Some people thought we were absolutely crazy to plan a vacation with two 7 month old babies. But, if you know anything about me and my husband BJ is that we love vacation and we love to do what people think is crazy. So, we decided to join some of our family for a week in paradise. Since I had been pregnant the summer before we didn't take our yearly vacation. So, this was a much needed time away for us.
Once we booked our flights, we began preparing ourselves for the trip. We went to the post office the next week to get the girls their passports. I began searching the web for "items to bring when traveling with 7 month old babies" as well as shopping for all the water gadgets and other items we were going to need for our trip. We even started taking the girls to the pool so that they would get used to being in the water. As the days approached, we became more excited about our trip. Every once in a while we would look at each other and say, "Cabo baby!" Anticipation surrounded us. We would picture ourselves sitting by the pool or laying on the beach, eating delicious food and swimming in the ocean. We could hear the sounds of the waves crashing at the shore and could even smell the salt from the ocean. We were beyond excited to say the least.
With all of the craziness when flying these days, we decided we were going to get to the airport really early. Well, that didn't happen. We woke up at the time we had planned to arrive at the airport. We jumped out of bed only to find out we had accidentally set it for PM instead of AM. We quickly got ourselves ready, piled into the car and headed to the airport. As we were weaving in and out of LA traffic we noticed cars stopping. Not that traffic in LA should have surprised us, but this was not your ordinary LA traffic, this was a complete halt. There was an accident up ahead and the four lane highway was merging into one lane! I nervously began tapping my feet, clapping my hands and even cried out to God saying, "If you could part the Red Sea, you can make this traffic cease!" Well, we sat in traffic for longer than we had hoped.
Once we finally made it to the airport we quickly unloaded the car, grabbing bags and babies. We decided that we would take advantage of the Curb Side Check- In. We waited for the gentleman and as he began checking us in, he informed us that people flying internationally could not do so outside. So, we grabbed all of our things and headed inside. The lines of course were LONG. We weren't going to panic or at least attempt not to. We waited patiently in line and finally we were at the Kiosk. BJ took the lead and began checking us in. We looked at each other with a sigh of relief. That lasted for about, oh, I don't know, 2 seconds. The Kiosk informed us that people traveling with small children needed to check in at a different desk. Our departure time continued to get closer and closer and the excitement of our trip was slipping away.
If we wanted to make our flight there was no way we could afford to stand in another long line. We grabbed a supervisor, informed her about our situation, and to our surprise, she took us to the front of the line. We handed her our four passports, our reservation number, lDs and everything else we needed. The lady looked at us in all seriousness and asked, "You have tickets for your two daughters correct?" Umm.. no, they are only 7 months and babies under the age of 2 fly free. She went on to tell me that because it's an international flight the same rules do not apply. My heart dropped, my face went pale, and my dreams of going to paradise were slipping away right before my eyes. There was no way we could pay for two additional roundtrip tickets! After much debate and conversation we came to the understanding that we had to pay the taxes for the girls' tickets. We had to use our Cabo spending money to pay for the tickets.
We headed towards security and of course I was "randomly selected" to be checked. They went through my bags, made me take of my clothes all in a very slow, not in a hurry kind of manner. Finally, the gate was in our sights! We were getting on the plane! We gave the attendant our tickets and as she opened the door we realized that there was not a plane on the other side. This particular gate was under construction and we were going to be shuttled to another part of the airport.
We thought we would never make it to Cabo! But after ALL of that we did. We landed in sunny Mexico and for the next seven days we enjoyed the pool, the ocean, the food and the great company. We quickly forgot about all the unexpected detours and obstacles that came along the way. Looking back I can laugh as I tell the story. The priceless memories we made while on our first vacation with our daughters far exceed the craziness we endured to get there.
In the pursuit of our dreams we will encounter situations we have not planned for. And although it can be frustrating and overwhelming at times, we will get to our destination. But how we get there and who we are when we arrive is what matters. I'm so thankful for a husband who keeps me balanced and who can see the humor in the midst of adversity. During this whole ordeal he kept saying, "Cabo baby!" With every new obstacle we faced he continued to remind me of a great vacation we were going to have. BJ made me laugh at our situation instead of crying about it. Although I do believe I cried at some point between LA and Mexico.
There has been a handful of unexpected situations that have come along our journey. Some have been easier to get through and others have made us question if we were ever going to make it to where we are going. If you have found yourself there, or if you are there now, be encouraged to know that you are not alone. Face these challenges head on. Remind yourself about His promises to you... "Cabo Baby!" Press forward. You will make it to where you are going.
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