Seattle

We got back just over a week ago from our annual Seattle Christmas trip. It makes me tired just thinking about it! Not the actual part in Seattle, we were so thankful that the boys adjusted to the new time zone immediately this time, Evan did so great and we were spoiled with them sleeping until 8 most days and sometimes even 9. We have been really fortunate in the past to not have any big delays or cancellations when we have traveled, partly because a lot of times we have taken a non-stop out of Charlotte. But this year our flights both ways had delays, and other challenges as well. When we got to the airport to fly out to Seattle we found out our flight was delayed...but supposedly only 30 minutes. While we were waiting, Evan fell and split his lip really badly, there was blood everywhere, it was so gross I couldn't look at it (I am a bit squeamish). There were so many kind people there who jumped to help us, bringing us towels and ice, etc. So now we are sitting there with our plane supposedly taking off in an hour trying to decide what to do...his lip really looks like it needs to be stitched, people are telling us it needs to be stitched, Mark is considering sending Emmory and I off and staying with Evan. We decide to call the pediatrician before we made any decisions, and while I was on the phone with them Mark happened to run into a doctor who took a look at him and they both said the same thing, they don't usually stitch the lip unless the bleeding won't stop, which it had at that point. We were so relieved to hear that! However our flight ended up being even more delayed to where we were going to miss our connection, so we had to figure out what to do about that as well. We really wanted to get out that night since the next day was christmas eve and we had plans for that day, and thankfully they were able to put us on a different route with a few different airlines, we would just have to leave even later that night. So, after even more waiting we finally got on a plane, and after a layover in Chicago we made it to Seattle just before midnight (3am our time). Needless to say everybody was very tired, but we were so happy to have made it there! We had an awesome time in Seattle, it's always a joy to see my parents interact with the boys, and it was so great to see my nephew again, out of the hospital! (I flew out to see him in Nov. two weeks after he was born and when I left he was in the nicu, that was tough).
However, the flights back to Greenville weren't uneventful either. We were stuck in the Cleveland airport for a long time waiting for our flight to Greenville, and Evan got sick right before we left...we were told it was tonsillitis because his tonsils were bright red and there was some pus (eew) but we found out when we got back it was actually hand, foot and mouth disease, which I didn't know you could get more than once. So anyways, he was in a lot of pain, drooling like crazy and wouldn't eat hardly anything because he had huge blisters in his throat, and he also refused to take any medicine which made it even more difficult. So the trip back wasn't fun either, and Evan was waking up in the night pretty much inconsolable, and we were just exhausted. But God is faithful and rest came when we truly needed it.
Oh, and I can't forgot to mention how amazing Emmory did both travel days. Even with all the waiting, with the commotion of Evan getting hurt, traveling so late at night, he handled it all great and has turned into quite the little traveler. He just sits there and watches his DVD's and is just super excited about flying on a plane and seeing all the other planes. I am so glad we ended up getting on a plane that same day on the way out because it would have broke his heart to have had to go back home. I am so proud of that boy! And it was just so much fun to see all of his joy and excitement over flying and going to see "nama and papa".
Here are some pics I took on my phone while we were in Seattle.