The Gray Family: April 2011

(I'm struggling with some uploads. I'll have to post more pics later)

Being so anxious for the previous 4 months of visiting Riley, I had high expectations of San Antonio and she delivered!

I walked off of the plan and immediately run to where I would get Emmy's stroller and spoke so fast to the bless-ed Mexican girl who helped me with my car rental she told me I would have to "slow down". I told her I can't. I called Riley just as the plane landed and wasn't expecting to see him that night because they have to be back by 8:30. His sargeant said if I got there before 9:00 I could see him for a few minutes. The plane landed at 7:45! I ran with luggage ( stroller, Emmy, HUGE suitcase, purse, and a filled to the brim diaper bag) in tow catch the shuttle to get the car. After jumping up and down on the drunk and giving it one or two "people's elbow" with all of my might so it would close, I asked someone the quickest way to base. Besides it being dark and I had opposite directions of what I had been told I decided to go the way suggested by a man who made me think of the words ' craw-dad' and 'yee-haa'. To make a long long story short, after much crying and yellings of, " Blast! I hate driving. I don't have any sense of direction. I HATE DRIVING!" I made it. Best reunion of my life. Riley pj's are short black shorts tucked into a T-shirt that says ARMY and a yellow reflective belt. Hot! I got to meet his 'battle buddy' Goff who I've heard about since basic training in South Carolina.

After a short reunion I was off. Fort Sam Houston is a HUGE base. It is it's own little town with it's own cemetary, Burger King, bowling alley, theatre, elementary and high schools. Riley told me the only way he knew of to get off of base. I got off base just fine. It tool me 2 1/2 hours of driving all around, in and out of San Antonio before I made it to our hotel. I thought I was going to DIE of frustration. I stopped 11 times to ask people where to go. The freeway system in comparison to Boise is like a drip of water to the Pacific ocean! Several different interstates over lapping, crossing and twisting. Turn arounds and turn abouts, slight merges and U-turns.... I'm sure I could have developed a much easier system. Not to mention it was "Fiesta" (a much bigger scale Boise River festival.) I ventured to base again the next day so that I could figure out where in the world I was going so when we picked Riley up that night we wouldn't spend all of our precious time driving around in circles. That trip it took me 1 1/2 hours to get back to the hotel. Woof! Finally Riley let me take his 'tablet' that has a GPS system where an angel from the most high tells you where to go exactly. You practically don't even have to think! With GPS in stowe it took me a grand total of 7 MINUTES to get from base to our hotel. Tell me about it...

After that we had the best time of our lives which consisted of swimming outside at the hotel, walking on the famous San Antonio River walk, Going to Sea World ( AMAZING!) and speding time with the most amazing Daddy in the world.

Emmy got really attatched to her daddy and everynight we had to drop him off on base the ride home consisted of Emmy saying, "Daddy?! Byebye? Daddy?" With big crockadile tears in her eyes. After much singing of "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home" (her favortie song) and telling her we'll see Daddy tomorrow she was okay. I feel so sad because she doesn't understand and probably thought she wouldn't see him again. Le weep.

I suggest for anyone who is anywhere near a Sea World to go. Shamu is my new favorite and Emmy still talks about seeing "Sa-moo" and how he "slash's" in the water.

June 3rd can't come fast enough but with a new house to unpack and going into nursery next month we'll hopefully have enough to keep us busy.