There's No Place Like Home

After being gone for six months, we were all anxious to get back to St. Louis.  Packing for three and a half weeks sounds challenging, but it was not bad.  Since the weather in England was only in the 60's, I was able to pack up our summer clothes several days in advance.  Ok, I was pretty much packed up the week before we left.  I could not help myself!  I have learned to pack lightly and bring the fewest amount of shoes for everyone.  We were able to pack one medium suitcase inside a larger one to have an extra suitcase for the return flight.  We knew there would be several new gifts, clothes and some of our favorite American foods to take back with us.

So with four suitcases, plus our carry-ons, we drove to London Heathrow Airport.  That took about and hour and a half.  When we checked in, we had a slight issue.  Apparently when you travel internationally, you have to pay taxes for the infant sitting on your lap.  That's right, Cora did not have her own ticket, but we had to pay over $100 in tax to have her sit on my lap.  Hmmmm.  After about 30 minutes at the customer service counter, we were checked in and ready to go. 

Cora was ready for her first plane ride! 

Our double umbrella stroller and the Baby Bjorn carrier were lifesavers.  Of course, Dylan and Amelia love to get out of the stroller when we come to the moving sidewalks and the tram.  Hey, whatever it takes to make them happy during our 20+ hours of travel.

Airlines board international flights an hour before departure, and we are usually one of the first to board.  You can imagine how many times we heard the kids say, "When are we going to take off?  Are we in the air yet?"  Honestly, all three kids were amazing on the 8.5 hour flight!  We had snacks, stickers, coloring, and the best part was they each had their own TV screens to watch movies.  The only trouble with that was both Dylan and Amelia would try to talk to us with their headphones on, and they would be almost shouting.  Too funny!

Cora was easy to please since she was not really into reaching for toys at that point.  She watched a little Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on my screen.  I was able to change her diaper right on my lap.  There was one messy diaper that I changed in the tiny plane bathroom.  Yes, they actually have a changing table that pulls down from the wall.  She slept off and on, and she never really cried out.  The passengers around us told us how good our children were when we landed.  That was so nice to hear.  I find that when I am calm and relaxed, the kids are too.

We each slept a little on that first flight, but when we landed in Minneapolis, it was about 9:00 p.m. London time.  We had a 4 hour layover there.  After eating some dinner, the kids were restless.  Eric ended up putting Dylan and Amelia into the stroller and walking them until they fell asleep.  It was after 11 p.m. for their little bodies. 

They stayed asleep, and Eric was able to carry each one on board the plane.  They both slept during the second flight all the way to St. Louis.

Cora was such a trooper!

We landed in St. Louis around 9:00 p.m.  The kids woke up, but they were exhausted since it was 3:00 a.m. London time.  We were expecting to see both sets of grandparents waiting for us.  When we walked around the corner at the airport, we were AMAZED by the sight!  Tears filled my eyes as I saw eleven family members waiting with a sign to greet us and meet Cora!  That was truly the best moment of that entire trip.  Even my sweet little niece, Lily, stayed up past her bedtime to come and meet her new cousin, Cora.

Wouldn't this welcome bring you to tears after 6 months?  (4 more people are missing in this picture)

I know other family members wanted to be at the airport too, but it was late.  We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family!  Cora loved meeting Aunt Michelle, Uncle Ron, Aunt Becca, Uncle Dan, cousin Lily, Great-Aunt Paula, and cousin Vivienne.  Luckily, everyone was able to get some good sleep once we got settled at Grandpa and Gigi's house.  We had Cora's baptism the very next morning...lots to look forward to on this trip!