Backtracking...

When we went to Guatemala, all of our energy was focused on the steps that we needed to do to get on that plane to LAX and get Israel safely home. We sent out some emails along the way so that our friends and family could be praying over those steps, but there really wasn't time to share much about what the trip was really like. And to show you pictures, for heaven's sake.

Of course, it was my plan all along to get right to that as soon as we got home, but I think we all know how successful I was with that one.

So here we are, a month later, and if you don't mind, I'd like to backtrack a bit so you can experience a little bit of what our trip Guatemala was really like.

Without further ado, here's Part 1: The Airport...

Throughout the whole adoption process, we talked a lot about the need for God to move mountains in order to get Israel home. So it was particularly amusing, I thought, that just after Jeremy & I checked our bags at LAX, a good sized earthquake hit that was centered right near the airport. Of course, no one even looked up from what they were doing, but still. An earthquake. I'd like to think it wasn't so much an earthquake as it was the rumblings of that last mountain getting moved out of the way.

Besides the earthquake, we found plenty of entertainment during the time we spent in the airport, which we needed because we spent a lot of time in the airport.

We had left our house nice and early because we wanted to avoid somehow missing our flight because of some kind of problem. Like traffic, or car trouble, or not being able to find a spot to park at the long term lot (where we had a reservation). Or we might have a problem catching a shuttle or getting to the right terminal or checking in. Or one of our bags might be too heavy and we'd have to have them all sprawled open on the floor of the baggage check area so we could try to shuffle stuff around without our underwear falling out. Or maybe security might confiscate my chapstick. Or suspect one of us of having the swine flu and put us in quarantine.

And yes, I know that it is somewhat possible that I might have been maybe a tad bit paranoid, but hey, a two year long adoption process will do that to a girl.

At any rate, we got there early and were able to enjoy a stress-free airport experience with plenty of entertainment.

First there was the huge group of Catholic Korean missionaries (we know this from reading their matching bright blue t-shirts) who spent who knows how long checking in like 37 people at a single check-in kiosk, not minding at all that people trying to use the nearby kiosks had to negotiate over and around their mountain of bags. Oh yeah, and they felt the need to document this part of their trip by periodically pausing in business of checking in to take pictures.

(If we were even remotely worried about time, that would have seriously stressed me out).

Then we got to see a lady almost wipe out because she was hurrying too fast down a long ramp through the terminal.

I'm sorry, but since she didn't actually fall or get hurt at all, it was funny. It's just that you could see it happening almost in slow motion. At first she's in a hurry like everyone else, but then she's going a little faster. And faster. And then she's running. Pretty soon her feet are going too fast for her body, or maybe it's the other way around, and she starts to lose her balance. She's flinging her arms and her purse is flipping all over and her feet are slap, slap, slapping to try to regain control. And then she manages to get the better of her momentum and slows down back down to a walk and then stops and kind of does that inventory of patting things like her hair and her purse and her shirt. And then she tries to look around to see if anyone was watching, but she tries to do it really casually in case somehow everyone in the general area did not see her and she doesn't want to be obvious after all.

(And before you go thinking that I'm mean, you must know that I myself have done the exact same thing, except I was not a put-together grown up woman in an airport. I was a dork in junior high and I was in a gym full of high school boys. And when I tried to take off running, my shoes decided not to grab on, and they didn't just slap, slap, slap. They screech, slap, squeak, slap, slapped because it was a gym floor. And all the boys heard the commotion and turned and looked. And so I am allowed to be amused when something like that happens. Because it's funny. It just is.)

Anyway, back to the airport.

While we waited around, we also got to cringe over the guy who spent too much of his layover in the airport bar and then proceeded to stand there and call out to random people to join him in his very festive celebration of being in an airport.

"Hey, girl! Green shirt. Yeah, you. Come have a drink! C'mon! No? Okay, your friend then. Friend! Hey Friend! You've got a nice smile. You should bring your green shirt friend over here to have a drink. No? Okay, but you do have a great smile. Great smile! Dude. Yeah, dude. In the hat. Come hang out man. Aw, no, come on. I know you see me. Come hang out man!"

And then he would high five and fist bump anyone who came near him.

We saw him a few hours later waiting to board a flight to New York. He was considerably more subdued at that point...probably getting ready to start the tearful "I love you man!" kind of thing. I feel sorry for the poor flight attendant who got to deal with him that night.

But even after all of that, plus a trip to the airport California Pizza Kitchen, 2 or 3 trips to the bathroom, checking our email 17 times, and talking to lots of people on the phone, we did eventually get bored out of our minds sitting around waiting for our midnight flight. And so we did the only thing two very tired and very excited and very bored people could think of. We tried to take a picture of ourselves.


I don't know why.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

From the picture, you might think we decided to join Friendly Airport Bar Guy for a drink, but I assure you, that is not the case.

Thankfully, not long after that, the intercom put us out of our misery when the muffled voice announced that it was time to board our flight.