Jet Setter

The end of May saw us introducing Graham to a new method of transportation…flying! For two weeks in a row, we flew back to the Midwest for weddings. We were not at all sure what to expect, but discovered that Graham is a great traveler and did really well with all the changes in his routine. Of course, it didn’t hurt that both weekends also included visits (and spoiling sessions) with the grandparents and one uncle, two aunts, and three cousins!

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Caroline, got married in Chicago the third weekend in May. We flew from Tallahassee to Chicago via Atlanta and had smooth flights all the way.
My parents drove in from Des Moines and met us at the airport. We spent most of the weekend at the hotel taking part in all the wedding festivities. It was so great to have my mom and dad get to spend so much time with Graham and see all his new tricks; sitting, eating, “standing”, etc.

It was also fun to meet several of Caroline’s close friends whom I have heard her talk so much about. Cindy and Heather are both awesome people, and it was nice to finally meet them in person. All three of us commented that, after having met each other, we now understand why Caroline is friends with each of us. We are very similar, and Cindy and I even finished each other’s sentences a few times by the end of the weekend.

Graham’s first wedding experience was really a first for all of us as well. Caroline and her husband, Neil (oh my goodness it seems so surreal to say that!) are both Jewish, and the wedding was very traditional. It was held on Sunday, May 22, and included two distinct Jewish Wedding Rituals, the Kabbalat Panim and the Chuppah. It was so interesting to take part in their celebration and see the similarities (and differences) to weddings we have attended in the past. This wedding was very distinctly Caroline, and it was perfect for her!



Sadly, we had to leave the Midwest and fly home to Florida on Monday. We returned to Tallahassee via Atlanta where Graham got to experience the first of what I am confident will be many delays at Hartsfield-Jackson International. We were pleased that they took the time to fix the air conditioning on the plane, but it would have been nicer had it not taken an extra hour. Graham was a trooper though as we survived!


We had a short, but hectic work week before we turned around and left on Friday afterschool for Panama City. We spent the night with my cousin Kathy in order to make a flight to Kansas City at the crack of dawn Saturday morning! Despite cutting it a little close for departure (partly our fault and partly the overzealous TSA representatives a the Northwest Beaches International Airport), we made it to Atlanta with no problem. We even departed for Kansas City on time…only to sit in a line at least 25 planes long waiting to take off. At one point, the teenager next to us asked if we were driving the plane to KC! Although antsy, Graham again did a great job and was rewarded with plenty of hugs and kisses from Chris’ parents who met us at the Kansas City airport.

The wedding this weekend was the daughter of a close family friend. Rachel was really like the Reece kids’ sister growing up, and so not only were Chris’ parents there, but also his sister and brother and sister in-law and their three kids! Aleck, Rhaena, and Micah met Graham at Christmas, but he was still so little that they weren’t all that interested. This time around, however, they were very intrigued by him and he was all about watching them! It was fun to see the cousins altogether!



Rachel’s wedding was at the Crown Plaza in downtown Kansas City, and because the wedding didn’t start until 6:00 PM, we all spent the night at the Plaza! It was so beautiful, and we all had a great time.
Sunday night, we moved to a Holiday Inn near the airport and Graham got to experience another first, his first swimming pool. The water was a little cold and the cousins were a little excited, so we are not really sure how much he enjoyed it, but living in Florida, he will have to get used to it fast!



Again, the weekend flew by way too fast and we were headed back to Florida before we knew it! Graham got a few extra snuggles and kisses from Grandma and Grandpa Reece to hold him over until we can visit this summer. The flights home were extremely uneventful, and although we had a fabulous time, we were all ready to be home for a while.

Although it was two incredibly frantic weeks, we are so glad that we were able to attend both weddings and let Graham have time with both sets of grandparents. We learned a lot about flying with a baby (namely that the most strict airport/TSA representatives reside in Panama City?!?), and are already looking forward to our next adventure with our little traveler. We know if he could talk, Graham would be asking, "Where are we flying to this weekend?"