Florida...Thanksgiving 2009

This year for Thanksgiving we went to Florida. This is where I spent Thanksgiving for most of my childhood. My family has always met 5 other families there and so to share that with my children feels like a gift. This year was a little different because 3 of those 5 families could not be there, so it was by far the smallest group we've ever gone with, but the week was still wonderful! I took the kids down by myself (see another entry for those details ...it took us 15 hours and 4 flights :)) and then Matt was able to come down on Wednesday and spend the rest of the week with us. This week is so unique because these are friends who now live in all different parts of the country, but when were back together this one week of the year it feels like we never left. I always leave this time feeling encouraged and blessed! The highlight of this week for me was getting time with Jared and Belen! The low was that McLleyton came down with his first "major" sickness which lead into an ear infection and a trip to the med center. It was not a trip for sleeping ...but I'll get those when I'm old :), but he was such a trooper and overall he did amazingly well! During this week he really learned how to sit up well and met some people who love him very much for the first time! Shaelyn and Monreau spent 80% of their week in the water and did a great job in our meetings and at adult dinners! It is fun to see them growing up and being apart of something that has meant so much in my life! 

So excited to be in Florida and ready to swim!

James is here! He got a lot of loving!

Swimming is a lot of work :)

McLleyton sitting improved so much during this week!

Shaelyn and Sophia performed a song for the group!

Aunt Belen and Monreau

Sweet smiles...even while he felt so sick!

Monreau in her favorite place...water!

McLleyton was great about just hanging out in his stroller watching everyone swim!

Shaelyn mastered the cannonball this week!

Daddy's here! The girls were so excited to see him!

Getting so big!

Sisters!

McLleyton laughing SO hard at Shaelyn while she fed him dinner.

Vacation...you can break all the rules! Video before bed and eating in bed :)

The girls with Uncle Darren!

McLleyton, Matt, Belen and James

Shaelyn loved Ann-Marie and Caroline... I do too!

15 hours in an airplane...

I decided to be brave and take the three kids down to Florida without Matt. My mom was going to be on the same flight, so I figured she could help me on and off the plane and we'd be good to go! We had a 6am flight out of Grand Rapids with a stop in Cincinnati and then a flight to West Palm beach due to arrive in at 11:15am. I figured it was 5 hours of a bit of torture and then a week of fun! Not a problem! 

We woke the kids up at 4:30am arrived at the airport at 5am and took off on time! As we approached Cincinnati the pilot informed us that there was fog and we would be circling for a bit. We did this for a while and then he informed us we would be landing in Dayton to wait out the fog. So we landed there and enjoyed 2 1/2 lovely hours of sitting on the runway in a TINY, completely full airplane. To make it a little more enjoyable the airplanetoilet broke and was over flowing :). Yes, lovely! We then finally left Dayton and flew over toCincinnati. We had been told that the fog was so bad no flights had really left, so our plane to West Palm beach would be waiting for us. We got off and found out we were not quite so lucky ... we had missed it! By this point it was already 11:15am ...and Florida was still a long ways away! We were told to go to a gate where they were issuing new tickets. When we arrived the line was about 40 people long. I looked at my mom and told her I was going to take the kids and see if I could find someone who would have mercy on me :). I walked down the airport praying for the right person to ask. I picked a random counter and told him our story and politely begged him to get us there that day (we had been told we would not get in until the next day). He looked at me (strapped down with 4 carry on's and 3 kids under 4) and he did have mercy on me. He got me on a flight to Atlanta and then to West Palm Beach that day .... we were to arrive in at 8:50pm...just 15 hours after we started flying :). It meant we still had two more flights and another airport to conquer, but we would get there! I thanked him for his kindness and we headed off to feed the kids! We arrived at the gates a few hours later and boarded our plane ..it was only then that I realized the man who had mercy on me had put me and the kid in FIRST CLASS :). It seemed like the biggest gift! Everyone had space to lay down and take some much needed naps. While they slept I looked at my tickets for the next flight and realized were were also in first class on that flight. So, if you're a middle aged Delta work inCincinnati who reads random blogs...please know I was SO grateful :). I let the girls have Sprite (which we never do) and all the snacks they wanted! When we finally arrived in Florida 15 hours later they had lost our bags ...but we were there! 

That night I called Matt and told him all the ups and downs of the day ...but I also told him how amazing our children were. I was so proud of them. They were absolutely amazing. They had the best spirits through the entire adventure. We learned a lot about how airplanes and airports work and as a mom I was deeply encouraged that maybe all the work I am pouring into them is sticking just a bit! :) I'm not sure that I need to experience another 15 hour travel day... but in a weird sort of way it was a gift of encouragement to me! 

Thank you to my mom too ...who went along on that crazy ride with us ...bought us a yummy lunch ...and has taught me so much about being a mom! We are so blessed :).

Oh...and it didn't scare me away ... I'm taking the kids to Florida by myself again in April! It's so worth it :)

This picture is on our 4th and final flight... 14 hours into the day! :) They are hugging the Webkins that my mom bought them in the airport. Shaelyn named hers "airkitty" :).  A small reward for some great behavior! 

We had a very kind pilot on our plane that sat on the Dayton runway for nearly 3 hours and he came back and took the girls in the cockpit. He taught them all about each "button" and all about what the job of a pilot looks like. I think he might have broken a few post 9/11 rules...

    but I was so grateful :)

New PJ's...

Thank you Bill Belichick for a horrible call...and Wayne for an awesome catch :). It was a fun game! Even better because somehow they won!! The kids all had fun wearing their jerseys yesterday, the three of them looked pretty cute! Matt told the girls last night that they could sleep in their jerseys, which they were so excited about!! The first thing Shaelyn asked me this morning when she crawled in my bed was "did Peyton Manning win?" Got to love it! 

Go Colts!

Big game this week!!!

Monreau Jillian...

I definitely feel at times that my sweet "middle child" can get the least of me at moments. It's kind of hard to be two and have a big sister and little brother! I know in certain moments I am asking a lot of her, because my hands are full or I need to tell her "in just a minute" on more time! She is growing up so quickly and she works so hard at keeping up! Really, I'm amazed at all she knows and can do. I definitely wish I had more time to just sit and read books or do puzzles the way Shaelyn and I did at this age, but I just simply can't. However, I love watching her learn in different ways. She knows just about all of Shaelyn's preschool songs and pretends to write her letters like Shaelyn. Her vocabulary is pretty complete now and other than using "me" instead of "I" she sounds very grown up! She still has some amazing one liners that keep us laughing all day long. Here's two great stories from this weekend...

Matthew Tarzan On Saturday we had our favorite babysitter "Ms Cari" here and we were just about headed out for a date. Matt was sitting at the table with them and Cari asked Monreau her middle name. She replied "Monreau Jillian" and Matt asked her who she was named after, she replied "my Aunt Jill." Cari then asked Shaelyn her middle name to which she said "Jayne like my mom." Then she asked Monreau what McLleyton's full name was, to which she said "McLleytonShatto." Matt then asked her who he was named after - to which she confidently answered "Matthew who mows my grass." Yes, our sweet girl proudly announced that McLleyton was named after the 13 year old boy who cuts our lawn once a week. :) Got to love it!

Yesterday the girls were playing in the van while Matt and I were talking outside with a friend. Shaelyn called out the window that Monreau was drinking pop. I opened the door and found her holding Matt's half finished can of Diet Coke. I took it away and reminded her that pop is not for little girls. She looked right at me and said "But me a daddy, me not a little girl, me a daddy, so me can have pop." I couldn't help but crack a smile at her creativity :).

Shaelyn was gone and McLleyton was sleeping, so Monreau and I played in the leaves for a little while...here's a few pictures of my grown up girl!!






Keeping up with the girls...walking down with Sophia and Shae to play at Sophia's house.

Sitting up...

McLleyton is just beginning to sit up on his own...and he thinks it's pretty great :). I took a few pictures of him today, although he'll have to learn that when you start to laugh it does throw your balance of a little bit. He's such a fun, happy little boy!

Trick or Treat...

We had a great Halloween. We carved pumpkins and went Trick or Treating. The girls loved it! It was a cold day, but it was not raining, so that was nice! It's such a blessing to watch the kids grow up with their cousins and get to share days like this one! They are blessed to have each other! My favorite part of the night was putting the boys in their matching pumpkin costumes on the couch for a few pictures...they are growing up! After trick or treating on our street with the neighbors and some friends we stopped by Matt's grandparents and parents house and had dinner with "Grandpa and Grandma." It was a great day!

Here's a few pictures from the day...although I forgot my camera when we stopped by the great/grandparents! :(

McLleyton with his first pumpkin...
if you look very closely you'll see why it was made for him :)
..hint "dimples" :)