Sunday, August 2, 2015

Guess Who's Home?

 We decided to surprise Brad and Lily at the airport when they flew home. Signs and everything.


Sky Harbor Airport has recently completed a train system from the parking lot to the terminals, and we took advantage of all the free entertainment while we waited. We took the train a few times, and the kids rode the down escalators up and the up escalators down.

This one in Terminal 3 is exceptionally long, and when Eve was halfway up the down side, she began crying in pain--"My legs! My legs! They BURN!" Welcome to your first experience with a stair machine!

 Few people were in the airport that evening, and the light was gorgeous. Out came my camera to help pass the time.
 Yes. She wore her Rapunzel nightgown and boots to the airport. If you can't do this when you're five, then when can you?
 Can you believe that sunset?


 Along with new transportation, the airport has invested in new food venues. Ribs for Rum, the rest of us had Smashburger.
 I was afraid we might hit traffic that time of day, plus I didn't know how long the train, etc., would take, so I left ample time so we wouldn't miss them. It was way too much. I think we had over two hours in the airport before their flight arrived (and it was 30 minutes early!)

Can you read their signs? Micah's is a quote from a Madagascar movie, Hyrum's is some sort of monster, and Eve's says, "I am Evie. I Love them to."
 This is the moment that Lily realized we were waiting in the terminal, not at the curb.
 Micah ignored the DONOT ENTER sign and ran. Hyrum and Eve followed close behind. Watch the lady in the green shirt. We had been talking as we all waited--her grandkids were on the same flight--and she knew a bit of Brad's and Lily's story.
 She looks genuinely happy for us, doesn't she? She even offered to take pictures. Notice that Lily dropped her pillow and blanket and Brad stopped to pick them up for her.
 Eve bypassed Lily and ran straight for her daddy.

 Lily smirked as she made her way to me, and hugged me tight and long. After a minute, she said, "Ah. You even smell like you." I guess the smells in Pakistan and India were not her favorite.
 The joy of being all together again was pretty short lived, for the lovely airline had lost two of Brad's suitcases. He was glad that he had checked them through customs in Boston--at least he knew they were in the country.
We waited in the airport for an additional 30-40 minutes while he filed the necessary paperwork to get the suitcases home. Lily was instantly on Instagram, checking in with her friends. 28 days is a long time to be away, and she had had limited contact with them while she was gone. Oh, and she left her phone on a train platform in India. That didn't help much.
 She got two new henna designs the day before she left.

We got home around 10 pm, but the kids still wanted to see what Dad and Lily had brought them.
It was a late, late night--exchanging adventure stories, small gifts, and lots and lots of hugs. It's so good to be back together.

For the complete story of Brad's and Lily's adventures, you can read Brad's blog here.

2 comments:

  1. What a great welcome crew! And that henna is beautiful.

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  2. That's awesome! LOL on the stair machine comment!

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