Sitting in Houston airport waiting on our flight to Ixtapa.  We are headed to Club Med for our friend’s Dave and Evangeline’s wedding.

Dave is a high school friend of Justin’s and current star of Flashpoint.  There will be a few Hollywood types at the wedding so should be an interesting week!

For all you  Canuck’s fans, Trevor Linden cleared security with us.  Great guy.  But boy is he skinny to have played hockey!

The flight from Vancouver was pretty uneventful.  We bought Stella her first seat this time as my growing belly and increasing “uncomfortableness” made this a wise decision.  Stella was her usual good traveler and even had a nap.

Her favorite part of the trip so far was the landing, she kept saying “more” after we landed as she wanted to do it again (squealing with delight) and riding the transit trains and elevators.  All very exciting for a 19 month old.  She’s also quite excited about her new “Dora” wheely suitcase that she can barely push through the airport.

Unfortunately she just fell and got her first major “bo-boo” with a fat split lip and then banged her head.  Ahh growing pains.

We flew Continental Airlines for the first time in a long time and first time with a child.  Nothing fancy and nothing major to report.  Usual flight.  Pleasant staff and they even served us some breakfast…

We took advantage of our American Express Platinum membership and are enjoying the President’s Club Lounge in Houston.  We are in their newest lounge in Terminal E which has a family room with TVs and a few toys.  Very nice to just get away from everyone and let Stella decompress.  Highly recommend it for any long layover with children in Houston.  No food really but complimentary internet and drinks.  Apparently, Terminal E’s Lounge is the best one so if you have the time the nice Continental employee we met said it’s worth the trek.

I’d say Houston airport seems pretty family friendly.  They have companion bathrooms and the family lounge in the President’s Club seems that they are thinking family comfort in some designs.

We will be in Mexico until next Sunday and then off to Vegas for work.

More to report over the next few days I’m sure.

Tips:

If you are pregnant and traveling with another child, spend the money, get an extra seat!

If you have the ability to utilize the lounges in the airports during long layovers they are a nice break and make a long day of travel not seem so bad.

HYDRATE!

Pack along books, crayons and plenty of paper for toddler entertainment.   We still don’t have a DVD player…

If you are on Facebook by now you have more than likely been tagged to write-up 25 things about yourself.

The email you get and your friend or family’s 25 Things Note says

25 Random Things About Me

RULES: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

So I’ve been tagged by at least 25+ people.  Old and new friends.  No family yet but we’ll see…

It’s been really interesting to read what people write.  It has revealed a lot and a little about my friends.  I’ve loved reading them.

I thought about what I’d write for a long time.  As is my personality I wanted it to be just right.  It was not the easiest thing to come up with.

So without further ado…and for all you “non-Facebookers…” here are 25 Random Things About Me.

1.     I’ve thought about what I was going to write on this thing for a long time… Yes, I’m analytical and everything must be perfect.
2.    I am a mother, wife and business owner.  Not always an easy combination to be perfect at but I try really hard.
3.    I am blessed for the marriage I have.  Friendship, partnership, companion and soul mate.
4.    My most successful physical accomplishment was giving birth naturally (that is, no drugs) to a healthy 9.3 lbs. baby girl; I hope I’m as successful with #2 in May.
5.    When Stella was born my life began to have meaning.  I can’t imagine a day without her.  I haven’t spent a night away from her since she was born (19 months and counting).
6.    I think Stella is special and people tell me she is.  I am sure all parents feel this way.
7.    I am most proud of owning my own business with my husband and having the freedom it affords us.  I COULD NEVER work for someone ever again.  I now know why I was frustrated my entire corporate career.
8.    Justin and I have been talking about what we are going to do when we retire since we met—right now it’s the magical island of Ibiza…no, it’s not all just partying there!
9.    If we could live “bi-coastally” we’d live in Vancouver and NYC…my 2 favorite places on earth and I’ve been to a lot of places.
10.    I had no idea how much of a West coast person I really am until I moved to Vancouver…
11.    I don’t understand how anyone can’t be worried about the environment.  Global warming or not, we all consume too much and waste too much.  Live like your grandparents, conservatively, and the world will be a happier and healthier place.  Reuse, recycle and walk or ride a bike when you can.  It goes along with my theory of W3—Waste, Waist, and Wallet can all be saved if we just did a better job of looking out for the environment and ourselves.
12.    I was a vegetarian for 7 years and still love my “hippy food.”  I think it made me a better cook because if you don’t have meat in a dish you gotta get creative.
13.    I love food and there’s nothing like a great night out at a fantastic restaurant;  filet mignon seared in butter and a huge glass of the heaviest cab you can find or B.C. Salmon sashimi and champagne!
14.    I have had a ton of different jobs—waitress, secretarial temp, bar tender, cook, caterer, Pilates instructor, consultant, lobbyist, dog walker, dog groomer, lifeguard, babysitter, legislative analyst, and now business owner…to name a few, I can relate to a lot of people….
15.    I love to travel and some of the happiest memories in my life were when I had nothing to my name but a backpack and its contents.
16.    Material wealth is a really nice thing but I can live without…see #15.
17.    May 7, 2005 was the worst day of my life.  My mother died.  No warning, no goodbyes.  There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her.  We all have mothers and if I could spare any of my friends and family this tragedy I would.
18.    I have wanted to travel to India for the past 12 years but for some reason have never made it there.  It is #1 on the must see list.  I am drawn to that place.
19.    I love yoga and my “yogi guru” is Gurmukh Kasala…Bikram’s yoga kicks A** and will kick you’re A**
20.    I love champagne.  Not because it’s fancy (well that too) but because I actually like the taste.  I also really like beer so I can go both ways-especially a red neck special “red eye.”
21.    I never go to bed without first flossing and brushing and then reading a few pages out of a book.  Sober or not, exhausted or not, this ALWAYS happens.
22.    I’m in a book club and I love discussing the books we read.  My intellectual stimulation for the month.
23.    I’m a minimalist and hate clutter.  I often have “purge-regret,” that’s when you get rid of something to discover a few months later you wish you had kept it.  Justin really gets annoyed with me about this…
24.    I’ve “stepped out of life” for 4-6 months and gone traveling now 4 times since I graduated from college.  I plan to take many more trips with Justin and the kids for the rest of my life.  I believe you learn the most through travel and make the most memories while doing it, it’s worth the sacrifices.
25.    I will try ANYTHING once – I like to build my resume!