Chicago Here I come!- Part II

"You weren't supposed to find that!" Jon moans. "Is this real? I'm not really going on a plane in 2 hours, am I?" I can tell by his mischievous smile that it is real. "Are you coming with me?" Now I feel paniced. I'm not emotionally ready to leave my homemaking sanctuary and go into the unknown of a major Airport with no idea who or what I was going for. Jon's response, "I'm staying home, I'm watching the kids and I promise you'll love being with who you're going to be with." I'm racking my brain trying to think of any random people I know in Chicago or anything about Chicago. No idea, scared, nervous bubbles start rumbling in my stomach. Maybe I can have a civil disobedience sit down and refuse to go. Jon is herding kids to the bus stop, loading my clothes into a suitcase, while I go through the motions of changing a diaper, tying shoes, cleaning up breakfast, etc. "Will I need my curling iron? Will I need shampoo?" "I don't think so. No" I shoot questions at Jon like artillery, trying to get a hint, more information, anything. One of Jon's flaws, he can't keep a secret, can't lie to me, can't because I can see the truthfulness in his clear innocent eyes. Or so I thought, I remember the big fib he had told at the beginning of this race that flights were not involved.
The tension and confusion starts mounting as the kids are leaving for the bus and Jon lets something slip. The truth comes flying out on one question. "Do I need my hairspray?" Being rushed he flings back a quick answer, "No, I bet Michelle or Kari will have it."

A huge squeal of excitement!!!!!! YEAHHH! I'm going to see my sisters! I'm going to a big city with my sisters!!

"Oh no," Jon slaps his face. "Michelle's going to kill me." He's totally deflated but I'm soaring. No more stomach acid, no more worries. My hubby's going to take care of my kids, and I'm going to party with my favorite females in the world! One more glitch, Taison.... who is still nursing, not sleeping through the night. "How long will I be gone? What about Taison? What are we going to do?"

We are running to catch the school bus. "You'll come home Saturday night. With you completely gone, Taison will get weaned. I'll teach him how to sleep through the night. And once you're in Chicago, Michelle's got the whole thing planned, seeing a show, shopping for clothes, sightseeing. She's taking care of the hotel through her business trip points." Wow! A shopping trip with just sisters. Can anything sound more cool?! I used to hate shopping and as a mom it's a necessary part of my week, a screaming, trying to entertain small children and read my shopping list, type of painful experience. But as a mom shopping for myself with no one to entertain! I all of a sudden LOVE shopping. My wardrobe consists mostly of plain colored shirts and jeans. This will at least mean a few things I actually want for my birthday. Jon tells me my budget for meals and food and I can't imagine a better way to get birthday presents.

The school bus is late so Jon gets the car, while I share my exciting story with my neighborhood parents waiting too. We drop the kids off at school and Jon drives as quickly as he can to the airport. He spills all the information, feeling a sense of relief that he can actually talk to me about this. He teases me about my off the wall ideas from his clues, and how he emailed Michelle and Kari all my random guesses and they all laughed at me. He told me Michelle wanted me to be blindfolded and dropped off at the airport. I told him, if I'd gotten that type of surprise I'd have punched him, being so nervous and scared. I'm glad it all fell the way it did.
As we get closer to the airport, the nerves are replaced by a peaceful amazing gratitude. I can't believe how nice Heavenly Father is to give me a present like this, how Michelle could brainstorm such sweet and spontaneous thoughtfulness, Kari and Michelle could spend the money on tickets to come out here. I can't believe what an awesome life I have. I didn't realize how good I really have it, even without a present this good, it's still pretty amazing to have people that good and that giving and that loving in my life. I say goodbye to Jon, Corynn and a screaming Taison who seems to sense my leaving will seriously damage his parasitic life. I get on the airplane, wanting to scream out loud, my sisters are flying out for my birthday and my hubby's giving me a get away and taking care of my kids. I start to get nervous again so I start to read my book called The Lightning Thief. I periodically take a break to be amazed by the beautiful sky and what is happening. The gratitude overwhelms me and I actually start to cry. I can't believe how good my life is.

We touch down, and I get all excited to see my sisters. I walk off the plane, smiling as wide as I can, scanning the crowd for my sisters' faces. No one yet looks familiar. I get to the end of the exit and pathway. No one looking up smiling. They are hiding, I think, imagining them with a video camera somewhere, laughing at my confusion. I decide to sit and look calm. No one yet. I'm sure they are getting this on tape. I won't act scared or disappointed. A few minutes pass, and I think, they have lost me. They don't know where I'm at. All of sudden I think, how funny! Well, I'll turn the surprise around. I'll go use the bathroom and they won't find me here, HA! I go wait in the long line that inevitably occurs in a Women's Restroom, laughing to myself. I feel a sense of urgency to hurry and go hide behind the corner to look for them. I take my sweet time washing my hands.
Go, now! I feel. No, I want them to panic first. Go now! Not yet, I want them to suffer, after all the confusion and frustration I felt these past few days. Go now! I feel. Alright, I leave the bathroom and look around smiling. No one yet, except in the distance I seeing running a frantic faced Michelle! She sees me and we scream! I see Kari a little ways back and scream again! Great big loud hugs and Sister Screams fill the airport as passerbys wonder what just happened. Kari opens a big pink banner that says Happy Birthday, which I still have hanging in my bedroom, and says Happy Birthday. Michelle wonders how much I knew or expected, and I tell her Jon gave a little bit away at the last minute. A flight attendant takes our picture and I tell them my sisters surprised me for my birthday by flying out here and my husband gave me my ticket this morning. They smile. It's so great to see Kari and Meesh. They look so good and so familiar. They are my family and I am theirs. Their flight was late and they were worried. If I hadn't been there, they would've been so frantic and chased all over the airport. It was perfect timing emerging from the restroom when I did. We are gushing with questions and answers and laughing and stories all the way to baggage claim. A guy comes up to me and says "Is this your sister?" to Kari. "Happy Birthday" She had sat next to him on the plane and told him the whole story. I don't know what impressed him more, that they had conjured this all up, or that Jon had actually packed my suitcase by himself. We get a taxi thanks so Michelle and head off into the city of Chicago...