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.

Come Fly With Me

So on Friday my daughter and I are leaving. We're headed over to France to visit my sister, husband, and kids. I am sooooo excited. My entire family is going over, I'm picturing something like National Lampoons European Vacation. Remember that movie?? Funny right? I can hardly wait. There is only one thing missing...my husband. Unfortunately he couldn't get away from work and to make matters worse, I leave on our 5th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's been 5 years. Sometimes it feels like we're still in high school. I hate being away from him, my heart aches when we are apart. I guess I'll just have to carry his love with me across the sea. I love you Josh! Thank you for giving me the best 5 years of my life.

Good Friends, Good Times

Last night we were invited over to our friend Jamie and Brooks' house for some outdoor fun. My girlfriend Chrissy and her husband and son were also there. I have known these girls since elementary school and have kept close with both of them. Last night the girls and I were sitting out on the patio when Chrissy said something like "It feels surreal, we used to talk about growing up and living close to eachother and having kids together. Now here we are." I knew exactly what she was talking about. Sitting there I remembered the three of us playing together as kids and then I look over. Our kids were playing together now. How blessed we are to be able to share our lives together. Who knows maybe my little princess will marry one of these two princes. I love you girls.

ps maybe when we're old (if we're alone) we'll turn into the Golden Girls. We'll move to Miami live and live together in a house I'll be Dorothy, Jamie's Blanche, and Chrissy's Sophia hahahahah

Good-bye Val

Well I've worked as a nurse for about 5 years now and I have to say it's quite an experience. The patient population I care for is both complex and challenging. To care for these people you need a group of nurses who have the ability to critically think, anticipate needs, and work together as a team. There is no better group in my hospital than the ladies of renal. Each one of them is intelligent, compassionate, sensitive, and let's just say wonderful!! I enjoy working with each and every one of them. Unfortunately though, life takes us in different directions and we move on. One of the very BEST nurses I have ever met is leaving us to be closer to her family. Valerie was there when I started working on the unit and has been a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful spirit for all of us. We will miss her more that she'll ever know. We love you Val, remember your home is always with us on 2C.

Sun & Fun & Sandy Feet

Every year our family makes the 6 hr trek to the glorious Outer Banks. We have sooooo much fun with the large group that we take each year. We rent a couple of houses and settle in for a week of enjoying each other's company. I absolutely love this time of year!!! This year was youngest cousin Scarlett's first time to the beach (out of her mother's womb). There's nothing cuter than this little sweetie in her watermelon bikini. Layla loved hangin' out with her little sidekick. There was only one thing missing...the Mckenzie clan. My sister Kirsten and her family are over in France and spent their last year at the beach with us in 06. We missed them very much!! Ah well, we still had a great time anyway. Only 357 more days until Nags Head 08!!!!