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