CA to IL to PA to UK...Here we come!!!

Easter Sunday started bright and early, as we got ourselves up and ready to head to LAX. David was flying to New Jersey for work and his flight was leaving a good hour+ before the kids and I were to head to Illinois. Wonderful, wonderful hubby that he is, knowing how much I was dreading being in the airport that extra hour alone with the kids and then alone with them on the flight, he offered to call a shuttle to take him to the airport. He had to get up around 3am in order to do it, but he still did.

I LOVE THIS MAN!!!!!

Steve and Nicole got us to LAX in plenty of time, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to get packed up and inside! By the time I got both car seats out and into their travel bags, loaded the cart and stroller, we were heading to check the bags just 45 minutes before the cutoff. When I finally got to the counter to do so, the WONDERFUL woman at the counter asked me if I was traveling alone with the kids and if I wanted either Steve or Nicole to go through security with me to help. Um...YES!!!!!! Yet another tearful goodbye (at least there wasn't a curb right there that time) as we hugged and said our adieus to Nicole.

Steve helped us take off shoes, fold up the stroller and get everything under the xray machine. That was the part of the airport that I was dreading most, so I am so grateful that he was able to help us! We got to the gate and were the last people on board, so we had a quick goodbye with Steven. He was supposed to be my rock, the one to keep it together, so when the tears flowed from not only my eyes but his and Maxwell's, it really was a final goodbye to California. The gate attendant helped us get everything and everyone down to the plane, just in time to get settled and head to Chicago.

I was really scared to fly alone with the kids, but the were amazing on the flight. Aside from hitting the attendant button a few too many times (it's their own fault, really, for moving it from the ceiling down to the armrest), they were awesome travelers!

While we "flew in the airplane in the clouds WAY up in the sky!" (as Maxwell liked to say), I shed a lot of tears over all the family and friends we just had to say goodbye to, all the gatherings and events that we would miss, and hoped that everyone would make good on their promised to try and come visit us!