Here's the thing

I know it took FOREVER, well more like two weeks, but here you go.

I met the Mckfamily. This is Jennifer Mckinney and her little miracle Stellan.

I have to say, I wondered, as I was standing under a bus stop overhang in the pouring freezing cold rain, whether this was worth it. I asked myself a few times what was I really going for?


Well, let me start over.

Eric and I went down to Atlanta GA. For an annual youth workers convention with our friends from church. The wives don't get registered, so we find "other" things to do. This year we walked A LOT, shopped a bit, rode a train, dealt with unruly hotel managers and I, met some pretty awesome new people, including Jennifer and her family, Shannon(thanks again for the picture), Kari, Malisa, and many others whose names escape me.

We got to Atlanta on Thursday evening, pretty late. We had to ride the MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) and then walk to our hotel. When we got in, the odd (inside joke) boy behind the counter had some crazy reservations that we were unaware of for our friends. We were all tired ad just wanted to get to our rooms, so we decided we would deal with it in the morning. Just to note, our room was sweet, but I'm not trying to rub that fact into any ones face. Morning came and it seemed it would only get worse, but we were hopeful. Our friends, Doug and Katie, were going to have to pay A LOT of money for a misunderstanding if the manager didn't help out. We had to wait until 3 pm for the manager so we thought we would walk while we waited.

Downtown Atlanta isn't really shopper friendly if you don't know where you're headed, so we walked, and walked some more. The CNN center was interesting, but Anderson Cooper was not there, but I guess he's gay anyway so there's no hope for me. We found some things we needed and went back to the hotel to "deal" with the issue.

This manager was not friendly, but did help a bit with the cost of the room. All in all, it wasn't a happy decision, but it was one Katie and Doug could handle. It was behind us and there wasn't much else we could do.

I had seen a post on Mckmama's blog about her gathering in Georgia, but didn't think it would be while we were there. And wasn't even sure it would be close to where we were, even if it was the same weekend.

I saw on facebook that people were asking her were the gathering was and thought to myself, hmm, I wonder. I sent an email and asked for the info. Turns out, the gathering was on the sunday we were leaving Atlanta, but we were not scheduled to fly out until 8:45 pm. The info I got from Jennifer (yes we are on a first name basis) said they were meeting at 3 and that I would see orange balloons at the pavilion that they were using. Well, I'm courageous and I looked up a bus schedule. I thought that it would take 1 bus trip for 2 dollars and I would be there! It turned out a little differently.

In the meantime, the four of us had some fun. Katie and I did sneak into the mass gatherings of the convention with the guys. We heard Francis Chan (Crazy Love), Jeff Foxworthy (dad to an amazing teenager), The African Children's Choir( really cool kids), Shane & Shane ( remember this song from FB), and David Crowder(Eric's boyfriend, if he was like that). We had fun, loved singing, worshipping, praising, and just being there together. I'd go back in a second if I could, but that's another story.

The time came for me to decide if I was going to take the trip. Eric left me thinking I probably wasn't going to go. It was raining, and I wasn't sure. Eric didn't want me to go alone, but I wasn't going to make Katie go when she wasn't really interested.

So, after Eric and Doug left for their sectionals, I made a run for it. Well, I checked online to see if there were actually going to be people there, which there were, and then I left. On my own, feeling brave and unsure all at once.

I asked a nice southern lady how to get to where I was wanting to go, and she gave me TOTALLY different directions than I had. Stumbling block? no, I was going! I took a train, and then was told to get on the # 97 bus. ahhh, if you all could have seen me walking in the rain, asking bus drivers if they were going to Grant Park and having them tell, me no and to go ask that guy, who also wasn't my man. I finally just went with my gut(and the posted bus schedule) and waited...a long time...in the cold rain...with a woman who must have just picked up chicken takeout, and homeless men smelling of horse poo. 3 buses came and went that were not # 97. Another woman came along and waited with me under the tiny overhang and seemed antsy. I asked if she was waiting for the #97 going to Grant Park and she said " Yes, mam, he's late!" Okay, that makes more sense.

So I waited some more, and, it came just as I was thinking of getting back on the train and heading towards someplace more familiar.

Funny driver, funnier passengers. I was comfortable on the bus, until, everyone but me got off. I asked the driver if his bus went to Grant Park and he said yes. Then he asked where I was going, if there was a party. And even though it was cold and raining, and not a party sort of a day he said in all honesty, "that should be fun". I loved this bus, mostly, it's driver.
We got to the park and I asked how to get to the pavilions. Turns out I had to walk clear across the place and up a hill through the woods to get to my destination. The bus driver watched as I walked in the rain and he made sure I knew that I could get back on his bus when the time came. I thanked him, maybe a little bit too much.
I walked into the park and up the hill and looked back at the bus that I was comfortable with, and then kept going. Through the woods I saw more trees and wet leaves. I pulled my sweater hood out of my jacket and over my head. I must have looked like a real dork by this time. My hair doesn't like being rained on, no matter how much gel I put in it that morning. After about 5 minutes I turned a corner and saw them, the orange balloons. My heart jumped a little in my chest and again I thought about turning around, maybe my bus driver was still there.
There weren't a lot of people, and no one as tall as me (yes, I do still notice). I walked up and saw only one familiar face. Stellan, who I prayed for so many times over the last 10 months or so was the first face I saw, and I smiled.
I knew I would see these people. People who I had read about and "known" about for almost a year now, but what I didn't think about was how normal they would be. Jennifer Mckinney is a normal, 30 something mommy to 4 normal fussy eating, sleepy, cute kids and 1 very normal baby holding, not as tall as I thought, prince charming.
I wish you all could have been there, not only would I have felt more at home, but you could have witnessed, as I did, the normal family I can call friends now. I told Jennifer I was from Michigan and that I felt strange for being at their southern gathering. She made me feel welcome and I even got to flirt with Stellan while my new friend Shannon took my picture (my camera is broken, of course). So I stayed and watched mostly, because that's what I do. I took what I wanted in my heart and head and wondered what time the bus was coming.
My friend Shannon had come with her friend Kari from Alabama and they were very friendly. Finally southerners that were charming. Kari asked where I was staying and I told her downtown. She pulled out her iPhone and found directions and then asked if I wanted a ride.
You know when your mom told you never to get into a strangers car? Well, when it's cold and wet and you're in a town you don't know and you just met a whole lotta people who love each other for reasons only God knows...you take a chance. Kari and Shannon chatted about their kids and asked me questions about my family and made my car ride rank right up there with my bus ride earlier that day. kidding kidding. I just can't say enough good things about these beautiful southern gals, THANK YOU GIRLS!
I made it back to the hotel, and then to the airport and then to Michigan and then...to my home. We are back to reality, and back to normal, my normal almost 30 something mommy life, with 2 normal fussy eating, mess making, cute normal kids, and most normal of all, my just the right height normal husband.

I'm glad I went. I'm glad I met, and I'm glad I'm normal.