~Our Weekend in Warsaw~

All week long we were looking forward to our weekend District Conference (like a stake conference) up in Warsaw. Thursday night we could hardly control our excitement, and I tried with all my might to leave the house clean, and make sure everyone was bathed and packed... but Maddix was determined to give me trouble:) After I got him out of the bath I honestly couldn't find him until I heard some giggling:

He can be so cute

Friday we woke up with every intention of catching a comp bus (15-ish person bus) to Warsaw, until we noticed all the snow piled at our windows, then we looked outside to see a fierce blizzard blowing. We'd received probably a foot of snow over night and there was no sign of the storm letting up; not to mention the wind was gusting down from the north and I thought for sure the little people outside were going to blow away!

You can't even see the
intense snow blowing
everywhere! 

We decided taking the train would be safer and probably faster and rushed to pack in time to catch the only train of the day. When I called a taxi I found that every taxi in the city was currently unavailable and they said to call back in 20mins and try again... we couldn't wait that long. I sat in the window and prayed that something would work when all of a sudden another taxi company drove past our window with giant pink numbers across the side, so I called that company. They would still be 15mins, but had a guaranteed car we could wait for. The second we went outside and Maddix felt the blistering wind blow against him he started screaming! But eventually we got him, and our luggage loaded in the taxi and crawled through the icy traffic to a standstill.

The clock said it was 12:17, and our train was at 12:25pm; all I could do was pray that the train would be late and everything would work out. When we reached the station we repeated the phrase to purchase tickets in Polish but the lady wouldn't take our money. She kept pointing to the clock and then outside. We had 3mins, but I was so afraid she was saying it was too late. Blessedly a young girl hopped out of her spot in line and translated for us that we needed to run to the train and purchase our ticket from the conductor; she even escorted us outside and showed us which train it was..... in was clear at the other end of the yard!!! Travis was sprinting with the luggage and a backpack, while I followed carrying Maddix, a backpack, and I was wearing my nice high heel boots. It was seriously like a bad dream: we were running in slow motion. With the wind and snow blowing against us we just seemed to be going nowhere when we heard the conductor blow the whistle that they were leaving. I yelled to Travis, "GO! Just GO!" and he sprinted ahead. He made it. I eventually threw the screaming Maddix to Travis and heard the boy cry out, "my hat!" I looked behind me and about 15 ft his stupid hat had blown off... so back I ran, grabbed it, and then caught the conductors arm as the train departed. I kid you not, I felt like we were straight from the Anastasia disney movie when they're fleeing onto the train. I then felt more like that movie when we found all the compartments full and ended up standing next to the bathrooms where the train cars connected, with the doors stuck open so snow was blowing in.

Our lovely standing area

We were here probably 20 or 30 mins before the train police came through and instructed us to move for our own safety (we think, it was all Polish), and thankfully some people took pity on us and shifted around their arrangements to squeeze us in. With Maddix squeezed on my pregnant lap, and Travis getting dripped on from the suitcase above head we settled in for the 2hr 45min ride to Warsaw.
To our liking when we got there is was still freezing, but there was no snow, so we decided to walk to our hotel where we then checked into the Raddison Blu and ate the lunches I'd prepared up in our room.

The bathroom

Part of our room

After we warmed up we went back into the cold to explore the city. We first went to an authentic Pottery shop, then through a Jewish neighborhood, and then over to Stallin's tower where we were hoping to go through the Technology Museum but found it closed.

My boys

For dinner we went to the Hard Rock Cafe, which was one of the things we were most excited for! We were craving some good ol' American food, and boy did we get it.

Look at those drinks! 

Umm... yes I am pregnant;
justified. 

Hard Rock, Warsaw

While were there we even ran into the Armstrong family and the feeling of running into someone we knew was very enjoyable! When we got back to the hotel we prepared for some swimming, then showered off, and got ready for bed while also cuddling as a family to the ending of a movie.

Ready to swim

Travis was feeling quite
American in his Freedom
Run Shirt

Saturday morning we went to the included breakfast and stuffed ourselves on all the wonderful food. We also witnessed a tacky American tourist at the omelette bar who was being so rude... I felt embarrassed for her. After breakfast we went swimming again. The pool was connected to the spa area and had a zen feeling to it, and while Travis was trying out the sauna's Iswam next to Maddix who decided he wanted to walk around the edge of the pool. When we reached the far end of the pool there was an older gentleman sleeping on the chair w/ his towel WIDE open and I got a full view of all he had going on; I was fine with all the naked women in the locker room, that honestly doesn't even phase me anymore, but this image was going to take some getting over.

Once we checked out of the hotel we had the option of taking the hotel's Mercedes Van Taxi, or a no name beater car down the road. We decided it would be much safer to go with the van and traveled to the Armstrong's in style. However, when it came time for me to venture all on my own to the hair salon, I found my taxi ride quite bumpy... now I'm accustomed to the sleek ride Mercedes has to offer ;)

Maddix and Little Rachael Armstrong

My hair apt was unlike any experience I've ever had. From the moment I walked in I felt like a country bumpkin in the big city. Travis had looked up one of the highest rated salon's in Warsaw and found Milek Designs (they do all the models and actresses hair on t.v. so I was excited). We read the reviews and found that if you wanted the best job, then schedule an apt with their top stylist, Michal. So that's what we did and before I even met him I first went through one of his flunkies who got me suited up and ready to go.  When Michal came over he was appalled by my hair and kept fanning it out at full length while screwing up his face. He'd ask me questions like, "What happened here? What is this color, green? Why is it wet?" To which y shy, awkward reply was "It's been almost a year since my hair was done, and I just came from the pool?" Again, he was disgusted. Eventually he sat down and flipped open his giant book of hair colors and asked what I wanted done. When I pulled out a picture of the blond I wanted, he cut me off with an "impossible." He probably told me my different requests were "impossible" at least 10 times. Then again, he asked waht I watned, and essentially when I had no clue he circled me in deep contemplation before calling over "my team" of flunkies and putting them to work. He was like a doctor; he did all the crucial parts like deciding what color, mixing it, and cecking on my team to see that they were doing it just right, but then he left all the dirty work to them.  I had a guy and a girl brushing at my snarls and going to twon while I sat there blown away at everything going on around me. Michal was cutting the lady's hair next to me, and the moment too much hair reached the floor these girls would appear from no where: one to blow the hair off her lap and neck, and the other to sweep it all off the floor! At one point when it was just the boy working on my hair he told em I had great hair *sniffle* I needed that. I completely felt like Ann Hathaway in Devil Wears Prada, and he was the one guy that befriends her (however everyone was nice, just very serious). Michal returned to do my cut and he was very serious and focused but I couldn't get passed the way his t-shirt kept rising with his arms and exposing her perfectly trimmed belly hair, or his extremely tight jeans, or his hair which was shaved on the sides and led into a Flock of Seaguls type top. Somehow it worked for him. When he was done he asked what I thought and I told him it was beautiful to which he replied, "The best you've EVER had?" With all the expression in the world on his face while he said it. He told me I had model gorgeous hair, admired it a min, then called me taxi because we were the last ones there. The Polish idea of long and thick was nowhere near as long and thick as mine or they wouldn't have scheduled me at 3:00pm when they close at 5:00; hence why everything was "Impossible" in the time frame we were working in.

Before

After

I beat Travis to the chapel and got there at the end of the singles mixer, at which point Sis Neilson (mission Pres's wife) tried to hook me up with the singles, until she recognized me.
Travis was so excited to see my hair that he actually walked right past me and I watched him search the crowd before pulling his phone out to call me, all the while I was maybe 10ft away. Bro. Gladun told me I had movie star hair, and another lady took the number for the salon. We had gone with Ombre to get me closer to blond and everyone seemed to like it, except Mikojil who told me I should have paid more to have it all dyed the same color! HA, the bum... I ended up paying double what the price range said it would be because of just how thick and long my hair was!! Oh well, Travis loved it and that's all that mattered to me:)

Before

After

 Sunday, St. Patrick's Day
Sis. Armstrong made us green pancakes before going to the conference. Afterward we said goodbye to everyone we'd ran into, got a few pictures with our beloved Elder's from the past, and then the Armstrong's drove us to the comp bus.

E. Miloski, Travi, Maddix, me, E. Wilson

The drive home was beautiful and sunny and full with practically only our branch. Maddix fell right to sleep and we talked with Cody and ate the lunches Sis. Armstrong prepared for us. The roads were even so empty we got back 30 mins early and Cody helped carry our luggage back to the apt.
Maddix was so sad to be back and just kept crying to go back to the Armstrong's. We tried to cheer him up by calling our families for a quick chat before having the Elder's over for dinner. He seemed to perk up and we all had a nice evening. And that was our Weekend in Warsaw.