time for an update

MY BAD! life happens and there is just no time! NO TIME! I choose sleep over blogging. Days have been filled with practice, cleaning, traveling, working, more cleaning, laundry, more working, playing with Curtis, and the list goes on. Again, i choose sleep over blogging. So here I am, 3 weeks after Christmas giving an update (finally)!

Christmas this year was intended to be spent with Clifton's family (we switch off every year along with Thanksgiving), but Clifton's parents decided to spend it with his brother Bryant and his family in San Antonio. It worked out fine for us. It was great to not have to worry about traveling around the holiday. On Christmas Eve, Leah and Doug showed up at my parents house along with A, and O (the twins, oh yeah! there are two more on the way! hooray for boys!). Curtis loves having all of his cousins around. He has such a great time playing with them now that he's big enough. We slept at my parents house so we didn't have to drive over in the morning, and i'm glad we did that because seeing the kids faces on Christmas morning was priceless. A and O were pros at opening presents! They shredded the rapping paper off! It was classic. Curtis took some time with every gift, ripping a tiny piece at a time. A and O were willing to help though! Curtis scored with all of his gifts. Santa may have gone overboard.

The next week I planned on taking a trip to go visit one of my best friends from college, Lisl, in Utah. I had been planning and saving for a few months to make this trip, and i'm so glad that I went! Getting there and back was a battle though. My flight left from Tucson at 6:30 a.m. on New Years eve, so to avoid sleeping some then driving to make it on time for checkin, i drove late that night to the airport and spent the night there. I didn't get much sleep but it was the only way to do it. I was so sleepy that when I got to my connecting flight in Phoenix, I got on the airplane and fell asleep. I cannot remember the flight attendants going through their drill, I don't remember taking off, I was out! It was such a breath of fresh air to see her and her family ( i went to hight school with her husband, Stephen, and her baby Franklin was born on my birthday! cool huh?). Anyway, it wasn't quite like old times (we cant stay up until 4 a.m. anymore!) but i loved reconnecting with her. Franklin was the biggest FLIRT with me! He was such a doll! We called him my boyfriend because he just wanted to hang around me, do what I was doing, eat what I was eating, etc. What a Cutie!

They also have two cats who are part of the family. I had so much fun with them. On my first day there, I took a nap and was smothered by Osgood, or FATTY as he is known otherwise. And let me tell you! This cat was huge. 16.5 lbs. But he was so cuddly! Rizzo, the pretty cat (black top coat, white undercoat), was a ball of energy. He actually played fetch with me! He would bring the toy mouse back to me everytime I threw it!

On Saturday, we went shopping in West Jordan to this little place called Gardner Village. It's full of old historic houses that have been moved to this location and turned into shops (see picture above behind all the cars). We kept saying "if we had money, this place would be fantastic!" But we had a great time looking around at all of the crafts and old town things! It was such a cute little place to visit!

Lisl has a way of making me feel normal! Like my thoughts aren't crazy! She keeps me sain! I thought it was funny how she kept trying to give me reasons to move up there so we can live closer, but the only reason I need to move up there is to be near her! You know how some people change your life and you don't know where you would be without that person, and they made you who you are today? That person for me is Lisl!!! I love you so much Sweetie!

After Lisl dropped me off at the airport, I found a bench and cried for a moment. Not sobbing tears, but not being able to see her for a few months just broke my heart. After I regained my composure, I went through security only to find that my flight had been delayed 30 min. No big deal accept the snow was starting to come down in sheets! By the time we got on the plane I couldn't see the runway. Apparently it was good that we took off when we did because the airport was closed for the next day and a half! EEAK! When we landed in Phoenix, i looked at the clock and saw that my flight was taking off in 5 min. There was no way I was going to make it. They rebooked me for a later flight...much later. I had to wait 5 HOURS for a 22 min flight to Tucson! Lame! I was glad I had the laptop and the airport had free internet! It made the time fly! (no pun intended!) I landed in Tucson just before 9:30 p.m., found my car at 10 and was home in bed by midnight.

I'm so glad that I went! I'm so blessed to have great friends who will put up with me for a few days and let me take over their house! And I'm so lucky to have a husband who will let me leave to go visit a friend! Thanks Clifton. All in all, it was a nearly perfect trip that I wont soon forget!