the making of a young walker

on our way to the airport...before the torrential rain

saying goodbye to our bestest fRauntie D!


waiting anxiously to get on our plane
you can tell it is raining. but the ground stop hadn't gone into effect yet.
the real rain was yet to come.


after about 1.5 hours we had to run out on the tarmack
to catch our flight. we shared a huge umbrella
the wind and rain were too much. they soaked us all the way through.


after we arrived in cinncinati and realized we had made our flight
we remembered that we needed to fatten her up.


the flight was pretty uneventful. lindsay slept. i cleaned up my wallet.
i am not sure what paulette did. we weren't sitting by each other

jennifer, bobbi, and mark thankfully came late to the airport for a reunion.
i wish i could report a happy reunion but it was actually kinda ackward.
the moment jen saw paulette she ran and skipped to her as fast as she could
paulette just stood there with her arms folded and hip out.
jen hugged lindsay first, then me, then paulette.
it was hard to watch. their relationship will definately need some healing time

it was tough to get a photo of the 2 of them at first.

eventually they started warming up


speak no evil



our luggage didn't come so we had some running around to do
the girls left with bobbi and mark to find ice cream
then they all came back to bekki and tyler's (where we are staying)
and we got to hang out for a bit.
lindsay and i were exhausted. i am sure we were not the best company.

as we drove to anasazi in rush hour traffic paulette kept saying: it is so peaceful here.
we had been filling her full of water to make her be able to weigh-in. we were mistaken because she didn't see the nurse for a couple of hours. poor thing. at least she started the trail hydrated.

we pulled up and a woman, natalie about 23 yrs-old, was standing there.
she said "are you kimberly or lindsay"
i am kimberly
"hi, kimberly. and you must be lindsay: hello"
opening the car door: "you must be paulette"
we step out of the car and natalie says
"take as much time here as you need. say your good-byes and any final words.
as soon as you are done, paulette will go up these stairs and get ready for the trail.
you will go in that door and finialize her admission."

last minute hydration
the last licorice mint tea she will have for a long long time

saying good-bye

we had a pretty ackward, lecturey type good-bye.

our last view of her.
at least you can tell she is in good hands!