already gone down the waterfall, and were just finishing up the ride inside the lower tunnel when all of the sudden we stopped, along with several other logs full of people. Then we proceeded to sit there for about another 20 minutes waiting for Disney Team members to come "rescue" us, LOL. They had to shut down the ride due to an apparent log jam, and then had to come assist us out of the logs so we could walk out along the foot and a half wide path. Then, we came out on the backside of the ride, and had to proceed through tunnels underneath the ride to get back on the correct side. All while assisted by team members and being reminded not to take pictures because according to one guy, "if they ended on MySpace, I'd get fired", LOL. Then, they gave us free Fast Pass good for any ride except Finding Nemo.
We used it for another ride on Indian Jones, which is Britt's FAVORITE ride!
Then, we got great seats for the Fantasmic show on the water,... LOVED it! After that, we headed back to the room, where Britt collapsed on the bed and was snoring probably before her head even hit the pillow, LOL,.... meanwhile, I still had to pack everything up, and schedule a wake-up call & our shuttle pick-up before I hit the hay myself at a quarter after 11:00.
We were up at 3:30 AM, and Britt woke with a fever. She held out until we got to the airport & through security again,.. Then I had her lay down near our gate while I searched out some ibuprofen at one of the little shops nearby. Thankfully, they had some, even if it was half the amount for twice the price! Figures... but, she started feeling better shortly and that's all that mattered!
Flight home was good. I think we slept most of the trip home, LOL.
Scott picked us up, but had to borrow his dad's van because apparently my car decided to break down on him that morning. It's been in the shop since, but a minor issue compared to what it could have been. A very close call so I am relieved at only having a few things needing to be replaced rather than what could have been my whole engine from what they were explaining to me. They said I was really lucky. Nothing I could have known about prior, just a fluke problem.
So, we're back home, and I am feeling the jet lag again, along with fluish symptoms... I guess Courtney & Ashley were sick most of the weekend, too. Anyway, it was an AWESOME trip!!!
We got snap happy so there are a TON of pics, but once I get around to that I will try to just share our favorite "highlights", although that will still likely mean a LOT of pictures so beware! LOL
Lately, I haven't been able to figure out whether I'm coming or going, but it has been one fun ride for the most part! The aftermath kind of sucks because it really wears me down and flares up my Fibromyalgia, but it has been worth it for all the treasured moments with family, especially my kids!
So Brittney & I got up at 2:15 A.M. Friday morning, grabbed our stuff, and headed up to Hillsboro to pick up Scott so we could have him drop us at the airport and not have to mess with parking the car at the airport. Got through security without a hitch (no snow globes on me this time! LOL), and got settled in at our gate with plenty of time to spare. The flight went well, although Brittney did kind of start to freak out a bit on take-off, but once we got high enough she was all, "Hey, this is cool!", and she started snappin' pics left & right, LOL. Landing at the SNA is bumpy! But Britt loved it! We caught our shuttle to the hotel, checked our bags and then headed across the street to Disneyland! We hit the California Adventure Park first, and spent about 6 hours there before we headed back out across the street to grab a bite to eat. Oh, while on that side, we made sure and caught the Aladdin show, which we hadn't gotten to do before, and it was AWESOME! If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you do next time you're there,.. It is well worth the time!! After dinner, we went to our hotel room and laid down for about an hour before heading back over to the parks, then we did the Disneyland side for another 6 hours. We made sure we caught the Parade of Dreams and had front row seats for the huge fireworks display that night. By the time we got back to our hotel and settled down for bed, it was after 1:00 A.M., and aside from the quick nap we took, we had essentially been up for 23 hours! We were exhausted so we let ourselves sleep in a bit the next morning, got breakfast & were back over at the parks around 10:30.
That day, we had our hearts set on finding Captain Jack Sparrow so Brittney could get him to sign her autograph book, and we could get pictures with him. We dressed in our 'girlie' pirate mouse ears... we were too cute! We searched all over the Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, exploring every nook & cranny, and finally found him on the back side of the island,............. just as he was going on a break. *sigh* But! We used our noggins and stayed there and waited for him to come back, whereas almost everybody else went ahead and left. We waited there for a half hour before he came back, but it was well worth the wait because when he did finally come back, there were only a few other people there besides us so he took a lot more time, and played around with Brittney! It was hilarious, and nobody else bothered rushing up for their turn next because they were enjoying watching so much. It was just too funny! You see, this guy played Jack Sparrow to a 't'. He had the look, the lingo, the hand gestures, the whole mannerism of Jack Sparrow, just as Johnny Depp portrayed him in the films. So, he takes her autograph book, and gets her to turn around so he can use her back to sign it on, then leans 'round and toys with her a bit while unbeknownst to her,... he was pilfering her! While he distracted her, he had gotten into her backpack and taken out a key chain she had just purchased prior to going over to the island (& it was too perfect b/c it just so happened to be a skull, LOL)... So he gives her back her autograph book, and as she is walking away, he says something admiringly about 'his trinket'. Brittney says, "oh cool, I have the same.... hey, wait a minute,.. that's mine!". She asks him if she can have it back, he says, "oh sure thing, love, here you are" and passes her back the little shopping bag. She says thank you, and as she's walking away, I whispered that the bag was empty, then she squeezes it & realizes I am right, LOL. Meanwhile, he has wandered over by a rock wall, and placed his new found 'trinket' on top of it where he proceeds to admire it some more. Brittney marches over to him, and their conversation proceeds as follows: Britt: "Hey you stole that, can I have it back please?" Jack: "I didn't steal it,.. I'm 'borrowing' it, Love"... Britt reaches out for it, and as she's reaching, Jack grabs the skull back out of her reach with one hand while placing the other hand on her shoulder with which to hold her back! ROFLMAO,.... and he says, "You can have it back tomorrow, Love". It was such a hoot! Too fun!
We played on the Disneyland side until about 5:00, and then went back out to get dinner & take a short rest before going back over to the Cali-Adventure side for the Electrical Parade. It is still as awesome as I remember it! Better even! Britt LOVED it! We got front row right along the bridge so we lacked for nothing, it was fantastic! We bought light up neck rings & matching mouse ears so we could twinkle & flash right along with the parade, and that just added to our fun! I don't think we had stopped smiling for either of those first two days!!
After the Electrical Parade, we called it a night so we could get some rest and use our early entry pass the next morning. That worked out great because aside from a handful of other people, we pretty much felt like we had the entire park to ourselves for the first three hours! There were so few people that we got to take second rides without even having to get off from the first,... no lines, no waiting, just running around and having a ball! What a fun way to spend Mother's Day! The only downside was that I didn't get to spend it with all my girls, but this was such a wonderful time for Brittney & I together. Something not to be forgotten, for sure! About 10:00, we went back out and had breakfast and then over to our room to lay down for an hour before heading back over to the parks again. We had quite the experience that afternoon on Splash Mountain, too,... We had already gone down the waterfall, and were just finishing up the ride inside the lower tunnel when all of the sudden we stopped, along with several other logs full of people. Then we proceeded to sit there for about another 20 minutes waiting for Disney Team members to come "rescue" us, LOL. They had to shut down the ride due to an apparent log jam, and then had to come assist us out of the logs so we could walk out along the foot and a half wide path. Then, we came out on the backside of the ride, and had to proceed through tunnels underneath the ride to get back on the correct side. All while assisted by team members and being reminded not to take pictures because according to one guy, "if they ended on MySpace, I'd get fired", LOL. Then, they gave us free Fast Pass good for any ride except Finding Nemo.
We used it for another ride on Indian Jones, which is Britt's FAVORITE ride!
Then, we got great seats for the Fantasmic show on the water,... LOVED it! After that, we headed back to the room, where Britt collapsed on the bed and was snoring probably before her head even hit the pillow, LOL,.... meanwhile, I still had to pack everything up, and schedule a wake-up call & our shuttle pick-up before I hit the hay myself at a quarter after 11:00.
We were up at 3:30 AM, and Britt woke with a fever. She held out until we got to the airport & through security again,.. Then I had her lay down near our gate while I searched out some ibuprofen at one of the little shops nearby. Thankfully, they had some, even if it was half the amount for twice the price! Figures... but, she started feeling better shortly and that's all that mattered!
Flight home was good. I think we slept most of the trip home, LOL.
Scott picked us up, but had to borrow his dad's van because apparently my car decided to break down on him that morning. It's been in the shop since, but a minor issue compared to what it could have been. A very close call so I am relieved at only having a few things needing to be replaced rather than what could have been my whole engine from what they were explaining to me. They said I was really lucky. Nothing I could have known about prior, just a fluke problem.
So, we're back home, and I am feeling the jet lag again, along with fluish symptoms... I guess Courtney & Ashley were sick most of the weekend, too. Anyway, it was an AWESOME trip!!!
We got snap happy so there are a TON of pics, but once I get around to that I will try to just share our favorite "highlights", although that will still likely mean a LOT of pictures so beware! LOL
Friday, May 02, 2008
R.E.N.T. Performance Cancelled
I am SO disappointed!! I got an email saying it's been cancelled, and my money will be refunded within 2-3 days........ I was so looking forward to seeing it on stage.... And I had great seats, too! *insert sad face*
I am totally BUMMED.
I am totally BUMMED.
16 Years
Well, since I've already written practically a novel on our trip to Chicago,.. I will keep this post short & sweet!
Today, is mine & Scott's 16th wedding anniversary!! 16 Years!
I'd say that in today's day & age,.. with a large amount of people either electing not to get married altogether or succumbing to the nauseatingly high divorce rate, that this is quite an accomplishment. And Lord knows, we've teetered on the edge a number of times ourselves, but we've made it this far!
XOXO
Today, is mine & Scott's 16th wedding anniversary!! 16 Years!
I'd say that in today's day & age,.. with a large amount of people either electing not to get married altogether or succumbing to the nauseatingly high divorce rate, that this is quite an accomplishment. And Lord knows, we've teetered on the edge a number of times ourselves, but we've made it this far!
XOXO
Alex is Home
From me: As most know, I was gone to Chicago all of last week so I am only just now getting caught up on the computer. But, here is the latest on Alex! I know there are those who have been wondering... he is okay & he is at home! Thanks for all those prayers, you guys!!
From Bri: Apr. 24th 7:30 PM -- So Alex has been home for a couple days. He has been feeling mostly been ok. His bandage changes have been quite the experience. We have an antibiotic schedule that is around the clock. We have alarms set for 6am 12pm 6pm 12am. He is not the nicest boy at 12am and 6am lets just say.
Today we went to Alex’s school for lunch and recess. When we walked into the cafeteria the kids started clapping. He turned red. He had about 10 boys around him all talking at once. I have not been in school for lets say…..A long time. It was funny to see the six grade at work. Alex stood with a group of boys …while groups of girls walked by closer and closer. The girls were very concerned. None of them really got to talk to him. He had a wall of boys around him. He was so happy when we left. I could really tell he wanted to stay. We are hoping by the end of next week he will be back in school. He will be able to go but not participate in p.e or recess. His wound is still horrendous. Our fear as parents is that someone will inadvertently hit him in the stomach.
I have to say It’s so nice to be home. Home is where the heart truly is. I see so much progress from Alex now that we are here. He feels better every day. Tina and I could not ask for more than that!. Thanks everyone for worrying so much about us.
We are blessed with amazing friends and family!
From Bri: Apr. 24th 7:30 PM -- So Alex has been home for a couple days. He has been feeling mostly been ok. His bandage changes have been quite the experience. We have an antibiotic schedule that is around the clock. We have alarms set for 6am 12pm 6pm 12am. He is not the nicest boy at 12am and 6am lets just say.
Today we went to Alex’s school for lunch and recess. When we walked into the cafeteria the kids started clapping. He turned red. He had about 10 boys around him all talking at once. I have not been in school for lets say…..A long time. It was funny to see the six grade at work. Alex stood with a group of boys …while groups of girls walked by closer and closer. The girls were very concerned. None of them really got to talk to him. He had a wall of boys around him. He was so happy when we left. I could really tell he wanted to stay. We are hoping by the end of next week he will be back in school. He will be able to go but not participate in p.e or recess. His wound is still horrendous. Our fear as parents is that someone will inadvertently hit him in the stomach.
I have to say It’s so nice to be home. Home is where the heart truly is. I see so much progress from Alex now that we are here. He feels better every day. Tina and I could not ask for more than that!. Thanks everyone for worrying so much about us.
We are blessed with amazing friends and family!
Back from the Windy City!
Okay, so we are back! We got back Saturday actually, but it has taken me this long just to get around to editing & posting pics, of which I am still not quite finished.
We flew out the Monday before this last, on the 21st of April. Had a connecting flight in Denver, but was easy enough because it ended up being the same plane, LOL. Had us get off, then get right back on,... probably the fastest layover ever!
This was Courtney's first time flying, and my second... but my first was 13 years ago so this may as well have been my first all over again for the little I recall of the last time. Anyway, she did really well, despite being nervous. We had a bit of turbulance landing in Denver, but no more than to be expected. All in all a pretty good flight. We got in to Chicago about 6:30 PM, collected our luggage, got the rental car, and headed off to the hotel. It wasn't until after we got to the hotel that we learned that a limo had been waiting for us. Ah well, I needed the rental car anyway. ;)
We had a mistake with our room. It was supposed to have two queen beds, but only had one king. The hotel was completely booked up already due to multiple conventions so we were stuck with what we had. They sent up a roll-away, but that was a complete joke. The frame was a mess, and half the springs were disconnected. When I lightly pressed on the mattress, it fell through almost to the floor! So, the three of us shared the king!
Tuesday, Courtney & I slept in a little in order to adjust ourselves to the time difference, then went downstairs to breakfast at Bananas Grille, which BTW, has *EXCELLENT* food... then we got ready & headed off to Wrigley Field for the game. It came highly recommended not to try to park anywhere in the vicinity of Wrigley so we heeded that advice. Our hotel was in Tinley Park, where Scott's convention was held so we had to drive about a half hour to Chicago. We parked near Union Station, then took the bus over to the Red Line............. then standing on the sidewalk, looking down the stairs, was when we realized that the Red Line was in fact......... the subway. *gulp*
But, hey, we lived to tell about it! LOL
And in case you are wondering, let me just clarify that yes,...
Wrigley was *AWESOME*!!!!!
We had the time of our lives! What an experience! We had excellent seats, and the Cubbies played their hearts out! No nose-bleeder seats for us, no, we had Field Box seats, 6th row! It was great!! The Mets made winning look too easy,.. they just plain stunk up the place, LOL. I mean, even their fans were booing them! Seriously, we had 6-7 guys that had came from New York to watch the game. They were head to toe in their NY Mets gear, and screamin mad at their Mets players,... hilarious! What was even funnier was when the crowd started chanting, "New York Sucks! New York Sucks!" that went around the stadium like a wave, and those guys were chanting right along with everybody else! Other highlights included the crowd singing & dancing to "YMCA" and later, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". Very cool. Courtney & I also enjoyed hot pretzels, lemonade & then icecream in little Cub helmets... fun! But the best was when the bases were loaded and the Cubs got a Grand Slam!
The Cubs beat the Mets 8 to 1..... Afterward, we tried not to get swallowed up in the sea of people, but that's easier said than done. We wanted to get our picture in front of the Wrigley sign, and it would figure that we ended up essentially walking all the way around the outside of the stadium to find it. Of course, it was on the last corner, LOL. Outside, there were street performers,.. our favorite was the "Drumline"of sorts. These guys played the drums on buckets, and it was SO cool. Maybe I'll try to paste a video on here later...
Riding the subway back was a whole other experience... elbow to elbow people, and us trying to keep track of which stop was our's. But we did well. We survived the subway! We didn't get mugged, and we only got some mild hazing from some Socks fans at the bus stop, LOL. It would figure that us, being dressed head to toe in Cubs gear, would end up waiting at the bus stop with several White Socks fans, but they went easy on us. ;) So, that was Tuesday!
Wednesday, we went to Brookfield Zoo. We spent pretty much all day there, and really enjoyed ourselves. This trip was such a great one-on-one bonding opportunity for Courtney & me. I mean, we are already super close, but this is one of those things that we will never forget... this trip together and all the fun we had, just the two of us. So, I'm really thankful for that.
Wednesday evening, we rode the commercial bus with Scott & 50+ of his collegues, back into Chicago, down to Navy Pier for dinner. They all went to Bubba Gump's while Courtney & I went to Capi's Italian Cafe next door. Then, we walked all around the pier..... and accomplished most of it before they even got any of their food over at Bubba's. But, their group had almost 60 people so of course it took longer for them. I couldn't convince Courtney to ride the ferris wheel with me.... can't say I blame her, it was the biggest I've ever seen! She rides the one at the State Fair, but this one put that one to shame, that's how BIG it is. So, we admired it from the ground, LOL... After everybody was done with dinner, we piled back on the bus and headed over to the Water Tower building. We were told we were going to the John Hancock Observatory, but we actually went higher. We went to the Signature Room Lounge on the 96th floor! I will post pics soon. The pictures don't do the view we had justice at all, but you'll get the idea. It was amazing!
Thursday, we went to the aquarium & the planetarium, and then Friday we spent at the museum of natural history, up until time to head over to the airport and return the rental car.
Then, just as we were waiting to step onto the plane, I saw lightening striking in the distance... and by the time we were in our seats a short few minutes later, the storm had already reached us. It was like a monsoon! The rain was literally blowing sideways, the lightening flashed repeatedly overhead, and felt a little too close for comfort, while the wind literally & violently rocked the plane from side to side! Traffic Control actually shut down the entire airport, and we sat there in the plane, being tossed around (thankfully on the ground) for over an hour. They informed us that a second storm was right behind it, but they were going to try to get us out in between them if at all possible. On the outside, I held my cool for Courtney, but on the inside, I have to say, I was completely unnerved. But, we made it... Our flight had been late already because the plane had to divert the storm coming in, then we lost time stuck in the storm ourselves... and so by the time we took off, we were almost 2 hours off schedule. We were hoping our connection going home would be like it had been on the way out, whereas it was the same plane, but no such luck this time. Of course, it was a different flight on the way back, and being nearly 2 hours late, we had missed our connection flight. There were no more flights going out that night so we were stuck in Denver. And, since it was a weather issue, and not the airline, they didn't accomodate us with rooms... just a discount.
So, we got our room, being told that it was only 15 minutes outside the airport, and that the shuttle came 'round every 15 minutes as well. We were also informed that we couldn't get our luggage, that it would be held for our next flight in the morning. So, no jammies, no toothbrush, no deoderant, no meds... oh joy. Then we proceeded to go outside to the shuttle pick-up island.... at 10:30 PM in Denver at 5,000 feet, and it... was... COLD. And the shuttle that was supposed to come around every 15 minutes........ didn't. We sat there for almost an hour. We called them twice, and two other sets of folks called them at least a couple times between them as well, and we all kept being told the same thing. They didn't know why we had missed them, but another would be around in 15 minutes. *Argh!*
Finally, the shuttle arrives, and we all pile in like a can of sardines because nobody wanted to have to wait for it to come back again (& so the three of us got quished all the way in the back), and that's when we find out that the hotel is actually quite a bit further than a 15 minute drive. That's when we find out that going 60+ mph, it takes a good half hour to get to our hotel because the airport's property extends out for half that distance. Yes, it took 15 minutes, going 60 mph, just to reach the outside perimeter of the airport's property! Then, when we finally made it to the hotel, we were of course the last ones to be able to get off the shuttle, and being as such, we were then at the end of the line to get checked in at the front desk. It took 45 minutes just to make it 20 feet to the front desk. By the time we got to our room it was almost 1:00 AM, and we had to get back up in 5 hours in order to make it to our flight home. We were exhausted.
Oh, and that's not even the best part, LOL,... while in Chicago, we had purchased a number of pins & snow globes to bring home for Brittney & Ashley (B collects lapel-type pins & Ash collects snow globes), and not wanting them to get broken, I elected to buy a bag to take back as a caryy-on............ Keep in mind that I have only flown once before, 13 years ago, well before all the changes that resulted from 9-11. So, of course, I quickly learned at the airport in Chicago that I would have to check the bag in order to get through security. So, I did.... certain everything would get broken. We got through security, and then as a just-in-case measure, I purchased a couple more snow globes. Now this would have been fine had we not missed our connecting flight in Denver, but because we did and had to stay over,... well, we had to go through security again. We were told that two little snowglobes shouldn't be a problem, but oh guess what,.. they were. Security made me go back out with them. So, I bought another darn bag & a fleece to wrap them in, and checked the bag! I even had to throw my UNOPENED bottle of water away at the security check point. They said I could either dump it out or drink it, and take the empty bottle through the check point and then refill it on the otherside, or I had to just throw it away..... so I did. *grumble*
Anyway, we got home sometime Saturday afternoon, after getting out of the airport, picking up the other kids from their cousin's, and driving an hour home. And then I still had to go to the boarding kennel to pick up the dogs. And we've since been fighting head colds,... darn airport germs, LOL
It was an EXHAUSTING trip, but quite an experience! One not to be forgotten. We had a ball, and even the crummy parts can't bring it down. It was, all-in-all, a FANTASTIC time!!
I will post pics soon!! And, Britt & I leave on our own "mommy-daughter" trip at 6:00 AM next Friday for 3 days at Disneyland.......... *grin*
We flew out the Monday before this last, on the 21st of April. Had a connecting flight in Denver, but was easy enough because it ended up being the same plane, LOL. Had us get off, then get right back on,... probably the fastest layover ever!
This was Courtney's first time flying, and my second... but my first was 13 years ago so this may as well have been my first all over again for the little I recall of the last time. Anyway, she did really well, despite being nervous. We had a bit of turbulance landing in Denver, but no more than to be expected. All in all a pretty good flight. We got in to Chicago about 6:30 PM, collected our luggage, got the rental car, and headed off to the hotel. It wasn't until after we got to the hotel that we learned that a limo had been waiting for us. Ah well, I needed the rental car anyway. ;)
We had a mistake with our room. It was supposed to have two queen beds, but only had one king. The hotel was completely booked up already due to multiple conventions so we were stuck with what we had. They sent up a roll-away, but that was a complete joke. The frame was a mess, and half the springs were disconnected. When I lightly pressed on the mattress, it fell through almost to the floor! So, the three of us shared the king!
Tuesday, Courtney & I slept in a little in order to adjust ourselves to the time difference, then went downstairs to breakfast at Bananas Grille, which BTW, has *EXCELLENT* food... then we got ready & headed off to Wrigley Field for the game. It came highly recommended not to try to park anywhere in the vicinity of Wrigley so we heeded that advice. Our hotel was in Tinley Park, where Scott's convention was held so we had to drive about a half hour to Chicago. We parked near Union Station, then took the bus over to the Red Line............. then standing on the sidewalk, looking down the stairs, was when we realized that the Red Line was in fact......... the subway. *gulp*
But, hey, we lived to tell about it! LOL
And in case you are wondering, let me just clarify that yes,...
Wrigley was *AWESOME*!!!!!
We had the time of our lives! What an experience! We had excellent seats, and the Cubbies played their hearts out! No nose-bleeder seats for us, no, we had Field Box seats, 6th row! It was great!! The Mets made winning look too easy,.. they just plain stunk up the place, LOL. I mean, even their fans were booing them! Seriously, we had 6-7 guys that had came from New York to watch the game. They were head to toe in their NY Mets gear, and screamin mad at their Mets players,... hilarious! What was even funnier was when the crowd started chanting, "New York Sucks! New York Sucks!" that went around the stadium like a wave, and those guys were chanting right along with everybody else! Other highlights included the crowd singing & dancing to "YMCA" and later, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". Very cool. Courtney & I also enjoyed hot pretzels, lemonade & then icecream in little Cub helmets... fun! But the best was when the bases were loaded and the Cubs got a Grand Slam!
The Cubs beat the Mets 8 to 1..... Afterward, we tried not to get swallowed up in the sea of people, but that's easier said than done. We wanted to get our picture in front of the Wrigley sign, and it would figure that we ended up essentially walking all the way around the outside of the stadium to find it. Of course, it was on the last corner, LOL. Outside, there were street performers,.. our favorite was the "Drumline"of sorts. These guys played the drums on buckets, and it was SO cool. Maybe I'll try to paste a video on here later...
Riding the subway back was a whole other experience... elbow to elbow people, and us trying to keep track of which stop was our's. But we did well. We survived the subway! We didn't get mugged, and we only got some mild hazing from some Socks fans at the bus stop, LOL. It would figure that us, being dressed head to toe in Cubs gear, would end up waiting at the bus stop with several White Socks fans, but they went easy on us. ;) So, that was Tuesday!
Wednesday, we went to Brookfield Zoo. We spent pretty much all day there, and really enjoyed ourselves. This trip was such a great one-on-one bonding opportunity for Courtney & me. I mean, we are already super close, but this is one of those things that we will never forget... this trip together and all the fun we had, just the two of us. So, I'm really thankful for that.
Wednesday evening, we rode the commercial bus with Scott & 50+ of his collegues, back into Chicago, down to Navy Pier for dinner. They all went to Bubba Gump's while Courtney & I went to Capi's Italian Cafe next door. Then, we walked all around the pier..... and accomplished most of it before they even got any of their food over at Bubba's. But, their group had almost 60 people so of course it took longer for them. I couldn't convince Courtney to ride the ferris wheel with me.... can't say I blame her, it was the biggest I've ever seen! She rides the one at the State Fair, but this one put that one to shame, that's how BIG it is. So, we admired it from the ground, LOL... After everybody was done with dinner, we piled back on the bus and headed over to the Water Tower building. We were told we were going to the John Hancock Observatory, but we actually went higher. We went to the Signature Room Lounge on the 96th floor! I will post pics soon. The pictures don't do the view we had justice at all, but you'll get the idea. It was amazing!
Thursday, we went to the aquarium & the planetarium, and then Friday we spent at the museum of natural history, up until time to head over to the airport and return the rental car.
Then, just as we were waiting to step onto the plane, I saw lightening striking in the distance... and by the time we were in our seats a short few minutes later, the storm had already reached us. It was like a monsoon! The rain was literally blowing sideways, the lightening flashed repeatedly overhead, and felt a little too close for comfort, while the wind literally & violently rocked the plane from side to side! Traffic Control actually shut down the entire airport, and we sat there in the plane, being tossed around (thankfully on the ground) for over an hour. They informed us that a second storm was right behind it, but they were going to try to get us out in between them if at all possible. On the outside, I held my cool for Courtney, but on the inside, I have to say, I was completely unnerved. But, we made it... Our flight had been late already because the plane had to divert the storm coming in, then we lost time stuck in the storm ourselves... and so by the time we took off, we were almost 2 hours off schedule. We were hoping our connection going home would be like it had been on the way out, whereas it was the same plane, but no such luck this time. Of course, it was a different flight on the way back, and being nearly 2 hours late, we had missed our connection flight. There were no more flights going out that night so we were stuck in Denver. And, since it was a weather issue, and not the airline, they didn't accomodate us with rooms... just a discount.
So, we got our room, being told that it was only 15 minutes outside the airport, and that the shuttle came 'round every 15 minutes as well. We were also informed that we couldn't get our luggage, that it would be held for our next flight in the morning. So, no jammies, no toothbrush, no deoderant, no meds... oh joy. Then we proceeded to go outside to the shuttle pick-up island.... at 10:30 PM in Denver at 5,000 feet, and it... was... COLD. And the shuttle that was supposed to come around every 15 minutes........ didn't. We sat there for almost an hour. We called them twice, and two other sets of folks called them at least a couple times between them as well, and we all kept being told the same thing. They didn't know why we had missed them, but another would be around in 15 minutes. *Argh!*
Finally, the shuttle arrives, and we all pile in like a can of sardines because nobody wanted to have to wait for it to come back again (& so the three of us got quished all the way in the back), and that's when we find out that the hotel is actually quite a bit further than a 15 minute drive. That's when we find out that going 60+ mph, it takes a good half hour to get to our hotel because the airport's property extends out for half that distance. Yes, it took 15 minutes, going 60 mph, just to reach the outside perimeter of the airport's property! Then, when we finally made it to the hotel, we were of course the last ones to be able to get off the shuttle, and being as such, we were then at the end of the line to get checked in at the front desk. It took 45 minutes just to make it 20 feet to the front desk. By the time we got to our room it was almost 1:00 AM, and we had to get back up in 5 hours in order to make it to our flight home. We were exhausted.
Oh, and that's not even the best part, LOL,... while in Chicago, we had purchased a number of pins & snow globes to bring home for Brittney & Ashley (B collects lapel-type pins & Ash collects snow globes), and not wanting them to get broken, I elected to buy a bag to take back as a caryy-on............ Keep in mind that I have only flown once before, 13 years ago, well before all the changes that resulted from 9-11. So, of course, I quickly learned at the airport in Chicago that I would have to check the bag in order to get through security. So, I did.... certain everything would get broken. We got through security, and then as a just-in-case measure, I purchased a couple more snow globes. Now this would have been fine had we not missed our connecting flight in Denver, but because we did and had to stay over,... well, we had to go through security again. We were told that two little snowglobes shouldn't be a problem, but oh guess what,.. they were. Security made me go back out with them. So, I bought another darn bag & a fleece to wrap them in, and checked the bag! I even had to throw my UNOPENED bottle of water away at the security check point. They said I could either dump it out or drink it, and take the empty bottle through the check point and then refill it on the otherside, or I had to just throw it away..... so I did. *grumble*
Anyway, we got home sometime Saturday afternoon, after getting out of the airport, picking up the other kids from their cousin's, and driving an hour home. And then I still had to go to the boarding kennel to pick up the dogs. And we've since been fighting head colds,... darn airport germs, LOL
It was an EXHAUSTING trip, but quite an experience! One not to be forgotten. We had a ball, and even the crummy parts can't bring it down. It was, all-in-all, a FANTASTIC time!!
I will post pics soon!! And, Britt & I leave on our own "mommy-daughter" trip at 6:00 AM next Friday for 3 days at Disneyland.......... *grin*
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