Christmas Part II

Here's Christmas post...part two!

After I arrived in Nashville and saw that excellent show that was Garth Brooks.  I got up the next morning and drove to Knoxville to have Christmas with Bomp and BR (Taylor's family).  And I was so excited to get to meet my two sweet nephews!!!!  And as expected, they were SO DANG CUTE!!!!  Love them!  I made it in time to watch the boys "open" their Christmas presents...AKA play with the boxes and tissue paper :)

Jack (18 months) playing with his new Recycling Dump Truck!!  Teaching the kids to go Green!

Sweet baby Andrew (4 months)

 Who needs toys when you have tissue paper?!?!

Jack and Aunt Katie :)

After the boys opened their presents it was bedtime!  We then had a nice Christmas dinner and as always had a fun time opening everyone's gifts!  We missed Taylor and Thomas at Christmas as they were deployed to Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan.  But even though they were over seas, they managed to be together on Christmas Eve.  Taylor took a few flights to different bases in Afghanistan to check on some of his troops flying security on a few of the flights.  He was able to spend a few nights with Thomas.  I was so happy they were able to be together for the holidays :)

 My sister-in-laws...Catherine, Jennifer, and I



After a wonderful Christmas in Knoxville I drove back to Franklin on Christmas Eve.  We went to 4:00 church with the family (which was PACKED!!!) and then headed over to Taylor's mom's house for a Christmas Eve party with friends and friends that have now become family!  I got extra time to hold and love sweet Baby Andrew.  By the end of the night I was SO exhausted since I still had not quite adjusted to the time change!

We headed back home and true to tradition had our annual reading of the Night Before Christmas.  Sadly the pics are on my parent's camera (which means we'll never see them :)  But Dad read the book to Kelly and I before heading to bed.  These little traditions are very important to me...my family laughs, but I asked for the book for Christmas last year so I would have one of my own.  I packed it in my suitcase when we went to Austria for Christmas I had Taylor read it to me in the hotel on Christmas Eve.  There are some traditions you just don't mess with!!

Christmas morning is changing a bit now that we're splitting time between multiple families.  Drew and his girlfriend, Jessica, spent Christmas Eve and morning with her family and then drove to Franklin in the afternoon.  I spent Christmas lunch with Taylor's family.  We had a nice lunch and exchanged gifts with everyone.  After a little more nephew time it was off to the airport to pick up my grandma who was arriving for Christmas afternoon.

So our family celebrated Christmas that evening around 5pm.  We all exchanged our gifts, played some games, ate some of my favorite foods and had a wonderful evening.  I loved being home for Christmas again! 

 And sure enough...here is Santa himself here to hand out gifts :)

 It was a big day in the Peterson family, Drew's dog, Boss, was allowed to come stay for Christmas as a trial run.  He was perfectly behaved aside from the fact that he was scared of everyone, but Drew and ran from us the whole weekend.  Maybe he'll come around!

 He's SO BIG.  Not a dog I'd mess with!!

 Sweet little family:  Jessica, Drew and Boss

 Mom and Mama relaxing after all the presents were opened.

For New Years we decided to have a party at our house.  We did a day of cooking, Mom and Mama did the appetizers and I did the deserts.  Bought some decorations and lots of drinks and we had a fun night with everyone!  Tiffany was our big Left Right Center money winner...I hear she's offereing loans :)

 Nate, Ashley, and Tiffany

 Mom and I celebrating 2011!!

 Mom and my girlfriends :)

Krissy and Alan Bunger (soon to be Mom and Dad!!!!) with Mama.

I had a GREAT visit back home.  And once again, as last time, I ate my way through Franklin.  I got a little taste of everything I was hungry for.  Sadly I wasn't very consistent with my camera hence the fact I'm missing lots of moments when I got to see people...but it's not documented.  So I'm very sorry there are no pictures, but I was so happy to go to lunch with Mary Beth and Weston...thank you for my salad I had been hungry for for MONTHS!!!!  So glad Lyndsey, Nick, Melis, and Michael were able to come over before your fancy New Year's party!!  And thank you Donna, Leanne, Adelaide, and Anne for taking time to go to lunch after church.  It was so fun to catch up with everyone and to hear everyone is doing well!!  And to my little sissy Kelly who evaded my pictures, I'm glad I had the time to spend with you.  Hmmm...clearly I should work on my photography readiness skills.  Oooor maybe if I had the extra five days at home, I would have more pictures of everyone to share.  Note to self:  NEVER EVER fly through London Heathrow in winter or British Airways, period.  Done.

And while at home I shopped and shopped and shopped!  I had so many things picked out for our house if only we lived in the States where everything is so cheap and the style is not ultra modern!!  We're going through stores and Mama and Mom kept saying...are you really going to ship that?  Nooo...I'm not...but I wish I could!!!  So I did a little damage with my Christmas money...and bought an extra suitcase to go home.  Clearly I am very blessed and I am very thankful.

I made it back to Italy and Jennifer was at the airport to pick me up.  I got home and worked around the house forcing myself to stay awake until 730pm.  I woke up at 8am the next day to start a full day at work!  I've been pretty much working full time since then which is good because it keeps me on schedule!

Thank you everyone for such a wonderful Christmas and visit to the States!  It was so great...thank you, thank you!!  And know...I have extra room in Italy. 

Arrivederci, mi amico!

Flights, Friends, Family, GARTH!!!!

Wow.  Between Christmas parties, shopping, shipping, flights, friends, family, Garth, and lots of food; December came and went before I even noticed! 

I worked up until the day I left for the States.  I finished up in Aviano with a fun staff Christmas Potluck and even took home a few raffle prizes!  I got home Thursday night excited to leave the next morning and a bit overwhelmed with the amount of packing I still had to do that night (seeing as I had yet to even pull out a bag).  As I should have expected, Rosario met me at the door, "Ke-Tee, I been waiting for you.  I mek pizza, you come eat!!"  I mean really, of ALL times...who invites you over the night before you're leaving for 2 1/2 weeks to go overseas.  But of course, how could I say no?  I couldn't.  So over I went to Rosario's for some homemade pizza, all the while running through my To Do lists in my head!  I know you may be thinking I sound like a cruel person, but I really am thankful and appreciative of all he does for me...sometimes it's just really bad timing!

Hmmm...and speaking of bad timing.  I couldn't have picked a worse day to book my flight home.  Most of you probably heard or read my status updates about my horrible flying (or lack there of) experience on my trip home.  To sum it up I spent 5 nights in London, 17 hours in lines, and a little over 1000 dollars stuck at London Heathrow and the surrounding area on my way home for Christmas.  Yep, totally wasn't expecting that! 

For those of you interested, this is the long version...I emailed it out to many of you when I was staying at Kahea and Matt's house in Mildenhall, England.  But here it is reposted for those that didn't read it:

Friday I left Venice on British Airways (BA) and arrived in London Heathrow at 230pm. They announced to us that there were some delays in arriving at the airport because of snow. So when we touched down we were the 20th plane "queued" to get a spot at the gate to unload. There were other planes taking up the spots because they were having trouble de-icing and were not taking off. At this point when we touched down there was a dusting of snow on the ground and the grass was not even covered. So we then sat on the runway for 2 1/2 hours on the plane. When we finally unloaded at 5pm most of the flight had missed their connecting fliglhts. (Mine was at 415) So they directed us into a line to re-book flights. So I get into that "queue" and wait FIVE hours in line. I met a bunch of people around me, a big group of Army guys and a couple from Sweden and we had a great time laughing and joking around. So we finally all got up to the desk and we all got flights re-booked for the next day or so and as I'm leaving the desk, they announce they are closing those desks for reservations and everyone needed to leave. There were probably 100+ people in line still who had been waiting for hours and hours as well. So at this point I had a flight rebooked for 10am on Saturday morning. They gave me a hotel voucher for hotel 30 minutes away that I chose not to use because by the time I got a taxi and headed out and then came back by 7am the next morning, it wasn't worth it to me.


So, moving on from the booking we then went over to customs because we were staying in London. Waited an hour and half in the line to go through customs. Met another group of people there flying from Geneva (they all met on the plane) trying to make it to Canada...so I hung out with them for awhile. After making it through customs, we went to the baggage claim, which no one told us if we had to pick up bags or if we leave them or what we shoudl do. We got down there and there were 15 carousels (sp??) of bags with thousands of bags sitting all over the place down there with ABSOLUTELY no organization. A lady I met on Saturday spent 6 hours in line getting her bags and found out that the workers left Friday night and left bags on the planes and didn't even unload them all.


Anyway, we decided it wasn't worth it to get our bags. I was already re-booked so I was just hoping it would be put on my next flight. And there was a 2-3 hour line to talk to a baggage claim rep. So we by-passed that and the Geneva group chose to go to the hotel (bc they weren't re-booked yet), and I decided to stay the night at the airport. So it's now midnight on Friday night and I went to a little store there and bought some chips, yogurt, and chocolate crispies since I hadn't eaten since a croissant in Venice that morning. Then I headed upstairs to pick out my spot on the floor. I finally got in touch with my family through Skype. i was calling my friend in Italy to post messages on my wall so that Kelly or someone in the fam would see them and could let them know i was stuck. I layered my coat, jacket, gloves, hat, and wraped my scarf around my face and laid on my bag to attempt some sleep. I dozed for 30 minutes here and there and at 3am I was so cold I picked up all my stuff and found an open chair. I sat and rested my head on my bag til 5am. I then got up and headed to the bathroom to get ready for Day 2. I went through security at 5am so I would be there in PLENTY of time for my flight. The gate wasn't even listed unil 9am, so I found a comfy couch (bc no one was allowed through security unless they had a flight booked) and I slept for a bit that morning.


I then got up and headed down to my gate when it was listed on the screen. I walk down there ready to get on the plane and the attendant there tells me my flight has been cancelled for today. And no flights are going out until at least after noon. She tells me I have to claim my bags since my flight was cancelled then directs me down through the terminal and I end up BACK down at customs AGAIN. Without ever leaving the airport. I ask people about it and they told me I had to go through it again to get to baggage. So I'm in an hour and a half line for a SECOND time and have yet to leave the airport. I get to the customs lady and she doesn't even take any of my papers bc she saw I had never left. I'm then back in baggage claim and the scene is even worse than Friday night. There are even more bags down there. People are rummaging through all the bags, there are handwritten signs on some of the bags attempting organization...there is a line a couple hundred yards long to speak to a representative and people were getting the answer, "well they're here somewhere". It was like the scene of a disaster when hundreds of people are trying to identify bodies (maybe that's a bit morbid...but it's seriously what it felt like).


At this point I've walked through all the bags (or attempted to) and cant' find mine anywhere. It's about 10am and I couldn't decide if I should wait in a 5 hour line for bags when I still didn't have anything booked to even leave yet. And once you leave baggage claim you can't come back unless you go back through security and customs. That's when I lost it and sat down on the floor and pulled out my computer and got on Skype and called my dad crying at 430am his time, with no idea what to do. They kept telling us to call the BA booking number, but no one was getting through or they told us to go online to re-book. WHen you went online it said to call for your options and wouldn't let you do anything. So dad said to leave the bags and go get rebooked.


I had heard in line on my second time through Customs that someone had gone over to Terminal 3 to re-book with American bc they had no cancellations on Friday or Saturday morning, it was onlY BA. So I head over to terminal 3...took the Underground (subway) bc the free train stopped running. And I get up there to have the AA flight attendants saying all of their flights were now suspended until 5pm when they would make the next announcement. At this time the whole airport had shut down.
I was defeated once again and when talking to the Flight Attendant started crying again. I think she felt bad for me and I was just asking her to find a plug bc I couldn't find one to plug in my dead laptop. And my minutes had run out on my phone and I needed more Euro put on it. Luckily she found a plug for me and I then realized I didn't have the right plug conversion for the UK. A guy in line overheard me and he offered me his...bc clearly he was sitting in line going no where. So I get it charged and called my parents again having a break down. I got in touch with my friend in Italy and she went to base to add more Euro to my phone so I could use it again. I decided to attempt to get re-booked over at BA again so I head over there next...


Just to be told they weren't going to book anyone here...you had to take care of it on your own. Only7 flights were going out that day, everything else was cancelled. When I told the guy that no one was getting through on the phone he said, "all i can tell you is to be persistent". They took all the attendants away from all the desks and there was no one there to help you at all. So I decided I needed to find a hotel bc I couldn't do another night freezing in teh airport.


It's 3pm now and I go downstairs and get on my computer and get in line for hotel reservations. I can't get anything online, so I wait, and wait, and wait. FOUR hours in line for a hotel reservation. While I'm in line I meet a girl on her way back from Delhi to Boston (Jyoti) and a couple on their way back from a cruise (David and Barbara). We chat for the 4 hours and decide to go to the same hotel so we can split taxis and stuff like that. The girl and I decide to share a room so we can split the cost bc the hotel reimbursement is only for 200 pounds per double occupancy room. So we get up there and the guy says the cheapest hotel they have is 440 pounds for a room per night. That is about 700 dollars! So we took it and split it. And David and Barbara got a room. We then all four head to the train to take it to Paddington Station. We found a McDonalds when we arrived at Paddington and were all starving bc no one had eaten all day. So we eat dinner and get in line for a taxi to take us to the hotel. 45 minutes standing outside for a taxi...but we made it to the hotel.


We got our rooms and got internet hooked up, I had bought a conversion plug and got my laptop charged. Took a shower finally just to put on the same clothes...but I was at least clean. In the mean time, mom had been calling the 800 BA number in the States and after 4 hours of a busy signal, she finally got through and got me re-booked for a flight on Wednesday the 21st. So I at least had a booking. We headed to bed and woke early the next day to make it to the airport. Jyoti had a flight at 125 to JFK. So we arrived to the airport that morning to find no one at any of the desks. Her flight was cancelled, all arrivals were cancelled, and they were doing absolutely no bookings at the airport, you had to go online. I then went to someone to ask about picking up my bags since I was for sure getting no flight sooner than Wednsday, and she told me that they weren't giving out any bags, they would be put on your flight when you finally got re-booked.


Luckily the night before at the hotel I had received a message from my friend Kahea who I used to work with at the Youth Center in Avaino. Her and her husband, Matt, had just PCS'd to England about a month ago and she said there was a free shuttle from London Heathrow to base about 2 hours away and I could show my military ID and get on and they could pick me up from base. SO, since all of my previous plans were not working out...this was the next option. So, Jyoti got in touch with distant relatives in London and she had a place to go, so we wished each other well and parted ways.


I then head back over to Terminal 3 to catch this shuttle. As I'm waiting outside for the shuttle for an hour. I was told the early one ran that day and it was on delay, so it should be coming. I waited and waitd and no one came. I noticed a guy walking around with a military backpack and asked if he was goign there too. He was. He was stationed at Mildenhal and was trying to fly home, but got cancelled. So he then called base and asked about it and was told the shuttle was not making it's final run that day. So here we are stuck AGAIN. It was comical at this point how many things could go wrong! So I found the card of the driver who took Jyoti and I to the airport that morning and called to inquire about a price for a ride to Mildenhal (bc there was about a 2-3 hour line for a taxi outside). He said it would be 250 pounds...about 400 dollars. So we agreed to take it and split it. The cab arrived and took us down to base. They guy I met was a Captain in the AF, a civil engineer. He was very nice and we had a fun ride. It's just so helpful to have some company bc then you're not feeling like poor, poor, pitiful me.


So I arrived in Mildenhal and Matt and Kahea were there to pick me up. We stopped by the BX and got clean underwear and socks, and two shirts and some leggings to wear. We then headed to their house where they had ribs cooking in the Crock Pot and made mashed potatoes and corn on the cob for dinner. We sat outside around their fire pit and burned boxes, then came in to watch Elf. It was such a refreshing and needed change from my nightmare of 3 days. I got a good night's sleep last night and Matt cooked us breakfast this morning. It's now 345pm and we're on base using internet. They just moved into their house on Wednesday, so it's not hooked up yet. And we're going home to chili tonight. I have tomorrow here and then I'm hopefully getting out on Wednesday.


This experience has been UNBELIEVABLE. I have been in shock about how horribly the airlines and the airport have handled this situation. Every where you turn you get the answer, "I can't help you." It was just one slap after another after another. But amidst all that, you meet people in your situation that helps make it so much more bearable. I ran into my friends from Geneva the next day (after I was supposed to have left) and they ran up and tapped me and said NOOOOOO, we were just talking about you and hoping you made it out. Then they offered a number where they had gotten through to British Air and all been booked. And got online to try to book me at their hotel they had found (it was full). But everyone offered everything. Jyoti even had a clean pair of unused UNDERWEAR with the tags still on that she gave me at the hotel room so I didn't have to go 3 days!! Just stuff that people don't HAVE to do, but they are willing to help out. So that was very refreshing and made me want to help others as well, like carrying bags and offering info when I could.

So this is where I stand...and I'm hoping desperately to make it home on Wednesday because as of right now, I'm getting in 2 hours before the Garth concert I'm supposed to go to that I have been talking about for weeks and weeks!!!! And I just want to see my family and friends. But I'm tough and I can handle this...maybe with a few breakdowns...but I can handle it. So, prayers would be welcomed and hopefully things are up and runnign soon. Just wanted to update...congrats if you made it all the way through this email...didn't think it would be so long!! Sorry!!!

Ciao, for now!!

Love, Katie
 
As an update, I am SO incredibly thankful to Kahea and Matt who opened their home to me, even though they had hardly moved in it themselves.  I had such a fun time with them and we spent some good time catching up!  I kept telling Kahea I was going to visit, just didn't expect it to be quite that early!!
 

Kahea and Matt

 Kahea and Matt's cute little dogs, Miley and Ninja!!

So nice to have Kahea...and her clothes to wear :)  Thank you, thank you!

The first thing that went as planned on this trip was my flight out on Wednesday.  And surprisingly I DID make it to Garth!  I arrived in Chicago only slightly delayed.  I waited in the baggage claim to look for the bags that I knew wouldn't arrive.  Shocking...they didn't.  I then took off running to my connecting flight in a separate terminal in Chicago O'Hare and made my flight as it was boarding.  I borrowed someone's phone and called home to tell them I had no bags and ran through the airport, but I was on the plane and I was making it home in time to see Garth!  Mom informed me my bags were in Houston and were flying to Nashville and would be delivered on Thursday.

 

When I touched down in Nashville I washed my face in the bathroom and attempted to fix up my face and my hair...it's a good thing the concert was dark!  I was met at the pick up by Ashley and Andrea and airplane bottles of Fireball whiskey!  What a welcomed site!!  I jumped in the car and we headed down to Broadway with just enough time to stop at a bar and have some food and drinks before the show!

 

 Welcome to Nashville...my drivers were waiting :)

 Best friends...with some Fireball.  Mmmmm!!

 Ashley and I.

 Mr. and Mrs. Lambert!

Ashley, Andrea, and I

 

And WHAT A SHOW IT WAS.  I mean really, maybe the best thing I've ever seen!  Oh he was so great!!  It was everything I hoped it to be and more.  He and Trisha both sounded like they were straight off their CD's, he played pretty much every song you would want to hear from him.  He came back out about 3 times and even did an acoustical set playing songs that people were holding up on signs in the audience!  Man, I love Garth.  My love for him is rivaling Keith Urban...those of you who know me...that's kinda huge.  It's a very different love for both in my mind and I think I can love both of them equally, each for different reasons :)  I really wish my video would load right on my computer because I could give you brief 15 second clips of pure awesomeness...but until I can figure it out, you'll just have to take my word for it!
 
 

 
So, the rest of my trip will come in a following post.  I need to head to bed as I have a long day at work tomorrow.  Well it's a combination of Summer planning, work potluck, work, then working Kid's Night Out til 1030 tomorrow...yep, it's a full day!  Ciao for now!! 
 
Love.