Yeah, so… we didn’t make that 6:45 flight to Indiana after all. I learned a thing or two, like, don’t be shy about asking them to hold the plane for 5 minutes if you’re almost there and stuck in the security line but oh, well, lesson learned. We were so close, but missed our flight by minutes. Thankfully, after much desperate prayer, we were re-routed to Kansas City, Missouri on standby with only 3 seats open. I had to fight for those. They kept holding out on me, but hey, they said they’d give them to us 10 minutes before the flight if they weren’t claimed. We’d waited for 4 hours for that flight.
It was looking pretty bleak — a choice between not going at all or a day from hell (up at 4:00 a.m. and getting in at midnight if we made standby on all 3 full flights), but after much prayer for miracles, an angel was at the counter in Kansas City. He got us a free hotel at the Hilton and meal coupons without us even asking. Thank God for Southwest Airlines employees with a heart. Can’t say the same for the San Diego staff, but Kansas City has a really nice guy named “Burt” who realized what was going on and made a few calls to get us taken care of. I think he told everyone what had happened to us, because even the shuttle and Hilton staff were very helpful and too excellent care of us. The kids loved the hotel room, we got showered and rested up, and best of all, Maya, my sister, just happened to be in town for the weekend. I thought that was just one of those special little things the Lord does to encourage you after an especially rough time. We had dinner with her and then made it to Indiana the next morning in time for the reunion.
We had a blast with Justin side of the family. Grandpa Bennington is a blast. He’s so alert for his age and is very smart and funny. I love meeting relatives and getting to know them. It’s so interesting to see how many traits get passed on to younger generations. For instance, Justin’s grandpa is quite the engineer and I see a lot of that in Justin and even in Jude. You just see him always trying to figure out how things work, even at his young age. Then, Grandma Marty was very fun to talk to. Talking to our grandparents helps put thing in perspective for me. Seeing what they’ve come through and the issues they’ve faced and how they dealt with it gives me so much respect and admiration for them and somehow helps you feel like you’re not alone in the issues you face. Of course, getting to see Clara, Claire, Rosie and all my very cool relatives was also a real treat. Thanks, Sandy and Marty, for pulling this all off. The kids did so well, all things considered. Violet was thrilled with every plane trip and would still be on one if she had her way.
We’re home now and the kids are recovering from their coughs and colds. We just got back from a 4th of July picnic, followed by a 4th of July bbq. No fireworks, but hey, you can’t do everything (yet).
July 5th, 2009 at 2:44 am
So happy to hear that you had fun, and made it safely. I have been trying to call you on your phone(S). Contact me when you get a chance? THanks and love you.
July 6th, 2009 at 9:02 am
so, where to next? Don’t think about slowing down. Houston is wonderful this time of year (if you compare it to Iquique in December). Haooy you are all home safe and sound.
July 6th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
sorry. my phone is weird. I will call you.
July 11th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
This is a lovely post, Nadia. I didn’t get to talk much with you in detail at the reunion. I’m sorry for that, but I am so happy to read about the details here in this post. I am so glad you guys had a good time. It is a bi g relief to me. I am also inspired that you got to see Maya. I didn’t even know about that little/big miracle. I am going to read this to Grandpa and Grandma. They will love it. By the way, they couldn’t stop talking about how impressed they were with you, Justin, and your sweet kids. My dad said it was the happiest day of his life, and that he thinks my kids and their family are amazing. They both were thrilled with your visit.
Love,
Momma Joy
July 13th, 2009 at 2:01 am
Heh, its okay. When you get that many relatives in one place, you’re happy if you get 5 minutes to talk to anyone.
I had to make a real effort to stay up late so I was sure to talk with Clara and Claire that last night. It’s just a rough time with so many little ones to run around after. Thanks again for planning this. Love you