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| Long day spent in an airport. |
Well my friends, we've reached the end of my amazing trip to Mexico. We flew home on Sunday, January 5, 2015. It was a day of mixed emotions. I was really looking forward to getting home to all things familiar, I was looking forward to seeing the kids, I was looking forward to seeing the cats,and I was looking forward to my own bed; but at the same time I didn't want to leave the sunshine, I didn't want to leave the green, I didn't want to leave the heat, and I really wasn't looking forward to going home to the cold.
When we left to go to Mexico, we hadn't planned on going to church since we were flying home on a Sunday and so we didn't pack any church clothes. However, after talking to our tour guides and finding out that church was at 8 am and the building was about a five minute walk from our hotel, we figured that we may as well go to church and I was really looking forward to the experience. And the nice thing was that we would be attending the same ward that our tour guides attend.
So, church started at 8 and went to 11, check out at the hotel was at 11:30 and our ride to the airport was scheduled to pick us up at noon, for an hour drive to the airport putting us there at 1 and our flight was scheduled to leave at 4, leaving us plenty of time to check in, get through security and all that jazz. Saturday night we packed everything except for what we would need in the morning.
We got up early on Sunday, finished packing and leaving our hotel room looking nice. I once cleaned hotel rooms in Yellowstone National Park and since then, I go the extra mile to make things easier for the cleaning ladies. I know I don't have to, but experience has taught me that the people who gave me a helping hand were my favorite and so I pay it forward anytime I stay in a hotel.
We got to church and found, to our surprise that it was right across the street from the taqueria where we had our first meal a week earlier. They are renovating the regular church building and for the time being have rented this particular building to hold their services in until their building is done.
It was comforting to see that the church really is the same no matter where you are. There were somethings that were a little different, but it was because of culture. It was Fast and Testimony meeting. I'm used to Fast and Testimony meetings where there is a lull in between people going up to bear their testimonies. Not here, there was a line and at one point, a bishopric member had to get up and tell the congregation that there was enough people waiting so no more could come up. After the last person was done, I got ready for the closing hymn. At home, the bishopric member who is conducting for the month starts off the testimonies by bearing his testimony. In Mexico, all of the bishopric bear their testimony at the end. I did not understand a single word that was said, but I understood the spirit that was there. I didn't need to understand the language to know what they were saying, because I felt it. Sacrament meeting ran over. The people were very friendly and made us all feel welcome and loved. Everyone loved Meow-meow.
I read my scriptures during Sunday School. Relief Society was comfortingly the same as at home. Plenty of welcoming, loving sisters, clip boards going around the room, it ran late, and primary kids poking their heads in the door. The kids all crowded around Meow-meow, they touched his hair, and felt his skin...he loved every minute of it!!
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| Outside the church |
The plan after church was to walk back to our hotel, do a last minute look around to make sure we had everything, haul everything to the court yard, check out at 11:30 and then relax in the court yard until our ride came at noon. We had some snacks to munch on and planned on getting some real lunch at the airport. It was about 11:10 when we were walking down the last road to our hotel when we saw our ride to the airport was already there and waiting. We checked the time and thought it was strange that he would be there almost 45 minutes early. We thought that maybe he had the time wrong or something. He said he knew pick up was at noon and he knew he was early. He said that he had nothing else to do and decided to just get there early and wait. He told us to not rush on his account.
I didn't want to make the poor guy wait and neither did Nathan. We did a quick check for last minute forgotten things, checked out and were on our way to the airport by 11:30. As we were driving to the airport, Nathan and I both, at the same time, had a feeling that we needed to be to the airport early. I still don't know why, but I know it was necessary. I'm awfully curious though, because our flight ended up being delayed for an hour.
The airport was crazy busy and crazy packed full of people. We got our luggage checked and made our way to security. It took forever to get through security. After that, we got a bite to eat and found a place to sit and wait for our gate number to be posted. Meow-meow had fallen asleep on the car ride to the airport so it was just enough of a nap to have him wide awake but not enough of a nap to have him happy.
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| Waiting in line to check our luggage. He was looking forward to going back to the cold. Bah!! |
After an hour of sitting in a crowded airport in awful seats, I was anxious to find our gate number and go wait there. I regularly kept checking the board for updates. I just wanted to cry when the board said our flight would be delayed for an hour. I did a little dance when they finally posted our gate number. We booked it down to the end of the terminal to get some seats and wait for boarding.
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| Sad to be leaving the heat, sun, and green |
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| Happy to be going home. |
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| He kept pointing at the plane. It's like he knew he was going home. |
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| Our gate. |
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| Minutes before boarding. |
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| That's our plane. |
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| Waiting for them to finish loading luggage. |
Meow-meow LOVES Alex Boye. When he's cranky or tired we put on Alex Boye and it calms him right down. The "nuclear" option is the One Voice Children's Choir and Alex Boye singing "Let It Go". We knew Meow-meow was exhausted and we weren't looking forward to a four hour flight with a cranky baby. We hoped that he would fall asleep. We were in luck because right after take off, he fell asleep and didn't wake up until we stopped at the gate in Salt Lake City.
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| Watching Alex Boye |
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| Watching Alex Boye's rendition of Lorde Royals |
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| Intense face. |
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| Waiting to push back. |
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| Pushing back. |
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| Screaming down the runway....goodbye Mexico. Goodbye heat, I will miss you. |
Right after take off, Meow-meow and Nathan zonked out.
Several hours into the flight, the captain came on the speakers and announced that we had just crossed into America. I looked out the window to find a full moon off the wing. I took a picture, it's not the best, but cool all the same.
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| America, I missed you. |
We had our neighbors taking care of the house and cats while we were gone, when we came home, we saw "Welcome Home" signs all over the house. I LOVED it!! It was so much fun to come home and see the Welcome Home signs everywhere.
It was an amazing adventure and I'm looking forward to more of them. It was very nice to get home and sleep in my own bed.
