After a long, exhausting and emotion final trip back to the US we were greeted with the most amazing welcome. Our arrival time into Cedar Rapids was delayed due to our crew being in Indianapolis when we were supposed to be taking off from Chicago (oh the joys of air travel). Since it was April Fool's Day my mom thought I was joking, but I was dead on serious and with two exhausted children I just wanted to get home.
My parents, my sister, brother-in-law, nephews and the biggest surprise, Kevin's parents, were all there to greet us as we got off the plane. They made these amazing posters, loads of balloons, and signs saying "No more Sleeps" as we counted down our days to move back with the kids by the number of "sleeps" we had left and the grandparents got kicks out of that terminology.
They were all also wearing these ridiculous mustaches and glasses. My brother in law, Heath, was getting all worked up about our delay and kept asking the people at the counter what was up and where was our flight. Crazy enough our flight wasn't due in to Cedar Rapids until 6PM but Kevin's parents drove 4 1/2 hours from the other side of the state to get there and after seeing them for about 45 minutes they drove all the way back home. What an amazing gesture of them and such a special treat to us for all of them to be there.
The crazy and probably as amazing thing about the trip home other than the welcome was that I had an awesome celebrity sighting. As we are finally get on our plane in Chicago, I look up and see an oddly familiar face. Once I put it together in my mind, I whipped around to Kevin and said...hey, that's that chick from "House." He told me I was crazy but then her friend stood up front and yelled, "hey, Amber do you want to sit up here with me?" and then it was confirmed, Amber Tamblyn was on our plane. The other passengers around me were all trying to figure out if it was really her and we were all freaking out. Then we all had to question "Why was she going to Cedar Rapids???" When we finally landed, I immediately text my mom and told her that this gal was on the plane and get a picture of her when she got off as I wouldn't be able to with waiting with the kids in the back. They obviously didn't really know who she was because they didn't take any pictures, but it's hilarious to watch back the little bit of film my mom took of us getting to the gate as I was commenting on how wonderful it was to see everyone and then I turn a 180 and start asking if they saw Amber!!! It looks totally awful of me when I watch it back but I was sooo tired and it's totally what redeemed the delayed flight for me.
Later on I found out that she was actually heading to Iowa City for a literary festival to perform...how flipping cool was that!!!
Mom and Dad brought Kevin's new pickup truck to the airport for him to drive back to their house. We loaded up their Expedition with the kids and some bags and threw the rest in the bed of the pickup. We rode together and watched the sun set as we were now finally back in the US for good (well at least until they let us go on another assignment). I was too tired to be sad or glad, but a sense of relief that this leg of the trip was done. Now to start sorting out a place to call "home" was our next challenge.
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