We left our Harts in Austin

Maliana ~

From beginning to end, the trip to Austin was awesome! You were so stoked to go, exclaiming, “I’m ready to go on our trip!” as soon as I picked you up at school on Wednesday.

We started bright and early on Thursday morning. You are such a great traveler. I don’t think I’ve met a better-behaved kid on a plane. You spread smiles wherever you go. From the cute kitty cat mask you wore for a bit on the way down to Austin;

the flight attendants raving about how good you were being on the way home, even giving you a special snack (the ones that cost an arm and a leg to buy from the beverage cart); wings from several pilots on our journeys (one pilot wasn’t even on a plane, but rather on a tram to another terminal at the airport and he just liked talking to you); and finally to the guy who was supposed to be directing our plane out of the gate but instead began waving at you through the window of the plane. You are simply magnetic and smiles are contagious when you’re around. You are also doing so much better feeling comfortable on flights, which makes it easier on everyone too.

Wheeee!!
(a big fan of takeoffs now)

We got into Texas at the end of the day on Thursday, so unfortunately could only go over to see Uncles Matt and Mark, Aunts Taylor and Cindy, and your cousin Ben briefly for pizza that night. It was still so nice to see everyone again and the first time you have met Matt and Taylor, so that was really special.

pizza with Aunts Cindy and Taylor and cousin Ben

with Uncle Mark and Ben

Taylor, Mark and Matt...being silly

you were getting really tired and cranky so Daddy and I decided to emphasize opposites
(you couldn't help but give in and smile too)

We met Mark for coffee at Jo’s on Friday morning then had the best day. It was one of those “What are we gonna do today?” days that turned out perfect! We drove around Austin and ended up spending quite a bit of time at Zilker Park. This town has such a funky laid-back vibe and by pure luck, the outfit you were wearing on Friday fit in perfectly!

cheese!

cuddled up to Uncle Mark

I love your sloppy kisses!

Jo's coffee...yummm!

we got a little bored waiting for you to wake up

choo choo!!

on the Zilker Zephyr

driving the Zilker fire truck

waving to the people on the train

feeding the pigeons by hand...however your favorite thing to do was
wait to get a big group around us and then chase them all away,
over and over and over again

it was neck in neck...but I think the pigeon won this race

We met the family for dinner at Guero’s. You really took a liking to Aunt Taylor and your obsession with her lasted throughout the rest of the trip. Any time she was not around, you’d ask, “Where’s my friend Taylor?” It was very cute. As we drove away from dinner that night, I was looking at some of the pictures we’d taken thus far on our trip and reflected that it was SO nice to have pictures with all of us together again. Austin is so far away from Columbus, so we don’t get to see these guys (and gals) nearly as much as I’d like or as much as Daddy and I used to see them. It was refreshing to be together again. I realized how much I miss them.

Aunt Taylor giving you a tickle

all of us after dinner...I love these people!

On Saturday we headed to San Marcos to meet a friend of mine (Matt) for lunch. It’s an interesting story. I met Matt when I was a collector back in 1995 or 1996. He was just one of many random clients I had to try to collect from over the phone on one particular night, and instead of it being a brief conversation (as was typical), it lasted 45 minutes and we spoke very little about debt but rather about nearly anything and everything else. He was funny and friendly, a nice reprieve from the usual hostile client getting a call from a debt collector. Anyway, we exchanged information and kept in touch for years, 16 to be exact, talking on the phone for hours on many a night, just trying to get through those confusing early 20’s, helping each other through the challenges of young love, heartbreak, frustrating roommates, and college poverty. We lost touch briefly as each of us was married and carried away in our own lives, but he tracked me down on my birthday this past year and I realized he was living in San Antonio, which is very close to Austin. So, we decided to take the opportunity to finally make it happen and meet in person. The lunch went great and Daddy, Matt, and I talked and laughed for 3 hours! He even brought you a present (a Buzz Lightyear art kit that you now adore), which was so very thoughtful. You were so patient and well behaved at the restaurant. It was almost as if you could sense what an important meeting it was, for which I am truly grateful. You’re an amazing kid.

It was so nice to meet Matt in the flesh, at long last, and to be pleasantly surprised that he is as genuine and good of a person as I’d ever imagined him to be. As you grow up, I just hope that you can surround yourself with some true blue friends and solidly good people too. The older I get, the more I realize there’s not much that is more priceless. They can make all the difference in the world.

marching out of the Root Cellar Cafe with Matt's
thoughtful gift

16 years in the making, I am so thankful for the
opportunity to finally meet this wonderful friend

That night, we headed over to Matt and Taylor’s for dinner (a feast actually). We basically just hung out and talked and relaxed. It was perfect. You loved Uncle Matt’s hamburgers (he’s always been a good cook) and kept both Aunt Taylor and their little dog Lucy on their toes. I think you had a really good time…and I know Daddy and I did. Uncle Mark and Aunt Cindy came over after they had dinner out at a fancy restaurant (it was actually Matt and Mark’s birthday that day), and we made a fire in the back yard and hung out there for a while until it got too cold. It was nice to all be together and once again I was reminded how much I miss them.

comparing silkies with Aunt Taylor, who still has hers (and she's 30!)

Lucy is checking you out

you must have gotten her approval

helping Matt and Taylor make dinner

splashing Matt with water...you stinker

"Hey Mali! Cheer up!"

bubbles!

the girls by the fire

Daddy had to leave on Sunday to go to San Diego for work. We met everyone for coffee at Jo’s again on Sunday morning. You had a hard time with Daddy leaving, but then by the end of the day you were fine.

dueling toddlers

I took you back over to Matt and Taylor’s after we dropped Daddy off at the airport and we hung out there for a while. Then all of us drove back over to Mark’s to have dinner one last time together before we headed back to Ohio in the morning.

Uncle Matt made you a fort in their backyard

Aunt Taylor in your "house"

last night in Austin...going to miss these guys and gals!

silliness...upon your request

taking it down a notch, storytime with Aunt Cindy and Ben

This trip was very eye opening for me on many levels. I am still processing a lot of it. It’s interesting to see how dynamics change and how they stay the same as we all get another year (or two or three) older and diverge into our separate lives, dealing with all the usual trappings of being a grown up. Our family has had its share of “stuff”, as most families do. There have been ups and downs, years when I saw Matt and Mark a lot, and years when I saw them very little. I’ve known these guys, technically my “half” uncles (although I consider them more like the big brothers I never had), pretty much my entire life. I’ve never been big on titles or labels though. Our family is full of “steps” and “halves”. These labels don’t really mean a hell of a lot. What does mean a hell of a lot is who is in your life and how they make you feel when you’re with them. People with whom you can share some kind of history and can relate to your experiences (or at least make every effort to relate simply because they care about you that much). People who take a genuine caring interest in you and listen, really listen to what you have to say. People who you can trust and rely on, who you know love you just as you are, no changes necessary. People with whom you feel safe, who would always have your back no matter what. People who take the time and never waste the opportunity to look you in the eye and say, “I love you”. People who send a note to say the same when they are too far away. And of course, people for whom you would hopefully do all of this in return as well. That is how I see my uncles. That is how I see the good friends in my life. That is how I see family.

Coming home from this trip was bittersweet. It’s always hard to say goodbye. My priorities have shifted a lot since you have come home. I recognize now with almost a sense of urgency how important it is for you to spend time with and know all of your family, regardless of the physical distance between us. Daddy and I hope that we can make these trips on an annual basis. It’s that important.

And while it was tough to leave, there’s nothing like coming home. Since Daddy was already in San Diego, you and I had to get up, return the rental car, and catch our flight that left at 7:30am, all on our own. Yowza (!) that was early. We made it though. You did phenomenal. I couldn’t ask for a better travel companion. I didn’t even have to coerce you to comply with TSA…as you can see below.

insisted on taking off your shoes and getting a separate bin so security could scan silkie

I was actually really nervous to do all of this myself, traveling and making connections from Texas to Ohio with my almost 4 year old. Somehow, all I kept thinking was how good I was going to feel when I could look back and say, “Yeah, I did that!” And we did make it without even a hiccup. Now…I don’t always handle new challenges so positively, so make a note of this one honey (and ignore the rest of my drama, as there’s sure to be plenty in the years ahead). When you are faced with a new challenge that you’re unsure how to handle, ignore all of that negative fear and just keep thinking about how good it will feel when you’ve conquered it. It works, I swear it works.

And finally, once home, there’s nothing sweeter than seeing you running, arms flailing, down the corridor, screaming “Lao Lao!!” as we walked through the gates in Port Columbus. Ahhh. We’re home.

Love,
Mama