Saturday, May 28, 2011

Life Is Like A Box of Chocolates~

~You never know what you're going to get!

For the last week I have been the happiest mother ever! I got a late Mother's Day gift! It all started with Brittany's trip to visit her sister in Toronto. Sarah told me she had a gift for me that she would send home with Britt. She was sorry it would be late. Like most mothers (I hope), I don't expect a gift, just my children's love. That's all! When that Sunday came around and our usual afternoon Skype call came from Canada, instead of seeing my sweet Sarah all alone I got to see this...





 Hooray! I was so happy to see these two sisters together! They are very close and have missed each other so much these last four years. Sarah had fun showing Britt all of her favorite places in Toronto. Fun shops, unique restaurants, the University, the Bata Shoe Museum, the play "Billy Elliot", and Niagara Falls.

 Brittany gets a view of downtown Toronto. See the CN Tower?


 Umm...Yum!!


Me:  "Who is this statue of Brittany?"      B:  "Some Guy?"

 Niagara Falls. Brrr!!!

 Downtown Toronto after seeing  "Billy Elliot".

At the end of Britt's 8 days she called me early in the morning on Skype. She was on the floor with her laptop in front of her while she packed. She just wanted to make sure someone would meet her at the airport when she got home. I watched as Sarah moved about behind her and I felt SO BAD! I hated to think of Sarah alone again. I mean, she has a great roommate and loves her church group, but it's hard to be away from family. I asked Sarah what she would do now, go back to work on her dissertation? She sighed and said "Yes. Sadly, there's a lot to be done!" 
I prayed for her so she wouldn't feel too sad when Brittany left later that day.

I got a phone call from Britt late in the afternoon.. She was to land in Salt Lake at 7:00 pm after a plane change in Denver. Massive thunderstorms over Denver had caused her flight to circle for an hour and divert to Pueblo to refuel. Then the storm moved south and delayed them on the runway in Pueblo. To make a long story short...she ended up missing her connection to Salt Lake and spent the night in Denver with my sister Gena! So nice to have family in the town you get stranded in! I will be forever grateful to Gena for driving all the way from Arvada to Stapleton International to get my girl!
Brittany got a flight out the next day and it was arranged for Nick to meet her at the airport and bring her back to his and Diana's workplace in Draper. I would meet them there and bring Brittany home.
As I drove up in front of the Goal Zero building I saw Britt unloading things form Nick and Diana's car. I got out and gave her a big hug. It was so good to have her home. She told me to wait in my car because she had to run inside and use the restroom. Soon Nick came out the doors followed by Diana who was followed by Bri---wait! She was blonde, but it wasn't Britt! It was SARAH!!!!
I felt my heart skip. I could barely breathe!!
I grabbed my chest and put my head on the steering wheel just to get my bearings. I wasn't sure I had really seen her! (I later learned that all of Diana's co-workers were gathered at the windows to watch the big surprise. One of them told her, "this is better than Extreme Home Makeover!")
She yelled, "Happy Mother's Day!"
Brittany brought my present after all.
I got out of the car, hugged and held my girl, jumped up and down, and cried.
Then I had to drive home!

We had so much fun about an hour later taking Sarah to the Fitness Center to surprise her Dad. He had just finished swim practice so we sneaked her in the back way out by the pool.


Yeah, he cried too!
  I realized that Brittany had not been alone during her long ordeal in Denver and Sarah had not been left alone and wasn't sad at all! Prayers are answered indeed. She even got to see Grandma Helen for the first time in two years! They stayed up late talking and the girls took a later flight out the next day so they could visit a bit longer.

Life is good. Some days it's great! Sometimes it's hard, but just hang in there because you never know what the day will bring!


4 comments:

URFAVE 5+A Few said...

I'm telling you for the last week or so I cry quite easily. After reading that I am just a balling baby mess! What a wonderful gift and surprise and I truly feel that it was meant to be that that storm make them have to stay in Denver so they could see Grandma Helen and Gena. How fun for all of you! I hope you are enjoying your wonderful visit!

Love You!
JoLynn

Sarah Faria said...

I love that story!!!

Ellsworth Party of Four said...

How wonderful! and how fun for them to get to spend all this time together. We are all so to have sisters...who are our very best friends!
What a wonderful surprise!
I just LOVE family! :)

Gena said...

I can't tell you how much fun it was to keep a secret! We surprised the heck out of Hecken, and had to deeply impress upon her the severity of the punishment should she mess up the surprise for you! I love your girls SO much! I hope your visit has been as wonderful as it could possibly be!!