HELLO FROM PORTLAND MAINE!(SORRY SUCH A LONG POST)

YES THAT IS RIGHT! JARED, HALLE AND I, ALONG WITH HIS PARENTS VENTURED OUT TO MAINE TO VISIT WITH JAREDS SIS AND FAMILY. AND SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN A COMPLETE BLAST.  WE LEFT ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT 8 PM TO MAKE THE CAR JOURNEY TO SALT LAKE CITY AIRPORT AND I ADMIT, I WAS SCARED TO DEATH FOR THIS JOURNEY WITH HALLE. SHE CAN'T EVEN SIT ON MY LAP FOR 1 HOUR IN SACRAMENT MEETING LET ALONE FOR A 4.5 HOUR PLANE RIDE TO NYC AND 3 HOUR LAYOVER BEFORE THE ONE HOUR TRIP ONTO MAINE. YES, I WAS HORRIFIED. I HAD TALKED TO EVERYONE IN THE BOOK ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH A KID ON A PLANE RIDE, WHAT DRUGS TO GIVE THEM TO SLEEP IF NEEDED, AND WHEN TO BREAK DOWN AS A MOM AND CRY MYSELF IF IT IS A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE AND I HAVE NO WAY OFF. WE GOT INTO THE AIRPORT WITH HALLE HAVING ONLY SLEPT ABOUT 20 MIN ON THE ENTIRE RIDE DOWN TO SLC-I WAS SO EXCITED SINCE THE FLIGHT LEFT AT MIDNIGHT MAYBE WOULD BE TIRED ENOUGH TO SLEEP THE WHOLE WAY. AS SOON AS I HIT THE AIRPORT I GAVE HER SOME ANTIHISTAMINE SINCE IN ST GEORGE WHEN SHE HAD ALLERGIES IT KNOCKED HER OUT, YES I DID DRUG MY KID-HORRIBLE RIGHT? WELL, THEN I WAS EATING MY WORDS, IT DID THE EXACT OPPOSITE. HOWEVER, HALLE WAS UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. SHE WAS AWAKE ABOUT AN 1.5 HOURS AND ONLY CRIED MAYBE 2 TIMES FOR A COUPLE MINUTES AND THEN SHE WENT OUT. THANK GOODNESS FOR POOH ON DVD, ELMO BOOKS, AND PLAYING ON THE EATING TRAY. WE THEN MADE IT TO NYC AIPORT AT ABOUT 6 AM EASTERN TIME (4AM OUR TIME) AND OFF THE PLANE WE WENT, NOW HALLE WAS AWAKE....STINK BOMB. 

WE RAN AROUND THE AIRPORT AND HAD BREAKFAST AND BY THIS TIME SLEEP DEPRIVATION WAS KICKING IN FOR JARED, HALLE, AND I SINCE NONE OF US HAD GOTTEN THAT MUCH AND I ONLY HAD ABOUT 1.5 HOURS ALL NIGHT-MY PATIENCE WAS RUNNING SLIM. THEN TO OUR SURPRISE HALLE BENT DOWN IN THE JFK AIRPORT AND PEED OUT HER DIAPER RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIRPORT ON THE CARPET-AS STEPHANIE SAYS-PAR FOR THE COURSE. HILARIOUS! THEN AFTER A CHANGE OF CLOTHES, WE WERE OFF AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WAS ONLY A 1 HR FLIGHT TO MAINE AND IT WAS A DINKY PLANE. FOR THIS REASON WE PUT ONE CARRY ON IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT UNDER THE PLANE. I DIDNT REALIZE UNTIL TAKE OFF THAT IT HAD HALLES SIPPIES AND BLANKET IN IT-NOW I WAS TERRIFIED. HOWEVER, THIS TRIP WAS NOT FULL SO HALLE AND I GOT FRONT ROW SEATS WITH TONS OF LEG ROOM AND HER OWN CHAIR-SO NICE! HALLE STOOD AND PLAYED ON THE FLOOR BY ME MOST OF THE FLIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO OCCUPY HER WITH PRETZELS AND COOKIES WITH APPLE JUICE-ENDED UP WITH ANOTHER CHANGE OF CLOTHES ON HER-WE MADE IT! SO EXHAUSTED.

 WHEN WE GOT INTO MAINE WE WENT AND HAD A GOOD LUNCH AT A PLACE CALLED BIG SKY. WE THEN WENT HOME AND GOT IN A GOOD NAP. THEN WE WENT TO TOWN AND SAW THE OCEAN WITH BOATS AND HAD A GREAT PIZZA DINNER. THEN HOME FOR HOMEMADE MILKSHAKES AND TUBBIES FOR THE KIDDOS. HALLE AND EVA ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME TOGETHER. AFTER THAT ONTO BED.  TODAY WE WOKE UP, ATE STICKY BUNS, AND WERE OFF TO PICK APPLES AT A REAL APPLE FARM-WHAT A GREAT TIME. LOVE MAINE. GRUMPY, STEPH, EVA, JARED, HALLE AND, AND I WERE OFF. WE DRANK CIDER AND GOT TO TAKE PIX WITH SOME PUMPKINS FOR SALE AND THEN GOT TO GET OUR APPLES, IT WAS SO FUN AND THE KIDS ENJOYED IT SO MUCH-HALLE HAD A BLAST. WE THEN WENT TO SOME LIGHTHOUSES AND HAD LUNCH AT A PLACE AT TWOLIGHTS LIGHTHOUSE. AND, WE WENT OUT AND HALLE TOUCHED THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, WE HAD SO MUCH FUN. ON THE WAY HOME, WE SAW SOME BEAUTIFUL PLACES. THEN THE PARENTS WENT TO A GREAT PASTA JOINT FOR DINNER WHILE GRUMPY AND GRANDMA STAYED AND PLAYED WITH THE KIDDOS. THAT WAS A NICE LITTLE GETAWAY-THANKS GRUMPY AND GRMA. ALL IN ALL, THIS TRIP HAS BEEN PURE ENJOYMENT. WE HAVE HAD A BLAST. THANKS JOHN, STEPH, AND EVA FOR YOU HOSPITALITY-WE LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! WE STILL HAVE  A COUPLE DAYS FULL OF FUN THINGS TO DO SO I WILL BLOG SOON AND I WILL DOWNLOAD PICS WHEN I GET HOME. TALK TO YOU SOON!