The Adventures of Mari-Grace: July 2011

Mari-Grace and I had an adventure on this trip to the beach.

It started on 7-23-11 ... 4:30 am ... we are on the way to the airport. Got there about 4:45 ... and our travel buddies weren't there yet. We were supposed to board the plane at 5:45 ... so of course you have to be checked in with bags checked 30 minutes prior.

Our buddies were late ... got there at 5:20 ... too late to check bags and get to the plane. FIRST FLIGHT MISSED ... which meant we had to re-route entire flight schedule. So much for getting to Columbia, SC at noon ... we got there a little after 5 PM ... yes ... that means we were in airports, with 4 kids, for 12 hours.

Then our 2 hour car trip ended up being more like 3 hours. Originally we should've been in our condo by 4 pm ... we got there at 8:30 ... took showers ... and headed to bed.

Day 2 was much more uneventful. We spent the majority of the day on the beach and at the pool.

Day 3 and 4 ... RAIN. Thank goodness the condo had covered pool !!!!

We ate dinner Monday night at the Cheasepeake House ... very good !!! We had a total of 22 people there. The Myrtle Beach trip was actually planned as a Orphanage Sister Reunion for 3 of the girls, adopted 6 years ago. One family travelled from New Jersey, the other from West Virginia ... and then our crew.

After dinner we went to Barefoot Landing. It was a really neat shopping area with a carousel, bungee trampoline, mechanical bull, etc. The kids had a great time.

The rest of the week we pretty much stayed at the beach and pool.

Mari-Grace LOVED !!!!! the pool and the beach. She was content to sit by my feet and dump sand on my legs for HOURS. She had a blast running from the waves and chasing seagulls.

The tide was really fun to watch. When it was low tide ... it was about 2 football field lengths from the back of the condo. When the tide was high ... it was probably 30-50 feet from the back of the condo. At low tide ... there was a great natural tidal pool the kids could play in.
Mari-Grace wanted to be IN the ocean. She would squeal and laugh when the waves would knock her down.

She is now jumping off the side of the pool like it was nothing. She has learned to kick her feet to get up to the surface. I let her jump off ... kick up ... then would back away so she would have to kick and reach to get to me. A few more weeks of summer, and I think I'll have a little swimmer!!!

Friday, we went on the Sea Thunder ... a boat for a dolphin cruise. They took us out into the Atlantic. The waves were a bit choppy since the tide was changing ... so the boat rocked quite a bit. MG was yelling MORE ... MORE !!! She loved every minute of it. When we actually saw the dolphins feeding off the back of some shrimp boats ... she got so excited and yelled Dolpins Dolphins .. More dolphins !!!

Friday night, we ate at the Liberty Steakhouse and Brewery on Broadway at Myrtle Beach. The food was great. We took some pictures of the kids ... there were 12 in all .. and then headed back to the condo.

Saturday ... time to leave !!! OH MY GOODNESS ... what a travel adventure !

It took 2&1/2 hours to make a 45 minute drive because of traffic ... and that was only 1/2 way back to Columbia. After about 4 hours in the car ... we got back to the airport. We turned in the rental car ... checked in ... only to find out that our flight out hadn't even made it in to Columbia yet. It was delayed by thunderstorms in Atlanta.

Our flight that was supposed to leave at 5:22 arrived in Columbia at 5:45.
In the meantime ... a LARGE bit of panic set in as we realized we most likely would NOT make our connecting flight from Atlanta to Little Rock. We scrambled to find another flight out ... and the poor Delta service attendant tried everything she could to get us home on Saturday. The last flight from ATL to L.R. was at 9:30 pm and booked solid. Sunday flights were full too.
We were tired .. hungry ... cranky ... and had 2 adults with 4 kids ... no luggage ... and it looked like we were going to be stuck overnight in ATL.

The attendant put us on Standby for the 9:30 flight ... and told us not to get our hopes up. She did find a flight from ATL to Houston and then to Little Rock on Sunday morning and confirmed our seats.

We boarded our plane from Columbia to ATL at 6:30 pm ... praying that we would make our connecting flight at 7:30 ... but not hopeful.

I prayed for a flight out on Saturday ... I was stuck with no clean clothes for MG ... and 3-4 pullups and just a few wet wipes. We landed in ATL at 7:20 PM ... connecting flight left at 7:30 ... no way we could make it .... WRONG !!!!!

We get off the plane to discover our connecting flight was delayed to 8 pm. If you have ever flown thru ATL ... you know it is a MASSIVE terminal. Delta alone has 4-5 concourses ... that you have to catch a tram to get to ... and each has like 35 gates. We landed at A27 ... and our plane was at B27 ... one concourse over. We ran ... I pulled off my flip flops ... shoved MG in the stroller and took off. I had MG and the other 2 girls ... moving as fast as we could ... navigating the crowd, 2 esclators, a stroller, and the tram ... Jane followed with her son ... who had to stop and pee.

We actually made the connecting flight to Little Rock. All I could say was THANK YOU GOD FOR ANSWERED PRAYERS !!!! I called my sister ... who at this point thought we wouldn't be home until Sunday ... and all I could say was pick me up in an hour and 15 minutes ... we are about to leave.

So we rolled in to Little Rock about 8:30 on Saturday night. Exhausted ... hungry ... and did I say exhausted ????

MG crashed in the car on the way home. I carried her in ... took of her shorts, socks, and shoes, and put her to bed ... she slept ALL NIGHT !!!
I did too.

Right now .. she is at her Uncle Greg and Aunt Kelley's playing while I rest a bit.
I posted some pictures ... I used Picasa to post them ... so instead of being all in 1 post ... they are individual posts ... but they are there.

We had a great time ... but we are VERY glad to be HOME !!!!!!