Texas or Bust

I'm sorry for getting behind on the story and the photos but I've got a bad case of jet lag and Becky has her hands full (and arms). When Becky and Hope arrived at the airport we barely had time to get a little breakfast before time to board the Dallas bound plane. Somehow they changed our seating and separated me from Becky and Hope by about ten rows. The very back seat was empty and we three moved there. Hope went to sleep after we reached cruising altitude and slept most of the way. The trip seemed very short this time. All of our exhaustion was being replaced with joyful anticipation of seeing our family again and introducing them to Hope.

Becky, Hope, and I were as usual the last ones off the plane, and Jewell was waiting on the ramp for us. We all walked to the baggage area and saw part of the family headed to meet us. Not everyone who had been there the day before was able to make the trip again. We would have had a really big crowd if they had. Hope was not feeling well and clung to Becky. I'm sure it was overwhelming to her to meet so many new people, but the family could not help but want to get close. We totally understood.

Carmen, Ben, and Sunnie had made some welcome posters. Misty, Caleb, and Tyler were there along with Bethany and Tillman, Jewell's husband. Also there were Janet, Becky's sister in law and her daughters Raina and Kaila from Oklahoma. They were there the day before and spent the night at our house to be able to stay for the homecoming.

We had sort of planned on stopping somewhere to eat together, but everyone could see that Hope was just not up for it. We headed for home and Janet, Raina, and Kaila took the exit to Oklahoma. Mom had soup and cornbread ready for us at her house, and we stopped and grabbed a couple of pizzas for the grandkids. It was Hope's first time to have to sit in a baby car seat and she didn't like it, but finally accepted it. She was feeling worse and threw up twice on the way home.

Misty, Carmen, and Sunnie spent the night with us to help with Hope. Becky and I had so little sleep in the last three days that we were afraid that we would not wake up if Hope needed us. Hope slept with Becky and woke up sick several times during the night, and the girls tended to her.

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