Enough of Flying and Airports

I use to enjoy flying but it gets old these days. Jessa and Jenna went to Phoenix for Gracie's wedding and then flew to Seattle. Let me side track here a minute. Saturday morning I got a call from Jenna they were going to miss their flight as they had a flat tire on their rental car in Phoenix. Jenna had called the Avis road assistance and was told it would be 40 minutes so they wouldn't make it. But God had other plans for them. A grandfather type man came with the tow truck and asked what time their flight left and when he found they had such little time he said he'd just load the car on the truck and take them to airport and he would take the car to Avis for them...wow. They were going to make their flight after all. To top that off, after they got dropped off, he found Jessa's cell phone in the front seat (of the car I think). He called Jenna and asked her where they were at at the airport and met them with her cell phone. (I may not have the detail exact) PTL. There are still good people in the world today.

Well back to Seattle, as I said they were flying into Seattle and as most of you know, they were then going on to San Diego. Joleesa was to meet them in Seattle. Well Joleesa takes after her dad and doesn't like to fly and Joleesa was suppose to meet them in Seattle, meaning she'd be flying by herself. She was really likeing the idea of flying by herself at all. I was afraid she'd back out just because of that and I knew the girls needed to get away and this would be the first vacation of just the 3 of them so we really wanted to have Joleesa go too. So being "mom" I offered to fly with Joleesa to Seattle if they would back up their San Diego flight a couple of hours so we could do Olive Garden while I was there and I wouldn't just have to turn around and jump back on the plane. If you could've seen the expression of relief on Joleesa's face, I knew I would do this no matter what. So after last weekend flying on Friday and then Monday 5 1/2 and 6 hours to Minnesota and back, I was back on the plane to fly the 3 hours to Seattle. Joleesa and I got to sit together in row 6 (right behind first class which still felt like first class). Joleesa slept most the way and I read. All in all good flight and the time passed quickly. Got to the airport and Jenna and Jessa were waiting for us (in skirts, flip flops and no jacket and it was 41 degrees~brrr~their excuse they left Phoenix and we're going to San Diego~giggle. Joleesa and I had light weight jackets and we were cold). Any way we hailed a cab and he didn't know where Olive Garden was but Jessa had been their before and gave him an idea where it was We went about $3.00 out of the way~ugh. But we made it Olive Garden and oh the food was sooooo worth it. We then had the restraunt call us a cab as the one we came in had no available cabs to pick us up. I wish Jenna could have got a picture of this driver in his turban and all. When we were putting our stuff in the trunk I turned to Joleesa and said I got sit next to that (his clothes didn't look the cleanest either). Neither cab driver spoke very good English but we made it back. After about an hour wait at the girls gate all three girls got on AND got to all three sit together. God is good and they were thrilled. I then headed down the corridor to wait another hour for my flight back to Anchorage but that flight was overbooked with several stand bys. All but 4 of the standbys got on and I was one of the 4, so back to another gate and another hour wait. Make that 1 1/2 hours as the plane was late getting in. But I got on the flight and what took 2 hours 45 minutes to get to Seattle was going 5 hours and 15 minutes to get back ~ugh. I'm tired. But after two movies (I finished my book as well as studied my SS lesson, so I rented a digi player) sitting in the middle seat with the man next to window never speaking to me but snoring a lot and the lady on the aisle sharing her home-made chocolate chip cookies I finally land at 9:05 pm. I walk outside to bitterly cold winds (my light weight jacket felt like no jacket at all) to go back to my car, swing into McDonald's for a quick bite to go (we ate at noon and the landing made me realize my stomach didn't have much in it). Came to an empty house as Brother Nowling was working, crawled into bed. Read a couple of pages of a new book and I was out. My day started at 4 am and I was glad to have it end.

BUT the girls are having a great time. The weather is in the 60's, they walked the beach this morning with a golden retriever, rented a convertible, went to the San Diego zoo and are now headed to a mall. Doing what sisters should have the opportunities to do, hang out together and have fun.

We have rarely took vacations outside of church functions so this is great for them, and the fact that they are doing it together is greater yet. It's wierd though, knowing their so far away really makes both Jody and I miss them and feel like empty nesters (even though they do their own things and I may not see them for a couple of days when their here in Anchorage). I just pray they the Lord helps them to strengthen their friendship. They have no choice in the fact that they are sisters, but they do have a choice to be friends. Over the years their friendship has helped them stay faithful to the Lord together. As they have grown up, and as we moved here to AK their friendship has faded as each one built new lives. So this is good for them. Lord keep them safe and bring them back safely and closer to each other.

Now Brother Nowling and I get to have the next couple of evenings to ourselves. YES! We've seen very little of each other since a week ago Thursday. With my traveling to MN, his going to Junea, church and work, I've probably seen him a whole hour total (not counting in church). So we hope to spend some quality time together Monday and Tuesday nights.

Then in two weeks I gotta fly again. Youth convention is in Bethel. Ugh! But that's only 1 1/2 hour flight. Please pray Brother Nowling can get coverage at work so he can go. He doesn't get vacation until the end of April.

So that's my life the last week for anyone that's around to care...I'm praying all those that went to Phoenix will have a safe trip back and then will BLOG!