Grenada Residuals

Our trip home form Grenada was anything but uneventful. I guess Grenada couldn't let us go without some sort of spiteful repercussions.

We showed up to the Airport in Grenada at 4 AM Saturday morning- our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30 AM - just as the lady at the ticket counter had instructed us earlier that week. We found the line winding all through the airport and out the door. Um even though we were already checked in online there was no way we were getting on that flight. No way. I was so tired and the airport was so hot. I sat there and I couldn't decide if I should cry or go to sleep. Finally after waiting for almost and an hour and having the line go no where I just took my papers up to the counter and waited for the lady to finish with another customer. Then I got her attention and mentioned that we were traveling with a child (thanks McDaniels!) and that I was very pregnant and that we were already checked in online, but would we really make the flight? She immediately grabbed my papers and started checking me in!! Um yeah that's a HUGE point for Grenada. So I ran and grabbed Jayson, Casey, Renny, Gabe and our 7 bags + carry-ons and we all got checked in and through security and onto the plane. Very very lucky.

Once in NY we found out that none of our checked bags made it. No problem! I was so happy to be in the states that it didn't matter to me at all. Plus Jayson had signed up for traveler's insurance through Amex, so that also meant we were coming into some $$. Good deal. It was a little more frustrating when we realized that we only had the clothes we were wearing to get us through to Tuesday. Yucky! But still lucky for us we have wonderful friends who always host us when we pass through the city - yeah Dustin and Melissa - and we were able to borrow some awesome clothes for Sunday.

I'll spare the details of the trip, but here's a list of some of our activities.

- First dinner home in a really yummy cafe
- shopping
- wonderful sleep on a wonderful mattress!
- regional conference with the Monroes where we heard Elder Eyring and Elder Hales speak. Both of which have ties to the east coast.
- a wonderful and very very beautiful baby shower hosted by Melissa for the four of us!! Thanks again Melissa! (pictures to follow)
- more shopping
- ABT's opening night gala for their season where Caroline Kennedy and Michelle Obama introduced the company. That's right, the first lady was there herself.

And finally our flight from NY to CA - which was a disaster. We took the train to the airport which would have been fine because we left at 9 Am and our flight didn't leave until noon. But the E was having problems and we didn't get to the airport until 11:30. Then when we went to check in we found out the flight had already boarded. I guess lately JFK has been trying to get their flights out early because the runways get so backed up or something. Lame. Anyway, so we missed that flight even though the plane was still there. So then we had to figure out where to go and what to do to get home. Luckily the ladies at the counter were really great and helped us out a lot! We got on a flight to Long Beach where we stayed that night with Dustin Monroe's parents and then flew out to Sacramento the following morning. I was so grateful that the Monroe's live so close to the LB airport! The funny part was they had called and talked to Dustin the night before and when they heard we were with them they mentioned that we were welcome at their house anytime. I smiled and thought how we'd never have to take them up on their offer, but how nice it was of them to offer. Little did I know I'd be sleeping there the following night! Anyway, that entire day of sitting in the airport counting down the hours realizing that we should have been that much closer to home was the hardest, longest, and most frustrating part of the whole trip home. But you know it's perfectly fine now that it's all over, and I mean ALL over. Never again do we have to fly down to Grenada! Hooray!

So here's mud in yer eye Grenada! You thought you could ruin my trip home, but you only made my arrival that much sweeter!