Days of Extremes

I am posting from beautiful Nantucket!! This is our annual family vacation with my Dad and Twi and siblings and all the grandkids. I will get to the description of this amazing house, but first I have to share the bad parts first, just so you can understand how incredibly sweet the good parts are!!

We flew in from Houston to Boston yesterday (Thursday). Warren had to work, so he had to get a 7:00 flight. We thought we shouldn't try travelling with the girls that late, so Melanie took me and the girls to the airport at 11:00 where we met Cara getting off her flight from Phoenix. First let me say that the airport experience was a nightmare. We checked in to Continental and went through security (I can't begin to explain how hard that is with a 2 year old, a 4 year old, and enough carry-ons to last a year...trust me, you don't want to do it). Next we had to walk 3 miles to terminal E to pick up Cara. This is also the terminal where our flight to Boston would leave, but could we simply walk the 8 gates and wait calmly for our plane? Noooo!! We had to walk ALL THE WAY BACK to where we started to get her suitcase from baggage claim. Then back through security AGAIN, and back the 3 miles to our plane. So we didn't have time for lunch, Maddy was whining and trying to run away the whole time, and I finally arrived at the gate in a sweat and a dither. Is that even a word?

We finally got on the plane, but had to sit on the runway for over an hour because it was lightning and we couldn't take off. So that added an hour to an already 3.5 hour flight with 2 small children. We finally took off and actually had a very pleasant flight. The girls watched DVDs and played L-Max and colored, so I got to read some of my book! When we began to approach Boston, the pilot said air control was making him enter from the other side of the airport so it would add another 20 minutes to the flight. We finally arrived, everyone tired and hungry, but when we went to pick up our luggage, we learned that Maya's car seat did not make it on our flight, so I had to go to the office to straighten all that out. Madison was being extremely difficult while she had to wait - not that I can blame an extremely tired and hungry 4 year old for not being completely patient and rational, but this did not make this time any easier. We figured out the car seat problem and were ready to go to the hotel. I specifically picked this hotel because it had a free airport shuttle. I called the hotel at 7:30 to see about when the free airport shuttle would be by. They said 8:00. I was not thrilled about waiting 30 minutes, but I figured that was better than spending a bunch of money on a taxi. SO...we went outside and waited - millions of buses blazing past, the girls were cold, and Maddy had to go to the bathroom, but I didn't dare take her in for fear we would miss the shuttle. 8:00, no shuttle. 8:05, no shuttle. 8:10, no shuttle. I called the hotel a little irate, and they said it was on it's way and should be there. So I waited 5 more minutes and called back and asked them to call him and find out exactly where he was and how long would it be. They got him on the phone and said another 20 minutes!!!! I was really, really bugged. The girls could not last... so after waiting for 45 minutes, I ended up taking a cab, which cost $31.

By the time I got to the hotel at 8:35, I was a very unhappy person. We went up to the room, ordered pizza and finally got to bed around 10:30 or 11:00 - WAY too late for two little girls.

But, as they say, tomorrow is another day!! Today has been soooo wonderful! I got up with Maya at 7:15 and took her down to breakfast. Then we went over to the store and bought some stuff I had forgotten (sippy cups, etc.) Came back, packed and took the shuttle to the airport. The plane we took over to Nantucket was a 10 seater - it was so cool! Just a beautiful flight. Then we took a taxi to the house. We got here at 12:00, and no one else arrived until almost 4:00, so we had the run of the place! It is the biggest house I have ever stayed in. There are 7 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, 4 kitchen areas, a theater room, billiards room, exercise room, library, office with wifi throughout the house, pool and spa, golf putting holes, etc. It is 4 stories high and has an elevator! The entire house is decorated absolutely beautifully. We snagged one of the rooms with a king bed and a gorgeous view. We called and rented bikes and the company delivered them to the house.

When Dad and Twi arrived, we all went into town (us on bikes, them on foot). It was a beautiful ride - there are bike paths everywhere, and everything is lush, lush green. Plus the weather is amazing - it's in the 60's and is just so nice and cool and pleasant.

Soon Gary and Tessa arrived, then Brian and Justine, and then finally after dinner, Jenny, Amanda, Cody and Amanda's friend Serena got here. We are just missing Ray, Wendy and her friend Adam, but they aren't getting here for a few days. The girls are having a ball running around everywhere, getting attention from people wherever they turn. We are all excited to have a wonderful, relaxing vacation!