God answers prayers...even if they are trivial!

This week was our much anticipated trip to Baltimore to visit David’s family. While looking forward to the trip for several months we were very worried about the travel plans. Flying with a 19 month old sounded just plain awful. We actually were going to drive the 13 hour trip just to avoid stressing out us and every other passenger on the plane but then the gas prices went up and the plane tickets came down and it just made more since to fly. I know most people who pray, pray for really important things such as world peace, the medical cure of a loved one or for their spouse to find a job. I’ll admit it, I must be shallow and last week I found myself, on numerous occasions, simply praying for a stress-free flight to Baltimore with Noah. I nearly worried myself to death about this flight. My prayers went something like this:

Dear God,
This is Cristie, Just a stay-at-home-mom of a very, very mobile, impatient,fast, fidgety, kinda loud, part-monkey (but oh-so-sweet and adorable) toddler. Yes, it’s Noah..I’m sure you know him. Anyway, please, please, please, please help him to actually be still, quiet and fairly easy on our flight this week. Please help him behave so the other passengers don’t give us evil looks and secretly wish Noah was riding in the baggage compartment. Please make sure he doesn’t vomit on board or have a diaper explosion that offends the noses of every passenger. Please, if he’s going to scream, help him find an “inside voice” that doesn’t carry for 12 miles like his normal screaming voice. Please, if he forces us to let him walk up and down the aisle because he can’t sit still, help him not to climb in the lap and bother every single stranger he finds in rows 4-28. Please help him not to continually kick the seat in front of him, throw toys at the people across the aisle from us or help himself to the neighboring passenger’s drinks and snacks on her tray table. And most importantly, please, please please help us to like him as much when we get off the plane as we do when we get on the plane. Amen

Well, all I’m gonna say is that God answers prayers…even trivial ones like this one. While our trip was still exhausting (how can it not be when flying with a toddler, a car seat, a stroller, 3 suitcases, David’s brief case and 2 other carry-ons) but it was quite surviveable. Noah was in a great mood at the airport and made tons of friends since he insisted on saying "hi" to every person he saw. He actually slept for 90% of both flights and was perfectly behaved throughout the airport, through security (and if you know the Atlanta airport, which is classified as the busiest airport in the world, you know that is quite an accomplishment), through the rental car ordeal and on the car rides as well. We got sooooo lucky and were so relieved.

We went to Baltimore because David's wonderful Aunt Linda was being ordained in the Episcopal church as a Deacon. I must admit, not being Episcopal, I've never been to an ordination (we kept calling it a coronation) but it was a beautiful ceremony in a beautiful downtown cathedral and I'm glad I got to experience the occasion with all of David's family. David, Noah and I as well as the families of Linda's three children (except for Mark who is serving our country in Iraq) all stayed at the home of a close family friend. They were out of town on a cruise and gave all 16 of us (8 adults and 8 kids, 4 of which were infants or toddlers) the full use of their lovely home and had it completely stocked with food, linens, cribs, high chairs, pack-n-plays, bouncy seats,baby gates, toys, etc etc. Noah had a blast playing with all his cousins, running around in the huge yard and getting to visit with his 90+ year-old Great-Grandparents who also live in the area. As soon as I finish unpacking and can find the camera I will upload some pictures of the family reunion.