A Trip to Remember

This past weekend we went up to Sioux Falls for our friends Jackie and Justin's wedding. It was a wonderful wedding! The trip getting up there was not. Friday morning Timothy and I got up at 3:30 (I had been up since 3:00 waiting for Theo to wake up to eat and he never did) to get food and pack the car and then wake the kids dress them and make our flight.

We get to the airport get the back checked and make our way to the gate. Everything to this point is going smoothly. We take off at 6:30 like we should. Then at 9:30 the captain get on and tells us that we are going to be landing in Peoria, Iowa (yes, it should be Illinois). He explains that there is bad weather in Chicago. Apparently there was a tornado at the airport and they evacuated the tower and shut down the airport.

At 11 they let us off the plane since it looks like we are not going anywhere fast, but they say stay close (not much place to go in the airport anyway) because it could change quickly. It did change quickly, at about 12 they announced that we were to get back on the plane and that they were not waiting for anyone. Timothy and I had just gotten lunch and were about to eat it. We take our food and we all get back on (this takes about 20-30 mins). Everything gets loaded. We have to wait for a plane next to us to pull out because they do not have machines to push us back from our parking place. We wait the plane next to us moves. We taxi out to the run way and then wait some more to get orders from Chicago or from the tower there (a little unclear where the problem was). This all takes up to an hour more. Just before we pull on to the runway to take off we all see a storm fast approaching and think this can not be good. It turns out we are all right and we have to now sit through high winds and hail. Just as the storm is ending the captain comes on again and says I have used up all of my reserve fuel and we need to go back again to refuel (we had taken on more fuel when we stopped the first time). At this point we all can not believe it. We return and get fuel then we taxi out and we leave! We finally get to Chicago at 4 pm.

Timothy and I hoof it over to the terminal where the next flight to Sioux Falls was since we think it is better to be close to where we might finally get to go. We get in line for customer care (this line is about 10-15 gates long. We decide that it would be better if we split up and one goes to the Sioux Falls gate and the other stays in line there, but keep our phones with us to stay in contact. All of a sudden, I am alone in line with two children and two car seats. It takes me a few minuets to realize that timothy left me with both kids and did not just go to the restroom. I call him to ask him what he was thinking and it turns out he was not thinking. He is in line though and it is shorter then where I am at and he is almost to the counter. He tells me to come to him. So I stand for a few minuets to try to figure out how I am going to get two children and two car seats down about 20 gates. I had hoped that Meredith would walk at least some of the way but there was no way that was going to happen. She had already been in my arms before and apparently that is how Timothy forgot about her. I some how picked up the bucket car seat and got a hold of Meredith's car seat which was in a bag and on wheels. I get about half way down to the gate where Timothy was and forget the number. So I set down both car seats and call him back. We all made it there safe and sound! timothy was actually talking to someone when we got there!!! We get told that all flights to Sioux Falls that day were canceled and that we should try other airports near there. We find a flight that just got all booked to Omaha and get some of the first standby seats.

Back we go to where we had just gotten off the plane and we were told to HURRY because the flight left in about 30 mins and was boarding and if we missed our names being called we would miss our chance. This time Timothy has Meredith on his back and off we go as fast as we possibly can go. We get there and they have not started calling names! It did not take long though until they started calling names. We got on!! We were hopeful that we would be leaving soon! One small hitch was keeping us from leaving because the plane was full. We had no one to fly the plane. We were told that they were in the airport though and were on their way. 5 mins turned into 30 mins because they had to go to a briefing on the new weather system that was coming that way. Timothy and I had gotten on the plane at about 6 pm and got told at about 6:45 that we should be pushing back from the gate at 7:20 ish if we wanted to get off the plane to get something to eat to do it now. I asked Timothy to go and get us something to eat while I stayed with the kids so that we did not have to drag them around with us. Meredith was in and out of fits at that point because she was so tired. Thankfully most people were understanding and Meredith seemed to be distracted from the fits pretty easily. I at this point knew we were going to at least make it to Omaha and called the car rental place and had our reservation sent down to Omaha. As I was getting off the phone Theo started to cry. I knew he was not hungry as I had just fed him less then an hour ago. I was positive that he was tired because it was past the time he normally went to bed (it was past the time both kids go to bed). Timothy came back just about that same time with our food. As we were trying to figure out who was going to eat what and where the flight attendant offered to take Theo and walk with him to try to settle him while I got to eat. I normally do not let people help me in any way because I am so stubborn but I am starting to learn when something nice is offered take it! I said yes and Theo went off. To my surprise he settled rather quickly. I ate my food and told Timothy that we at least had a car when we got to Omaha. Theo started to get upset again just as I was finishing my food. I took him back and was able to get him to sleep. Meredith was starting to fad and the person sitting next to us was standing in the aisle so we let her lay down on his seat with her head resting on Timothy's leg with thoughts of picking her up once she was out. As she was falling asleep she decided to turn over and fell off the seats. Poor thing, it really scared her. After the storm passed and everyone was back on the plane we took off and landed in Omaha.

We got to Omaha at about 9:30. We went down checked on our bag that was still in Chicago and waited in line for a car. then went out to get the car and waited in line again. then finally got the car and got the car seats in the car (boy was I glad that we gate checked the car seats). By this time it was almost 11 pm. We pulled into Walmart in Sioux Falls at 1:30 am to get PJ's and other essentials like diapers. Then we went to Jim and Carolynn's (Timothy's aunt and uncle's house). Carolynn was waiting up for us and for Jim who had also been in that same mess. We change into our PJ's and start the washer. Aunt Carolynn says she will stay up and put the stuff into the dryer for us. In the morning not only was our stuff dry but it was folded! I am and was so grateful!

We never received our bag in time for the wedding so my bridesmaid dress never made it but the photographer had an old bridesmaid dress that at least pretty much matched in color. It fit in the bottom but did not on top thanks to my breastfeeding boobs. We did figure out how to pin me in the dress and it worked out just fine. Besides no one was there to see me and I got to stand up for our very good friends wedding. It was a lovely wedding! The message reminded me of so many things that I think I had started to forget. I think there should be more weddings like theirs!

A few lessons learned:

• go with your gut
• family helps pull your through
• friends are wonderful
• check the weather before you leave

This is a work in progress: check back later for more details and lessons