Lima to Las Vegas: Arriving Home - FINALLY (July 30, 2010)

Tracking our way home, to our left is Chiclayo, with Piura at 10 o'clock

            Flying throughout the night is actually pretty cool . . . if you can sleep.  If not, it’s brutal - especially if you are dead tired.  I would say we managed perhaps a couple hours of sleep, which is not bad.  I spent a lot of time staring at the screen which tracked the progress of our flight.  I cannot explain why, but I was very interested to see when and where we would finally make a left turn over Florida towards Atlanta, GA.  (Answer: Just north of Everglades National Park.)  We only needed on form to be completed for Customs, so David filled it out then handed it to me to sign.  I did not read it, just signed (ooops).  (David did not know I had snacks in my back pack.)  When we arrived in Atlanta, we went to baggage claim and I got sniffed out by a police dog that went ape over an undeclared bag of beef jerky that had been in my bag since leaving Las Vegas.  I also had an old apple and a couple other snacks buried in my bag.  I was directed to an area where my bag was searched and all food (and water) was confiscated like it was illegal contraband. (And apparently . . . it is.)  No big deal.  I have just never been outed by a police dog before.  Now I have.  (The dog clearly has a nose for beef jerky, but apparently nothing for chocolate donuts purchased on in Lima that mysteriously made it past Customs and onto the flight to Las Vegas.)  It was nice to have phone service again (that does not cost $2.50/min.).  We did not have much of a layover in Atlanta before boarding our final flight.  David and I actually sat across the aisle from each other.  I tried to catch up on some sleep.  Unfortunately, I drank a huge bottle of water that I did not want to waste at Customs in Atlanta and my body kept reminding me that it really did not need all that water at once.  So, sleep for an extended period of time was not happening. 

Las Vegas is just below!

En route to baggage claim

David was actually nervous about that family reunion moment

Just about to baggage claim and the awaiting family

            Maralea and David had changed seats prior to our approach to Las Vegas so he could look out the window and see the landscape from above for the first time in two years.  He was a bit nervous, I think.  We arrived at the terminal and decided that Maralea and I would go first, so we could take pictures of him arriving.  (We did not want to miss all that.)  I noticed that my camera was not taking good pictures as we exited the tram but did not have time to fiddle with the settings.  We just moved on.  We went down the escalators to see our children, some extended family and friends with posters.  David came down the escalator all by himself to a round of cheers.  He hugged everyone.  

David discovers that little brother Jordan has grown . . . taller

Balloons and signs were a welcome sight

             We got the three boys together and, just as I suspected, Jordan is now officially the tallest.  (He is even taller than David with his shoes off and David’s shoes on.)  Whitney had set up her camera to take a group picture of everyone, and then we made our way to get the bags - all accounted for.  As we walked out into the Las Vegas heat we were reminded that we are now above the equator where it is summer - and oh so hot.  David continued wearing his suit in the heat but was anxious to get to some air conditioning.  We arrived home to a “Welcome Home” sign posted by the Littles, and balloons.  

David and Kelli, with Whitney videotaping from behind

Setting up for a big family picture in baggage claim

Jordan (right) was all smiles at taking over the "I'm Tallest" title, Brad (left) laughs because . . . misery loves company (ha)

We came home to a "Welcome Home" sign by the Littles

David with his Aunt Chris, and cousins Lisa and Kimberly

            After dropping off our bags, we went to the stake center for David to be released by Pres. Kyle Peterson.  David again signed the plates he first signed at the Stake Young Men’s Encampment of 2002 at Del Webb in Lehi’s Tent where he committed to serving a mission.  I remember that moment in 2001 very well.  Even though I was then serving as the Young Men’s President of my ward, I was not really aware of Lehi’s Tent and the invitation extended to the Young Men to sign the plates to commit to serving a mission.  David was then 13, a short, scrawny 13.  During the evening fireside, Father Lehi would address the group and invite those young men who had signed the plates that day to come down and receive a token of their commitment.  Since I knew nothing about the plates, and did not communicate anything to our youth about it, I figured there were not be any from our troop who would be going forward.  But, without any hesitation, David stood up and walked down to the front, received his token, and returned.  My heart melted as I thought of his valiance and desire to serve - and for making that commitment without any prodding from his father.  David never wavered in his commitment to serve since that time, and today provided the most important signature to those plates: the one in which he returns and reports on a commitment completed, a mission served - now a permanent record on those wonderful plates.  There is nothing so great than to be able to return and report to the Lord on a completed assignment.  (David had also signed plates at a Young Men’s Encampment in 2004 at Lake Arrowhead, which were present at the time of his release.)  The family gathered together for David’s release.  Maralea took off one of his name tags, David removed the other.  He will no longer be known as Elder Royal, but simply David.  That sacred title was temporary, but David will have to transition to life without the name tag and title.  It was a wonderful thing to have our entire family present for that experience, in addition to Mom and Dad.  Brad and David have left Jordan with a brightly lighted pathway to follow in life, for which I am very grateful as their father.

David signing the plates to memorialize his kept commitment, with Pres. Peterson

Signing these plates was the end of an eight year commitment, dating back to 2002

David with the 2002 and 2004 plates, signed, sealed and delivered

Maralea removed David's name tag

Lehi's plates, up close and personal

Mommy got the first post missionary tag hug

            We went to get some sandwiches as Firehouse Subs afterwards, then returned to the house to start the chore of unpacking.  I sat down on the hardwood floor of our entryway and began going through the first bag when I was suddenly hit with extreme fatigue and sleepiness.  I figured I would lay down for just a moment, but there I remained for a couple hours, before waking up and gathering just enough strength to get upstairs to bed.  I then slept for another four hours, before David woke me up for some pizza.  Still groggy, I managed something to eat, went into the front room, laid down on the couch, and fell asleep again.  I did not wake up for another five hours, then went to bed and slept through the night.  I woke up at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday and finally felt rested.  So, I started the task of going through emails, and updating the blog while everyone else slept.  This blog took on a life of its own.  I cannot believe I tried to write so much.  But, I did, and . . . it’s now all in the family history books, so I suppose that one day someone may be glad for that.  (Even our adult children generally admit they just look at the pictures, so . . . .)

"We've gotta father and mother, sister and brother, pullin' together we can work it out!"  Together for the first time in 2 years.