I'll be home for Christmas continued

So sorry for the quick cut-off of the last post.  I was getting sleepy, but wanted to get it out there. 

Quick recap:  Snowing in Bellingham, missed our 5:40 am flight, decided to drive in snow to Seattle to a 2:40 pm flight, couldn't find parking once we got there, called Deborah to park our car there, but the taxi to take us to the airport never arrived, so we decided to drive the (should be) 10 minutes to the airport and pray for a spot in hourly parking, but had trouble getting the car out of the snow in front of Deb's house, scooping snow out of the front of our tires with a tin bread loaf pan.  

Once we got traction after some pushing, rocking, spinning tires, and spewing snow, the car crawled forward and sloshed through the slush out of Deborah's cul-de-sac.  I wasn't about to slow down so Jeff could get in before I knew we were out of the mush, so Jeff ran behind and caught up with us a few yards down.  (As a reminder, we're dressed for Texas weather, not snow weather, so we enjoyed cold damp feet for a while after that.)  We drove back to the airport, which took about 15 minutes or so and drove around the hourly parking until we finally found a space.  We left the key in a specific place, the passenger door unlocked and hoped that (1) we would have a chance to call our good friends  Katie & Angie to pick up our car for us and (2) that they would be willing to do so.  At this point we didn't care how much we had to pay for parking.  God provided a luggage cart in front of the spot, Jeff loaded our 3 suitcases, car seat and his carry-on onto it, and started running into the terminal.  Of course, we are parked at the opposite end of the airport that we need to be.  I picked up Micah and started running behind.  By the time we checked our bags, went through security, and made it to the gate, the flight was already boarding.  We had made it!  As the ticketing agent checked our boarding passes, he asked for Micah's boarding pass.  "How did you even make it through security?" he says.  Micah has now traveled 7 times to Texas (which means 26 times on an airplane so far) in his 2 years and no one has ever asked for his boarding pass, since he has been a lap child.  At that point, I was so ready to give that guy what for that Jeff was just telling me to let it go and come on.  I'm sure he was a nice guy and all, but to have come so far that day and to have him almost not let us on the plane because Micah didn't have a boarding pass he didn't need almost pushed me over the edge.  After a stern warning, he let us go on to the plane.

After we switched out of the exit row with the people behind us, we could finally sit down and sigh.  We then realized that all we had eaten since 4 am was bananas and some breakfast bread on the road and all that we had had to drink was a cup of tea  or coffee at 7 before we left.  We were starving and thirsty, but an airplane seat had never felt so good.  

Micah didn't sleep on either of the 2 1/2 hour flights, which is pretty par for the course for him.  When we landed in Dallas at 11:30 pm Central time, Jeff's parents, Julie (Jeff's sister), Johnette (Jeff's aunt), and Melanie (his cousin) were all there to greet us!  We were so glad to see them and it was awesome of them to all come to the airport to pick us up.    

As a follow-up, sweet Angie & Katie did pick up our car that day!  Thanks so much, girls!  

Since then, we've had a great visit in Texas.  

Friday the 26th, we tried to take some portraits with Micah and his cousins, Jordan & Jadyn.  They absolutely would not cooperate.  It was going to be a special gift to Gramma & Grampa and we were counting on giving pictures of Micah for Christmas.  No such luck.  That night we had the Flint family Christmas and had a terrific time.  It was so good to be with everyone-- all 16 of us!  It was special to watch Micah, Jordan, & Jadyn all play together.  

Saturday the 27th,  We started the day by taking Micah to get a haircut.  Always fun to do with Gramma and they have an awesome kids' place close to their house.  Then, Jeff, Micah, & I went down to Red Oak to be with Gramer & Louis (my grandparents), Aunt Jan, my cousin Brenda, and her husband, Dave and their kids, Meredith  & Jake.  What a fun day.  Micah loved playing with Meredith (& her toys!)  A day to remember, really.  

Sunday the 28th, we went to Jeff's home church, which is also the one in which we were married.  Jeff and I sang a duet and all of Jeff's family came!  We went out to eat afterwards all together.  Jeff's mom was excited to "fill a pew!" with family.  Then, Jeff and I traveled to Paris, TX to be with my grandfather and parents.  We were there until Wednesday morning, the 31st.  It was a terrific and memorable trip.  My grandfather's home is one in which the top items on the daily agenda are meals, naps, and walks.  We love to go there and relax.  One of the reasons this time was special was because it was the first time I had seen my mom since she started chemotherapy.  I felt that it was important that I understand how some things had changed for her and what she lived with daily.  I'm amazed that if I didn't know she was undergoing treatments, I wouldn't know by how upbeat, energized, and quick to cope she is.  

Wednesday the 31st, we drove back to Plano from Paris (after a stop at the Eiffel tower, of course!) and noticed that in addition to coughing, Micah was feverish.  A trip to the after-hours clinic confirmed that he had croup.  We've been pounding it with meds, and he seems to be doing better, but it's frustrating that it seems like he gets at least a little sick every time we come to Texas.  Not so good when two people we spend a lot of time with (my mom and our sweet 4-yr-old niece Jordan) are both chemo patients with suppressed immune systems.  We have really enjoyed ringing in the new year and spending the past two afternoons with the four J's (Jeff's brother & fam: Joel, Jodie, Jordan, Jadyn), Jeff's parents, and Micah's Aunt Julie today.  

One thing that has been so encouraging this trip is that the two family members that were touched by cancer this year (Weezie and Jordan, mentioned above) are doing amazingly better than expected.  It's one thing to hear about the good and the bad long distance, but in person, they both are doing much better than I ever dreamed.  Our prayers are being answered and we thank you for praying for them too this year.  

We'll post more about our time in TX later, but I just didn't want to leave you hanging for too long.  Happy New Year!  (Check out Flickr for updates too...)