Saturday we didn’t have to leave the hotel until 8:15 for our 9:50 flight because our hotel was literally in the airport. We walked across the street and were there. I loved how easy that was and am now going to keep that in mind whenever we have a major travel day before us.
The first 10 hour flight was a total breeze because our kids were glued to their devices for 10 hours straight. Other than using the bathroom, they barely moved. I finished my sixth book of the trip, The Lincoln Highway. It was my favorite book I have ever read. Honestly. I was floored, wowed, awed–every descriptor possible for “I-Stand-In-Amazement-At-Your-Talent,-Compassion-And-Wisdom-Dear-Author.” I have loved every book I’ve read or listened to on this trip, but this one had to take the cake. It was just beautiful. I now have a new favorite author to read down. Hooray!
I also watched Together, the James Macavoy and Sharon Hogan film that is really more like a brilliant theatrical production caught on film. It made me cry and Abe watched it right after. He also loved it.
After the easy-breezy 10 hour flight where everyone was addicted to screens, we arrived in Chicago. O’Hare is ridiculous and our almost three hour layover was completely taken over by waiting in lines. We waited in the customs line (where we met a lovely older couple from Crystal Lake and the U.K. and spent the whole line chatting with them). Then we waited for our bags. Then we had to recheck our bags. Then we had to wait in a very long line for the shuttle bus because the airport train has been broken for three years. Come on, Chicago!
Then we waited on the shuttle bus for the last terminal, and then we waited in a line at the terminal to get through security AGAIN. By the time we were waiting in the line to board our second flight, the littler kids were crazed and red-eyed, and I was nearing the end of my patience. (To be honest, my shallow well-spring of that precious resource dried up halfway through the first excessively long line.) Chicago, I love you…but you can do better. Really, you can.
On the second flight Clarissa fell asleep so the Dallas layover was a little tricky with Abe and I both loaded down with five bags and Abe carrying Clarissa on top of that. In Dallas all of the kids fell asleep except for Lydia, so coaxing them onto the flight to Salt Lake was a trick. Ammon sleep-walked and sobbed his way to his seat while Mary quietly griped about his crying–which only made Ammon wail louder. But once on the flight every single person passed out instantly, and we had a very easy flight home.
Tom and Suzanne were amazing and came to the airport to bring us our car–and candy! The kids were very cheered up at the sight of them and then immediately fell back asleep on the way home.
When Abe and I went to the basement we discovered that most of it is finished beautifully!!!
I have jet lag so have been able to back blog (and also pop generous amounts of gummy melatonin into the mouths of every child who has awoken before the dawn). Abe appears to have instantly adjusted because he went to bed right on time and slept through the night. I’m glad one of us will be functional tomorrow!