Our guide picked us up at the hotel a little before 5pm for a 9:30 flight. The long wait was made even longer by a flight delay. Tikvah was running a fever (had spent the entire day in bed!) and the other two girls were on a crying meltdown since it was long after their bed time.
The international flight was twelve hours and we hoped they would sleep for much of it. Since Abigail was still preferring Baba (Ethan) at this point and poor Tikvah needed someone to look after her, we decided that Ethan would sit with the Two Little Princesses in their row, and Tikvah and I would sit together in our part of the row behind them. After the flight attendant ejected someone from our seats that is what we did.
I can sum up the trip in six words - "Our girls don't like to fly!" I am with them! The stranger in the seat next to me kept putting her bare toes into my side all night (when she wasn't smooching with her significant other!) and the poor gentleman behind us was launching in his flight bag. So glad that Tikvah DID sleep - ewww!
Many hours of crying (and many more trips to the restroom on the plane later) we finally arrived in Los Angeles. I was so, so excited to land in America, and anxious to hear ENGLISH again. An announcement came on - in Spanish - WHAT? LOL!
The papers resulting from the all important Consulate appointment were handed over in their sealed envelopes to the immigrations people in LA. They were courteous and professional, and did their best to process our howling children quickly. Our girls became American citizens, just like that!
Our next flight was just a few hours to Chicago. Some nice people on the plane changed seats so that most of the family could sit near one another. Lucky Baba got all the children this time and I "got to" sit between two men. One was attempting to sleep and our yowling girls didn't help that process, but everyone was gracious (or at least kept quiet about it!)
At last in Chicago we had a little time to breathe and unwind a bit. We got breakfast from McDonald's - and were very thankful for it! I changed the Little Princesses into nice dresses and brushed their hair for their homecoming visitors who would be at the next airport. The rest of us? We simply didn't care any more! I did have a change for us, but we were confident our family would still love us in our crumpled travel clothes, and we were too weary to change them.
I've spared you the tales of most of the howling, people on the plane literally and actually for real CLAPPING when we were allowed to take our girls out of their seat belts and pick them up, the youngest running off and temper tantrums including throwing a tub of open yogurt in the airport..... I will cut to the good stuff. WE ARRIVED HOME!!!!
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| Our wonderful friends and family descending upon the Cincinnati airport! |
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Thanks to a tip from an airport employee, they set up this home base - complete with coffee and snacks - in a room just off the hallway where we would come off the plane.
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| Here we come! |
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| Our first look into the room at all the people, Welcome Home signs, and balloons! |
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| I was so, so happy to see my sweet grandchildren again! |
Words cannot express how nice it was to get home! Things like clean restrooms and not having to watch for cars driving ON THE SIDEWALKS will likely never be taken for granted again! But it was our friends and family that made the homecoming so, so very special. These folks supported us, helped with countless fundraisers, prayed for us, and even cried with us at times while in the process, and then provided meals and friendship for sleep deprived Lanzes upon our return. Thank you!
