Florida or Bust!!

There had been some concern about my ability to pack successfully for this trip. And by successfully, I mean without going bankrupt and/or over the weight limit. I really don't understand the concern. I mean you SAW the picture of the bed and the list of what I took. Hello!!!

So here I am the Saturday morning of our departure. One checked bag. One carry-on. (And my purse...which is hiding behind the top suitcase. To be fair, it is a Mary Poppins purse.)
Weight to spare, people! Weight to spare!

Megan's husband drove us to the airport. Here I am with Ronda and Khi. He really wasn't too sure about this whole travel thing. Just in case you can't tell. And this, my dear friends, is the best my hair looked all week. If you watch Friends, you might be familiar with the string of episodes where they all went on vacation to the Bahamas (?) and Monica's hair got bigger and bigger throughout the week....yep. It's for real.

And....we have our first "Bekah" story.

Airport security. Gets me every time.

We were kind of a heavy laden bunch. Megan and I each checked a bag, but we all had carry-on bags as well...plus Khi's car seat (huge!)...plus Silas' entire travel system (huge!)...plus all of us. Ronda went through security first, with Khi. Then Megan went through with Silas. My panic attack and I were last to go through...but security agent lady #1 would not let me walk through until all our baggage was pushed through. And guess what refused to be pushed through the little machine? The travel system. So I was stuck...panicking more by the moment...until the last of our little trays finally got through.

Then security agent man #1 told me to hurry up. MAKE UP YOUR MIND, PEOPLE!! I was shaking by the time I got through, and if I'd had the time, I might have also thrown up. But there was no time.

Because it was time to get on the people mover and be moved.

He didn't like it any more than I did. I skipped the next one. (Skipped OUT on it. Not skipped ON it.)

This is me...so glad to be through security and in a seat.

So our flight was supposed to leave at 2 pm...get us to Atlanta for a 2 hour layover, and get us into Tampa a little after 7 pm. By the time we got to the airport, our flight out of Indianapolis was already delayed to 3:30. I was kind of glad. Gave us more time to breathe. Megan went up to the desk to gate-check the stroller and car seat and the nice ticket agent (who looked just like Taye Diggs! SWEET!) offered all of us a free switch to a direct flight into Tampa - if we were willing to wait until 5 to leave. Since none of us were thrilled about the idea of going to Atlanta anyway, we took it. (And I considered it yet another blessing from God, whose handprints were already all over this trip.) They assured us our checked bags would be transferred and all would be well.

And it seemed to be - until the new flight delayed until 6:30!!! Megan and I weren't sure we liked Mr. Diggs at that point.

That was the long way of saying we spent seven hours in the Indianapolis airport with a two year old, a two month old, and a flight scaredy-cat. (That would be me.)

The kids did SO well. Khi had hours of free entertainment. Went something like this:

PYANE!!!!! PYANE!!!!! (plane)

CHUCK!!! CHUCK!!!!! (truck)

WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAA PYANE!!!! (plane landing)

When that got boring, there was plenty of time to write (color) with Mom-Mom.

...And help me try (in vain) to get online. Great sadness.

THIS was nearly my undoing. My worst fear (next to crashing, of course). A plane de-icer. I think Ronda got nervous at that point. Not of the de-icing. Of dealing with Bekah WITNESSING the de-icing. A fair source of nervousness.

FINALLY they got us on the plane. I actually got to carry baby Silas on board. It was so fun. (I ignored all looks of "Noooooooooooooooooooooo there's a baby on this plane?" LOL!!!) Megan sat with Silas and some ooey-gooey love birds in the row in front of the rest of us. Ronda sat by the window, Khi sat in the middle, and little Miss "Lord help me" sat on the aisle. I think this look says it all - from both of us.

I spent most of the flight praying my way through some SERIOUS anxiety. Khi spent most of the flight playing.

I started enjoying the flight about 30 minutes out of Tampa. And upon landing, I got to hold some cute sweetness who became my buddy throughout the course of the week!

When we landed in Tampa, it was over 70. No plane de-icers there! Praise the Lord. We had to pick up our rental car and try to cram ALL our stuff in it. The very nice rental car guy helped us shove all our luggage in, and about halfway through, I heard him say "Y'all should have gotten a mini-van." Cracked me up. He was right though. Three adults and two car seats, plus a week's worth of luggage for five AND a stroller - in an Altima?? (I held my carry on suitcase in my lap for the entire drive from the airport to our cottage.)

We finally got in and settled about midnight. I'm a night owl for sure. But I was one pooped puppy. Bekah....out!