Sports Widow

Every year about this time a change comes over the man of my house. My husband is transformed into a football-crazed sports maniac who lives for Sunday afternoons, Monday nights, and now (thank you NFL), Thursday nights. Ok maybe "crazed" is exaggerating a little, but he's definitely more than just the average fan. He's an AWESOME father and husband, but at 1:00 on Sunday afternoons the jersey goes on and he enters "ESPN zone" and I don't mean the restaurant. He's not the only one. He has a large group of friends that are just as wild about football as he is. They get together often to watch a game or call each other to talk smack about the other guys team. It's really funny to watch. For example, let's say the almighty Chargers are playing and the quarterback makes a mistake or someone fumbles the ball; the phone rings and Jeff calls to pour a little salt in the wound. You can be sure that when the Falcons are playing, Josh will be sure to call out their screw-ups. Their so cute they even have a fantasy league where they give away this trophy and a pot of money. Josh was the winner last year so now I get to look at this lovely thing until a new winner is crowned. My man swears he's the best though and this friggin' thing will be in our house for yet another year. I know the perfect place for it......the garage. hahahah. Just kidding were only a few more weeks away from finishing the man-lair in the basement. My husband is soo excited to have a place to recline back and watch his team on the big screen. Did I mention that big screen is already purchased and has replaced our computer on the desk in the den. I have to say it is pretty nice, flat screen HD. We watched a movie the other night and I swear you could count the pores on the actors face. Ah well, it will all be over in January and I'll have him all to myself. For now, I'll bring the beer and the snacks , sit beside him on the couch and shout with him at the TV. I love that man of mine.

Mothers & Daughters

My awesome parents do foster care. That's how they acquired me and that's how they have acquired the two newest editions to our family. If you read my mom's blog, then you know the younger of the two sweeties has a few handicaps. Little guy is adorable and his big sis is so dear. We recently tried an outing together with everyone. If you read Poppa's blog then you will know it was a total disaster. If my almost two-year-old wasn't flippin' out then little guy was. At one point we were all strolling through the mall with little dude hanging upside down flailing and my daughter arching her back and kicking. You could feel the judgements being cast down on us by onlookers. However, we remained totally cool. After watching my mom with kids for years, I've learned a thing or two. She is totally calm and patient, loving, and warm. Even if she's ready to tear her hair out on the inside, she rarely shows it. Thank you Kate for teaching me what is truly important when it comes to children. Now that Layla is approaching the "terrible twos" I'll need all the help I can get.

Stuck in London

Ok, so I said I would write a little more about my journey to France. Well, as you know Layla and I left on my wedding anniversary. The moment at the airport before Josh and I went our separate ways was bittersweet. I was excited about our adventure, sad about leaving him behind, and anxious about a trans-atlantic flight with a toddler. I guess I should tell you also, that to save a little dough, Layla boarded the plane as "infant-in-lap." Ok, you travel across the sea with a 28lb toddler in your lap. How excited was I when there was an empty seat next to me!!!! The song is true... Jesus does Love Me. My baby got to stretch out and sleep somewhat comfortably. However, that was not before our 3 hr delay on the plane before take off. Now I am not afraid to fly in the least bit. But, I have to say with the way the world is today, my attention was peaked when the captain came on to announce "ah, sorry folks, a warning light has just come on and we need to investigate." WHAT!! I'll say investigate it. Anyway to make it short, after a few broken promises of "it should just be 10-15 more minutes and we'll be on our way," we were. However, it suddenly occurred to me that my layover in London was only about 90 minutes. DANG! I was going to miss my connecting flight to Lyon. Ok, no biggie. I get off the plane in London only to find myself in a long line of people in my situation. I have to say though the Brits were great!! Traveling as a woman with a cuttie little girl also helps. I know my face must have been pitiful, because I was bumped to the front of the line YAHOOO! I knew I would just be on my merry way now. NO. The really polite British Airways guy said "alright, the what I can do is put you up in a hotel for the day and guarantee you a spot on the 8:30pm flight to Lyon. WHAT?????!!!!! There was no way. I begged and pleaded and put on my poutiest face and was given the other option to go on standby for a flight at 4pm. It was approx 9am London time, 3am our time and I was exhausted. Pull it together Lane. He handed me my itinerary and threw in some vouchers for food, and we started walking aimlessly through Heathrow. I prayed. I knew my family was going to be waiting for me in Lyon and I was in desperate need of a hug, so I called them. The moment my sister answered the phone, the flood gates opened. I did not want to be stuck in an airport for 6 hrs. The consolation came pouring through the phone. My mommy always knows just what to say to make it all better. After I hung up, I realized. Hey doofus, you are in London. London England!!! Snap out of it and make the most of it. So we did. Layla and I wandered through the many shops, had a bite to eat, and caught a nap curled up together on a bench. When 4p rolled around, we made it on standby and left worry behind us. We made it into Lyon, and even though the car seat was missing, I didn't care. My sister greeted me with the biggest smile and the warmest hug and everything else melted away. Even though the travel was rough, it was still so worth it. I will be taking Josh with me though from now on. Here's a couple of pics at the airport

More of France

The view from a ski lift to the top of a mountain
More of Annecy
my sister Grace
Taking a rest in Lyon
The view from high above Lyon

Don't have much to say right now, but I promised to share more pics of France. Here they are....

C'est bon etre `a la maison

Well it is good to be home. My daughter and I returned from France about a week ago. We had a great time. France is a beautiful country with lots and lots to see. My favorite place was a town called Annecy. Nestled at the base of the Alps on a glacial lake, this town is the epitome of European charisma. Tiny crooked streets wound through beautiful, centuries-old buildings. I am an absolute romantic and love European history and culture, so this was a real treat for me. If you're ever in France, make sure you check it out.
While the scenery was definitely great, spending time with my sister and her family was the best part of the trip. She found us these beautiful gites (sort of condo-like) located in the magnificent Alps. I savored every moment I had to hug, squeeze, talk, and make memories. They leave for Africa in October and it will probably be about 2 1/2 years before I get the chance to love on them again. I love you Kirsten and Steve and all my little dumplings. I miss you desperately.
I'll write more about our adventure later, but for now here is a picture of my dream town, and a few of my little sweeties.