And so it begins...

Our family has been planning a family vacation since the beginning of this year.  We used our tax return money to buy 3 round trip tickets to Phoenix, AZ.  When we planned our trip we didn't know what Mr H.'s summer school schedule would be, so we planned for later in the summer.  After buying the tickets, we realized that KK started school during the middle of our vacation...he would miss 3 days of school.  It bummed me out a bit because, well, it just did!  Then about a month before our vacation our flights were cancelled.  Since our AZ family were already planning for us to be there from August 10 through August 18 we just booked the flights again for the same time. 

One thing that we wanted to do in AZ was to get sealed.  Mesa temple is so beautiful.  Mr H. and I visited the temple and did ordinances for the dead when I went out there 3 years ago.  So Mesa is just a special temple for us.  But before we can be sealed, I need a cancellation of my 1st sealing to X.  We tried to cancel it 2.5 years ago, before Mr H. and I were married but that fell through.  We tried to cancel again and thought we were on the right track until 2 weeks ago.  The Stake President told us that the papers weren't even sent yet!  Wait what!?  We gave them the paperwork 2 and a half months ago!  Anyway, after many tears and frustrated talks with family, friends, and church leadership I just figured it wasn't going to happen, but the Stake President tried pulling some strings and made some phone calls and we just waited.

I was getting nervous the closer the vacation got.  I get nervous and anxious about things that are big.  Taking vacations, starting a different schedule, spending a lot of money, etc.  So I was super nervous about the trip...what if they thought I was fat?...the time zone change...not packing enough...packing too much...forgetting something...losing KK at the airport.  Needless to say, I had about a million different things running through my head. 

The night before our vacation, amid the chaos of packing and taking the animals to my parents house we got a call from the Stake President, everything went through for the temple and we could go to his house and pick up the living ordinances.  WE COULD GET SEALED!  There is a letter that is sent from the first presidency showing that it was approved and since we would not get that letter, the first presidency called the temple and told them that we were approved and a letter was faxed to the temple.  I don't really know how that made me feel...it's been such a sensitive subject for me that I was just grateful for it to be done.  Before I fell asleep I wanted to look at the living ordinances that we picked up from the Stake President to make sure that everything was correct and it's a good thing I did because I saw that the stake president forgot to sign the papers!  EEEK!  We are leaving tomorrow, I would have to call him right at 8am.

While Mr H. was at work for a couple of hours, I called the stake president and let him know that the papers weren't signed.  He was very surprised that he forgot and repeatedly thanked me for checking them.  He came over to my house and signed them before we left.  As I was packing up I realized that I forgot that my mom had KK's health insurance cards from when she picked up his prescription.  So we needed to go to her work to pick those up before we could leave for the airport.

We were on our way to the airport after stopping by mom's work.  I was getting really nervous because of the flight and trip.  No reason really to be nervous, I just was. 

Our first layover was in Detriot. That's a HUGE airport! There was a water fountain that KK just loved and couldn't get enough of. He just wanted to touch the cool water. It was really neat...until he started making a mess!

I slept most of the time on the second flight.  KK was good Mr H. said.  They both played on the ipad, which was a great investment.  Mr H. was also able to track the flight and use his aeronautical GPS.  He was excited about that. 

In Arizona the heat was evident.  When waiting for Mr H.'s younger sister, SB, to pick us up I could feel the sweat dripping down my face and back.  It was kinda gross.  Once picked up, we were taken to Mr H.'s older sister's, CC, home.  This is where we would stay for a couple of nights, in their spare bedroom.  Dinner was great.  CC's husband, RC grilled chicken, ribs, and steak, corn on the cob was served along with salad.  It was great to see everyone, but after dinner I was so tired that I went right to sleep.