Airport Time

It all starts on Friday.  Mom calls to say the flight is looking bad for Saturday and maybe I should come home today?  I talked to Abby, whose only response was, "I'm not going today," said in a firm, monotone voice while not looking me in the face.   I hated insisting we go since the start to our vacation was already delayed and leaving early would be too disappointing.

Saturday comes and the flight home only has a couple seats still available.  We pack prepared to be in Tucson some extra days without a majority of our luggage.  Abby starts to cry when I tell her we most likely won't be sitting together if we get on the flight.  Luckily?  Unluckily?  Everyone shows for the flight and we watch it depart without us.  After the initial disappointment of the change in plans, Abby is ecstatic to go swimming, Papa is relieved to not be driving to Seattle, and I'm enjoying all those Dean girls.  After a week of email-only communication, I get to talk to Hans on the phone.  Many phone calls later, Hans will spend a miserable night on a cold, hard floor at LAX to get to Eli and Pip in Portland early Sunday AM, and I will go to Phoenix on the Arizona Shuttle to fly home.

Sunday AM is church with the Dean girls.  Miss Finley was excited enough after church to run across the nursery and give me a big hug.  I love those girls!  Flights are miserable now out of Phoenix, so we scrap that plan, forfeiting the shuttle cost.  Hans arrives in Portland and our family is now split into only two places instead of three.  Abby and I visit the Tucson airport again even though we know the flight is overbooked.  Two announcements state no non-revs will be flying today, but I know things can change quickly.  8 minutes to departure, I ask again if there's a chance anyway and am told to hang on, some passengers may not make the flight.  5 minutes to departure, a family of five arrive.  Dang it!  Flight 631 again leaves without us and we return to Erin's for more swimming.  Hans drives the other children home and picks up a very happy-to-see-them Harvey.

Monday arrives with slightly warmer Arizona weather.  Abby and I swim while the girls are school.  Hans gets Eli off to school and has a slow morning before heading to work with Pip in tow.  Today's flight has 21 non-revs listed and only 10 available seats...not too promising.  Abby and I head to the airport again for our now-daily "airport time."  I'm not expecting to get on the flight at all, but am encouraged by not being on the bottom on the list for seats this time.  Hans calls for the billionth time asking for an update, stressing at the thought of coordinating work and the kids on Tuesday.  Boarding is in full swing and I hear my name called.  I hop to the counter, but sadly, there is only one seat available at the moment...  Boarding ends, and still we wait.  Final call.  Another final call.  Another final call.  Someone is missing the plane!  We get our seats for 15B and 22D.  Uh-oh.  On the plane, I stop at the exit row and explain to Abby where she needs to go.  The flight attendant asks if we would like to be together?  She moves two people from row 17 to the exit row for us.  Another standby passenger rushes on the plane to be in the exit row and is sent to Abby's former seat.  Frantic phones call touting success before turning off the phone.  We made it!