Utah Part 1

We went to Utah on December 11th... to be there when my lil bro Zach got home from his mission the next day!  Eric was able to go with us and it was ridiculously awesome!  I had been freaking out and sooo anxious for weeks previous about the plane ride.  I don't know why I do that because they always turn out alright.  Eric sat with Peyton teh whole time and I was with Sadie.  Sadie NEVER sleeps in anyone's arms so she was awake the whole plane ride but she was super chill so that was ok.  We did almost miss our connecting flight in Chicago but we made it.  We prolly looked ridiculous running through the airport as fast as we could.... two kids in tow, all this luggage and panting like crazy. Ok, I don't know about Eric but I was panting like crazy!!  The next day........ back to the airport we went to wait for Zach.

 Jamie made this cute sign for Lydia and Sadie.... she cracks me up!! 

 Waiting for him to come down that elevator is pure torture!!!!  There is a reason I can NEVER sleep Christmas Eve... anticipation kills me.  Our hearts were beating.... we kept thinking he was coming down and alas, not him. 

Finallllyyyyyy...... we spotted him!  There were three or four different families waiting around us for their missionaries who were in Zach's mission so that was super cool.  But as soon as we saw Zach we all let out a squeel and yelled, "Zach."  Ok that whole moment is kinda fuzzy in my mind because I was over the moon excited so maybe I was alone when screaming Zach's name but I don't know. 

 Group hug!!!!!!!  So gosh dang excited to see him!

 The excitement was a little tooo much for Sadie. 

 Meeting little Lydia!!

 These moments are my absolute favorite!!!  They make me tear up just looking at them.  I can feel the love oozing out of these shots.  I'm always sooooo sure that words, pictures, or anything will not adequately tell my kids how ardently I love them but I can feel it here coming from my parents to their boy.  Moments like this make me think that this is how Heaven feels!

Poor Zachy..... we pretty much shadowed him for awhole week after he returned.  We just wanted to soak in everything about him.  He is such a good man!!!  I feel soooo ridiculously lucky to have such an awesome brother........ seriously!  As he came down the escalator, there was a moment where I didn't quite recognize him.  Of course I would always recognize him but there is a maturity about him now.... my sister said it well, "He left a boy and returned a man."  So I guess the transformation just threw me for a second.  I swear as he came down that escalator, he was just glowing!! 
Having him home and soaking up his missionary spirit made me want my kids to serve a mission even more.  What a noble thing.....