I hope everybody had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving! Mine ended with Emma Kelly begging me to move back to SC and having herself convinced that she could talk her dad into making the big move, too. But in her little 8-year-old mind, it would be nothing but playing with cousins 24-7 and that just ain’t the way it is, honey bunny. I could maybe convince her daddy, but I don’t think the entire Kidd Kraddick Morning Show would be up for the big move, so I guess we’ll just have to make a point of going back home to see my family more often.

The trip started off beautifully. When we were checking in at the airport, the little kiosk asked me if I wanted to upgrade to first class. Well, duh! Who doesn’t! I figured it would be a nice little treat for me and EK to start our Thanksgiving, so I splurged. She LOVED it. As soon as we sat down, she draped the blanket across her lap, plugged in the free ear buds and closed her eyes. I asked her what she was listening to and she said, “Mommy, first class is so relaxing…” She was listening to that spa music station! She wouldn’t take it off that channel for the entire flight! “Mommy, I only want to fly first class from now on.” Yeah……keep dreaming that dream, sweetie…

I’m glad I made the call to splurge because the rest of our trip to SC didn’t go quite as smoothly. When we landed in Charlotte, we got word our flight had been delayed by ten minutes. I thought, Great! That gives my luggage an extra ten minutes to make the connection. But then about ten minutes later, word came that the remaining two flights into Florence were canceled for the day, so then it was a mad scramble to the ticket counters. I don’t know why, but I was calm to the point of almost weirding myself out. People around me were freaking out and losing what little was left of their patience, but I was feeling almost blissful. I can’t explain it. And when I finally got up to the counter, the ticket agent even said something to me about it. I told him God just gave me peace about the whole situation and we were happy and healthy and close to getting home, so there was no need to be upset at him. Maybe it WAS God…or the afterglow of first class warmed nuts and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies…

Anyway, EK and I ended up renting a car for a one-way, 2 hour drive to Florence, which wasn’t the cheapest solution in the world. But, as the rental agent told me, “There’s not a lot of demand for one-way rentals to Florence….”

But soon enough — although three hours later than we originally planned on getting there, we were HOME! And that was worth any price I had to pay. I’m so blessed to have the family I do, and I’m so happy Emma Kelly got to experience some of what I grew up with — my sweet Aunt Velma, my crazy cousin Cindy, tons of cousins, driving down back country roads. Emma Kelly kept saying, “South Carolina is so pretty…”  I still can’t get her on board with boiled peanuts, but I’m working on it! And as we were boarding the flight home — “We’re not in first class, Mommy?” No, not this time. “Does that mean we’re second class?” Yes, yes it does. — we were already planning our next trip back.