Our Trip Back East

It had been a while since we had gone anywhere and when we heard that Michelle and the rest of her family was headed to TN to visit Nan and Papa Bear (Mary and John) we too decided that we should go. This would give Cally the opportunity to meet her Aunt and cousins and for Zane to see his sis before he deploys to Iraq.

I was a bit nervous about the plane ride with Cally. People always stare at the person holding the baby as they walk down the aisle looking for a seat and they are all thinking the same thing, "please don't sit here, please don't sit here..." After all, who wants a screaming child next to them for a 3 1/2 hour flight. Although Cally has yet to cry like that, there's always that first time...I just kept praying that it wouldn't be this time. And again she surprised me and never made a sound. I always wait for that day, but it has yet to come. Cally did wonderfully the whole plane ride. She slept in daddy's arms most of the time and quietly sat with us the rest of the time. So proud of her!!!

Part of our trip was not only to spend some time in TN but for Zane and I to take a mini vacation just the two of us. We decided to take a 3 day cruise to The Bahamas. I was very unsure about leaving Cally for that long and was feeling horribly guilty, but knowing that Mary was watching her made me feel a bit more at ease. Leaving was tougher than I expected, breaking down in tears and crying while saying goodbye to her. She on the other hand, had no idea.

Once on the cruise, it was like the old days, just Zane and I and we really enjoyed ourselves. During our trip we got the chance to swim and play with sea lions, go snorkeling, parasailing, and relax at the beach just the two of us. And although Cally never entirely left my thoughts, I was really glad to have my hubby back all to myself with no interruptions. We had an amazing time together and it was well worth it.

When we got back to TN we continued relaxing at John and Mary's beautiful place. Cally and I got some swimming in and did a lot of front porch sittin' rocking away and talking to Nan while Zane and John worked on their new toy, a zip line that runs across the lake. After many test runs and trials, the zip line is now fully functional and just another great way to have fun at their place.

We also got to spend some time with Aunt Michelle and Cally got to meet her cousins. Amaya even volunteered to change Cally's diaper to get some practice in before Michelle has her baby girl due in August.

All in all our trip was awesome and we had a great time. Thanks for having us John and Mary!