New England

This past weekend was amazing! My dear cousin John got married in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and I got to fly up for the ocassion! It was exciting and fun and medicine to my soul to be back home.

(View pictures @ http://www.slide.com/r/-VcBBoST7z-g4kHYgbApGZAKw90fWQSY?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original).

The whole trip started out as an adventure. After a few hours of sleep we got up and drove to the airport to catch my 6:30am flight to Newark. After a normal 3 1/2 hour flight I landed and met up with my brother Sammy who had flown in from Omaha, and then we got to share a flight into Manchester. It was so fun seeing him again! After an hour and a half delay (due to maintenence - can you believe it?) we boarded the plane and some very nice people moved around for us so we could sit together. This was going to be a great flight!

But as we were on the runway picking up speed, our cheeks being mushed toward the seatbacks, the pilot suddenly slammed on the breaks. Apparently someone had forgotten to close the hatch all of the way. Yay Continental! So we pulled over and the maintenence crew came out to make sure everything was OK. While the guys were at work, Sam noticed that drops of water kept falling into his lap. So since I was in the aisle I walked to the front of the plane and asked the flight attendant if that was normal. She said it was just condensation from the air AC, which is what we had suspected. All good. So after another hour of maintenence, we finally got into the air.

After a few minutes, I started smelling some kind of electrical burning. Sam and a few people around us smelled it too, so I pressed the flight attentdant button for the first time in my life. The Condensation Lady came over and we told her what was going on, and she said she'd go alert the pilot. A few minutes later the pilot came on the speaker and let everyone know that the AC had been serviced lately and what we were smelling was probably just some leftover residue burning off, and he thanked us for our senses and for alerting the crew. Then Condensation Lady came back, put her hand on my shoulder, and reassured me that everything was fine - after the water drop incident and now this, I probably looked like someone with a phobia of flying.

So despite a rocky flight, The Lord got us safely to MA where my parents picked us up and we drove to the hotel where all of the extended family was staying. It was so awesome to see everyone, and I got to meet my cousins Danny and Tara's son, Alex, for the first time! WHAT a doll! The rehearsal dinner was upstairs at a beautiful restaurant. I met Cassie, the bride, saw more family, and got to hang out with Kate and Zach, my cousins and brother and sister of the groom.

That night we stayed at the Conti's, some good old family friends. The next day it was cool and foggy - a beautiful foggy autumn day, and we drove through peaceful Massechussets to get to the wedding. It was held in an old meeting house built in the late 1700's and fascinating. The local community used to meet there to make community decisions and to vote; it was humbling to be in a place where decions were made that helped set the base of our country.

The wedding was very simple and very beautiful, and afterwards we were off to the reception. This was held at a winery surrounded by fur trees and the when I stepped out of the car I could smell the damp pine needles that covered the ground. I love that smell; it takes me back to being a kid in New England and spening summers at Camp Spofford with my family. At the reception I were seated at a table with Sam, Kate, Zach, Erin and Dave, Ben and Suzie, and Danny and Tara - SO fun! We had a great dinner, had apple pie instead of wedding cake, and danced the night away.

After the reception all the youngsters went out to a Mexican restaurant and bar where we spent the last few hours of the night just hanging out and talking with family. That night Sam and I stayed with Kate and Zach in their room and the four of us had lots of laughs together. Since We left when I was 8, I cherish the times I get with my family! It is so fun getting to know them all as adults.

The next day Cassie's parents hosted a brunch at their house where we spent somemore wonderful time with family. The drive to their house was breathtaking! The fall colors on the trees, the river, the cool air...I belonged there!

Afterwards we said our goodbyes and then my parents, Sam, Aunt Ranie and I drove down to Plum Island where we walked along the beach. Oh, I love the Atlantic! It was such a simple, special time being there on the beach with people I love so much.

My flight home was the next agenda. We dropped Aunt Ranie off, stopped for a few slices of Papa Gino's Pizza (I couldn't leave without having some), and headed for the airport. I made it through security and to my gate with no problems only to find that my flight was delayed an hour (due to . . . maintenence!) which meant I would probably miss my connecting flight in Newark. I called Mike - should I try to make the connection or stay the night in Manchester and go tomorrow? I took the flight and hoped for the best, and amde it to the connecting flight JUST in time! I made it home safely into my husbands arms.

It is good to be home, though there will always be a piece of me in New England. I can't WAIT to take Michael there someday and spend more time with everyone. Someone once said, "I wonder if anyone can not know my family and really know me." I look forward to everyone knowing my husband, and him knowing everyone!!

I thank the Lord for giving me such a wonderful extended family who I love so much even though we don't see each other often. I also thank Him for giving me roots in the most beautiful part of our country. Spending time there makes me yearn even more for the new heaven and new earth He'll give us, knowing that its beauty will surpass anything we see now!

(View pictures @ http://www.slide.com/r/-VcBBoST7z-g4kHYgbApGZAKw90fWQSY?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original).