Home from Vacation!

So, I know some of my readers, friends and family were pretty shocked that we left for a vacation last weekend.

We honestly did not know that we'd be able to go. Not just because of finances, but more because of timing, work, other commitments, etc. I didn't feel comfortable spending the money on this trip before Christmas, because I wanted to have a certain amount of money in savings (aside from what we'd be spending on the trip) in addition to what was already there prior to buying plane tickets to go.

We prayed on it. I was kind of irritated that Robert kept praying for God to provide the finances for it, because for me, it was about so much more than the money. But, I figured he was praying from his heart, and after a couple of weeks (and right before Christmas), I decided that I needed to let this thing go. If we were able to go, it would be because of a clear answer from the Lord.

The next day my boss gave me a Christmas bonus totaling the exact amount that would meet the mark I wanted in savings before we left.

We did wait a week or two before purchasing the tickets, and we did miss out on about $60 of savings, but I still think that it was okay.

Our flight from Bellingham was infinitely better than flying out of Sea-Tac. I would never, ever say that the security measures are too great. However, I don't feel wrong to say that getting held up in lines for 3 hours last May was really irritating, and I was upset that we missed our flight because of a lack of workers there. I am the first to say that blessings abounded from that set-back, though - we got to see our cousins John & Deborah, who welcomed us to their home in Napa when we would have otherwise had to sleep in the airport, and I got to see a lot of Napa (I've always wanted to go there).

After having been in 4 airports since then, I can honestly say that we've never experienced the problems we did last May. But I still get anxiety every time we go through security about it. This trip helped me to relax and be more patient as well. I also planned to have no coffee 24 hours before we left (those of you gasping, stop, hahaha), to help with the nerves and anxiety. It helped a little bit, but it wasn't a cure-all. I think we'll have to take several more trips in order to get rid of those I-might-miss-my-flight fears completely. And I'm okay with that for now.

So, we flew down to Las Vegas last Saturday. Fran & Richard picked us up from the airport, we got to hang out with them for the whole day, and then Mom & Dad Crombie & Ashley flew in later that night. (I promise, more in-detailed blogs of each day will follow soon - this is just a brief re-cap!)

We went to The Grand Canyon, where I got my first National Parks Passport! I was so thrilled! That also meant I got another state crossed off my list! (So far, I've been to: Washington (duh), Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Florida and Hawaii). I'd like to see Idaho and Montana in the next couple of years. Probably Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico after that. Or the east coast. Whatever we decide, and whenever God provides, I guess.

We saw most of the big hotels on the strip: The Bellagio, The Mirage, Treasure Island, Planet Hollywood, The Venetian & The Palazzo, Harrah's, The Wynn and we even got to see Sam's Town and Fremont Street!

Anyway, I'll blog each day as soon as I have time. We're working crazy hours this week, and have a wedding next week. I'm the Matron of Honor, and Robert is the Best Man. Please be patient, I promise to get this done faster than our Waikiki trip! :)

Also, I want to give a BIG thank-you shout out to our good friend, Bryce, who faithfully house-sat for us, watching out for the safety of our home and belongings while we were gone. This lifted a big load of stress off of us, and we were able to enjoy our trip much more knowing that the house was in good hands! Thanks, Bryce! (PS - thanks for setting up our DVR to record my girlie shows, lol!)

Stay tuned!