Tickets Please

Christmas 2008 will hold some of the top Christmas memories of all time for me and my little family.  Because I was spending two weeks with my mom in the USA, I shared with Kevin how very important it was for me that Clark and Claire still got the full Christmas season experience while I was away.  We started the day after Thanksgiving with the tree and Christmas carols and the Christmas story and Christmas verses, etc.  We put up an advent calendar and did Christmas crafts.   Joyfully, Kevin continued all those things while I was traveling.  Every day when I would call the kids for an update, they'd tell me all the very special things they did with Daddy.  What a blessing for me to hear all of that!

The best present, however, came upon my return home at the end of my US-tour.  With mom out of the hospital, starting her physical therapy, set for food and other essentials, and safely taken care of by her many local friends, I ventured into the disaster that was the Arctic Blast Storm of 2008 which plagued most of the US... and as I understand it is still holding on.  Not knowing whether my flight out of Minneapolis would leave on time (thereby enabling me to catch my short connection in Amsterdam), I changed to an earlier flight.  I got all kinds of unexpected benefits from that change in flight... including a free upgrade to business class, extra luggage allowance, and a refund of 30,000 miles back to my frequent flier account.  Another fantastic blessing!

After enduring two eight-hour flights, although admittedly in a high degree of comfort, I raced off the airplane in my home town, was the first one through immigration, the first one to the luggage carousel, and the first one to exit the airport with all my bags -- 3 checked bags and 3 carry ons -- in tow.  As I cleared customs, I peered out toward the exit door mentally preparing myself to hail a taxi and make the one-hour drive home in the relative ease and comfort of a Meru Cab, longing to see my husband and children in the darkness yet familiarity of our holiday-decorated home.

To my great surprise and delight, as I ambled through the airport corridor at 2.10am, Kevin and the kids were waiting for me just beyond the airport exit door.  Clark and Claire, with broad and bright smiles on their faces were holding placards, neatly printed and mounted on colored construction paper that said, "Mommy".  Kevin was holding a matching sign that said, "Wife".  There was no mistaking the intended traveling recipient of that happy trio.  Even the security guards, generally stoically positioned to their post, were grinning at the sight of this happy family welcoming Mommy home for Christmas.

After enormous hugs, I learned that a few hours earlier Kevin had given each of the children a "Golden Ticket" on their pillow as he put them to bed that evening.  Taking a cue from the movie "Polar Express" and borrowing an idea from my high school friend Debbie who now has a fun family-oriented blog called "Shell in Your Pocket", the tickets entitled Clark and Claire to a round trip ride on the Christmas Airport Express.  Kevin explains that excitement poured out of their little faces as they realized they would get to come receive me at the airport in the middle of the night, early on Christmas morning. 

A few hours sleep did not come easy for them, but after resting until midnight, they piled in the car and ventured through the night to our faraway airport, had some McDonald's french fries, and then settled in to wait for a very short 15 minutes before I appeared.

What a great Christmas.  What a fantastic memory.  One we won't soon forget.  I am so thankful and am grateful to be home.  We have definitely had a great, blessed Christmas 2008.

~lk