New Years in Maine

So Tres and I got to go to Maine for New Years!  It was so wonderful.  But we almost didn't make it there.  That huge snow storm still has all the airlines and airports backed up.  Apparently, mostly it's still JFK.  Not only did they get a bunch of snow, but anything offsets that airport.  It's pretty ridiculous actually, considering the amount of traffic that they get.  But anyway....our flight was a direct flight from Austin to Boston.  We were supposed to take off at 4pm on Wednesday the 29th of December.  Well, we got to Austin airport and were told our flight was delayed 2 hours.  Ok, that's managable I suppose right?  Well, the delay turned into a cancellation.  All due to a bearing needing to be replaced on the plane.  I'd rather they replace it than not.  Most airlines would basically tell you to suck it up.  But not JetBlue.  Oh no.  What did they do?  They told us that they were CREATING a whole new flight for us early the next morning.  I mean, the flight didn't exist prior to this.  They put us up in the Hilton at the airport, and gave us dinner vouchers.  Not just us, the entire flight.  Anyone who wanted to take it.  So, it certainly was nice.  We did, however, have to get up at 1:30 the next morning to be back at the airport in time.  So thankful we stayed at the Hilton, and didn't go home. If we'd gone all the way home we never would have went to bed.

Anyway, we did make it off without a hitch the following morning, landing in Boston right on time.  Dad and Janna were there to greet us!

Dad had devised a system for getting Tres' wheelchair into the Suburban without having to take the batteries out of the back.  (His wheelchair weighs something like 200lbs by itself)  So Dad had created a portable ramp system.

ta da!!  We got it in.  Honestly, didn't think it was going to make it at one point.  But between the 3 of us we were able to get it up in there.

Back at home, the system was a bit easier.  Thanks to the fork lift!

Back with my girls!!

So here is the system for Tres getting in the house.  It's pretty cool.  He and Dad and Ira devised this when we were up for our wedding.  It also involves the fork lift.  Dad puts a piece of plywood down on the ground for Tres to drive up onto.  Lifts him up...and he turns and drives into the house.  It's pretty cool.

Ahhh....isn't this beautiful?  This is the part about snow I miss.  I don't miss cleaning off my car, the endless wetness and mud, and the last snowstorm in April when you're dying for spring.  But this....I miss.  

Janna and I got to go on a sister date one of the days that I was there.  We just went out to lunch and to the mall, but it was great to get to spend some time alone.  I took this picture for our friend Sky here in Texas.  He loves snow, so I wanted him to see the snowbank in the parking lot.  I knew he'd be jealous. :)

Meanwhile, my husband gained yet another girlfriend.  He's just racking them up left and right!  This is my cousin's 5 year old daughter.

 Janna, Laura and Sarah

Rachel and Dad

Gail getting Laura's birthday cake ready.  (Her birthday is January 1 so we always get to celebrate all together)

And there she is, his little girlfriend.  Smooching on him!  What is it with all these ladies smooching my husband?!?

And driving his chair.

Happy birthday Laura!

Brendan

Dan and Terisa

Mom trying to get the perfect picture.

Janna and Brendan

My cousin's daughter again, playing that brain game thing, where you think real hard and make the ball move (it actually works by the way) but this is her thinking real hard.  LOL!

We had a head scratcher thing there.  Apparently Sarah doesn't like it.

 So one of the things about staying at my parents (which worked out great by the way) was that in order to stay there I really needed help getting Tres up on the bed, and with a few other things regarding Tres' care.  So Dad stepped right in to help out.  It was great.  He was such a big help.  And it really made it very easy to stay at my parents which is great because that means we'll probably try to go a few times a year.  Not having to get a hotel room and a special vehicle each time we go makes a huge difference in cost obviously. Which in turn will mean more trips up there we hope!  Anyway, here's Dad kissing Tres goodnight.  What's the deal with all the kissing of my husband!?!?  :)  I know more than anyone, he's just a kissable guy.

Above: using the head scratcher thingie on Tres too.  He, unlike Sarah, loved it.  

We got to do a little Christmas with everyone too while we were there, but if you've been to my mom's house.  You know that her tree is upstairs in the room above the barn.  So, to get Tres up there, we put him in a chair and the guys carried him up!  It worked out pretty great.

Grammy Penny and Grampy Dick

A whole bunch of us, with Tres sitting on the couch

Tres has been wanting this shirt for a while, so when Janna asked me what she could get Tres for Christmas...the choice was obvious.  He loved it.

Hey, when you are...you are.

With my cousin's kids.  I just think this pic is so cute of us all.

All in all, it was so fun to be home.  We loved being there.  Wished it could have been longer.  Mom, Dad, Janna and Matt drove us back to Boston on Sunday where we spent the night at the Hilton at the airport (but this time we had to pay for it) and bright and early the Monday morning we headed to the airport to catch our 9am flight back to Austin.  Only to find out it had been delayed (again!) this time 3 hours.  Thankfully because our flight was a morning flight, it did finally take off.  No more over night stays, and we made it back to Austin, just a few hours later than we'd planned.  Can't wait to go back to Maine again, though it probably won't be until August.  But we are planning to go to Matinicus with the family then.

So, now what?  Well, I hadn't realized just how crazy busy I'd been until yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon when I got to sit still for a few hours.  Wow!  I actually sat on the couch for a while, and didn't do much of anything.  It was wonderful.  We've just been so busy between moving, and then the holidays coming upon us, and having people over, and traveling, and family stuff, and, and, and....you get the picture.  That I hadn't had a moments rest really.  So this week is already proving to be much much slower.  I'm hoping this is our normal life, so we'll have to see.  (because once again I'm sitting on the couch on Wednesday afternoon, typing on my blog this time...obviously...)  

And...tomorrow...JANNA ARRIVES!!!  Yup, Janna's coming to visit.  Well, she's not coming to visit us, but she's staying here with us.  She's coming to visit Jordan.  If you don't know who Jordan is.  Stay tuned.  I'll write about him in another blog since I'll have some photographs to show in a future post.

So I'm wicked excited about Janna coming, and then next week, Grammy Penny and Grampy Dick show up for a few days on their way to Arizona!  So that will be nice too.