To Orlando we go

From 5/24 to 6/9 the girls and I were in Florida.  The major occasion was the wedding of my dear friend Andrea from college over Memorial Day weekend, but Nathan had two conferences, one on either end of the wedding, so I flew out early and returned late, enjoying a nice long stay at my parents’ home.

The Lord was gracious to provide safety during our travels and although I do not relish the idea of flying alone with the girls any time soon, I was grateful for His provision of kind airline employees and surrounding passengers. 

Just a quick recap of our flying experience for posterity’s sake:  When departing Houston, Nathan was also flying out to a conference and so was able to help me through security, but didn’t have time to help at the gate.  I checked all our luggage but the diaper bag and stroller.  However, the stroller needed to be disassembled in order to be placed in its carrying case to be checked at the gate.  After flying so much with our single stroller and seeing the abuse it sustained, there was no way I was going to not put our stroller in the carrying case.  Unfortunately Clara decided that she wanted to walk, not sit, and had a classic terrible two’s episode in the gate area.  Elisabeth was hungry and screaming, but wouldn’t nurse because she had a tummy bubble so I one child flailing and screaming on the floor and another doing the exact same thing under a nursing cover.  I didn’t want to even get on the flight at that point, and I was pretty sure no one else did either!  Fortunately reason, or some semblance thereof, returned to Clara and a gate agent bounced Elisabeth while I stuffed our stroller and its parts into the bag.  Once we got on the plane, all was well and everyone was happy.  I thought to myself, “If only I have help in the gate area, I really think I will be okay flying with these two.”

So, on the way back, Nathan arranged to have my mom help me through security and in the gate area until we boarded.  Everything went very smoothly, until we were about 30 min into the flight.  Clara started fussing as though she wasn’t feeling well.  I wasn’t entirely surprised because she had slept about 14 hours the night before and had woken up with a 102 fever.  When I talked to Nathan before we flew out, we decided that I would go ahead and fly home so that if she was catching something, she would be home.  Her whining escalated and she coughed, gagged, and vomited a little bit, which scared her.  She was beside herself and I couldn’t really care for her and hold Elisabeth.  A sweet woman behind me, who was flying with her two teenage daughters, held Elisabeth until Clara fell asleep on my lap.  Unfortunately Elisabeth was then hungry, but I couldn’t nurse her without disturbing Clara, so the man next to me held her for a while until Clara roused and sat up.  As soon as we landed I called Nathan and begged him to hurry so that he could meet us at the gate.  I don’t think I have ever had such an exhausting flight in my life, or felt so helpless!

So that was the traveling part of the trip, here is the fun part!

       Dinner at El Rancho in Deland.  And the spoiling begins….

 

 5/24/10

Elisabeth’s first sink bath

 

5/25/10

Fun at Nana’s house

The bride- and groom-to-be at the rehearsal dinner at Mattison’s Riverside

  5/28/10

The view from the banquet room

 

In curlers waiting for her hair to be done

 

My girl, the flower girl

   The bride and groom, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Milgate

   Dancing solo on the dance floor  5/29/10

Grammy and Bitty

Clara did a perfect job at the rehearsal, walking up the aisle, inspecting the asparagus ferns tied to the pew, and looking intently at the photographer who was crouching in the pews, taking pictures.  The day of the wedding, however, she was feeling the lack of a regular schedule, the waiting was wearing on her, and her little heart was just pretty contrary.  Consequently, when she saw me lined up to walk the aisle with the bridesmaids, she wanted to go with me.  The wedding coordinator was not about to argue with a two-year-old and so we just went together, me and my big girl. Incidentally, Clara now thinks that she is a flower girl, as though she has been initiated and the title flower girl defines her role and being. 

 

 

At the Toelcke house, enjoying family time in the pool

5/31/10

Clara in her ‘princess skirt’

A not-so-successful attempt at a picture of the girls together

    6/2/10

 

6/3/10

Clara’s feet felt cold and I asked her if she would like a pair of socks.  She wanted some, but then I realized I hadn’t packed any, since it was Florida and summer sandal weather.  She still wanted them, so my mom put a pair of her socks on Clara, who wore them the rest of the evening.

6/4/10

Eating Chicago-style hotdogs at Hotdog Heaven with Grampy

    6/7/10

Nana and her great-grandbabies

I was also able to see my roommate from college, Kelly, and her little girl, Elizabeth, who will be two in late June. 

       6/8/10

Dinner at Logan’s Roadhouse with Grampy and Grammy

What a great trip!  We loved being with you Grampy and Grammy and seeing Nana and Papa and good friends!  We miss you!