Scotland!

While Whitney was in Russia we planned to go and pick her up at the end of her mission and tour around some of the areas where she served. (We did this with Eric - in Peru and Mike - in Mexico). Unfortunately her mission president told us that the church was really discouraging parents from going to Russia and in the end her visa was due to expire the day after her last day as a missionary. I suppose we could have gone but ...she would have had to leave the country the day after we got there! For some reason I also had an uneasy feeling about going that I couldn't explain and in the end was relieved that the decision was basically taken out of our hands. Anyway a long story short, Gary promised her that since we weren't able to come, he would take her any where in the world that she wanted to go including Russia (when they have the Olympics there). At first we thought she would choose Ireland but instead she surprised us by choosing Scotland!

The exciting part is that I will get to come along too, though I have to say I have been waffling back and forth for weeks about whether or not I should go. First of all with the economy such as it is I feel guilty about the added expense ...extra plane ticket, bigger room, more food (though I promised I wouldn't eat.) Hah, ha! Course that would solve one of my problems, of easily getting sick from eating foreign food and drinking water that hasn't come from my very own tap, plus been filtered and purified. I also have trouble with my ears when I fly and am a little scared that my ear drum might rupture again on the plane. Been there, done that. Not fun! Then there is the pinched nerve in my back -I would hate to slow them down (though I am in physical therapy now trying to work through it). And finally, I am also claustrophobic and that many hours on a plane ...yikes! Though as long as I have an aisle seat I can usually, well convince myself that I'm fine, stay distracted, think happy thoughts and ...breath!

When I was trying to decide what to do it's just that everyone I talked to said basically, "Are you nuts! Of course you should go. It's an opportunity of a life time." So even though my initial inclination was to stay at home where life is sweet in Sugar Land I changed my mind. So sorry in advance for the added expense and the extra "baggage" I will be bringing along. But I am so going!!! Plus there's no backing out now, the tickets are bought!