Buckle Your Seatbelts--It's Gonna Be a Bumpy Ride

After our very late night on Wednesday, Bonnie, Emery and I slept late on Thursday and had a very hard time getting going all day long. Understandably! Emery was not quite herself and we attributed that to the transfusions and the extended hours in the hospital. Bless her heart--she just did not seem to be comfortable. On the up-side, Daddy was coming back to Houston Thursday night!

Those of you who know me know that I am notorious for overpacking and carrying a 51 lb. suitcase on any trip. You never know exactly what kind of clothes or shoes you might need in any given location, right? And that's even funnier to those who know that I am not a fashion queen at all. I am not sure why I think I have to have several pair of identical corduroy pants in different colors, for example. And how many black/grey/brown sweatshirts/hoodies sporting Unalaska business logos does a person need? When I got to Houston, Bonnie's friend Lauren picked me up from the airport and later asked Bonnie just how long I was staying, after having to lift my bag into her vehicle. Then I moved to Sean and Becky's house and poor Sean had to carry that sucker up a big flight of stairs. So I decided I would just take a small carry-on bag to Dallas with me. By small, I mean a tote bag which held ONE change of clothes, pjs and toiletries. I figured I could do laundry at Sarah's and I do actually have a little bit of a plan to try to buy some jeans while in Dallas. This is a big step for me, people. It almost scares me to think I am locked into wardrobe prison this weekend.

David and I coordinated our flights in and out of Hobby so Bonnie would only have to make one trip. Little Miss Emery was happy on the car trip, batting at her carseat toy and then drifting off to sleep. My decision to just take a carry-on was rewarded with no wait at the no baggage kiosk while the line at the check-in counter wound around the room. Sweet! I made it through security in record time, picked up some Chinese food and got to give David a quick hello and a hug as we passed each other. Good timing! As I boarded my flight, the attendant announced that we were in for a bumpy ride so the beverage service was canceled and everyone, including flight attendants, would be required to stay seat belted in for the entire trip. My initial thought was, "Let me out!" but no one seemed overly concerned so I settled in and tried to convince myself that it couldn't be too bad.

We did have quite a bit of turbulence for the hour long flight but nowhere near what I expected. I am not sure if Southwest was using reverse psychology so we would then say, "oh, that wasn't so bad," or more likely, that my flights in and out of Unalaska, Atka and Nikolski have toughened me up. Honestly, what was worse than the turbulence were the obnoxious businessmen across the aisle who talked in very loud voices, dropping the F-bomb every other word for the entire hour. I was happy to land in Dallas and hop into the car with Sarah without having to wait for a bag. I may have turned over a new leaf!

I didn't get in till 9 PM so Elle was already asleep and Sarah, Miles and I were not far behind her after visiting a bit. We got up early this morning and went to breakfast, where Elle charmed everyone at the restaurant, as always. She has the cutest personality and is just full of life. Oh, to have that enthusiasm about every little thing again! We then went on a marathon shopping trip, driving all over town searching for a new point & shoot camera for me. I have been jonesing badly with all of the photo opportunities in my line of sight (grandbabies, after all!) and Rich has been doing some research about the best new models to try. We looked in Amarillo and Abilene in December, with no luck. Today I believe I purchased the last Canon Powershot S90 in Dallas after being turned away at numerous stores. Hurray! My battery is charged, my memory card is formatted and I am awaiting Elle's birthday party tomorrow to put the camera to use.

Elle and I hung out this afternoon while her parents went to a meeting; we read books, "cooked" in her kitchen, sang songs, tried out lots of toys and puzzles and had a big ole time. She is so much fun! We went out for Mexican food and she was snuggling up to her Daddy while giving her Mommy a look like she was saying "am I making you jealous?" It was hilarious. She talked and talked and colored her kids' menu and finally ate a good dinner after being sick for a few days.

Sarah's been decorating the house for Elle's party tomorrow and we are expecting a big crowd of family and friends for the festivities. Susan, Aidan and Ally will be here so I am anxious to see them, too! I hate the reason that I am in Texas right now but there is the bonus of seeing all of my kids and grandkids more often than usual.

We talked with Bonnie briefly this evening. She said Emery had a good night last night and made up for not eating so much the day before. Emery went back to the Clinic today and had to have another transfusion of platelets. It doesn't sound like it is any cause for alarm, just a typical part of the process after chemotherapy. She'll have another appointment on Monday to check labs again. But most of all, they are happy to have David with them for the weekend. I know it is hard on all of them to be separated but they are troopers just like their baby girl.