We were packed and dressed and had our luggage hauled downstairs by 3:15 am.
We loaded everything in Irina's car and we were off to the airport.
Irina made sure we were in the correct line for check in and then we were on our own. It was about 4:00 am, we waited and waited and finally got our boarding passes and checked in our four large suitcases.
Then we were directed upstairs to yet another line where we waited and waited. I'm beginning to get nervous as it's about 5:15 and our flight leaves at 5:35 and there is only one flight out of Kiev each day. Then I look at my ticket and it says gate 8 and the only sign I can see says Gate B1-11. My ticket doesn't say B only 8. All of a sudden I start feeling sick, like I could throw up sick and my heart starts racing. Am I in the wrong line? I finally get to the front of the line-I'm at the passport check place-and I frantically ask the guy if I'm at the right place. He tells me in broken English, not to panic this is the right place and then he takes Alex's large packet of papers and says he'll be right back. Right back? Are you kidding me? He's gone for about seven minutes and then meanders back and slowly stamps our papers, it's about 5:23 right now. Luckily our gate is just right around the corner, we board and get seated and we have about 7 minutes before take off. Good grief!
We fly into Frankfurt and disembark and we walk a few miles to our next gate. I used my visa for the first time in six weeks for a quick breakfast and we wait for our next flight. I did talk with the gate agents as Alex and I are not sitting together on this flight and they give me two isle seats across from each other and I'm easily able to trade with two rather large sisters for their window and middle seat in exchange for my two isle seats. This flight is the long one and we don't have the cool little TVs on the back of the chairs like we did on the flight there. Alex does very well though. He paces himself with the Game Boy and listening to the headset and then breaks that up with laying his head in my lap and trying to rest but I'm not sure either of us really got any sleep on this flight. We did watch two movies. Alex figured out during the second movie that it is in Russian on channel 8. They only advertised channel one for English and channel 2 for German.
Then we land in Chicago. I'm so looking forward to hearing and understanding English but despite being in my native country speaking the tongue of my birth, Chicago by far was the most difficult airport to navigate and to get help at. First we have to go through a passport check, then to immigration where the grumpiest Asian man with terrible English works. Then we wait and wait. Alex and I walk in circles-well I walk, Alex runs as we've been sitting for so long! A lady approaches me and hands me formal papers from the US Department of Health. Apparently I have to take Alex in for a TB check here in the States? I now have a form I have to take with me and then grumpy Asian guy massacres the pronunciation of our name and give's us back our passports.
Now we have to take all our luggage through immigration screening where they confiscate my beef jerky-which I bought in the United States-oh well. And we're sent out some doors with all our luggage and it looks like we're going out to the street. Wait! I have a connecting flight-oh turn left-left is only Lufthansa airlines-they tell me turn right-I find United they scan our luggage tags and take our suitcases and tell me to take our carry on's. We start walking and realize we're headed into an employee only area. I return to the United lady and tell her I have been up for over 20 hours, could you please give me specific instructions as to where we go now? Upstairs to the train. Gate B-12. (Note: the tickets have no gate information) Upstairs I can see the train but don't know which one to take, I seek further instructions and we're told where to stand. We get on the train, get off at section 2 then stand in another very long line to get through security...again. This will be the FOURTH time. We finally get through security and look for gate B-12. We walk, and walk and walk some more. As soon as I find the B's we stop for drinks and banana's and Alex gets a happy meal at McDonald's & I a tuna salad at some concession stand and then we walk and walk until we get to B-12. At this point I'm wondering if it's just me or if this is the most un-user friendly airport ever?
We get on our small commuter jet (after yet again re-arranging our tickets to sit together) and we both fall asleep. But it's so noisy-the people and the airplane and so uncomfortable that I'm not sure I slept for more than 10 minutes at a time. I wake up Alex when we land and he tells me "No-tired!" No kidding. We've been up now for 26+ hours.
But we're both awake and excited by the time we walk through the concourse and down the escalator to find our family waiting for us. What a sight! My kids are crying, I'm crying. We hug and hug and cry some more.
Besides my parents and children, The Lobo's are there, Jeff Rast, and the Howicks-who I think were videoing our tearful reunion and Nanette and Vern showed up minutes later. Of course we took lots of pictures-me with airplane hair and all tired.
Then we grabbed our luggage and we went home!!
My five in order of height-not that we planned that.
With the Garrett's
With my parents-we were missing James as he's hard at work but at least now we're only four hours apart instead of 1/2 a world away!
The house was all decorated-not to mention the lovely homemade hammock that Austin and his friend made by stringing the old trampoline top from our two front tree's. I will have to post a picture in the day as at night, you just can't get the true "white trash" feel it gives the place.
The first thing Alex did with his cousin's when we got home....Wii
Me hugging on my Sydni and Kambree hugging on us!
Ritva, my awesome RS president and friend dropped off yummy Schmidt's goodies earlier in the day. Apparently Ritva's been dropping off treats the whole time I've been gone! Thanks Ritva!
We ate cake, and I started laundry and Alex toured the house and LOVED his bedroom. He showered and somehow I managed to get the kids all to bed by ten pm. I crashed in bed after a very hot shower-into my king size bed with clean sheets and my little Ella snuggled next to me.
Ahh...home at last!
Irina made sure we were in the correct line for check in and then we were on our own. It was about 4:00 am, we waited and waited and finally got our boarding passes and checked in our four large suitcases.
Then we were directed upstairs to yet another line where we waited and waited. I'm beginning to get nervous as it's about 5:15 and our flight leaves at 5:35 and there is only one flight out of Kiev each day. Then I look at my ticket and it says gate 8 and the only sign I can see says Gate B1-11. My ticket doesn't say B only 8. All of a sudden I start feeling sick, like I could throw up sick and my heart starts racing. Am I in the wrong line? I finally get to the front of the line-I'm at the passport check place-and I frantically ask the guy if I'm at the right place. He tells me in broken English, not to panic this is the right place and then he takes Alex's large packet of papers and says he'll be right back. Right back? Are you kidding me? He's gone for about seven minutes and then meanders back and slowly stamps our papers, it's about 5:23 right now. Luckily our gate is just right around the corner, we board and get seated and we have about 7 minutes before take off. Good grief!
We fly into Frankfurt and disembark and we walk a few miles to our next gate. I used my visa for the first time in six weeks for a quick breakfast and we wait for our next flight. I did talk with the gate agents as Alex and I are not sitting together on this flight and they give me two isle seats across from each other and I'm easily able to trade with two rather large sisters for their window and middle seat in exchange for my two isle seats. This flight is the long one and we don't have the cool little TVs on the back of the chairs like we did on the flight there. Alex does very well though. He paces himself with the Game Boy and listening to the headset and then breaks that up with laying his head in my lap and trying to rest but I'm not sure either of us really got any sleep on this flight. We did watch two movies. Alex figured out during the second movie that it is in Russian on channel 8. They only advertised channel one for English and channel 2 for German.
Then we land in Chicago. I'm so looking forward to hearing and understanding English but despite being in my native country speaking the tongue of my birth, Chicago by far was the most difficult airport to navigate and to get help at. First we have to go through a passport check, then to immigration where the grumpiest Asian man with terrible English works. Then we wait and wait. Alex and I walk in circles-well I walk, Alex runs as we've been sitting for so long! A lady approaches me and hands me formal papers from the US Department of Health. Apparently I have to take Alex in for a TB check here in the States? I now have a form I have to take with me and then grumpy Asian guy massacres the pronunciation of our name and give's us back our passports.
Now we have to take all our luggage through immigration screening where they confiscate my beef jerky-which I bought in the United States-oh well. And we're sent out some doors with all our luggage and it looks like we're going out to the street. Wait! I have a connecting flight-oh turn left-left is only Lufthansa airlines-they tell me turn right-I find United they scan our luggage tags and take our suitcases and tell me to take our carry on's. We start walking and realize we're headed into an employee only area. I return to the United lady and tell her I have been up for over 20 hours, could you please give me specific instructions as to where we go now? Upstairs to the train. Gate B-12. (Note: the tickets have no gate information) Upstairs I can see the train but don't know which one to take, I seek further instructions and we're told where to stand. We get on the train, get off at section 2 then stand in another very long line to get through security...again. This will be the FOURTH time. We finally get through security and look for gate B-12. We walk, and walk and walk some more. As soon as I find the B's we stop for drinks and banana's and Alex gets a happy meal at McDonald's & I a tuna salad at some concession stand and then we walk and walk until we get to B-12. At this point I'm wondering if it's just me or if this is the most un-user friendly airport ever?
We get on our small commuter jet (after yet again re-arranging our tickets to sit together) and we both fall asleep. But it's so noisy-the people and the airplane and so uncomfortable that I'm not sure I slept for more than 10 minutes at a time. I wake up Alex when we land and he tells me "No-tired!" No kidding. We've been up now for 26+ hours.
But we're both awake and excited by the time we walk through the concourse and down the escalator to find our family waiting for us. What a sight! My kids are crying, I'm crying. We hug and hug and cry some more.
Besides my parents and children, The Lobo's are there, Jeff Rast, and the Howicks-who I think were videoing our tearful reunion and Nanette and Vern showed up minutes later. Of course we took lots of pictures-me with airplane hair and all tired.
Then we grabbed our luggage and we went home!!
My five in order of height-not that we planned that.
With the Garrett's
With my parents-we were missing James as he's hard at work but at least now we're only four hours apart instead of 1/2 a world away!
The house was all decorated-not to mention the lovely homemade hammock that Austin and his friend made by stringing the old trampoline top from our two front tree's. I will have to post a picture in the day as at night, you just can't get the true "white trash" feel it gives the place.
The first thing Alex did with his cousin's when we got home....Wii
Me hugging on my Sydni and Kambree hugging on us!
Ritva, my awesome RS president and friend dropped off yummy Schmidt's goodies earlier in the day. Apparently Ritva's been dropping off treats the whole time I've been gone! Thanks Ritva!
We ate cake, and I started laundry and Alex toured the house and LOVED his bedroom. He showered and somehow I managed to get the kids all to bed by ten pm. I crashed in bed after a very hot shower-into my king size bed with clean sheets and my little Ella snuggled next to me.
Ahh...home at last!
13 of my blog friends said something...:
Welcome Home! You looked great coming into the airport, what are you talking about? It is good to see you finally home with your family! You did it! Good job, Wendy!
Yay! You made it! You both look great and I'm so happy you are sleeping in your own beds. My road-trip to Idaho this weekend (which I've been dreading) doesn't seem so bad after all :)
Congratulations!
Welcome HOME!! I'm so glad you are home. I agree, you looked great at the airport - especially not sleeping 26 hours ; ). Troy had trouble in Chicago too. Two of the kids had positive tb tests, but clear xrays, but they had a little run around and then given a packet of info to take here and have them tested again. I called to schedule an apt but they haven't called me back yet. Another person I spoke with suggested taking the antibiotics even if they have clean xrays... the kids would have to take the antibiotics for 9 months... I'm thinking that is a long time.
Again, so glad you guys are home : )
Wendy and Carlin, Laina was also positive for TB (will test positive even if xrays are clear, it means they have been exposed to TB)If positive, by law it has to be reported to the health dept. We choose to do the antibiotics as this seemed easier to do now and prevent it being active in the future than trying to treat if it becomes active, not a fun route I hear. the health dept was wonderful to work with.
Oh, and Welcome back to Murray!
Welcome, welcome, welcome home! We have been following so closely. I just had to cry a tear or two to read that you had finally made it. I can only imagine that feeling of showering and going to bed at home in your very own bed. The security! When life calms, and the kids are free, please let us know so that we can get together. We've been so excited for you. Tell James Matt says "HI" and congrats! Love always.
WELCOME HOME ! I bet you slept well.... it is always good to be home....NOTHING LIKE HOME.....
GET SOME REST AS THE "JET LEGS" WILL GET YOU....
LOVE YA !
Welcome home! We are so glad that you both made it.
WELCOME HOME my dear cuz! SOOOO glad to hear from you and that you made it safely home! I was emotional just reading your post. Miss you guys like crazy!
Wendy and Alex! I am so glad you are both home and safe and sound. Have been praying for you and alex and your family the whole time. I was reading the post to the song "I'm coming home!" and "Somebody want me!" I was crying yes i am a bawl baby. But so happy your all home. Love the pictures of your decorated home. Love the yellow paper or ribbons and stuff. I promise if it is okay we will come by and say hi! and say hi to alex and stuff.
forgot to ask. You mentioned something about taping the reunion!did anyone tape/record it?
So VERY happy that you made it back safe. I've checked this blog alot all day to see if you made it. I think a lot of prayers have been answered by many people that you made it home safe with your boy. As Dorothy said in the "Wizard of Oz" "There's no place like home, there's no place like home!"
So glad you are home, Wendy..... The pics are great!
I love clean sheets,too! Being in your own bed at night after so many hours awake, I bet it was "heaven"
You have had the adventure of a lifetime;one you will never forget, (although you probably would like to forget parts of it)!!
I think you are very courageous to do so much of it on your own, without James, especially when you are car-less,didn't know where things were and did not speak the language!
We have been in the Chicago airport (for work); it is a HUGE airport!!!
Again, so glad you are home!!!!
Aunt Bev
Awesome post! 5 years - 5 kids - I think 5 is your lucky number!
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