Home (bitter) Sweet Home

~This was what a few rooms looked like Tuesday as we unpacked. Everything is washed and put away (even the luggage) as of Wednesday night! ha! We unpack pretty quick. David is the best! He unpacked a lot of it! I can't stand having luggage hanging around for weeks!~

We're home again from our ten day stay in North Carolina, visiting my parents, and siblings. We had a wonderful time! It was so hard to leave! You would think it would get easier ever time we say goodbye, but I have found it only gets harder. Especially now that we live so far away.

It was not and easy trip. We missed our connecting flight in Atlanta from Anchorage because of a delay leaving Alaska. In Atlanta we had to fly stand-by. Separate! They only had two seats available on the next flight, so David sent Gwyneth and I on along, and waited behind to catch another flight. We got on the plane and the attendant told me they had two seats available, separate seats! I looked at him in disbelief! I replied "She's only six!" I don't think anyone would want to sit next to a six year old, unattended. The attendant asked the man in the back of the plane where one of the empty seats was located if he would mind sitting in the other available seat, so that Gwyneth and I could sit together. The man initially refused. Two men to the right of me, one a sailor, offered to relocate to the vacant seats and let us sit where they were. Finally the man from the back came up front and said he would sit up there and we could have his seat and the adjacent one. He still didn't look too happy to have to move. When I passed him to get to our seats, I said "Thank you very much!" He ignored me! How rude! I was already on the verge of tears from having to leave David behind, my guard came down then, and a few tears slipped by unwillingly! UGH! I felt like crying the whole way to Virginia! David did not get on the next flight, but fortunately got on the following one! Needless to say it was a VERY long day. Approximately 9 hrs. flight time and 1 hr. delay in Atlanta for Gwyneth and I. David had about the same amount of flight time, but was delayed in Atlanta for at least 4 hours!
We left Anchorage at 1AM EST and Gwyneth and I arrived in VA around 12 NOON EST. Approximately 11 hours travel time.
David's was around 14 hours.

Our trip home was a bit better. We had a 7 hour layover in Atlanta, so we called David's brother Alan, his wife, and two boys who live nearby and asked if we could meet them for a few hours. They picked us up and took us back the their place and we had Arby's for lunch and had a great time talking around the table. (I feel bad though, because I was fighting sleep really bad! I was exhausted from getting up at 4 AM EST! Gwyneth and I both fell asleep on the way back to the airport!) The kids got along really well and had a good time too! It's been about8 months since we've seen Alan, two years since we've seen Sherri, and longer since we've seen the boys. It was really great to see them again! Just wish we could have visited longer! (And not been so sleepy! ha!)

We were delayed about a half an hour leaving Atlanta because of a faulty part. Maintenance fixed it and we were on our way. LONG flight! Gwyneth didn't sleep much until the end of the flight, then we had to wake her and she was a bear! My friend Courtney picked us up and took us to her place to pick up our car. We were so exhausted I hardly remember it. I do remember feeling bad because I wanted to visit with her a bit more, but knew we would nod off on her! :o) We made a pit stop at the grocery store to pick up stuff for breakfast the next morning and then made our way to our room for the night. Then we CRASHED! I was out the entire night, and David and Gwyneth were up before me the next morning! We checked out the next morning and went to Lonestar Steakhouse for lunch.

Now, eating at Lonestar is a family tradition when we go back to see my family. We always go at least once when we are there. It's a family favorite!

Their Amarillo Cheese Fries (a.k.a. "heart-attack-on-a-plate") are so yummy, and their Signature Lettuce Wedge (a cool, crisp wedge of iceberg lettuce smothered in rich, creamy bleu cheese and tomatoes) is outta this world! David got a steak with their famous sweet potato, which he was kind enough to share!

(Gwyneth hamming it up! They had a really great interior in this particular restaurant. I loved the domed ceiling!)

Unfortunately we were unable to make it to Lonestar while we were back home, but we made up for it, just the three of us!

I'll share some photos of the road trip to and from Anchorage soon! It's really beautiful country here in Alaska!

I'll also share some of the tons of photos I took while visiting my family! I have some of Jacob and Marissa's wedding reception, my nephew Daniel's high school senior portraits, a mini photo session with one of Jake and Marissa's friends (she's too cute!) and LOTS of pictures of the kiddos, and daily life there!
Till next time!