On to Abilene

Susan and Aidan
Aidan in the pool
Cute little Ally
Aidan's getting to be so big!

More swimming

With our friends Jim and Sherri

Gigi with her little sweeties

Corey and Ally


The retreat ended on Thursday and we all left NM on Friday. I rode to Durango with several others who were flying out and we had enough time to walk around downtown for about an hour before checking in at the airport. Char and Donna were on a different airline but we were all going to Denver and then they were going to Anchorage while I went to DFW. When we checked in in Durango, their flight had been cancelled so they were transferred to mine. We boarded our plane and were sitting on the runway when we were told that there were high winds and microbursts in Denver so we could not get clearance to take off just yet. After an hour and a half just sitting there, we finally left Durango. Landing in Denver was a little bumpy and the airport was PACKED with people because so many flights had been delayed or cancelled due to the weather. It looked like the ANC flight had already left but Donna and Char had to go to a different terminal than I so we said our "goodbyes" and "good lucks." I got to my gate and my flight to DFW had been delayed till 11:20 PM (it was 8:30 or around there when I arrived). Flights continued to be cancelled and the lines to Customer Service were snaking around the terminal. I grabbed something to eat and tried to get on the internet but had no success, probably because everyone else had the same idea. Fortunately, my flight was never cancelled and ended up leaving around 10:30 PM. It was almost 2 AM before I got to my hotel and 2:30 before I went to sleep, knowing I had to get back up at 6 to head to the airport for a flight to Abilene in the morning. I am not a morning person and did not relish this idea one little bit!

I am usually a little nervous during take off and landing but I was so tired that I fell asleep before the plane took off and woke back up when the pilot announced that we were eight minutes out of Abilene! Sweeeet! That's the way to fly! Susan, Aidan and Ally were there to meet me and it was so good to see them! Ally said, "Gigi's home!" as if I still lived there and had just been gone for a little while. So cute!

We went to check into my hotel but it was too early so we got some lunch and then came back. Oh yeah, I forgot to say that I had the Hyatt Regency near DFW the night before for $50 on priceline.com--yes, we continue to love priceline. It was a gorgeous room, too bad I was only there for a few hours. :) So I got the Courtyard Marriott in Abilene for the same price (but probably should have bid less) and the kids stayed with me for my whole visit. Susan also stayed a couple of nights. Free internet and a free laundry room, AND a pool that the kids loved and could not get enough of. Aidan and Ally were just precious and we had a blast hanging out. It's hard being a far-away grandmother!

I was only going to be there for a few days so we tried to cram as much into our time as possible! We went to the pool A LOT, went shopping at Target and bought some toys and clothes, went out to eat, played at the mall playground, walked to McDonald's for pancakes and juice in the morning, talked and played, watched "Alvin and the Chipmunks" on pay per view while munching popcorn in bed, and went to see "Toy Story 3" in 3D at the theater (though we could not understand why they would hand out adult sized 3D glasses at a children's movie....Ally couldn't keep them on her head!) And managed to see a few friends, too.