Welcome Weekend

This last weekend we were able to attend University of Washington's MBA Welcome Weekend. It has been amazing, but let me first start with how we got here.

We decided that since UW was going to pay for our flight we were going to  fly out of our little airport in Madison. Usually we drive to Milwaukee which is an hour and a half, but its always so stressful. So we booked our flights. The plan was to leave the Madison airport at 6 AM, lay over in Chicago for 45 minutes then straight into Seattle. Well, at 11 PM on Wednesday we got a TEXT message that our flight from Madison to Chicago was cancelled! So we called the airlines and waited on hold for 1 hr to try and figure out what we were going to do! It took an hour and a half to decide that we had had enough of the airlines and we would just drive to Chicago- 3 hours away. So as soon as we hung up the phone, because by now its 12/1 in the morning, and decided we were still wide awake so lets just leave now. So we packed everything into our car, tried to keep the baby asleep and started our drive. The first hour was awful. The rain alone would make anyone nervous, but the wind was at 35+ wind bursts. Eric had to fight to keep our car on the road. It did eventually go away but it was pretty scary. Once we got to the outskirts of Chicago we found one of those travel centers/oasis' and slept. Yes we slept in our car because we didn't want to pay a hotel for 2 hours of sleep. Then we headed to the airport.

Sleeping in our car like Truckers

Once inside the airport we went to our airlines and they proceeded to tell us that this flight was also cancelled! I was pissed! They made us wait in line for 45 minutes to speak to a lady at the counter. All the while I am looking at the Google Flight Status thing and it says our flight is on time! And 3 other people can see that we are on the flight, it just wont let the check us in. Well finally the lady at the ticket counter told us that even though we bought our tickets from them, we have to check in at a different airlines, because they are the ones flying the plane! It would have been nice if any of the 4 people we talked to before would have told us this! At this point Eric and I are pissed, and Q has exploded out of his diaper. But we still haven't checked in, the line at security is forever long, and we haven't had breakfast.

We run to Alaska and there isn't aline, just a frustrated attendant. We then find the closest bathroom for the baby. and run to security. Luckily the person there took pity on us and let us go in the employee only line because we had a baby. We get through security to find Q exploded another diaper. Change him, order our McDonalds and they are boarding. So I haven't feed the baby or myself, and we have to run to our gate. We are FINALLY on the plane! Lots of deep breaths later we are settled and on our way to Seattle!

Thursday was a reception for the MBA students, and they put us in a nice hotel near campus. So we dropped the baby off at Eric's parents house and headed to the hotel so we could check in and change. It was a super nice dinner! After when everyone was heading to Pub Club, we decided to go to bed. We had only slept 2 hours in the last 24 and I needed sleep.

View from our room

Friday was mostly workshop type classes, they had a financial aid class, Mock MBA class, etc. For us blue dots as they call us, the significant others, we had our own lunch and a panel to learn more about what its like for other blue dots. They were all super nice, and have a great little community between all of them. It will be fun to get together with them while the students are studying or away on Case Competitions. Friday Night was a TG- or Themed Party, it was Indian Themed so they had some great food, also 6 kegs. The entire MBA school was invited to mingle with the new kids. All in all it was a lot of fun. I cant wait to go to those when we live in Seattle.

They give out quackers

Saturday they had us go on Ride the Ducks. All 13 years I have lived in Seattle I have never been on the Ducks. It was so much fun! The driver was awesome and the weather wasn't too bad! They sm
oozed us some more with a great lunch in Downtown Seattle. Then the MBA part of the weekend was over! We went shopping afterwards because HELLO 5 story Nordstrom! and it was Eric's birthday. After that we met up with Martha and Brenton and went to the Chihuly exhibit in Seattle. It was AMAZING! I would recommend it, but maybe not for little kids. It is really expensive glass. I would hate to have one break. After that we went to Dinner with my family, and had a torrential hail storm. it looked like snow on the ground, but really it was hail. Our car had 3 inches of hail piled on.

That is hail on the road

Sunday we went to Sacrament meeting with my family then rushed home to see my little sister who came home for the week before we headed up to Erics parents house to spend the rest of Sunday and Monday.

Now it is Monday morning and I am super sad because in a couple of house we have to fly back to Chicago and drive 3 hours home. :( August cant come soon enough! In the meantime I am looking forward to my cousins wedding in St. George and then my parents are coming to Nauvoo in May. I wouldn't mind if our flight from Seattle to Chicago was cancelled :)