My Sister's Surprise

I should have written this sooner!  But here it is...  On February 28th I, along with my siblings, planned to arrive at my sister's house in Austin.  Unfortunately, our plans didn't go, as planned.  I woke up at 3:30 am to make it to my brother's house by 5 so we could get to the airport together for our flight that was scheduled to depart at 7 am.  We were flying first to Phoenix to have a short layover and then take a plane from there to Austin.  The exciting part was we were going to hop on my other sister's flight and arrive only about a half hour after my other brother.  Well, I checked my phone shortly after waking to see a text from my brother informing me that our flight was delayed.  I went ahead and got my gear together, then called him to figure things out.  He said he was on the phone with the airlines for a long time last night and the best alternative was to put him on a flight to Dallas and then another to Austin.  Our flight was delayed like 4 hours or something which would mean we would miss our connecting flight.  We had no idea when we'd be able to get out of Phoenix so we didn't want to chance it.  But, he suggested we just go to the airport as planned and see what they can do for us.  We got to the airport around 5:25 and the check-in line was crazy long.  So while waiting in line I called the airline to try and find a faster accommodation.  They went ahead and put me on my brother's same flight to Dallas but the connecting flight to Austin had since been cancelled. What were we to do?  We got on the Dallas flight around 9:30 and made it to Dallas just before noon.  Apparently Texas got a major snow storm and things were crazy.  Well they couldn't get us to Austin until the next day so we decided to rent a car and drive the 3 1/2 hours to Austin.  That was an extra hundred + bucks we weren't planning on spending.  We were all supposed to arrive within a half hour of each other so we could all show up on our sister's doorstep and blow her mind!  My other sister and brother arrived as scheduled and didn't exactly feel like waiting 3+ hours for us to get there, when the trip was already such a short one.  So they showed up at my oldest sister's house and surprised her with ice cream and her favorite pies!  Aaron and I got there a couple hours later.  My sister was just out of the shower and getting ready to go out that night.  We snuck in and sat on her couch.  She came in the room and was again, surprised!  The first thing she said was, "what is going on?"  We hung out at her house for a little bit then we went out to dinner at one of her favorite restaurants.

After dinner we went back to their house because Texas was cold and none of us brought a real coat so we didn't really feel like making any other stops.  We all foolishly assumed it would be nice weather!  Texas is supposed to be warm and for Texas to be so cold and Utah to be so warm was just madness!  Anyway, we had a great time reminiscing and spending time together like a real family.  Bronmin has a 6 year-old daughter who is just unlike any other kid!  We had so much fun listening to her "presentations" and the grown-up way in which she talks.  Her mind works faster than her mouth and it was a lot of fun to be around.  Well, we only made it til about 10 or so because we had all gotten up so early and were so tired, we just couldn't stay awake any longer.  Cody booked us a hotel close by and we crashed around 11.  I think we all slept in til about 10 the next day.  Brett and Cody were flying home that day but not until about 5, so we had some more time to play!  Unplanned was the part where we had to take back the first rental car.  That's us doing just that in the next picture.  We eventually made it back to Bronmin's around noon and were all starving so we went out to eat.  After breakfast we went back to Bronmin's and lounged and visited til Brett had to make his flight.  He's super dope and has that pre-screen deal so he was able to stick around longer because it only took him 5 minutes from when he got out of the car to reach his gate.  Pretty rad!  That's him on the right, me on the left and Aaron behind me and Cody next to him.  I sent this pic to my mom because she was desperate to feel like she was there with us.  It was too bad our parents couldn't make it, but it was kinda special to have just a siblings trip.  We'd never done it before, but I think we're all eager to do it again!

Family photos before we had to separate.

We had a great time just hanging out and talking like it was something we did every day.  We are all so far away from each other and don't visit enough.  One of my favorite things was Sunday morning when we first got to Bronmin's, her daughter saw Aaron and said, "You're still here!  Oh good, I get to see your cute face again!"  What a doll.  I gave her some jewelry that I made and at breakfast she sat next to me and at one point said, "You're the best person I know."  I love that little girl!  She is so cool!  I am just so bummed I don't get to play with her more often or see her when I want to.  Life is hard!

Anyway, things were coming to an end so quickly.  So Brett's flights departed on time.  He flew Southwest.  I gotta say, we were all wishing we had too.  So, Cody got a message that her flight was delayed, like 4 hours or something.  We were glad she got to stick around a bit longer but worried that she wouldn't get home on time.  Anyway, every hour it seemed she got another message pushing back her flight time, later and later.  It was 10:30, then it was Midnight, then it was 1:30, then it said 9!  Super confusing.  At that last message it was already 8:30 at night.  We didn't believe that last message but decided we might as well go to the airport and see what the heck was going on.  In the car on our way she got another message for a later time.  I realized at this point all I had eaten was breakfast, at lunch time.  I was hungry.  So we stopped at a nearby Denny's and had just received our drinks and my food when Cody got another message saying 11.  It was about 10:20 and we were less than 10 minutes away.  But we thought it was better to be safe than sorry so we quickly paid and got out of there.  She told us later that once she arrived to check in, the attendant actually told her that she had no idea what was going on and that the day had just been crazy.  Oh really?  Her flight finally took off at 11:45.  What a mess.  Aaron and I headed back to the hotel just bewildered by this terrible airline.  We were very nervous for the flights we were to take the next day.

We woke up Monday and headed over to my sister's and had breakfast with her and her husband.  We got to hang out for a few hours then had to make our flights and return the second rental car.  It was really hard to say goodbye.  Bronmin had told us, more than once, that this was the best birthday she'd ever had!  She really needed us and we were able to there for her.  Such a miracle!  Despite the airline disasters.  Well, that day everything was on schedule, thankfully.  The only real mishap was when we had to make our connecting flight.  The layover was only about 40 minutes.  We had some walking to do but made it to the gate with 20 minutes or so to spare.  Although when we got there we noticed there weren't many other people there.  The sign even had the wrong destination illuminated.  We didn't think much of this airline at this point so we weren't surprised that things were off.  But then my brother decided to use the restroom before boarding and as he was walking he heard an announcement that said our flight had changed gates and it was final boarding.  He came back over and told me what he'd heard.  Weird that the announcement wasn't played where I was sitting, where we were supposed to be...  Anyway, we made it and all went well.  Aaron's family picked us up.  They welcomed "us" home with balloons and a big homemade sign.  It was cute!

Utah was snowy and cold though.  I had driven my husband's car which I am not that comfortable with driving in the snow, so driving home was scary.  The windshield wipers are basically useless and the snow coming down made it hard to see anyway.  There were many times I went out of my lane and one time I thought I was on the wrong side of the road!  But somehow I made it home safe and sound.  Oh and I should mention I did slide back and forth quite a bit getting on the on ramp to the freeway.  Yikes!  It was such a relief to walk inside my door and see my husband and my boy.  It was the first time I was away from EZ and I was gone 3 days.  He took about 10 minutes warming up to me, which was a little sad.  I was hoping he'd run into my arms.  But we got back to normal in no time.  John had a good time being a stay-at-home dad for those three days, but he did give me a big hug and thank you for the stuff I have to do everyday.  I'm not sure how much longer he could have hung in there...

So, quite the traveling mess huh?  Honestly, I will never fly US Airways again.  Such a joke!  Other than that the trip was fantastic!  I wish we could do it every month.  I wish we were all billionaires that could visit each other when ever we felt like it.  Or by some miracle we all lived within driving distance.  Anyway, it was definitely a trip we will never forget!