Coming to America (but not with Eddie Murphey)

Well, we have finally made it on the plane! Drug our luggage over two blocks to the Metro station going up and down several flights of stairs. Took Metro blue. Changed at Metro pink. Got to airport check-in only to be told that our flight was overbooked and that we were on stand-by. Evidently that is completely okay to do in Spain (overbook international flights). If we hadn't gotten on this flight, we would have had to wait overnight. No one would have wanted to deal with me if that had happened!! On the flight over, our luggage was lost and sent on the wrong plane. We did get it late that night, but my little brother & his wife's bags were somehow sent to Venezuela, so they had several days without theirs! We booked American Airlines with our connector flight being on Iberian. Long story (not completely) short, don't take Iberian if you can help it. But, we are finally on the plane and headed to Nashville via Chicago. My playlist? Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton. It's a book on audio. I've read it before, but I just love it. It makes me laugh out loud! If you are a Southern Belle (yes i believe that deserves caps), ESP those from the Memphis area, it is a MUST read. She has another book out as well, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.

The Spain trip was a success, but I just cannot wait to hold my girls!!! I decided to take this first flight (almost 9 hours) to read 'a desirable residence' by one of my absolute favorite contemporary authors, Madeline Wickham. Her pen name is Sophie Kinsella, and she wrote the Shopoholic series. The long flight also gives me a chance to blog. I was having withdrawals while we were gone. Instagram, too!! I'm obviously addicted more than I realized. Oh well. It could be worse. :)

My parents (mainly my Mom) and my sister Ashley kept the girls while we went on our overseas adventure. I do not think it is even possible to convey to them my deep level of gratitude and appreciation for what they did!!!!! Especially the fact that my sister already has two kids to take care of let alone adding a 4 yr old and 8 month old to the mix. To top it off, they all travelled to our house late last week in order for HA to not miss school pictures and two consecutive soccer games!! I was informed on the phone last night that they have also now cleaned my entire house even though I specifically asked them not to when the idea was brought up a few days prior. I mean WOW!!! Saying thank you just doesn't feel like enough. I was able to get a couple of small items while on the trip for 'thank yous,' but I will need to figure out at least a little something more. Chris is in the financial world, and he is extremely tight with money. So I won't be able to get them something really big like I would if it was just up to me, but I know I can figure out something. I do have a few ideas, but please feel free to share your ideas or something you have done before. I'll go ahead and tell you that I refuse to do a gift card. With their personalities, the gift card will end up being used on or for someone else not themselves. :)

My next post will we written in the great US of A!!!!

-Nattie B