A Weekend with the Girls!!!

Just to let you know this is a VERY long post with LOTS of pictures! Enjoy!!

A week ago Colsen and I went on a little trip! I was going to have a girls weekend in Tulsa and Colsen was going to spend the weekend with Lolly and Gran in Houston! We were both so excited!! I should say, I was really excited!! I'm not sure Colsen knew what was going on. The day started with me not waking up when I wanted to. This was due to the fact that I had gone to bed much too late. This is very typical of me. With all that to be said we still made it out the door relatively on time. Because I was travailing by myself, I always like to use the off site parking. One, the shuttle comes right to your car and two, they help you with your bags. Well...we get to the airport and I'm looking around and the only off site parking I see is the off site parking run by the Charlotte airport. The one thing I don't see is covered parking. I ask one of the attendants, where is the covered parking? He gives me directions and Colsen and I head on our way. We get there and the only spaces available are uncovered and I don't see any shuttles running at that moment. I don't have that much time left so I make the decision to go back to the first off site parking and park there. Colsen and I find a parking spot. I start to notice that other people are not waiting by their cars, but walking to this hut looking building. By this point I feel really behind schedule and I have to get my son, two pieces of luggage, a stroller and three carry on bags to this "hut". Oh and did I forget to mention that it's raining. By this point, I'm almost in tears and vowing I'm never going to do this again by myself! I pull myself together and I get Colsen in the stroller and roll him and one piece of luggage to the hut and ask a very nice lady to watch Colsen while I go get the remaining bags. I should mention, that the hut is only about twenty feet from the car so I can still see Colsen the whole time. The lady was really nice and said that she has children of her own and completely understands! I manage to get all the luggage to the hut. By this point the shuttle is pulling up and there are quite a few people ready to get on. As you can imagine I'm feeling VERY flustered by this point! A very nice man traveling with his wife and three kids help me out by getting my luggage on the shuttle. I am extremely grateful!! While we are on the shuttle I learn from the wife of the man that helped me that this is their second attempt to get out of Charlotte to Winston Salem. You ask why? Charlotte is redoing their security area and there was only one line for security! It was taking three hours to get through and people were missing flights! WHAT...that's not what you want to hear as you're heading to the airport. We get to the airport, and things don't look to bad. I get up to the Continental check- in and this very nice attendant helps me get Colsen and I checked in. I am taking a deep breath and saying a prayer because we are on our way to security. Yeah for the Charlotte airport!!! They have a handicap/family line!!! And the best part was there was NO ONE in it!!! The stress is beginning to melt away!! Colsen and I get through security with no problems!! We make it to our gate and the plane is on time!! Yeah!!!! Here's the thing, if you travel with Continental most likely you're going to have a lay over in Houston. I thought this would be perfect I can have a weekend with the girls and Colsen can have fun with Lolly and Gran. With the plane being on time our travel itinerary was off to a great start! This is Colsen first trip to have his own seat! He did great!! As you can tell by the pictures, Colsen loved looking and playing with all the buttons and and gadgets. He also loved standing on his seat and looking at all the people behind us.

Colsen is staring up at the lights and buttons up above. We was really good and never touched one!

Who knew a arm rest could be so much fun!

Colsen was way too busy to stop and look at the camera!! He had a great time!!

Colsen and I get to Houston on time!!! And Gran is there ready to meet us!! We head down to to baggage claim to get Colsen's bag. The best part was the bag was waiting on us!! I had and 1 1/2 lay over, so I went up to the ticket counter to make arrangements for Gran to get a gate pass to use with Colsen on the way home on Monday. See...I only have forty-three minutes to get to my connecting gate and that's just not enough time for me to go get Colsen and go back through security. I had no problems, the attendant made the note on Colsen's reservation. By this point I am feeling GREAT!! Colsen's where he needs to be and I'm off to have a great weekend with the girls!!!

I and my bag make it to Tulsa!!! I am so excited to see BFF and her two girls who came to pick me up from the airport!

Darci and Zody

This is Zeta!!

She's four!!!

Zeta and I really bonded!! I had so much fun making pink cupcakes and reading Fancy Nancy and Pickalicious!! You can imagine that these are books that I can't imagine reading to Colsen. I was fun to be in a house with girls!!

Darci and Zeta in their cute aprons, getting ready to make the pink cupcakes!!

Darci and her cutie, Zody!! Zody just turned 1!!

She has such pretty blue eyes!!

Giving sweet kisses!

Phil (Darci's husband) took a few pictures before we went out to dinner!

Being silly for the camera!!

Delta Zeta get together! These are my BEST girl friends!!!

They have been with me as long as I can remember!! I don't know what I would do without them!! They are incredible blessings!!!
Darci and I have known each other since the 8th grade!! We did the math and we have known each other for 17 years!! That's crazy!! In high school, we had classes together, swam on the same team and went to the same church! Needless to say, we were together all the time!! Our friendship even made it through a separation of one year. My family moved to New Orleans my senior year. For college I went back to OK and went to Northeastern State Univ. and the best part was that Darci and I got to room together!! We learned ALOT about each other that year and we were still friends!! She has such an incredible strength about her!! And I love her confidence!!! Even though we're about the same age I have always thought of her as a big sister!! I have learned so many things from her!! Especially when it comes to mothering!! I consider her a discipline expert!! She does a great job of remaining calm during a difficult situation. We have been through so much together and I can't wait to see see where the Lord takes us! I do know one thing no matter what happens we'll always be there for one another!!

Kristin and I met my freshman year of College. We both lived on the CCF (Campus Christian Fellowship) floor. As soon as we met we hit it off!! She is outgoing and so much fun to be around!! She was and is a HUGE support when I'm going through difficult times!! She will sit down and help me work through the problem. I always feel so much better after talking to her!! I was so excited to be her maid of honor and even more excited to be at her first daughter's birth!! Our friendship has had it's ups and downs but the Lord has always brought us back together!! I feel so blessed she is in my life and I can't imagine my life without her!!

Jann and I met my sophomore year of College. When we met we just hit it off!! During my senior year Jann was President and I was Vice President of New Membership. We were serving during a time when our chapter of Delta Zeta was on probation for hazing. The hazing is a very long story. We really bonded during that time!! Jann is so much fun to be around!! We also have no problem picking up right were we left off from the last time we saw each other. She is also the craftiest person I know. She can make anything and I mean anything!!! She is so talented!! Our friendship has lasted numerous moves between both of us!! I can't wait to see where she and her family end up next!!


This is my friend Christan! She and I have not seen each other since we graduated!! We had so much fun catching up!!

This is my old house!! I thought my parents would love to see it!

Here is a picture of the Bradford Pear tress that lined the back of our old house. They really took a beating during the ice storm that happened this past winter!

On Sunday, we went out to Phil's (Darci's Husband) brother's horse ranch! It was so fun to see the horses!

Zeta loves to be around horses!! Here she is with a colt!

Sweet Zeta and the newest member of the Zoellner household, Roxie!!

Two more pictures of precious Zody!!


I had a wonderful time in Tulsa!! A big thank you goes out to the Zoellner family for hosting me!! Here is the ending of my travel adventure. On Sunday night I thought I will call Continental to comfirm with them and make sure there is a note on Colsen's reservation about Gran needing a gate pass. Sure enough, the note was there and we were set. I was going to meet Colsen and Gran at the Charlotte gate. If you are familiar with Houston's intercontental airport I would see them in terminal B. On Monday, I get to the airport and get checked in and my flight is on time! Yeah!!! I let Gran know that everything is great and I will see him and Colsen at the gate. The plane lands and as soon as the doors open I hear an announcement. "Jennifer Braden, please identify yourself as you are getting off the plane. We have an announcement for you." I'm not thinking too much about it, maybe a gate change. Next time I will know better!! I get off and the gate attendant tells me I have to get Colsen at the check in counter in terminal B. WHAT!!!!! I took care of this, I was going to meet Colsen at the Charlotte gate!! What happend??? The attendant told me the counter was only about 4 minutes away and I'd better walk fast! I get to the counter and see my sweet boy and Gran. I am so upset on the verge of crying, because I tried to take care of this and no one told me that Colsen needs to be five to go to the gate with out his parents. We know now!!! I say a quick good bye to Gran and a nice lady leads us through security and to the tram so we can get to terminal E. We make it just in time and we end up having a great flight. Colsen ended up taking about an hour nap on the plane. There are always adventures with traveling!! Things could have been much worse!! I learned so many lessons for our next time. And yes, there will be a next time!!