Barking Mad

Leaving on a Jet Plane...The "Audrey and Gaby Go to Texas" Edition

 

Last month we watched Meg board an airplane bound for San Antonio, Texas to begin her adventures (although I dare say she would call it an adventure!) in Basic Military Training with the United States Air Force.  It hardly seems like nearly two months have eclipsed since she left, yet here we are, mere days away from her graduation from BMT.

It's been a roller coaster for all of us, that's for sure.

Between Gareth getting laid off, Meg leaving for BMT, Gareth finding another job...in New York, moving to New York, realizing we didn't have the money to attend Meg's graduation from BMT in Texas, learning that Meg had been proposed to, OVER THE PHONE by her boyfriend,  Matt going back to Seattle, getting a phone call on Christmas from Gareth's brother and his wife in England asking if they could help make sure we attended Meg's graduation, Christmas itself (where I managed to NOT mutilate the prime rib!), and finally, Gaby's 4th birthday the day after Christmas...well, it's enough to make anyone's head spin! 

I am beside myself with gratitude and love for my BIL and SIL and their generosity.  This means the world to me - to be able to see Meg take this step in what's been one of the biggest accomplishments of her life, to date.  More than that, it means a great deal to Meg herself, to have me there, as I've missed a lot of the milestones in her life.

Being that we've made all the travel arrangements at the last minute, I'm running around like a madwoman trying to get packed and figure out how to make sure I have everything I am going to need to keep a four year old occupied and happy on 3 airplane flights!  It goes without saying, I will be the one sporting the color-coordinated Xanax necklace when I board each of those flights.  I'm carrying extras in the event that I need to offer some to those seated around us. 

All travel-anxiety aside, I'm so very proud of Meg and all that she's accomplished these past 8 long weeks.  I'm so excited to see my girl and look into her eyes and tell her what an amazing woman I think she is. She and I have traveled a long and sometimes rocky road these past 2+ years and despite deep chasm we had to bridge in order to get to this place,  I could not be any more in awe of this young woman than I am now.

Tim and Jill...thank you for being so persistent in your offer of help.  I often have trouble accepting help from others and with Gareth's nudging, I said yes.  Know that I will forever be grateful for this opportunity to see Meg take this step and to be a part of her graduation from BMT. 

 

Merry Everything and Happy Always!

 

We're so grateful we found Santa and his merry elves at the last minute...otherwise this is the Christmas Greeting photo that was likely to have gone out to our beloveds and friends...

 

Gareth and Gaby join me in wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a warm, happy New Year!

 

Be Envious...Be VERY Envious!

 

Alternately, I could have titled this, "Be Afraid and Steer Clear!" Because seriously, that's exactly what I'd like to be doing right now.  I can't see most of my kitchen for all the boxes in the way! 

The movers unloaded yesterday - after a long weekend spent camping out with air mattresses and paper plates and plastic utensils.  Gareth originally brought a small TV and DVD player over with him and a few movies but it didn't occur to me to pack anything additional to those few precious non-toddler oriented movies...so when we left Maine on Thursday afternoon I had stashed aside some DVD's for Gaby.  I'm sure you can imagine what those titles included!  Bambi, Sound of Music, Barbie and the Diamond Castle, Barbie and the Magical Pegasus, Barbie Thumbalina,  Snow White, (If I have to listen to those damn dwarves whistle again I am going to go completely batshit insane!), and a couple of other titles suited to the Sesame Street crowd.  At night I've watched The Other Boleyn Girl and It's a Wonderful Life! no less than 7 or 8 times and can probably repeat parts of the script verbatim.  Truth be told, I never tire of It's a Wonderful Life! 

However, along with the rising sun this morning came the beloved Cable Guy and his box of magic including a digital cable receiver with DVR and our internet connection!  Had I been able to find the kitchen I would have made him a batch of my famous Double Dutch Chocolate Chunk Cookies and then kissed him right on the mouth!  And now that I've found my toothbrush it would have been a minty fresh kiss at that! 

Don't get me wrong...I've enjoyed being able to check my email and Facebook via my cell phone, but I have thumbs that are better suited to...well, Neanderthal life than modern life with cells phones. I can now check the local weather forecast without trying to make out a weather pattern the size of a pimple, on my cell phone screen, and I can read my email without the use of a magnifying lens!

Alas, duty calls and it's time to help Gaby arrange her "Princess Palace" (that's what she's calling her bedroom...God help us all) and then head out to explore the area which includes getting lost and threatening to throw my GPS and the nasty little lady who lives inside it, into the lake.  Before I do that, I thought I'd share a couple of videos of exactly why you should be envious of us...or grateful that you aren't us!