What a weekend!

Well, we're home again! It was quite a 72 hours!

We left home at 5 o'clock on Friday morning to head to the airport. My dad spent the night at our house since my mom flew out a day earlier than us and we had to leave so early in the morning. Luke met us at the airport. We got through security without too much wait or trouble and made our way to our gate . . . one of the furthest ones. Way down the concourse! Luke met us at the airport and while sitting there we learned that our captain was sick and they had to call in a "sub", so our flight was delayed 30 minutes . . . I would have loved to have those extra 30 minutes of sleep! If only we would have known, oh well!

Anna and I got a little breakfast and I found it kinda fun that I got a Connecticut quarter back with my change . . . and a few hours later when I was buying a little lunch in Avon, Connecticut I got a Minnesota quarter with my change. What are the chances of that? I found it all very fun and somewhat meaningful!

Anna enjoying an airline snack on her very first flight:

So, back to the flight. What a blessing it was that the flight from MN wasn't full and Anna could have her very own seat. I buckled her car seat in to the plane and buckled her into the car seat. She slept for probably an hour or so and then was relatively happy the rest of the flight, with only occasional crying. She was quite a trooper {especially considering she had gotten up at 4:50 am . . . slightly earlier than usual!!}. We headed from the airport to my Grandma's apartment to help with the packing and sorting and throwing and moving . . . what a job! I took a few boxes of pictures back to the place we were staying and sorted through them while Anna took a nap.

We were met with so much kindness on our trip . . . much of it from people we didn't even know! The place we stayed was beautiful and couldn't have been more perfect. Some friends of my aunt & uncle let us stay in their "boat house". It's kind of a garage apartment at the back of their {spectacular} property. Private, spacious and beautiful . . . and did I mention, free? What a blessing. My parents and I stayed there {oh, Anna too!} and it was wonderful. A well-stocked kitchenette and beautiful spa-like bathroom, not to mention a TV at least 3 times bigger than the one in my living room!

So, I sorted through some pictures and Anna napped. Then we were picked up and taken to my aunt's long-time friend's house for dinner. It was nice and we all had a great time. Then it was back to the boat house to turn in for the night.

"The Girls" at Jodi's on Friday night
Anna, my mom {Marcia}, Shana, Denise {my dad's sister} & Brie {my cousin, Denise's daughter}:

Anna all ready and spiffed up for the service on Saturday
{we think my Grandma would have appreciated her outfit and loved her blouse}:

Saturday morning we got up and got ready and after being invited in to the main house for a little breakfast we headed over to the church. The service was beautiful and my mom's sister volunteered to come and watch Anna so that I wouldn't have to worry about her during the service. She napped in Auntie Dawn's arms nearly the whole time! How great!

Outside my Grandma's apartment after the service
Denise, Brie, my mom, Pete {Denise's husband}, my dad, Brad {my cousin} with baby Anna, a friend of Brie's and Luke:

I spent the evening with Anna back at the boat house. {My dad and brother had gone to a baseball game and without anyone thinking twice about it, took the car with Anna's car seat in it. So, we were stuck. Unable to go out. It was kind of nice to be "forced" to take it easy for the evening.} My mom joined us a little later and we had a good time just relaxing together. Anna had trouble getting to sleep on Saturday night {we all 4 slept in one big room, so there was no real way to be "out of sight" for her while she was falling asleep short of hanging out in the bathroom or going outside . . . did I mention it was cold and rainy?}. First we just put her in her pack 'n play and hoped for the best. When that didn't pan out, I finally brought her in bed with me and when that wasn't going well, my mom offered to try to put her to sleep for me, and probably 15 seconds later I was sound asleep! I'm not sure how long it took for my mom to get Anna to sleep, but the next thing I knew it was 4 am and Anna had a REALLY wet diaper and had woken up. I changed her and we snuggled a little and both went back to sleep until morning . . . thanks Mom!

Sunday morning we had brunch at my dad's brother Dennis' place. Dennis & Lori have a great house on amazingly beautiful property! It was fun to be together one last time on Sunday morning.

This is the barn that my dad & Dennis build together over a span of about a year, including two trips east for my dad. They started with the foundation last year and finished the stone on the outside in March when my Dad was there.

Den & Lori's beautiful house:

After brunch we ran Luke to the airport to catch his flight and then headed to my mom's sister's house. Dawn & Ken's place is also amazing and I love it there! We had lunch and hung out with them for a few hours before Anna & I had to get to the airport to catch our flight.

Dawn, my mom & Anna:

The flight home was not nearly as pleasant as the flight out {I guess it's better that way than the other way around . . . at least we knew we would be home soon}. I won't list all the reasons, but one big one was that I was unexpectedly very emotional when we were taking off. I was very sad at the funeral and cried a lot {surprise!}, but I didn't expect leaving Connecticut to be so hard. I was fine until the plane started off down then runway and then I just started crying. I guess it was probably a combination of things, but just knowing I would never be coming back to Connecticut to visit my grandparents again hit me pretty hard. I have other reasons to come to Connecticut {I still have family there} but it's just not quite the same now that my grandparents are gone. I remembered the many trips I'd made there in my lifetime and I was sad. {I'm sure it didn't help that the plane was completely full, Anna was on my lap without her own seat, she wasn't sleepy and a few other unpleasantries lumped in there!} But we made it and I'm thrilled that we are home again.

I cried again when I saw the rest of my little family. I missed them lots and was so happy to see them. {I got less happy a few minutes later when there was fighting in the van . . . but I guess I'll just take the euphoric, happy family moments when I can get them . . . fleeting though they may be!}

We're headed back to the airport again today for more tears and happy reunions as we go meet and welcome home Ava and her family. I can't wait. {I'm praying like crazy today that their flight is going well. I can't begin to imagine! . . . }