Not Quite as Planned...

I am such a control freak. If something has the propensity to be planned, I plan it. If it can be organized, I organize it. (or at least attempt to...) I like the feeling of being in control and knowing what's around the corner. I'm not big on surprises. Though most of the surprises in my life have been pleasant, I suppose.

This past week was a total detriment to my controlling ways. The little guys and I travelled to Houston last Monday for what was supposed to be a quick three day trip. Just a visit to Kolbe's Shriners doctor for a check-up, plus a little visit with Pinkie and Pa for the boys. Plus, it got us out of the house so Mark could study for his Internal Medicine exam scheduled for Thursday morning. Early on, we planned to arrive in Houston on Monday and leave on Thursday. Since we fly stand-by on my dad's passes, we're kind of at the mercy of the airlines as to when we can and can't fly. Before we left Lubbock, Friday was already looking full so we set Thursday to be our return date.

After making it safely to Houston on Monday, we enjoyed a relaxing day on Tuesday, had a wonderful appointment at Shriners and a mini-birthday party for Reagan on Wednesday, and were packed up and ready to leave on Thursday morning. Now before we get any farther, let me remind you that my parents' house is roughly an hour away from the airport. And considering you have to be at the airport an hour before the flight, that means we have to leave the house two hours prior to departure. After arriving at the airport early Thursday morning with my dad, we were glad to hear that our flight was slightly delayed since we too were running late. Shortly after arriving at the gate, we received the thrilling news that all flights through Dallas were cancelled until at least 2:00pm. Since almost all of the flights to Lubbock go through Dallas, we were doomed. Defeated, we headed home.

As the day progressed, we discovered that all the flights to Dallas ended up being cancelled, thanks to the twelve inches of snow Dallas received. I was bound and determined not to let this set back throw off my plans to get home no later than Friday. After all, it was a rare three day weekend for Mark (Fri, Sat, Sun) as it was the weekend between two rotations. The perfect time for us to spend as a family! No studying, no paper writing, no patient logging allowed!

For Friday, our only option was to attempt a flight that took off at 7:25am and was scheduled to go through Austin instead of Dallas. After waking up at 4:30am to get ready and head to the airport, we were thrilled that we actually made it on time. As the elevator door opened to the Southwest check in area, we were instantly taken aback. No fewer than 250 people stood in the endless line waiting to get a ticket. I think it's safe to say that the majority of these poor souls were ones who got booted from their flights to Dallas the previous day. With just an hour to go before our flight took off, there was no way we'd make it to the front of this line and then through the equally long security line before take off. We didn't even bother staying to give it a shot. Trip two: busted.

As soon as we got back to my parents' house, I quickly checked the flights for Saturday before calling Mark with the bad news. I just about had a nervous break down when I discovered that there was literally no way we'd get back to Lubbock on Saturday either. With just a few flights going to Lubbock on the weekends and all the cancellations, there was absolutely no space for stand-bys. Not to mention the three-day, Valentine's weekend for travellers. Sunday morning would be our best shot. I was devastated.

It wasn't so much that I didn't want to be at my parents'. I love their home, love spending time with them, and love any chance the boys can get to be around them. It was more so that my plans for the weekend with our little family were crushed. I had it in my mind that things were going to go a certain way. I had it planned to a T. Instead, while we hung out in Houston, Mark got to hang out here in Lubbock. By himself. Whenever we're here, it kills him that he can't spend time with us because of studying and work. Then when he can spend time with us, we're not even here! Grrrr!!!

But I suppose, like all things, God has his ways which are far, far greater than mine. He always manages to show me why He is in control and not me. When we finally made it home on Sunday, I had a wonderful "surprise" (ok, I knew about it, but I was still so excited to see it!) waiting for me. On Saturday, Mark, my cousin-in-law Joe (is that a term? my cousin's husband who also happens to be my sister-in-law's brother....don't ask...), and his father Mr. Bergman spent ALL day creating a look-through window from our kitchen in to our family room-- something I've dreamed of having since I bought this house almost six years ago. I'm so thrilled by it that I will be devoting an entire post to it's greatness as soon as Mark finishes the last coat of paint. (yes, I keep getting the itch to finish it myself while he's at work but I'm trying to work on the whole control thing...)

Like I was saying before I got distracted by my awesome window, it's a good thing that God's in control. While, yes, life would be so much easier if everything went the way I designed it, it wouldn't be nearly as beautiful. After all, if everything went the way I designed it, we wouldn't be just months away from Mark finishing P.A. School, we wouldn't have been exposed to some amazing people like all of Kolbe's doctors, and we wouldn't have a sweet little dumpling sleeping in the other room named Reagan. All things that made up reasons for this whole crazy Houston trip in the first place! Under His control, life will always go "as planned."