surprise

"I'm changing my flight,"

I announce decidedly as I heave my massive duffel bag onto the backseat.

One speed-pack and a few frantic glances at the clock later my family's agreed to attempting to squeeze in one desperately sought after bapple-run before my 6 o'clock flight.

Bapple's 30 minutes across town.

Airport's another 15 back in this direction.

We have 45 minutes before I'm due to check-in.

This is the logic of yours truly.

anyway...

not really the time to be announcing any sort of itinerary change.

I explain my reasoning to the questioning crowd.

I have tomorrow off.

Southwest changes flights for free.

My current flight 

(post-lay-overs) 

isn't scheduled to touch ground in Salt Lake 'til 11:50.

And as much as I miss my dear husband, he confirmed earlier that he'd be spending his spring break at work.

"Can't you sleep in?  Go in a little late?"

Answer: sorry, but no.

I'd love to, but no.
Our little reunion would have to wait.

so to recap...

I'm spending my whole night in transit

a night I could be spending with family.

My one reason to go home

my husband

will be able to see me for a whopping 20 minutes

i.e. the duration of our drive home

before he becomes a big chubby pumpkin

it will be nearing 1 o'clock at this point.

Then said husband will be gone before I'm awake

leaving me to spend my whole day doing...well, nothing.

I don't expect to be entertained (per say).

I just like to make the most of every minute of life outside the bank.

And, as I see it, changing my flight is a win-win-win 
(with just one drawback).

skip out on a backwards 2-stop flight and upgrade to a non-stop for FREE
WIN

my night, once set to be spent in transit, will now be time spent with my family
WIN
(oh and it's monday, mind you, so Family Home Evening's on the itinerary.
let's see.
games with my beloved fam-damily
or stale air shared with strangers on a plane?
that's what I thought...)
I'll be home with my beloved husband just 10 hours later than I would have been otherwise 
(more like 2 as 8 of those hours would have been spent sleeping anyhow)
WIN

But, of course,
one more night w/o my Parker is, 
at the same time,
a lose.

So I weigh out my options and,
what do you know,
the WINS win out 3:2
(a night without Parker counts as 2 losses because,
yes,
I do miss him that much after just 3 days).


so with all this in mind,
I change my flight.
just 30 minutes before I'm scheduled to check-in.


And in the midst of all this,
my impulsiveness 
key word
overshadows my good sense
and wastes any thought remotely resembling a by-product of clear thinking.  


Should I maybe consult with my husband (and ride) before making any big itinerary changes?
as my parents suggest
yes.
Do I?
of course not.


And this is
in short
how the rest of the story goes.


Chelsey: "Great news!"
blah, blah, blah
"Southwest thinks I'm crazy to cut it so close..."


Parker: "You are."


Chelsey: "Why?"


Parker: "Can you still make the flight?"


Chelsey:  "Maybe but..."


Parker: "Then change it back."


Chelsey: "Why?"


Parker: "Just change it back."


Chelsey: "Why?"


Parker: "Just change it back."


Chelsey:
"baby.
i love you.
i do.
but I need a better reason to call in like a certified crazy 

and beg for the flight I just begged be changed."

Parker: "I have a surprise..."

Oh....

conversation shifts from

disbelief

to 

suspicion

to 

sheer curiosity

By the time I've reached my hundredth "What?" he breaks.

"I took tomorrow off,

spent my entire afternoon calling every Costco member in the family I could think of,

sped across town to borrow a card

(as ours was tucked safely away in my wallet with me in Sparks),

disguised myself to use said card,

paid in cash to avoid any name discrepancies

and keep from getting the boot,

and 

finally

purchased two passes to the Canyons.

one for me, and one for my wife who likes surprises.

*protest*

I'm kidding.

One's for you...

It's supposed to snow tonight.

I thought you'd like it."

He proceeded to tell me how excited he'd been to employ the element of surprise.

He couldn't wait to see my reaction at the airport that night.

"Oh woe is me,"

I'd thought.

"to be spending my whole day off all lonesome-like."

He'd had me fooled.
And I'd ignorantly spoiled a very sweet surprise and stolen his thunder in the process.
Lovely.


Time for a bit of damage control...

Needless to say,

after a frenzied phone call to rapid rewards,

during which conversation, 

I'm sure,

the RR rep flagged me as a vacillating terrorist 

for all my frenetic flight-swapping.

an unsettlingly long wait in bag check,

why do I always insist on packing full-size liquids?

a sprint through security,

followed by an announcement that my flight was, once again, an hour+ delayed.

a flight to Oakland,

where,

after sprinting to try and make my connection,

I discovered that the plane we'd planned to take wouldn't be arriving for another 2 hours.

lovely.

(thank goodness for Twizzler's cherry bites & Words With Friends)

and a few too many packets of honey-roasted peanuts later,

no such thing?

i thought so too.

I was home.

kissing Parker to pieces on the corner

(i just love the hellos after long goodbyes!

so, so sweet!)

and committing 5+ airport parking violations in the process

(lucky for us everyone was past caring by 2 A.M.).

And 6 hours,

1 gondola ride,

2 snowboards,

3 mountains,

15 runs,

and 12 inches of fresh powder later,

I'd spent the best day with my very best friend.

who, I hope, will always be full of surprises.

i love you Parker B.

thanks for the "surprise."

(And FYI: if you'll give me a next time, I'll never spoil it again).

promised.

bapple

oh little minions...

i just love you!

watching these mini-movies is like popping little yellow happy pills!

but that's beside the point.

i started and ended my trip home with my favorite friend.

we have one of those bittersweet relationships

if you will.

it's absolutely unhealthy 

and wrong on so many levels.

i feel absolutely awful by the end of our time together

and so guilty too.

i know i'd be better off without him.

i'd be healthier,

happier,

with a wealth of cash and confidence.

but i just can't stand the thought of ever giving him up.

at times he's beyond sweet

and seems, 

to me,

to be exactly what i need

'til I come to my senses and realize I sought out a deceivingly empty source of comfort 

for all the wrong reasons too.

to be honest,

i think the my main draw is the rush I feel when i see him.

i never plan our little trysts.

never know what's happening until I'm there.

i say this only to ease my conscience.

I fully know these "serendipitous" encounters are the result of an impulsive subconscious.

i know what i'm doing when i do it,

even if i like to pretend i don't.

so,

in sum,

he's my forbidden fruit.

dangerously appealing.
delicious to the taste.

the off-limits love i can't help but crave.

he's...

my bapple.

oh golly!

you do not know the real meaning of sweet until you've tried Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory's "Apple Pie" apple.

"Bapple" became Parker's pet name for my sugary sweet treat the night he discovered just how much I hate to share.

(hence the minion movie)

I tried and tried to convince him to buy his own.

He insisted he didn't need a whole apple,

that he'd be happy with a bite of mine.

I feigned sympathy.

"oh honey! you've been working nonstop all week. you deserve this!

we've been so good with saving too!"

no go.

so i tried sarcasm.

"okay. i suppose you can play martyr tonight. i'll "take one for the team" tomorrow and skip my shower so we can afford to pay for yours k?"

no go again.

and now he's borderline bugged.

And so I confess,

"I'm sorry sweetie.  I just...it just...it's MY apple.

I just love it so much.

And, well...I love you too.

and if I have to share I will.

but, um, if you got your own..."

"You don't have to share with me Chels,"
he laughs

"Go get your bapple."

end story.

*to my credit, I did share.

but only a little...
:)

anyway...
now that i've dedicated 90% of my post to exploring that obsession
I made my way home the weekend before last for an itty bitty spring break.
With Parker's last minute plans to head south to St. George for a brother's biking trip and a free flight in reserve I figured
what the heck!
i'm taking a trip to the 775.


so I hopped on the phone with rapid rewards and,
a quick 90 minutes later
(85 of which I spent on hold)
i had a Friday night flight
woohoo!


I'd been missing home quite a bit lately.
We crammed so much fun and so many visits into our Christmas trip that I'd forgotten what felt like to just be home. 
to sleep in my own bed,
well...the guest bed.
Haley'd laid claim to my room by my second year of college
which is A-okay.
i only ever used my room as a closet anyway.
a BIG closet.
(which I'm convinced gave me my unrealistic expectations about how much storage space one should have/require).
for some reason i always preferred sleeping on the couch.
or the bonus room bed.
i guess you could say i was a bit of a bed nomad.
special thanks to Parker and our little apartment for helping me change my ways.
(please reread the last big print line before my babbling tangent.
if you proceed without doing so this list will no longer make sense).
spend time with my family,
and reacquaint myself with the simple life of Sparks
or should I say acquaint myself?
i've never not been busy in that city.


so yes!
I couldn't wait to be home.

My flight left Salt Lake at 5:10 Friday afternoon,
touching ground in Reno by 5:40.
I love, love, love skipping back to Pacific Standard Time!
I wish I could have an extra hour every day.
and i think i lied about those flight times.
we waited to board for over an hour.
oh well.
you get the point.

I bought a bapple at the airport,
of course.
Did you know there's a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory there?!
it's just past security. 
i tried so hard to resist.
ok, that's a lie too.
i googled all the stores in the valley once.
so i knew.
and i planned on it.
i'm not proud of it...

read a thought-provoking Spirit magazine article on brains,
post on that to come...

dozed off just long enough to miss out on my free in-flight beverage,
i've decided the cran-apple juice on planes is just magical.
it tastes so much better 30,000 feet in the air
prayed I'd find my luggage on the carousel,
do you ever worry it's going to disappear?
lost luggage scares me.
then made my way out to meet the fam.
let the fun begin!


our adventures?
and intended lack there-of
(remember I wanted some real R&R)

seafood louie's
and an embarrassing run-in @ the Nugget.
have you ever forgotten someone you should absolutely know
and tried to fake your way through the conversation,
only to realize afterward how absolutely unconvincing all of your comments must have been?
makes you feel like a pretty terrible person no?
i'm still feeling it...

Limitless
am-A-zing movie!
sleeping in
i won't say 'til when.
just know it was glorious.

hitting the gym
i've never laughed so hard during an ab work-out.
mom + chelsey + haley + stability balls = chaos & hilarity
shopping
it wouldn't be home without it :)

Mimi's Cafe
& lunch salads the size of serving bowls.
i wanted to pop.

frozen yogurt
to talk wedding plans with the Proulxs.
i just love that family.
and their latest addition too :)
pictures with Molly

i will never attempt a photo with a canine again.
i don't care how cute she is.
i fed her a whole roll of saltine crackers,
watched my jeans be slathered in slobber,
endured all sorts of heavy, stinky breathing in my face,
and still ended up with this 
(50+ takes later).
The world will never know just how cute you are Miss Molly.
we tried.
(is this somewhat similar to taking pictures with little ones?
my guess is yes.
but that's just a guess.)
Sunday meetings in my home ward
it's changed quite a bit in the last few years.
even the name's changed!
*wingfield hills...psh*
but there's still more than enough 8th Ward veterans to make it feel like home,
and that's why i love going back.
I love my ward family.
I adore the people there.
They taught me what it means to live and love the Gospel
and made and still make me feel like I can be anything and do everything,
and I can't tell you how much that means to me.
Sunday dinner
i cooked.
it actually turned out.
so well,
in fact,
that my dad thinks it's a miracle meal.
he's convinced it's the reason he dropped 2 lbs in 2 days.
talk about a weight loss tool!
i'm thinking i should sell it :)
YW's meetings
what would a weekend with my mom be without a meeting? :)
i tagged along just for kicks
(and to see a few more of my favorite people).
blew my mind to see girls I led in leadership roles.
they're so grown up!
kind of crazy.

Rummikub
dad being the timer Nazi.
mom yelling at the timer
(and dad).
Haley cool as a cucumber.
and me just a little bored
but a giggling mess all the same.
why is my family so funny?
i just love them.
and games with them.
oh so funny!

facials
just blissful!

sushi time
unusual chopstick methods
(a chopstick is not a fork
nor should it be used like one)
+
crystal shrimp 
(mmm!!!!)
+
watching mom choke down a roll that
"tastes like slugs"
=
my best Sparks sushi experience ever.


(I can't relive the slugs moment without laughing,
"Nobody told me?!"
"Well, we needed someone to try it...").
We owe you Mom :)
family time
This was by far my favorite part of the trip.
I love my family so much.
I never believed it growing up,
but it's absolutely clear to me now that they all are 
-and always will be- 
my very best friends.

Mom & Dad-

I love you.  

I wonder every day how it is that I was blessed to come into your home.

There's no place that makes me happier.

No two people who make me smile more.

I love that our family loves to laugh;

that you taught us that.

I learned from you too what it means to work

and take pride in that work too.

You helped me develop ambition and drive

and always, always believed in me.

You've been my best cheerleaders

and biggest support.

I know the sacrifices you made you give me everything;

I so hope you know what that means to me.

I learned how to love others and make friends

and learned that blessing the lives of others through service is the best way to be a friend. 

I've been the beneficiary of your generosity for far too many years

and was again this weekend.

And though I know you don't expect a thing in return, 

I wonder each and every day what I could possibly do to give back even the tiniest bit of what you've given me.

I've not the slightest clue what to do just yet,

so for now just know how that I love you

so. much.

and I always, always will.

And Haley-

I love you too!  

I grew up thinking we were both so different.  

We're not.  

Not at all.  

And it's so fun for me to see just how much we are the same.

From our thoughts, ideas, and opinions

to our super silly mannerisms, crazy eyes, and dumb jokes,

we're like two tubby little peas in a pod.

I'm so happy we're friends!

so glad we can chat.

so lucky to have someone to laugh at mom & dad with.

and so blessed to have such an amazing example in my life

(especially in a younger sibling.

isn't is supposed to be the other way?)

I am so excited about all the fun you're going to have in these next few years.

I wish you lived closer : /

Come visit soon okay?

Love you Miss Hay!


And Molly & Paws...
I absolutely love you too!
(if you could read I'd expound on that.
i'm sure you understand.)

and of course I got

one last bapple.

yummmmmm

I loved every minute of my trip home.
Funny how a city can have such a special place in your heart.
No matter how many years I spend away,
I think I'll always call this place home.
I realized this the night we went to the Sparks Century 14 theaters.
I made a life for myself in Provo when I came to college.
I'm making my married life here in Salt Lake.
We'll make a life for ourselves in a new city for dental school.
And we'll raise our family in a new town too.
And I know, from past and present experience,
that we'll spend many nights out at the movies.
But I believe,
-no-
I'm convinced,
that I'll never find another hometown theater.
 if that makes sense...


anyway...
Monday night came.
I said goodbye to Sparks.
and
4 calls to rapid rewards
3 flight changes
2 planes
and a 5 hour delay later
I made it home sweet home to Salt Lake City,
my adorable husband,
and the most exciting surprise.


stay tuned...




*Thanks again family for everything!
I miss it all already.
Love you so much!*