Sweet Release

Bill, what a great guy. In late October he told me of some flier miles he had with Jet Blue and told me to pick a place that I'd like to go for a trip by myself, without the kids. My first thought was to Chicago to visit Cathy. But then she decided to come out here. So, to be fiscally responsible I decided to use them on a trip I would've taken with or without the points and attend my sister, Angie's, Nursing School graduation.

Bill still had to work the week I was gone, which was Tuesday, 12/15 - Saturday, 12/19, and actually ended up having a pretty hairy schedule. But between his determined mind to let me go and with the great help of loving friends all worked out nicely with the kids.

I was counting down the days from a month prior to my solo trip. If nothing else I was ecstatic to be flying without kids to entertain and the thought of being able to do whatever I wanted at whatever hour in the night because I didn't have kids to wake up to was simply euphoric. The trip definitely lived up to every expectation I had set for it.

Things I got to do:

I met Angie's boyfriend, Matt. They are great together.

I got to hold my new baby niece, Abby Lynn Claycamp, and my other niece, Abby's big sister, Emily. (Congrats to Garrett and Kristi, they are both beautiful.

I attended Angie's graduation ceremony with the family and went out to dinner after at a little Italian restaurant, Girronda's.

After dinner we bowled for 3 games... did I mention no kids?!

It was a very special day aside from Angie's graduation as well as very emotional. On purpose I am not paying attention to the dates of this blog because I choose not to remember the "date" but, Angie's graduation date marked 2 years of my mom's passing. Her best friend Jan Preston and Jan's husband Don, whom introduced my parents to each other, came up for the graduation from Fairfield. Even though it made Mom's absence that much more real it was fun to be with them. They even went bowling with us and Don P. really started to pick it up quite well.

Thursday I spent the day with Adam and Angie Christmas shopping and chatting. It was so fun to be on their "level" again. (To be able to sit and talk with them and not have to worry about my mommy responsibilities.) Thursday night I spent as the seamstress. Hemmed 3 pair of pants, a dress and a slip all for Friday (temple clothes).

Friday Angie went through the temple for the first time. Gretchen and I were fortunate enough to be her "escorts" and so got to help

help her and just, be with her. And then, to have all of my immediate family with me in the Celestial room. Cool. The really neat thing was that we ALL, even Mom, had been in that Celestial room together before the Sacramento temple was dedicated. It was so great to all be there together especially at that time of year.

Now, to clear up some questions that may have arisen in your mind... no, Angie is not engaged

to Matt. But it's not so much a matter of "IF" more a matter of "WHEN". Until there's a ring on the finger, no talk is being done. We're all waiting anxiously on pins and needles and are all pretty convinced that Angie and Matt finding each other had much to do with an angel on the "inside" of the "other side". (Great job Mom.)

After the temple we all ate at BJ's in Folsom, got out of there at 11pm, and Angie and I crashed at Matt's just around the corner so that they could take me to the airport the next morning.

True story: As I'm flying out of Long Beach (connector flight from Sac to Vegas) I was chatting with a gentleman who sat next to me. It was a pretty empty flight, but apparently when the flight attendants do their little speech, they REALLY want you to listen. The guy stopped mid-speech, came up to us and told us to be quiet or we could exit the plane! WOW! We were both flabbergasted and didn't know to laugh, be embarrassed or be ticked. I think a trifecta was the result.

This was the same airport on my flight to Sac that I asked the gate attendant where the airport was to which she replied, "Right here." I thought she misunderstood so I asked, "No, like the baggage claim, security checks, vendors..." She reiterated, "Right Here." No joke, if you haven't seen it picture... 2 oversized portables. That's it. To get to and from the planes you walk across the path of other planes!!! Quite the experience. And yes, I loved my first flights on Jet Blue.

Bill was great and brought the kids into the airport to pick me up. It's so fun to have your children run up to you yelling "MOMMY" in public places. It makes you feel 10 feet tall. I smiled at Livi's hair, all disheveled and ratty with a headband stuck awkwardly into place. R:"Is this how you did her hair all week?" B: "YEP!" R: "Awesome!"

The nativity outside of the Sacramento Temple, for the Christmas season.

Thanks babe for being so FANTASTIC and encouraging me to take this trip.

I told Bill that now I'm going to need a trip every year. He said that that's fine as long as I don't schedule it for when Obama's coming to town. Yea, I'll make sure to check with his secretary next time!