Maui!!!

We got home last night from the best vacation we've ever had. Thank you so much for all of you who offered up prayers for our travels. My dad managed to get out of Oklahoma (I was wrong about it being Texas) before things locked up, and in fact got home a whole day earlier than anticipated, so he had plenty of time to get rested up and packed for our trip.

We were nervous about flying with Abby, and the fact that she still hadn't woken up when we had 15 minutes left before leaving for the airport made me even more nervous--she doesn't do well when she's woken up early. But we managed to get her up and in the car, fed her on the way there, and by the time we got to the airport she was chipper and ready to go.

Until we got on the plane.

Turns out the poor thing was a bit claustophobic. We got on the plane and she immediately started whimpering "Out! Out!" The whimpers escalated to wails, and I, being totally paranoid and freaked about making all the other passengers angry, could swear every ounce of negative energy in the universe was focused on us at that second.

But then she seemed to get a grip. Dan and I started singing to her--the Veggie Tales theme, which is one of her new favorites--and then we were in the air and she was fine! For the next five and a half hours she pranced back and forth between us and my parents, looking at the pics of her on my mom's phone, watching videos on Dan's iPod, and playing with a last-minute toy purchase I made in the terminal: a magnetic Noah's Ark play set. (Side note: Abby was the poster child for the "kids don't need a lot of toys" philosophy. She played with nothing but that game for virtually the entire vacation, and was perfectly happy.) No motion sickness (for either of us, hallelujah) no ear problems (though she did stick her fingers in her ears with an odd expression on her face a couple times during landing), and we disembarked with a bubbly happy girl who didn't fall asleep until we were a whopping 15 minutes from the condo where we were staying. The flight home was even better--no crying at all, and she slept for half the flight!

And the days in between those two flights? Incredible. Beautiful views, the comfiest condo with a great bed, awesome food, and great bonding time with the family. Abby was even able to look Kyle in the eyes by the time we left! I can't even choose which memories to record here because there are just so many. Once I get all the pictures off the camera I'll post a few. Until then, I'm off to relive the days in the sun as I throw in the laundry...