In a place like that, pretension fades. What you see is what you get. That's what home (up north, I mean) felt like, and I miss it. It's also why I love my husband, but I'll get to that.
We flew into Jackson Hole in a snowstorm. In fact, they almost didn't let us land. It was beautiful! I miss that, too. We got to drive through the mountains, meet some great people, see moose and buffalo (Mark even ate some), and take a sleighride through the elk refuge. That was awesome!
We wanted to go snowmobiling, but that didn't quite fit into the Baldwin budget. Next time we are definitely taking the kids with us. I can't wait to see it in the summertime and ride horses in the mountains. That would be a dream come true for me (and Lynnea). We are hoping and praying that this will be the beginning of a new adventure for our family.
When we got to the visitor center for the sleighride, we found out that the airport had been closed because a plane had slid off the runway. After the ride, no one was answering the phone at the airport. We decided we'd better pack and head up there just in case it had reopened. When we got there, our flight was one of the few still "on time" (quotes intended!) since we were leaving later in the afternoon. It just went downhill from there.
10 minutes after we were supposed to leave, an American Airlines employee showed up to tell us that there were 10 too many people on the plane, we would board in about 15 minutes, have an unscheduled (20 minutes, they said) stop in Denver (on the way to Chicago, go figure) to refuel, and then fly on to Chicago. Then she disappeared. 40 minutes after we were supposed to take off, another employee showed up. The people who had already missed their Chicago connections offered to stay back so nobody else had to make the unscheduled stop in Denver. They said it didn't matter if 10 people stayed back, we had to go to Denver. Hmmm....
Long story short, our 2 and 1/2 hour layover in Chicago turned into a 15 minute sprint to catch a plane literally at the other end of the airport. That flight then got put back in 5 minute increments until it was finally 45 minutes late. That's not really a big deal, except that, once again, there were no employees available to answer questions. Finally we got onto the plane and ready to take off. Nothing can happen now, right? But wait! The pilot, who had been on the plane 5 minutes ago, had disappeared. He had left the plane, and the flight attendants couldn't find him. What?!?!? But, two hours late and totally exhausted, we finally landed in Memphis. It's a good thing we both have a sense of humor (and that the rest of the trip had been absolutely wonderful).
So, why is loving my husband so connected to this post? Well, one of the things I have always loved about him is that he is a "what you see is what you get" kind of guy. When I went to work at Youth Town with him, I realized that even more. He is exactly the same at work, at church, and in the community as he is at home. He is also, in many ways, the total opposite of me. Yes, that can be frustrating at times, but that's mostly because it points out the things I don't like in myself, things that need to change.
I talk too much. I do. And I use the word "I" way too often. Mark is a listener. He doesn't talk much. He processes everything he hears and carefully forms an opinion based on the big picture. Sometimes I wish he said more, but since he doesn't talk too much, when he does say something, people listen. They know if he feels it's worth saying, its worth listening to. I need to be more like that.
He's also very relaxed. He doesn't get stressed out, nervous, or overly excited. This is also very frustrating to the "show some emotion, PLEASE" part of me. But Mark has the ability to stay focused, pay attention to what's really important, and react calmly and intelligently to almost any situation. Once again-something I need to learn from.
He walks slow. This is probably the most frustrating. I have a goal and want to get there NOW. Mark has a goal, and has learned to slow down and enjoy the journey. I enjoy the journey, too, but I have a tendency to hurry through, thrive off the excitement, and look for the next thing. You think there may be something I can learn here, too?
There's probably a hundred other things I could list, but this is already way too long. Suffice it to say, not only is Mark a wonderful husband, but he is also an amazing teacher. And he does it without saying much. I could learn something.
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