Oy Vey

It seemed our trip to Memphis at Christmas was being thwarted at every turn. At the last minute, Matt couldn't make the trip. I proceeded to travel alone with the plan that he would come later.

It all began to fall apart from the moment I arrived at the gate. A mechanical problem caused a significant delay for the flight out, so much so that I would miss my connecting flight. After two hours of waiting to talk with an airline representative to make a suitable readjustment, I was finally able to board. 

We made it out alright and finally arrived "on time" to make my rescheduled connection. My seat was upgraded to first class, I was comfortably sitting in my seat and all looked good. While heading out to the runway, we hear the pilot park the plane on the taxiway (powering down motors) and an announcement that we'll be sitting there for at least 45 minutes. The airport in Memphis had been effectively shut down due to high winds. It was truly a comedy of errors...minus the humor :)

With Matt unable to travel with me, I adjusted plans to visit friends so I could see two girlfriends and their kids at one time before he was due to arrive. Previously, they each mentioned an interest in getting to know the other and each commented on thinking their three-year-olds would get along. It seemed like a perfect plan. As one delay occurred after another, time slipped away and it didn't come together. :(

In the midst of it all, it occurred to me that I hadn't prayed before this trip as I usually do for a smooth journey. You better bet I began praying immediately and knew I'd remember for the next time.

In the end, I was thrilled to have a little quality time with a dear friend: 

And a chance to spend a few minutes with these little people (the big kids weren't up for a photo op :): 

What is that old saying? All's well that ends well. Yeah, that's it. Fortunately, the ending was much better than the beginning.

Building Memories

Since quality time is so important to me when it comes to growing a relationship, my favorite way to build memories is through spending one-on-one time with the ones I love. I still remember coming up with elaborate plans for fun sleepovers with my oldest nephew and niece when they were preschoolers. Of course, I planned crafts and girly activities for a sleepover with my niece and for my nephew, games and boyish activities. In my mind, it was important to spend time with them one-on-one so they'd remember times with me separate from family gatherings.

Maybe one reason I felt that way is how well I remember visits with my aunt, uncle and cousins when Tracey and I visited them in Mississippi growing up. I remember jumping with Tracey and the boys on the trampoline. I remember laying down to sleep on the floor in the boys' room. I remember running around their house, playing. Since I was very young, I don't have tons of vivid recollections, but I remember some things and particularly remember how I felt when I was there. I knew I was loved.

Even as a hum.er.uhm year old, I have a special bond with my aunt, uncle and cousins that is unmatched. I love all of my family, but there is just something different about our relationship. Even though we have lived a great distance apart most of my life, I'm continually drawn back to them through a depth of love that only comes from time spent together building memories in childhood.

That is one reason I've been so drawn to making good use of my time with those I care about over the years. I've seen the affect it can have on a person's heart.

When my mother-in-law visited us in early December, she wanted to go shopping. Matt had to work the first day she was in town and didn't miss our shopping day one bit :) For me, shopping is an activity with a mission. Get in, get what you're looking for and get out. For some, shopping is a social activity. This I did not consider at the time, but only now in retrospect.

I did the take charge "let's get this list checked off" routine, so that's how we shopped. It wasn't until we stopped for lunch that I settled into focused quality time mode and I'm so glad I did. 

Not only will I remember the fabulous fare of Steak Escape, but I'll always remember sharing a part of my heart with my mother-in-law, only to receive kind, loving, encouraging words from her about the loss of our baby.

New Traditions

This year, Matt and I decided to do something different for Thanksgiving. Normally, we'd spend the holiday with family, but after taking so many trips this year, not yet selling my house in TN, losing the baby and facing exorbitant holiday airline rates, there were a lot of reasons to try something new.

Since Matt and I love spending time together and enjoy short trips exploring the area, it made sense to plan a little getaway. My idea was to stay at a bed and breakfast along the coast and Matt suggested Williamsburg. 

We stayed one night and spent the better part of two days in Colonial Williamsburg. 

 We ate Thanksgiving Dinner at this Tavern.

Colonial Courthouse:

We learned how a few phrases were coined..."pass the bar," "approach the bench," etc.

They demonstrated a couple of typical trials in Colonial Williamsburg.

His traditional photos with statues notwithstanding, these...these were real :)

A Colonial Arsenal...

 

 Reminiscent of Matt's childhood...I took a good photo of this little guy. There were no hogs or I would have taken one of them too :)

 Awaiting a concert featuring glass instruments. Matt's enthusiasm exudes from this pic ;)

Here is my favorite: a glass violin.

He also played glass handbells, a vintage glass instrument created by Ben Franklin called an Armonica, and a modern glass instrument created by brothers in Germany. 

I love the architectural styles of old.
 

Matt was bad, so he was sentenced to time in the stocks. No worries, it was a minor offense :)

 A small portion of the Governor's mansion...

I loved the gardens around the house. A perfect place for children to play.

At the Governor's mansion, hiding in the mouth of the tree arbor.

The tree arbor with better light :)

 Tall hedges formed a maze...

and we made our way to the center of it for this pic.

Our trip couldn't have gone any better. It was a wonderful getaway!

Homemade

This is a project I'm working on...that I've been working on. Let me assure you, it's going to take me a LONG time to complete it. Nevertheless, so far so good. 

 This is to show the length. It is about four feet wide. 

 

These stitches are very tight. Did I mention I'm a perfectionist?

 

I'm sure you know of my love for quilts since I've mentioned it on more than one occasion, but I also love afghans. One of my aunts, the one who painted my name with cartoon characters for my room, taught me how to crochet. Ever since she introduced me to the basic stitch, I've been working on one project or another for practice. I have yet to make a whole blanket, but I haven't given up on the dream!

Christmas Treasures, part 2

Last year, Matt and I added a new ornament to our collection. It is one from Things Remembered. 

You may not be able to tell, but this ornament is styled like a locket. It opens and you can add a picture inside. Rather than printing a wedding picture to put on the inside, I decided to take a picture of us as we celebrated our first Christmas together and add it later. 

It took much longer than it should have to add the photo, but here it is:

Yes, it was a tad difficult to take a self-portrait at any significant distance, so a close-up of our faces is all we could manage. On the up-side, at least we don't have to be embarrassed for our fashion choices in the future!