The TRIP to here from there...

While I have been writing down little bullets of what we've been doing each day since we've arrived, there are certain aspects of our trip here that I would like to forget, and some that are worth remembering.

(In the interests of brevity, I'm posting them in point form, so that I can actually, maybe, post this tonight.)

To forget:

1. Puking child on the long drive to Calgary. To be fair, it was near the end, and he had the grace to wait until we were at a gas station, in a rest room, and he hit the toilet and made no mess. But this was after he drank most of an orange flavoured Milk2Go... That was an orange fountain I won't soon forget, and wish that I could.

2. Not sleeping the night before we drove to Calgary, and ending up just shoving what I thought was important of mine to bring into suitcases to be repacked in Calgary. (Seriously, I brought a pair of slacks that need altering?? What was I thinking???)

3. Not being able to stop in at more houses/places on the way out of town for hugs. But, I'd have been a sobbing mess, and we'd have never left town. And the related, making a friend cry when I hugged her goodbye.

4. Forgetting a small, knife-like object in my little purse, tucked inside my large purse. Sure, the knife-like object was a folding nail file, cuticle scissors that never worked, and a cuticle pusher, in a tiny sort of jack-knife kind of thing, but airport security needed to dig, and dig, and empty, and dig some more before they found that way down in the bottom of the bag in the middle of the bigger bag. Luckily, the security guy was really friendly, and nice, and NEAT! Repacking was a breeze, as he pretty much put everything back how he found it, with the exception of the knife-like object. ;) Also, I learned that a stack of paperbacks packed tightly together in a carry on suitcase can resemble some bag things on the x-ray scanner. Who knew?


To remember:

1. Fun visit with my sister and her family in Calgary before we left, even though it was crazy.

2. Finding Nose Hill Park, and going for a walk in the wilderness, inside Calgary.

3. Three fabulous children who flew like angels, and were no trouble on the airplane, or in the airport, at all.

4. Free wine on the flight. YAY!

5. Airline certified carseats. (Thanks for the recommendation to use it, KSS!) Having restraints for the two year old was a blessing, indeed. ;p

6. Nice people in line at Passport Control in Frankfurt that let us cut in front of them after the line we were in suddenly shut down for lunch.

7. Fun boots to look at while I stare at my feet in line for yet another security screening. Thanks KAT/S! Fun boots that were easy to remove and put back on while going through multiple security screenings, thanks again, KAT/S!

8. Play area in the Toulouse airport while we waited for our luggage to unload, and while Lloyd picked up our rental car.

9. Luggage that all makes it overseas with you!

10. A rental car that fits the five of us (with one car seat and two boosters), and all of our luggage. (Yay for the racks on top of the car!!) (It's super pretty in black!)

11. A sleeping family while we toodle our way through the countryside, because we have three hours before we take possession of our house.

12. A warm welcome, in an absolutely perfect gite, on a beautiful day, with gracious, personalised touches for the individual members of our family. Thanks G & J!!