First Trip by himself

Waiting in the airport.

His name was called.

My boy is heading off into the world without me.

The tears were flowing here, just not by Luke, only by mom.

Olivia is pointing to Luke's plane, as we were waiting for it to depart.

Swinging and playing, she did a wonderful job of distracting me, so I didn't completely lose it right there at the gate.

This summer my parents asked if Luke could come and stay with them for a while.  We decided to send him out for 13 long days.  He was so excited.  We decided to send him when he could go on the Youth Pioneer Trek with them.  Luke really wanted to do this so he could experience a little bit of what the Pioneers went through.

So the end of July Livvy and I took Luke to the Detroit airport where he flew non-stop to Salt Lake City.  At the airport we had about an hour delay, as President Obama had been in town and had messed up all the flights at the airport.  I did fine until they called his name, and then I remembered all the last minute advise I hadn't given him and realized that he really was flying half way across the country without me.  I only cried (at that point) when Luke walked away to board the plane.  He was fine, and wasn't scared at all.  There were 2 other unaccompanied minors on the flight so they all got to sit together.  That made me happy.  I had to wait in the airport until his plane was in the sky and then I could leave.  I had to ask someone to know when I could leave, and when I started explaining that I had sent my son as an unaccompanied minor, I started bawling.  All was well and he was on his way, and I left on my way.   

Luke called me on his cell phone (a track phone given to him for this trip only - and he thought he was really cool to have one) when his plane was on the runway in Salt Lake to let me know he was there safe.  My brother met him at the gate (Luke called to let me know he found him) and took Luke to his house where Grandma and Grandpa picked him up.  Luke spent a whirlwind of a trip with my parents.  They had him up to their cabin in Wyoming, in Rexburg for one day only, then on Pioneer Trek, (which Luke said was the "best experience of his life!") back to Utah for a day, and then he flew back home.  He was there for 13 LONG days.  It was hard on me.  When he was tired, he would be homesick.  But when he was out and doing things, he was having the time of his life. 

When I asked him what the best part of the trip was he said "coming home,"  The second best part was Trek.

What an experience, I'm so glad he had it, but mostly I'm happy to have him back home.  So is Olivia, who cried at the airport, and numerous other times because she wanted her brother back.  (The day before he left she said she wanted a new brother- one who didn't tease her.)  Now at least for the next few days she'll enjoy being teased, because he's here.  We are all so thankful to be back together.  It was like a part of us was always missing with him gone.