We're flying home to Phoenix tomorrow! I hate flying. Sort of. I actually don't have any problem whatsoever with the actual taking off, being in the plane, landing. So I decided it must be airports I don't like. The waiting, the wondering if you'll make the flight (stand by experiences), the security circus. But now, now I think the real problem is the packing. And maybe that's partly due to Madalyn's new status as a traveling companion.
And even though we've done this with her once before, she's a whole two months older, and whole two pounds heavier. And things have changed. (previous flight pictured)

We're talking solid foods, finger foods, diaper rash cream, not napping unless we're in our crib... that's right. I'm looking at a flight from Dallas to Phoenix with a baby that's highly unlikely to sleep. And, sigh, she has a cold :-( But anyway, these are the things that get me stressed out. But you know what makes me just excited and - why not - thankful? Getting to spend Thanksgiving at the Jones home. Eating the foods that I expect to eat on Thanksgiving, with a surprise or two at dessert and one or two surprise twists in the kitchen (the year the cheesecake sunk, anyone? or when the oven filled with smoke?). Getting to see the Andrejacks, who always abandon us at Christmas. Getting to see Daddy!! Who will be appearing around dessert time this year. Getting to see my somewhat unpredictable dog nephews (hopefully I won't get 'marked' this year), having starbucks at the mall at 5am and complaining that nothing is cheap enough to justly reward us for being there that early (even though we're primarily there because mom would have been up anyway and I love any excuse to be shopping). Is that a run on sentence? But the best part is getting to hug my mom, hug my dad, hug my brother and watch my husband get closer to my family. And most of all this year - watch all the people I love so much love on my daughter. I love watching joy fill up my parent's house. And I praise God for the opportunity. Despite my pre-flight anxiety (which is completely unrelated to any sort of fear of flying).