I hope I write this in a coherent manner...I'm still a little loopy from sleep deprivation! The long awaited trip to take my 2 youngest CASA babies to their new home arrived. I got up yesterday morning at 4:00 and met up with the CPS worker in Weatherford. We drove to pick up the babies from the foster home. Even though it was much earlier than those 2 were used to getting up, they were all smiles for the beginning of our trip. I guess kids of all ages love an adventure! We drove to DFW and then the "fun" began. When we arrived, we started digging out all of our stuff. I had a backpack, Karissa had her laptop bag, the kids each had a STUFFED diaper bag plus a LARGE pillow/toy. At first I couldn't find my backpack, which had EVERYTHING in it...phone, snacks for the kids, boarding pass for the plane, and money for the trip. I was freaking out! I didn't think I had carried it into the foster home, but was beginning to think I had and left it there. Finally Karissa saw it under the kids bags in the back seat floor. (Be still my heart!) We each grabbed our own bag, one kid apiece plus their bag and pillow/toy. Then the trek through the airport began. Since our tickets had been purchased separately, we got our seats changed so that we could sit "together". Then security. Then lugging everything to the appropriate gate...barely making it in time for boarding. (And, yes, we did allow extra time!)
On the first leg of the trip, Karissa sat between the kids and I sat behind them. It was a 2 1/2 hour flight to Phoenix. (Since we lost 2 hours in time zone changes, we arrived only 30 minutes after we departed.) The kids did GREAT! I was so proud of them! They napped a little and seemed to enjoy all the new experiences. Of course our little baggies of Cheerios, bunny grahams, and Oreos helped. We had hoped to have time to eat lunch while on our 1 hour layover in Phoenix, but we barely had time to disembark, get to the correct gate, change diapers, and load for the next leg of the journey (again lugging all of our baggage and kiddos around the airport - why don't they rent strollers at airports?!). The next flight was 2 1/2 hours to Spokane, WA. This time I sat between the 2 kiddos and Karissa sat across the aisle. The two year old did great, but the one year old was getting tired and cranky. After the Cheerios quit working, I held and rocked and patted him until I FINALLY got him to sleep. He sure fought it! Then every time anyone went to the restroom and SLAMMED the door, it would wake him a little. (We were in the very back row, next to the lavatory.) About the time I got him settled, the little girl started getting cranky. They were SO tired and hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast except the snacks we carried on the plane. I finally got her settled down and napping by the time we began our descent. After we landed, we lugged everything and everyone to the rental car place and got our rental. Then we found the first Jack-in-the-Box we saw and pulled over for lunch (at 1:30 Pacific, 3:30 Central). The kids (AND adults!) were happy to relax and get some "real" food in our bellies. The drive from Spokane to the town in Idaho where the kids were going to live was gorgeous! We really enjoyed seeing the scenery...it would be a great area to go back to for a vacation! We pulled into the grandmother's driveway about 3:00. She met us in tears...so happy to FINALLY see her babies! Karissa took care of the paperwork, we looked at the kids' room and visited a little, and then "snuck" out so as not to upset the children. It was wonderful to see the joy on the grandmother's face and witness, in person, the love and concern that she has for these two precious ones. Karissa and I both felt very good about leaving them in her care. (Although I did finally break down as we were driving off...I'm going to miss those babies!)
We had about an hour after getting back to the airport before time to board our next flight. It felt so luxurious to walk through the airport only carrying one bag apiece, then to have a little time to unwind and rest up. We boarded a small turboprop plane for our 45 minute "hop" to Seattle. I loved that flight...had my nose pressed against the window the whole time. Washington is such a gorgeous state! We had a 2 hour layover in Seattle and had hoped to grab a cab and do a little sight-seeing. After getting our boarding passes and eating some supper, we were afraid we wouldn't have time to do anything and get back in time to board at 11:40. The airport was out away from the city or I would have been content to just get out and walk around. But with nothing in the area to see, we opted to just sit out our time in the airport waiting room. (I'm sure thankful I had my Kindle with me!) Our seats on the 3 1/2 hour flight home weren't close to each other, but it didn't matter since we both slept the whole time. Arrived at DFW at 5:10 this morning, finally found our way out of the terminal (I felt like we might end up like Tom Hanks in "The Terminal".), and made it back to Weatherford by 6:30. I actually got home in time to pack Dennis' lunch before he left for work. Then, breakfast and BED! That was one of the longest 26 hours I have ever spent, but I am SO thankful that I was able to go!
Something else happened on this trip that I really didn't anticipate. I had only flown twice before: once from Dallas to Houston, and once from DFW to St. Louis. I hated it! I was a nervous flier, and I always ended up with an earache afterwards. I LOVED flying this time around. I wasn't nervous at all, and I really enjoyed watching the changing landscapes: the farmland of West Texas, the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona, the lush green patchwork and snow topped mountains of the Northwest, and the beautiful expanse of clouds below us. Plus I really appreciated, for the first time, the vast distances one can travel in such a short amount of time. I'm ready to fly somewhere again!
So...that pretty much sums up the past day in my life. It was a trip of a lifetime, and one that I was greatly blessed to be able to make!
Ps 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
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