Avery's Journey

The C-17 (or C-5?) that brought the kids over from Haiti.

Landed at 4:30 pm Jan 23, 2010 at the Sanford International Airport.

Close up of the tail of the jet. Already at hour 3 of waiting (plane was late)

Hour 5 of waiting:

First sign it was going to be a long day... we heard not all the kids made it on

the plane, but no one would tell us who. So a news crew had footage of kids

exiting the plane and we were all trying to figure out whose kids made it and

whose did not. So nerve wracking. Avery was taken off the plane in a wheel

chair (to save time) with her head buried under a blanket.

Hour 22:

This is when things turned from worse to ugly. This guy on the right

made the rest of our day a living nightmare. Parents/press asking

what his problem is. He worked for HHS (Health and Human

Services)

Hour 23-30: We meet with the jerk in the tie. He was making everything so

difficult it is hard to describe. He was trying to make up things as he went

but nothing he said made sense. And to parent who have been awake for

2 days straight, we were done with his antics. We got the Florida government

to come to our rescue and the result is next!

Hour 31: Finally they let parents back to the holding room to meet

their kids! First photo, Avery in the room where she was cared for

by the Red Cross.

Hour 31: She is happy to see Mommy!

Hour 34:

It's official....we can go back to the room and pick up our kids for good.

Notice I had been crying all day and had no sleep~ and my photo

reflects that! :)

Hour 34-37:

We wait and wait for immigration to get the paperwork in order. Not

sure what took so long...but at that point I was happy to wait.

Next day:

Charlotte airport...Mike's face in the background says it all.

Teddy bear from cousin Cammie!

Outside the aiport waiting to go! Cousins Harper, Campbell and Big Brothers

Preston and Caden