I Hate Delta airlines!!!

Okay I know hate is a very strong word, but I will never fly on Delta again. First of all I was traveling alone which is never easy with a toddler so I asked my mom if she could get off work and help me go through security and to the gate (I didn't know you could do this but the last couple times I flew Southwest alone they suggested that I have an escort). So she was nice and offered to come help. We get to the airport and my mom and I can hardly get to the counter with all the stuff required to travel with a toddler she thought we might need more than two of us. We get to the counter after wating in a line and the lady says to check my bag I need to go and get in the other line (where 2 people are working and not very quickly) and then the guy tells me it will be 15 dollars, what!!! (I know my bag weighed 50 pounds exactly) but they now charge for one bag and it didn't matter that I made my reservation before the fee change. I pay the money and tell him I need a security escort pass he tells me they don't do that (I told him that southwest always does...well he says Delta DOESN'T!) Then I tell him I obviously have too much to take to the gate alone and will he wrap up my car seat and check it here he says yes he will take care of it (however not nicely he was quite RUDE!). My mom suggests that we should ask TSA about a escort pass because I have my hands full and have had the flu and don't feel great as is. The TSA guy says that we need an airline to print one out we told him the agent said they didn't do that (the guy says yes they do maybe you should ask another agent or just fly southwest, when the TSA guy suggests just flying Southwest I thought yeah I know I was trying to save some money but with the new rules on luggage I don't think I was saving). I was running out of time to go back down stairs to try to get a pass so I said goodbye to my wonderful mom and through security I went. Kaden is screaming and throwing a fit because he wants the milk that is in the sippy cup going through the scanner. In all the furry of trying to undress myself AND undress kaden AND get out liquids AND put the 10 plastic bins through the scanner AND find my ticket AND collapse the stroller while EVERYONE is inpatiently waiting the sweetest TSA guy noticed I was struggling and was so nice to help us get everything through security. I thought okay I can do this and then on the other side realized I had too much stuff to push in the stroller, too much stuff to carry and couldn't keep it all balanced and chase Kaden as he ran every which way (the escort would have been nice at this point). So Kaden goes running away as I am chasing a stroller full of stuff and goes crashing on the tile floor bonks his head so hard and is screaming so hard he is coughing and chocking himself and everyone is staring as I am the spectacle trying to carry a millon things, a kicking crying toddler and push a stroller (an escort would have been nice at this point). We get to the gate and I am on the edge of tears as the Delta lady is tagging my stroller and trying to ask what is wrong. When I tell her my frustrations she blows me off and backs up the agent downstairs (why ask if your are just going to be indifferent and rude) so here we are waiting no really chasing Kaden ALL over including down an emergency exit ramp, towards a runway while literally every passenger is watching trying not to laugh or feel sorry for the poor sweaty, red faced frazzled mom with too much stuff. So we are boarding the plane and my banana republic bag carrying odds and ends breaks. I have pieces of trains from IKea random diapers, clothes from banana and other odds and end things and my other carry on (the diaper bag) is already so full the zipper won't close. So here I am with millions of loose articles dropping things every three feet trying to hang on to Kaden by his hood while person after nice person is offering to help (all of which are passengers not Delta employees). I of course am to stubborn for help but finally one persistant young man took Kaden and some of my loose items and helped me to my seat and to get things in the overhead while the stewardess' all just sat by and watched. We sit on the plane for 20 minutes until the captain calls overhead that his seat won't adjust and matience is working on it we will be off in 15 minutes. 30 minutes later they say it is unfixable and we will have to deplane (meanwhile I am trying my hardest to entertain a very busy 18 month old. So now I have to repeat the ordeal again getting off the plane waiting around for the next plane and then reloading (where did the really nice gentleman go...I need HELP). Well we get on the new plane and Kaden has a blow out (I hate changing diapers in the tiny airplane bathrooms) I am unsure if we are going to take off right away so I ask the steardess if I have time to change it (she wants to know how long it will take I don't know 2-3 minutes?) She tells me I probably don't have time and should wait until after take off, however as we are literally sitting for 30 minutes waiting to be cleared for take off I decide to change the diaper (you know how the soft bum looks after sitting too long soiled and probably also know how that goes in the tiny little bathroom with no changing table...sorry whoever had to clean that bathroom or use it after us!) So the plane eventually is ready for take off Kaden was an angel on the flight he fell asleep during take off and slept the whole time. We get off the plane and I think oh we made it all is well (however what am I going to do when I have more than one child to fly with...oh yeah fly south west). So all is well, UNTIL I get the car seat it is not wrapped in plastic (or taken care of like the rude guy at the counter said he would do) and one of the buckles on the car seat is missing, so unsafe to use and how do we get home? We improvise and do the best we can as parents as safetly as we can since no one is open at midnight at the airport to ask for help or a lost and found. I called the next day and talked to the head lady over baggage she seemed very helpful and said she would send out messages and someone would get back to me (yeah right I will be shocked after my experiance if they do, in the meantime we are staying close to home until we have a fully functioning car seat again). Sorry for this enormous long venting session and sorry if you are a true blue Delta fan...I have personally decided that they are trying to cater only to the bussiness traveler and could care less or even try to make it difficult for families so they will chose not to fly with them and will choose to fly with the very accomodating Southwest!!!

Holiday traditions?

I was just thinking the other day about what kind of holiday traditions I would like to start with my family. I should probably start while Kaden is little. My family did not have very many traditions or things that they did every year during the holidays. The one thing that we did do was each year we got a new ornament from Hallmark, it usually sings or moves or something fun like that. We got out our tree this year and Kaden can hardly keep his hands off of it! It is the loudest tree around that sings and makes a popcorn sound (constantly) and most of the little ornaments are like toys because they move and have bright lights. We have only had one causality though where my ornament with a trumpet player and drum player got their hands ripped off and they heads bit off!! And then one afternoon I had to rescue Kaden I heard him squeal as he lost his balance while standing on the arm rest of the couch trying to reach an ornament. He fell head first into the tree and was stuck! So the ornament thing is truly special and exciting at our house, but I need more ideas to make the holidays more magical!! Any good ideas, I would love to hear them?

Miss you dad!!!

Kaden and I have stayed to visit with friends and family! While it is fun and there is lots to see and do we miss Chris. I think we made a good decision though because he is studying constantly for finals! He has one down which he rocked and 4 or 5 more to go...yeah! We love you & good luck this week!

Thankful, thankful...

Chris and I took Kaden down and around the Temple grounds. They have the lights up and beautiful decorations. I just love Salt Lake and Temple square around this time of year. It is just magical and it perfectly depicts the birth of Christ and the beauty of the season!

It was so beautiful in Utah this past weekend. It was kind of chilly for Ty's wedding but the next couple of days felt like spring days! Typical I guess for Utah to have unpredictable weather but it was so warm it made me excited for spring.

I love this picture. Chris is so detail focused lately and finds beauty in such abstract things. We were passing and he was like look how cool the reflection of the temple is in that picture it is beautiful...

This week has been busy and crazy but so much fun! We came home to visit my family for thanksgiving and for Tyler's wedding. We had a great time visiting everyone and seeing all our family. It was nice to have a wedding because we got to see all our extended family...

I had to put this picture in. I was holding Kaden and thought he had his fingers in his mouth the whole entire time during pictures. When we were done with pictures I looked down at him and realized they were in his nose!!! He never does this! So now the one day he was picking his nose is documented in wedding pictures foreveeeer (it probably won't be his last day of nose picking, gross!) It only got worse from the nose picking, he threw up at the reception and to make matters even worse Ally, Chris and I were throwing up the next day yuck! I haven't thrown up in years it is awful! I was just glad it was a 24 hour type thing!

survival of the finals...

So finals haven't even started yet and Chris is gone first thing in the morning and home and midnight or one! It is awful! I am so looking forward to Thanksgiving and the break and focusing on what I am grateful and Thankful for. I am grateful for all of Chris' hard work but I will also be Thankful for having time to spend with him and my family! I am so excited I can hardly wait! Chris will be back to the grind after a short but long weekend and we will still be doing our thing! We made him a cute survival kit to make it through the next couple weeks. It was fun to go and pick out all his favorite things, just for him! He is such a hard worker and we are so lucky to have this opportunity and for his dedication and perseverance...

Football Champs...

So Chris was excited about his two football wins this past week. The UofU won!!! He was really excited. Since not in Utah he couldn't watch it on TV so he tried the internet and that didn't work well he had to listen to it on the radio, but he didn't care because they won!!!

He also play with the ward on their football team and WON!! They were the champs this year in a close game with last years winners! He was so excited they passed out their champ T-shirts yesterday at church and he is already wearing his with pride! Way to go babe!

Date night...

So Chris and I rarely get date night just with ourselves. Usually we have Kaden in tow doing whatever we are doing and it is a lot of work. Well some girls in our ward had a great idea, they put together a group of us and decided to rotate Friday nights so one Friday we will watch all the kids and then have three Fridays that we can go and do things without kids. Last night was the first time and it was great! They were wonderful with Kaden and I could tell that he was a happy little guy when I picked him up (I was worried that because we got home late and he was woken up that we would have a rough time putting him down and it would be a long night, but he went right to sleep). We have the kiddos next week so it will be fun to have them all together at our house to play! Chris and I tried to go to the Temple but in Spokane you have to make an appt. and by the time we knew our plans and I called the Temple every session was over booked so maybe next time (Chris was bummed he said that's the first time he has ever been turned away from the Temple, however isn't it great that it is that busy!). Our next idea was to go to the new Bond movie, however when we got there every time was sold out. I should have figured that would be the case. We had fun though we ate and did some Christmas shopping! Next time around we will make plans earlier so that they work out but it was just fun to be able to spend some one on one time with Chris, that is so rare these days!