Starting Our 2nd Stateside Assignment

Last Wednesday morning we officially started our Stateside Assignment. That was the day we flew back to the States. Our flight didn't leave until 8:40 a.m. which was the latest flight I think we have ever flown. Normally we are on the 6:00AM flight which means we have to get up at the crack of dawn to be at the airport on time. I was glad for the extra time we had that morning.

As with every trip we have ever made back to the States I have to have a family picture at our mission house before we leave.  It's a tradition.  Here is this years photo-

our family getting ready to fly to the States to begin our Stateside Assignment

In the past we have always called a taxi to pick us up and take us to the airport.  This year we had too much stuff to fit in one taxi so instead of calling two cars we just called a van driver that we know and he came to get us in his van. 

David and Ben on the way to the airport

waiting in line to check-in

(Look at Cruz's big smiling face.  That boy was super excited!)

He asked a million questions and had to be right in the middle of every thing we did.  Here he is "helping" his daddy put the luggage on the scales.  He was so fascinated by the whole flight process. 

After getting checked in and passing through security we stopped by McDonald's for breakfast.

These two then spent the rest of our time there exploring every inch of the airport. 

Here they are checking out our airplane.  I have taken this same photo of Cruz for the past 2 years.  It is the first one I have of the both of them.  This will be another tradition I continue in the years to come.

To kill time Ben decided to pace the floors.  By pace the floors I mean run back and forth across this metal strip on the floor over and over and over again.  I bet he did it 100 times!  He would get to one wall, turn around, and then run back to the other side.  He loved it and I was glad to watch him tire himself out. ha

brothers finally getting on the plane

Almost immediately Cruz grabbed the Safety Instruction manual and began "reading" over it.  He asked a ton of questions about every thing on it.

Here is David reading a book to Ben about taking a trip on an airplane.

We all loved looking out at the clouds.  It was my first trip to not get to sit by the window.  I let Cruz sit there instead so he could see out. 

He loved riding the "train" at the Dallas airport.  He cried when we had to exit because he was not ready to get off.

We all loved the play area in the Dallas airport that was right next to our terminal.  What a blessing to parents with small kids!!!

We had a short flight from Dallas to Jackson and were greeted by several members of David's family.

our "Welcome Home" crew

We loaded the vehicles and then had to head up north to pick up our van that we will be driving while home.  Thanks to the Macedonia Call Foundation we have a great vehicle to travel around in while here.  That company is such a huge blessing to the IMB missionaries!!!

Sawyer and Larsen (David's sisters youngest kids) rode in the vehicle with us

After getting our vehicle we stopped by a local Cain's for supper.  We love those chicken strips!

We visited with family at David's grandmothers house before traveling on south to our mission house.  It was late when we arrived and we are all exhausted.  It's been several days later now and we are all still exhausted.  I hope we can get rested up soon.

We still have no home internet service at the guest house where we are staying.  We hope to have it installed sometime this week.  I'll be a little slow about blogging for a while but little by little I'll catch you up.