Home Again, Home Again, Jiggidy-Jog

It was a big hullabaloo trying to get home to Portland. Our flight was supposed to leave Las Vegas at 7 A.M. but it was delayed due to freezing fog and low visibility in Redmond. We didn't leave Vegas until 9:30 A.M.

Z did all right on that flight, but airplanes aren't he favorite mode of transportation.

We tried to land in Redmond twice (once coming within 200 feet of the ground) but couldn't because the pilot couldn't see the runway. They diverted us to Portland and told us that we could be there a couple of hours or even overnight. Then they kicked us off the plane to wait.

*Keeping busy in the Portland airport.*

Luke and I decided that since WE LIVE IN PORTLAND that Z and I (Z was DONE being on an airplane or anything else that matter) would find a ride back to our apartment. Luke needed to fly back to Redmond because we had checked a bag and Aslynn's car seat. We also had left our car at my parent's house in Bend.

I called some friends (much thanks to ye!) to come and get me and the kiddo and Luke got back on the plane and took off for Redmond.

He made it to Redmond and then to Bend BEFORE I made home. AND I WAS IN PORTLAND!

That was our coming home adventure and I never want to do it again. The End.

Get ready for a story! (I went into a lot of detail, you don't have to read it all. This is more for my memory later on. This blog = my journal.)

On the 30th, my family came up for their Christmas "experiences" trip.

*Aslynn got more Christmas presents!*

We had lots of things planned: OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), Blazer's game, TWO Powell's Bookstores, the traditional New Year's Day dinner of Prime Rib and Shrimp Scampi, IKEA, the mall, the Rose Bowl, and going to see Avatar.

*This is our schedule. Notice the arrows as things got moved to different days?*

We went to IKEA and OMSI on the 31st. We had lots of fun!

My sister Melissa, Luke, Z and I were the only ones who had been to IKEA and we love it. The rest of my family seemed to think that it was pretty cool too.

We went to OMSI and explored all the neato-ba-sneato things there.

*Aslynn liked playing with the color disks. She doesn't have pants on because she pooped all over them.*

*Luke, Melissa and I built and arch out of foam blocks.*

The night of the 31st, it hit: the stomach flu - with all the bells and whistles of being sick!

Sidenote: We think that Z had it and then gave it to us because she hadn't been feeling her best for a few days. For everyone else, the virus ran its course in about 24 hours, it didn't for Aslynn; she was feeling yucky for a week or so.

*Z is out of it. Grandma doesn't want her picture taken - but she has to be in the pciture to show how much she took care of the baby!*

Luke was the first adult flu casuality, then Melissa and then me - all in one night.

Our little apartment was packed with seven BIG bodies and one LITTLE body. We had one bathroom. Sounds like fun, yeah? The apartment looked like a morgue - bodies lying everywhere.

the next day, Luke, my mom, and the boys went to Powell's while my dad watched the football game at Matt and Sarah's.

Luke was still pretty sick so he just sat while the boys looked for books. My mom got sick in Powell's (don't worry, she made it to the bathroom!).

Mom came home, the boys went to Avatar.

We put off dinner because four people wouldn't want to eat.

My brothers got sick the night of the 1st. Still, Alex went to the big Powell's with my mom and a Blazer game with my dad.

Dinner got put off until Sunday the 3rd.

We all (except for Z) were feeling better and were able to enjoy dinner (finally!) on the 3rd. Then my family went home.

Doesn't that sound like the BEST visit ever?! NOT!

Despite the fact that everyone (but my dad) got sick, I still think that we had fun!