FEML. Funded Environmental Morale Leave. Because we're in Bahrain and this is considered an arduous sea tour, the Navy pays for us to take a trip anywhere we want to go (as long as its the cost of a ticket to Baltimore, I think). A lot of people opt for a big trip somewhere they've never been or somewhere a plane ticket is too expensive for. We decided to go to North Carolina the first two weeks of December and then take a weekend layover in Paris before we headed back to the land of sand. After losing my Nana this year we decided that we wanted to be around family. Not to mention, with us moving to the UK next year the odds are, because of timing, that we won't be going to NC for Christmas and we just really didn't want to do three Christmases in a row away.
So the travel office booked our tickets, we made our plans, and off to the airport we went!
We got a new Amex card this year and finally had the chance to utilize the Dilmun lounge at the airport! We all loved it! There was a full spread of food, comfy chairs, drinks, and plenty of space. I even had a nice space to do some yoga before we got onboard!
We boarded our KLM flight and found a fairly empty airplane.
We had a layover in Kuwait but the flight attendant told Christopher that we were only picking up a few people and so we spread out in preparation for the flight to Europe....
Stella promptly passed out (seriously, this child LOVES sleeping on airplanes)
Annnnnnd then they canceled the flight. Apparently it was foggy in Kuwait. And our pilots only had a couple of hours they could fly and were getting off in Kuwait and couldnt take us all the way to Amsterdam. So the flight was cancelled and we had to de-plane, check back into Bahrain, get our luggage, and hail a cab at 3am. Stella stayed asleep for the entire thing until we were halfway home IN the cab. Needless to say, she was not a happy camper.
Round two... the next day we headed to the airport to give the whole traveling back stateside thing a go again. And it turns out when the travel office booked our tickets, they booked Christopher separate from us. So when KLM rebooked all the tickets, they didn't realize we were all together. So Stella and I ended up on a separate flight than Christopher and our schedules were so different that he ended up getting to Charlotte nine hours after we arrived! It was....hectic and ridiculous and crazy and nerve wracking. And we have NEVER had these sorts of problems flying before but this year seems to be the year for it.
So we hugged Christopher and headed through security and then boarded our flight.
She was amazing the whole flight! Seriously. I don't know what we did or how we lucked out but she is the best traveller!
Playing legos on the last leg of our journey!
Apparently airplane landings are like roller coasters!
Stella and I arrived in Charlotte a little before one in the afternoon to the waiting arms of my mom and dad and we headed straight to their house. My grandparents came over and hung out and we showered and rested a little bit before Anna and Steve came over and we all had some soup for dinner and then Stella promptly melted down and headed to bed! I don't think she moved a muscle all night long! I lasted til about 8:15 before giving up and heading to bed... hoping that Christophers flight would make it in and very thankful that his mom and dad were going to get him and not me!
Reunited with the best pup ever!
The next day Christopher came over and we headed to the Hickory airport so he could say "Hi and Bye" to my Dad who had a trip for the next couple of days. After we saw Dad off, Christopher and Stella headed to his parents house and Mom and I went out for some much needed retail therapy and Thai food!
That night I went to pottery class with mom and helped her finish up painting some of her awesome pottery pieces she's been working on! She's been taking pottery classes and loving hand building and I'm super excited for her!
We also got to meet (again) and fall in love with Mom and Dad's new dog, Argos. He's a sweet tri-pod rescue they adopted right after Stella and I left this summer and I am just in love (and so is everyone else)
He is seriously the cuddliest, sweetest thing ever! And he and Angus love each other... when we move to the UK and bring Angus back with us, I don't know what they'll do without each other!
Before we headed to NC, we made a schedule. We've never done that before but heading "home" can be stressful and its so hard to be pulled in a thousand different directions trying to please everyone. Dont get me wrong, its amazing that we're so close to our families and I am so grateful to have them. But there are a ton of people we need and want to see and time flies SO fast when we're there. So... we created a schedule. And it totally worked out so well.
We headed to the Koenig's for the next couple of days and settled into Christmas mode!
Christopher and his dad built his Mom a box for her tea to be stored in. They called me in for my handwriting and I helped out with the wood burning!
Pretty proud of that!!
Christopher and I have always wanted to see the lights in this town called McAdenville- the whole town is lit up for Christmas every year and the closer you get to the 25th, the longer the wait is to get there and the worse traffic is. So we all got to go early this year and it was so pretty!!
It was also SUPER cold and our Middle Eastern thinned blood was bundled up in double layers and freezing still but it was awesome to be cold!
Stella was thrilled to wander around all the Christmas lights with her cousins!
They were so cute and enamored with all the decorations and lights!
The grown ups were enamored also...
These girls...
Finally an awesome picture of the whole family!!!
And I was a giant slacker this year, so consider this our Christmas card for 2018! Stella's face is my favorite!
The next we headed back to the Wofford house where these two ladies got ready for lunch and running around!
Every time we come to NC we have a list of places we want to eat... things we can't get overseas and that we crave fairly regularly. Mellow Mushroom is one of those places!
My favorite pie... The Holy Shitake
All the girls! Just in case anyone wanted to know what I'm going to look like as I get older...
While we were out we bought some stuff to decorate Mom's mantle! The picture is kind of dark, but its so pretty!!
The next night we headed to Matt and Carly's so these sweet cousins could have a sleepover!
Their Mimi and Grandpa were awesome enough to be outnumbered and take all three of them on so we could go out to dinner sans kiddos! We headed to a Mexican restaurant and enjoyed Americanized Mexican food and margaritas!
After dinner we went shopping at this cute little shop that has multiple vendors with antiques and handmade goodies. We had to laugh at this shop...only in the south....
Bullet angel necklace anyone?
And then Christopher came across this gem....
It was the best $5 I spent the whole time we were in the states! Here he is heralding the birth of Jesus... right as a cop drove by... I tried talking him into climbing on top of the manger but he refused.
We headed back to Matt and Carly's, put the kiddos to bed and played card games late into the night. At this point, Christopher and I were just powering through our jet lag and surviving on lots of caffeine!
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