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We checked out of our hotel and they stored our baggage. (We were to leave at 9:55 but since they added an appt. we missed that flight. The next flight was at 12:30. Our appt. was at 10. We are really pushing the limit!) Off to Mayo we went for the last time. (At least for this trip anyway.) We visited their Physical Medicine Department. I must say that ranked right up there with one of the worst appts. all week. They evaluated Zine in detail about where he was. It became very obvious as to how much was really going on. It’s very difficult to try to make your body do something and it won’t work. They educated us a lot and explained to us what was going on with his body. He can do hardly no exercise. But stretching is very important. They taught him some stretching to do on his own. They also taught me some stretches to do for him. It seemed pretty easy for us to do it while we were there. I’m not sure how we’ll do on our own. We have got to figure out a routine to get that into our lives. But this morning was not the morning to start new routine. They spent about an hour and half with us Friday morning. It was very beneficial for us to stay for that appointment. Once again, God worked it out so we could get in! They were actually very surprised that we got in at the last minute, but we knew how we got in! God was at work.
We then boarded the shuttle for hotel. The hotel called for us a taxi and by the time we got to the hotel the taxi was there. We grabbed our luggage and switched from Mayo shuttle to taxi. Then we zoomed on to the airport! We made it with just a bit of time to spare! We had no problems getting on plane in Rochester.
However, once we arrived in Minneapolis we sat on an airplane on the tarmac for about 45 minutes or so. We had to wait on what I call a plane parking place! By the time we got off the plane it was time for our next plane to leave. Thankfully, I was able to wave down a golf cart transport and they zoomed us on to the next gate. For some reason nothing was close to each other. We got to the gate just as they were getting ready to take off. They said the plane was full anyway. So they rolled us to the next flight which was an hour later. This actually gave me enough time to go grab us something to eat and scarf it down. Unfortunately, this plane was full as well. So once again, I hailed a golf cart and they delivered us back across the airport to the next flight. We sat down in gate area and this young lady says…I met you this week at Mayo. Whew…how in the world did she remember us? It happend to be Tuesday when the storms were brewing here and we started talking in the waiting room of neurology department. She remembered that I had said I didn’t like my kids being here in stormy weather. She said that we talked funny so when she heard us talk she knew we were the same people. So she asked about our appt. and Zine told her it wasn’t good and he briefly explained. Come to find out, she was a flight attendant for the flight to Atlanta. She was actually working boarding at the gate. In a few minutes, she brought us boarding passes and allowed us to board first! Her name was Becky and I may never see Becky again but believe me I have thanked God for her many times and have asked God to bless her tremendously. Flight left around 5:30 and we were on our way to Atlanta.
Needless to say, by the time we got to Atlanta there was only one flight left into Huntsville. We were both exhausted physically and mentally. But with a about a two hour lay over it gave us time to sit down and eat a meal. And guess what was right near our gate…an Atlanta Bread Company. So we order, and I wanted a chicken cordon bleu panini but the cashier said that they didn’t make it there. So I ordered a bowl of chili instead. Now how in the world one of the cooks heard me request that in an airport I will never know! I’m fixing our drinks and one of the cooks came to me and asked if I wanted one and I told her I did. She proceeded to tell me that even though it wasn’t on their menu she would be glad to fix me one. So she fixed me one without charge! I just had to say thank you God for just providing a simple act of kindness and providing me a luxury that I didn’t have to have. Now at the gate, we were once again very quickly given a boarding pass. I guess that late at night seats are pretty easy to come by! We landed in Huntsville about 11 pm last night.
My father in law picked us up and to our surprise, guess who was with him? Our precious Conner. Conner literally knocked Zine off his feet. It was about disaster but thankfully Conner and I were able to save Zine from the floor. But the floor was very close before we were all able to regain our footing! It was almost quite the scene. There were almost three of us sprawled on the ground. We get home a bit before 11:30. We visit with my in laws for a few minutes and they had decided that they were going to go ahead and leave. They left about midnight last night and they did arrive safely about 9 am this morning!
At 5:30 this morning Krisann woke me up. So I didn’t get a lot of sleep but at 5:30, I didn’t mind at all snuggling with that sweet baby! We missed them so much but God blessed our trip tremendously. We are glad we went and we don’t regret it at all. We are amazed to be able to see where God worked in our lives over the course of the trip. We know that it is because of your prayers that we sustained that trip.
We are extremely saddened at the news we received. At times when we think about it, we can feel extremely overwhelmed! Life has definitely dealt us a difficult card. We have lots of fears and lots of uncertainties. We are trying to keep our focus on God and not our circumstances but I don’t think at the present time we are succeeding at that very well! We continue to cherish your prayers as we work through emotions and come to grips with the news we have heard.