For Christmas my parents surprised the boys with a trip to Disneyland with their cousins! They have been counting down the days on their calendars since December 26th and have been SO excited! I decided to fly them out to SLC (where they were all going to drive to California from) then head on to Oregon to visit my grandparents. Getting there was a disaster but we made it! Here are the boys eating Auntie Anne's, our favorite airport choice, before our flight on Wednesday...
So we board the plane, head out to the tarmac, then sit and sit and sit for almost two hours. Then we had to go back to the gate because the pilot "timed out" meaning he can no longer fly the plane. By that time we had missed our connecting flight in Chicago so I stood at the ticket counter (luckily I was first in line because I had pre boarded because of my foot so I was one of the first ones OFF the plane and I high tailed it to the ticket counter) for over an hour and finally got re booked for the next morning to fly to SLC at 5am! They wouldn't give us our luggage back but promised it would be IN SLC when we arrived the next day. For my troubles she handed me vouchers and said they were for $200/person which would be $800 for us. So Parker came to get us and we got home around 10pm. After we got the boys down I was looking at the vouchers she gave me and mine was for $200, Tyce's was for $200, Josh's was for $400, and Jackson's was for $600!!! I don't know if she made a mistake or felt sorry for me or what but I was thrilled! Interestingly, the tickets I was ABOUT to book for all five of us to fly home from Oregon in July were $1400! The exact same amount as the travel vouchers! So due to Southwest's mix up our summer tickets home were free! That really helped ease the blow of all this exhausting airport drama!!! The next morning we got up at 3:30am and headed BACK to the airport. The boys were SUCH troopers and, as always, I got many comments on how well behaved they were.
Tyce looked hilarious wearing his 3D glasses and reading his new puppy book he got from the book fair. He was reading out loud and people around me could NOT believe he was in kindergarten! His reading is phenomenal.
We FINALLY arrived in SLC, BUT...our luggage did not. We spent an hour in the baggage office only for them to tell us they don't track luggage so best case scenario it comes in on the next flight from Chicago in a few hours, worst case it could be two days. My mom and I were freaking out because they were leaving for Disneyland in a few hours and I was flying out to Portland in a few hours. We decided to go get lunch then come back to the airport and when we came back..IT WAS THERE!!! HALLELUJAH!!! They also gave us a $50 voucher for the inconvenience.
Lindsay, Luke, and Emma came to meet us at the airport because that was their only chance to see the boys because they were not going to Disneyland (they are too young). My boys were, as always, ecstatic to see "Lootsie"...
Then we headed over to pick up the 15 passenger van they rented to drive to California in! My boys thought it was the coolest thing ever while my mom inspected it for cleanliness, haha...
Here's the whole clan ready to head to Disneyland!!!!!
I will do another post with all their Disneyland pictures.
I said goodbye to my boys then headed BACK to the airport to fly to Oregon! My wonderful best friend from high school, Alex, picked me up from the airport and then we met Lindsay and had dinner. It was SO good to see them both, it was as if no time had passed...
Then Alex drove me down to Salem to stay with my grandparents. My grandma's car was missing from the garage and turns out she had a little accident! Here's the Toyota thing from the hood of her car! I was SO happy to see my grandparents! I have not been to Salem in a very long time since my parents moved so I so enjoyed driving around seeing all my schools, houses, places I worked...all my memories from kindergarten through senior year!
I was able to meet Daisha and Amanda for lunch which was fabulous...
My grandpa has been pretty sick, his lung cancer is back and it has spread to his brain. He is currently undergoing radiation on his brain and it is making him extremely weak and is causing his short term memory to waiver. I treasured all the time I was able to spend with him. He is such a sweet, caring, involved, generous, loving, and devoted grandpa to me I feel so blessed! It was so weird to see the man I've known my whole life as an active, healthy, sharp, very "with it" grandpa suddenly so weak and not able to remember or focus, broke my heart. He said multiple times a day with tears streaming down his cheeks how much he loved me and appreciated me coming to see him.
I was reminded while I was there how BEAUTIFUL Oregon is and how badly I want to move back!!! Here's are some views from my grandparents house...
On Saturday Jackie and her family drove up from Junction City to see me! We met at Riverfront and the kids were thrilled to ride the carousel...
Could Kate be any cuter?? I don't think so...
Jackie and I talked for a couple hours while the kids (and Tyler) played on the playground. It was so good to see her and my new niece Lucy!!!
Grandma and I went out to a yummy steak dinner...
More beauty from their house...
I had a WONDERFUL time in Salem. My grandma spoiled me rotten like I was a little girl all over again. She made me delicious meals, encouraged me to nap and rest, bought me See's Candies, and we spent many many hours talking. It was a much needed weekend for all of us and one I will never forget. I am so lucky to have grandparents that love me so much!!!
Monday I flew to SLC to hang out with my sisters for a few days until the boys got back from California. Dana picked me up and we went to PF Changs for dinner...
Mom and Tegan drove up and we went to lunch at Tocanos (yummy!)...
Then we got pedicures! It was my first one since my surgery and I was so nervous she'd hurt me but she did a really good job!
Then we had sisters night out! It was full of eating and laughing...what Barracloughs do best!!
The day we left we woke up to SNOW and lots of it! I thought it was beautiful! However, my dad had to give me piggy back rides to the car because I couldn't get my stupid boot wet! Thanks Pa!
I really enjoyed the week without my boys and being able to focus on my grandparents, sisters, inlaws, friends, etc. We all missed poor Parker who got left behind. :(
Next post-Disneyland pics!!!
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