I took balloons with me to pick up Will at the airport on Monday. Yeah, he didn't like that too much. They embarrassed him so I ended up carrying them throughout the airport. He was very casual about coming home and didn't even want a hug from me when I picked him up. Again with that embarrassment thing! After being home for about an hour, he was 'bored'. I think he is glad to be home, but I also think he prefers the Pacific Northwest to Utah, now. He definitely wants to go back next summer! Oh yeah. and the shaggy hair in the picture? I tried to get him to let me cut his hair before his trip and he wouldn't let me. He planned to grow it super long and cut it short just before Halloween except for a 'Jedi braid'. I say planned to, because as soon as he got home, he asked me to buzz off all his hair. Now he has a military style buzz cut. Why, oh why couldn't he let me cut it when I wanted to?!? Again with that teen aged independence thing!
I wanted to love on him and hug him and tell him how much I missed him; but he really was so prickly I was unable to do so. He is pulling away from his mother more and more rapidly and it makes me sad, even though I understand and know that it must be.
I failed to check the flight status before we left the house for Helena's homecoming. Oops. When we got to the airport and read the arrivals board, we discovered that her flight was an hour delayed. So we sat around for an hour eating junk food.
When it was time, we gathered our stuff (including the balloons I bought to welcome her home, yup, balloons again!), and moved over to the foot of the escalators where the greeting area is. I noticed right away that there were several groups of people there to welcome home missionaries and service men and women. There was a sister missionary coming home from Belgium, a missionary from Germany, and a couple of service men. Those two made me tear up! The first serviceman who came down the stairs flew down them into the waiting arms of his wife, who held onto him as if she would never let go. The next serviceman came quietly up to his wife, who was waiting right behind us, to meet his brand new, 10 day old baby twins!
Not long after that Helena and her friends and chaperon arrived! I think she was a little embarrassed about the balloons, too, but was happy to be home! It was 6:00 a.m. according to her body clock, but 10:00 p.m. for us.
At home, she unpacked all the treasures she had brought back for us from her adventure and was very anxious to know if they were 'okay'. While I loved the gifts, it is really having her home again that is the true treasure for me! I love her so much and have missed her! She did let me hug her and love on her. I guess it is a girl thing. It is very good to have everyone back now!
I will be posting stories of travels for both of the kids once Will's 35 mm film is developed and Helena has a chance to organize and tweak her photos so that I can photo illustrate my narrations!
WELCOME HOME TO BOTH MY KIDDOS!!!
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