Going Home!

Well, here it is. My last post about my TX trip!

It's been a little over week since I flew home from my whirlwind trip to visit Kristin.  The entire weekend flew by so fast and before I knew it, it was time to head home.  I felt so blessed to be able to make the trip and the more time passes, the more I feel it was just a dream.  It's such a surreal thing to be used to emailing and texting your best friend daily, then getting to finally see her in person.  I told Kristin it was the strangest thing to  go from seeing her one minute to saying goodbye in the next, and then going back to texting her again once I passed through airport security and couldn't see her anymore.

The drive from Kristin's house to the airport was about a 45 minutes but it seemed to go by so fast. Before we knew it, we were there at the airport and it was time to say goodbye.  I didn't want to be all emotional and I think what really stopped me from bawling my eyes out was really the fact that I hadn't really processed the fact that the weekend was finally over.  I kept feeling the entire time I was there that I was just so happy to be there in the moment and I just told myself I wasn't going to worry about the kids or be nervous about traveling. I was just going to enjoy every minute. And I totally did!

After saying our goodbyes, I figured it would be fun to snap a few pictures for memories sake of my journey home.  I looked out the window and saw a plane that looked very much like one I'd be getting on...

I flew Southwest and was so happy I did. The people were so kind to me, both going and coming and I was glad I'd chosen to fly with them.  The next time I fly, I'm definitely going with Southwest again.  What I thought was really neat was how they don't have any assigned seats. You just check in online or via your phone and depending on how early you checked in, you get the board in the order you checked in.

On my trip home, I'd booked a flight that included a stop in El Paso, which was about two hours away from Houston. The flight there was smooth and super easy. Here is my one piece of proof that Houston wasn't the only place in TX that I've been to! :)

El Paso reminded me a lot of home for several reasons. Mainly just the type of people I saw getting off the plane.  The area of CA I'm from is pretty diverse with a heavy Hispanic population and being there felt very much like home.

After most of the people on the plane got off in El Paso, and new passengers got on, I relocated to a window seat and settled in for the last of the two hour leg back to CA.  I couldn't help at marveling at my view from my window.

It was amazing to me to look down below us and see neat little squares of land. At some points it was very much like looking at a real life monopoly game!

I was telling a friend just today how I couldn't get over how amazing the clouds looked to me as we flew right along side them.  I'm truly not a big nature lover or anything like that, but I just couldn't help but get emotional as I looked out the window and  got to see big puffs of cottony looking clouds.  It really was a sight to see.

As we got closer to home, I couldn't help but start to get excited. I loved my time away, but at the same time, I was so happy that I was going to get to see my girls again.  Both my Dad and my Hubby decided to come to the airport together to pick me up in L.A. and what made it so special was that they brought Liv with them to meet me!  That last half hour of the trip felt like forever but I looked forward so much just getting to hold my girl again!

When our plane finally landed, it was all I could do to rush down to meet my family. I didn't plan on crying but I totally did when I saw my little girl walking around the waiting area!  I called out her name and saw her look up at me in surprise!  It was the best feeling getting to hold her in my arms again!

My mom had gotten her dressed that morning and I found it so funny that she'd chosen to put her in a little dress especially for me!  My mom totally didn't even know it, but that specific dress was one that Kristin had given to me that used to belong to her girls.  Kristin, do you recognize the dress? :)

The entire car ride back home from the airport was so fun just getting to share with my Dad and my Hubby about the fun I had in TX.  I talked so much on the way home, I nearly lost my voice!

I know this pic is yucky due to my Dad's truck windshield being so dirty but I just had to share the reason why I love living here on the coast.  I took this pic as the sun was setting and we were about an hour and half away from home...

I know I keep saying this, but I'm really so thankful I got to take this special trip!  It was really one of those once in a lifetime things!  Kristin and I look forward to the day when she can come out here and bring her family to see what CA is all about!

If you've made it to the end of this post...thanks so much for being so excited with me about my little adventure!  I thought it would be fun to give away a little something TX,  so with Kristin's help, I get to give away one these fun TX cookie/biscuit cutters!

She actually bought us a set too and the girls and I had so much fun making some TX shaped biscuits last week!

So fun! :)

To enter to win the cutters, all you have to do is leave me a comment on this post and share with me if you've ever been to TX!  If you haven't been there, tell me...have you ever been to CA before?  

I'll leave the giveaway open until the end of the week and pick and announce the winner by Friday! :)