Leap Day!

Its leap day! The world's "extra day" so-to-speak, a day that happens once every four years to keep out calendar on track. The next one will be in 2020, everyone's excited, and here I am...doing everything but "leaping". I dont know if its the Monday blues, or what, but today, I am more tired than not.

I always thought it would be neat to be born/have my child born on leap day. Something about knowing that a date only exists every four years it makes it special, enticing.

Sure, the laundry needs doing, dishes need washing, work needs done, we need to continue searching for new apartment, etc. Etc. but why can't that be done tomorrow? Or the next day?

This past month has been relatively relaxed for our normal scheme of things. (So why am I so tired, right?!)
I know once spring and summer get into full swing, that will change in an instant. But this month has been relatively nice. The weather has only decided to snow and ice two or three times, which, for full fledged winter, I'm grateful we haven't gotten much in the ways of wintery mixes!

Some definite highlights of February:

Micah and I attended the couples banquet at our church in Edwardsville and I had a good hair day!

I visited my parents in South Carolina and got to see Garth Brooks! We also visited my favorite candy shop in Charleston, Kilwin's! I got chocolate strawberries :)



...and my step-brother MIGHT have been subject to my Snapchat creativity :) Hey, what are siblings (whether they're biological or step) for? Right?

My flight to come home from my parents' got cancelled and I got stuck in Texas for most of Valentine's day. I rode the tram around to all of the terminals to kill some time.

I made the boys take a valentine picture when I finally did make it home and (most) smiled! They didn't even argue..which, was a wise decision on their part after the day I had travelling.

I even got flowers! 

My cat still hates selfies



We had a baby shower for my sister-in-law this past weekend to welcome miss Camryn 

I've still been cooking new recipes every month, and my husband and I have started...counting calories!

I am happy to report that he has lost 14 pounds so far, and I've lost 7. We hope that you will be 'seeing less of us' very soon!

I've also been writing a few more pieces, for fun. I dont know that I'll submit anything for publishing this time, it's just a soothing stress reliever for me when I don't feel like running.

After working an hour late tonight, I think I'm going to end out the month, my " leap day" by doing just the opposite of what the name suggests. No laundry, no planning trips, no writing.. This "extra day" to get things done is just going to have to wait. This time, I'm going to relax. Roll up in a blanket, watch a movie, maybe take a hot bubble bath, paint my toenails, or..do nothing! Maybe I'll be productive in 2020's leap day... :)

Garth Brooks, Family Time, and Cancelled Flights

This past weekend I went to visit my parents and my aunt in South Carolina. It is no secret that I have a lot of anxiety flying, especially alone. The two flights down were relatively uneventful, minus me physically running to my gate in  Philadelphia. My mother was there to greet me in Columbia, SC- and since I hadn't eaten, she took me to lunch. When we got to my parents' house, I was greeted by the dog and both cats.

 At my request, we had vegetable soup and my aunt came and made cornbread as well.
 

The rest of Thursday was pretty uneventful. Friday morning, I was greeted by Toby (the cat)  and I went to breakfast to feed the birds with my aunt. We ended up throwing them a hashbrown and half of our sandwiches. They appreciated it. And eagerly awaited more, even when we didn't have any.

We dropped my parents' dog off at the sitter's around lunch time. On the way back we ste at Little Pig's BBQ- where I ate ENTIRELY too much fried deliciousness, and once my stepbrother got to Columbia, we set off for my favorite city, Charleston! 

I neglected to mention at the beginning, the reason for my visit in the middle of February was for the Garth Brooks concert going on February 12th. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza in North Charleston and walked the better part of a mile to the Coliseum. We had excellent seats, and were there over an hour early. So naturally, we watched all the drunk people! 

Garth was amazing. I had seen him once before, in Vegas. But his Vegas show was all acoustic and this time he had his entire band with him. Trisha Yearwood came out and sang some of her songs in the middle of the concert, and the crowd was deafening after every song. I sang 98% of the songs played, and I am so glad my mother bought us all the tickets. Seeing Garth again made it so that I have seen all of my favorite country singers more than once.

 

Saturday morning we had breakfast and headed downtown. No trip to Charleston is complete without a trip the the Market, and also a visit to Kilwin's Chocolates. 

Unfortunately, we didn't get to stay long in Charleston, and we headed back to Columbia to pick up the dog and head to my parents' house for an afternoon of relaxing. 

Sunday morning I got up at 6:30am and was at the airport by 7. My first flight was relatively painless, though we were delayed because the plane was too heavy so they had to take some passengers off. The rest of my three hour flight to Dallas was very nice. FOR ONCE, I got a flight that wasn't turbulent!! 

My happiness was short lived, however, because upon landing in Dallas, I found out that my connecting flight from Dallas to St. Louis had been cancelled. 

Fantastic. This has never happened to me before. So, I asked the first employee that I saw what I needed to do. They told me to walk down to the end of the terminal for re-ticketing. So I hiked down the terminal, only to be told to turn around and go back where I was. I needed to go out of the airport and get re-ticketed and then go back through security. Annoyed at this point, I go to the ticketing counter and was told they didn't know when the next flight was going to leave for St. Louis and that I might be here overnight. That's cool, thanks Texas!

 I took the skyrail train to another terminal and they called me and told me I could get on an afternoon flight, so I went and had lunch and now I am sitting waiting to go home. 

It sure seems like some mishap happens every time I travel. But you know what? Now I know what to do when a flight is cancelled, and it makes a fun story, right? 

Here are some more pictures from the weekend!