On Our Way Home

2 weeks had finally passed.  We were on our way home.  We'd be in the arms of our loved ones soon enough.

We packed, bought last minute snacks at the grocery store, ate lunch and took a nap.  It was finally time to go!!!

We met all the other families in the lobby and took a bunch of pictures.  One of the employees of the hotel came and asked us to be quiet...HA...at the price we were paying to stay in the hotel, we'd make all the noise we wanted!

 

All the families -- only 2 boys!  Jack and Samuel

Me and dad and Jack...So happy we are to be heading home!

The few families leaving all boarded the bus and headed to the airport.  We checked in.  Then before boarding we looked for somewhere to eat.  Pizza Hut it was.  I find it so funny that I never eat Pizza Hut at home but I travel to Vietnam and China and I'm drawn to Pizza Hut!  The food was pretty good!  

Checking in in Beijing

Eating at Pizza Hut in the Beijing Airport

 

They had dad and I sitting at complete opposite ends of the plane.  1 seat was in the middle of the plane and 1 seat was all the way at the back (the last row near the window).  I decided it would be best to go the back because the other seat was a middle seat.  I sat by the window with another man.  I wanted to cry.  There was no way I could do that whole plane ride by myself, stuck by the window with Jack.  Dad explained the situation to the stewartess and she worked very hard to get us together.  The lady beside dad ONLY wanted an isle seat.  The man beside me was sweet enough to move to the window seat so the lady could have the isle.  I knew he was going to have a long, uncomfortable flight but I am forever grateful!  I wanted to give him the biggest hug!  I couldn't thank the stewartess enough either. So dad and I were finally together.  THANK YOU LORD!  We had a middle and isle seat.  It was "perfect".  Jack slept pretty good he laid across dad and I...until...they started to serve the midnight snack.  A)  They turn on all the lights, B) the stewartess serving the drinks didn't know how to use an "indoor voice" when she got to our area!  Jack jumped up and wouldn't go back to sleep for a couple of hours.  All in all, he did pretty good.  Could have been worst!

I could have jumped for joy when we landed in T.O.  First thing first...COLD drink.  Next...FOOD!  A&W you tasted soooooo good!!!  We only had 1 more 1 hour flight.  Of course, our flight was delayed and we hung around the airport longer than I cared to.  We were only 1 hour away...we were so close.

Waiting in T.O.

Jack had fallen asleep in his stroller, but when we boarded I had to wake him up.  He cried and cried and cried on the plane.  Just when I thought we were taking off, there was ice build up so we had to wait longer on the plane.  I can not explain the feeling I had when that plane finally took off.  Jack actually fell back to sleep so that was nice.  It was a quick and pretty easy flight.  I was so emotional when we were finally descending in Montreal.  I just couldn't stop crying.  WE WERE HOME.  I was about to hold all my babies!  I couldn't get off that plane fast enough and find our way to the exit!

There they were.  Fredrick and Nathaniel, in their pjs (it was ~1am), running at full speed towards us.  Fredrick was running so fast, he tripped! LOL!  Oh my goodness, I had only been gone for 2 weeks and Fredrick seemed SO much older!  He was no longer the baby.  Jack took it all pretty well.  The boys had brought him some balloons and he liked looking at those.  Mom was kind of in the background just crying! 

First family of 5 pic

The amazing Welcome Home sign the boys made with Tita Jenn

Pretty ironic that the boys picked out Sesame Street balloons --
this has since become Jack's favorite characters!

I couldn't wait to get home but first thing first, load up the vehicles.  I didn't know how Jack would react being belted into a car seat considering he didn't like being belted in his stroller.  My thoughts of Jack not liking it couldn't have been more accurate.  He screamed and screamed and screamed from Dorval to LaSalle.  It was mom, dad, Jack and myself in the van, and I know mom had a terrible headache so the screaming didn't help.

 

FINALLY!  We were home.  Oh I was so happy to be home!  I still couldn't get over how much Fredrick had grown up.  Jack seemed to be very comfortable in Jon's arms.  He fell sleep rather quickly.  Jack seemed pretty comfortable at home.  Things went really well the first 2 days and then things took a turn for the worst...

 

Asleep in daddy's arms, Jack's first night home.