Pictures not taken

Sometimes I think I should take pictures of the bad times, because those are part of life, too, and really those are the stories we tell and re-tell that seem so funny looking back. Like, on our recent trip to Utah on the Saturday before Christmas, when everyone else in the Western World was also going home for Christmas, and Chicago was having bad weather as usual. (I hate Chicago.) The trip that was supposed to start at 8:30 Saturday morning in Detroit and end at noon in Salt Lake City. But instead ended at about 11:00 Sunday morning, after an unexpected mini-vacation in Phoenix with no luggage. These are the pictures I would have taken:

1. Us sitting and sitting in Detroit, waiting for fog to lift in Chicago so we could get on the plane.
2. Us sitting and sitting on the ground in the airplane while they put in extra gas, just in case the fog came back. Couldn't they have thought of that while we were sitting and sitting inside?
3. Grace getting motion sick on the very first leg of the flight. She actually thought it was cool: "I spit up in a bag!" Thank heavens Rob was quick with that bag!
4. The TV screen in Chicago where our connecting flight should have been listed, but wasn't because it had just left 5 minutes ago without us.
5. Me sitting on the floor in the middle of the hall at Midway, crushed in by other refugees sitting on the floor, feeding Viv.
6. The genius behind the Southwest counter who told us we should try going through Phoenix.
7. Me covered in Diet Coke, all down my white t-shirt, and soaked through my jeans.
8. The person behind the southwest counter in Phoenix who told us that every flight to SLC was already overbooked by about 8 people, so we had a snowball's chance of getting on since we were now stand-by passengers.
9. The last plane for SLC, leaving without us. Except it was dark by then, so the picture wouldn't show much.
10. The kind lady who took pity on us and told us SW would pay for our hotel room.
11. The amazingly awesome room service food at the Phoenix Airport Sheraton. I would stay at that place again in a heartbeat!
12. The kind shuttle man who took Rob to the grocery store for formula, wipes (see #3), toothbrushes, deodorant, etc. since our luggage was patiently waiting for us in SLC.
13. Viv sleeping propped up in an armchair with some pillows and crib bumpers.
14. And I'm sure there would be a priceless picture of us getting off the plane in SLC Sunday morning, with no makeup and nasty greasy hair and 2 children who looked like ragamuffins, but grinning from ear to ear.

So I don't think we'll be flying home for Christmas ever again, but in the end it was one of those days that makes you count your blessings. The girls were SO GOOD all day long. Grace thought the whole thing was a grand adventure, and Viv was just easy going. She probably loved being held all day (since we checked the stroller through, too--duh). And people were very kind to us everywhere, so that was a huge booster.

I'll try to post again soon about the rest of the holidays. For now, Happy 2008.