Detroit Recap

And I am now home for a while, this past weekend Lucy and I went to Detroit for a youth workers/pastors/volunteers conference. It is where we will be having our national youth gathering this coming summer, so it is nice to get a little bit of a lay of the land before being there with tons of kids following us. There will be about 40,000 youth attending, 100 of them mine.

Charlye & Lucy
{Here's hoping they become BFFs}

This past month Lucy and I also took a trip to Detroit for work for me, it worked out MARVELOUSLY to take her along, plus she had a great time. I didn't actually buy Lucy a seat for any of our four legs of our trip, HOWEVER, she got to ride in her carseat each of the four legs due to there being open seats on the plane! SCORE! It was particularly nice on the way home when our flight was suppose to be at 7:00pm but didn't happen until after 11:00pm. She slept the flight, the car ride to our house, and easily transferred to her crib. She was a CHAMPION flier. Seriously, no tears at all. I fed her on the way up and down for each flight so that massively helped.
While we were in Detroit we took in some local favorites: chili dogs at both American and Layfayette in order to be able to compare them, I am a Layfayette fan for sure.

Although they both were good, so I won't complain there. We also hit up a delicious bakery and some other delightful food. The seminars that I attended were good and I took home some great food for thought and am beginning to think of ways to implement some of the things that I learned. The best part was being able to see so many colleagues from all across the United States, and friends from both near and far. Lucy was on no shortage of snuggles and love from so many of my dear friends. It was particularly fun to introduce Lucy to people she hadn't met yet but already loved her so much. She is one loved little girl.

Lucy even got to hang out with her friend Charlye who is several months younger than her (but bigger than her) - Charlye's family and ours will be traveling to Utah together in April #ridiculouslyexcited - they were cute together.
Another highlight was the group Lost and Found were at the gathering, they are a small group of two guys who do music and have made a career out of it. Fun trivia - they started the year I was born and are now retiring after 30 years! I am a little sad that they are retiring but totally pumped for them and that they were able to make a career out of their singing. Lucy got to hear their music and we even scored a picture with them.

Lucy's other favorite was the storyteller guy who essentially recanted the entire gospel of Mark, LUCY LOVED him and was fascinated by his story and the way that he presented. I seriously am a little sad I didn't get a picture of her with him, she loved him and he told her that she was his favorite person at the gathering.

A fun house in Detroit

Lost and Found and Lucy

Quick Turn Around

Tomorrow before the crack of dawn, Lucy and I (along with several colleagues from work) will board a plane headed to Detroit (okay actually Minneapolis and then Detroit). A few differences on this trip I am taking our stroller that the carseat clips into because we will be in and out of taxis and other modes of transportation and we will be in the hotel a ton. This time rather than flying out of Minneapolis (2.5 hour drive) we get to fly directly our of Brainerd (REJOICE - which means security lines and things will be minimal at best). I am also bringing along our Beco baby carrier as well because sometimes Lucy just needs to be worn (and she naps ridiculously well in the soft structured carrier).

Because the nature of this trip being for work for me it feels soooo much different than the trip to WDW, the conference is in the hotel we are staying in which makes running back to the room WAY easier than at WDW where I have to take a bus/shuttle to get back to our room. This trip I also will need to attend some seminars, but I think Lucy should be fairly easy to entertain. {Thankful this is a very kid friendly event, lots of people will have little kids along}

I THINK I am going to attempt to only use a carry on bag. I am a little nervous due to the number of diapers Lucy may need (We don't own enough cloth diapers to be able to go Thursday to Monday night without doing laundry). But I don't want to have to lug a huge suitcase. I think I am going to go with a small rolling suitcase as well as a diaper bag.

We have our own hotel room which will be nice so I don't have to stress about waking up others in our room when Lucy gets up early in the morning and in the middle of the night.

Lucy flew RIDICULOUSLY well on the way to and from Orlando, so here's hoping (& TONS of praying) that she does that well again. She seriously slept most of both of those flights and when she was awake she was HAPPY as all get out (THANKS be to God).

Sooooo here goes nothing - off to fly again tomorrow morning.
I suppose I should start packing ;)