Frankfurt

We left Friday at 2:13pm and arrived in Frankfurt at 10am Saturday. The flight from San Francisco was a little cramped, but not bad at all. Because we were not flying with kids, the 11-hour flight seemed like it was only 5 hours. (Or perhaps the real way to look at it is that when you fly with kids it seems like the flight takes twice at long!) It’s about 5pm now in Frankfurt and we have another 3 hours to kill. Let me warn anyone who has to layover in Frankfurt: this airport is spartan. There is only one restaurant, and not too many comfortable places to sit. There is a concourse between the terminals that has leather lounge chairs (not padded) and wireless internet where we have been catnapping for the last three hours. Many folks with layovers are here with us, sputtering or squirming to get comfortable. The floor is vinyl tile with non-skid bumps and the sound of every suitcase rolling by is magnified three-fold. The disturbance is enough to keep you from really dropping off and missing your flight. And if you can sleep through that, you can’t sleep through every single flight’s boarding announcement. A long layover in this airport with children would be miserable.

One indispensable item that we ARE SO GLAD WE BROUGHT:

Noise-canceling headphones

I think these helped make the flight less stressful and seem to pass more quickly.

When we left I talked to my grandmother right before we boarded the plane. They transferred her to a rehabilitation facility on Friday. We had arranged for my aunt to come up and make sure she was getting good care. What a relief to know that she was coming. On Wednesday they drained quite a bit of fluid from one of my grandmother’s lungs with a syringe. I wasn’t able to talk to a doctor to find out any test results before I left. But they felt comfortable moving her, and she was down to only 2 liters of oxygen on Thursday. Her leg looked so much better. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement.

The reality of being on our way to meet our daughter hasn’t sunk in yet. All I can absorb is that we are on our way to Russia. I miss C and K madly! The night before we left we had our neighbors come up and witness us sign our first will. It was surreal. The act of writing the will and contacting those we named in it was morbidly frightening, and yet the signing of it was very cordial. I was tired and worried about making it back alive to C and K, and everyone else is recognizing this trip for what it really is: an incredible journey to meet our new daughter. I think after a good night’s sleep I will be able to see that too.

What is amazing to me is how all the logistics for the trip fell perfectly into place despite being consumed by my grandmother’s illness. My poor kids suffered some serious neglect, but for the most part were good sports about it all. We were even able to squeeze in a stop on the way to the airport to pick up some documents to carry to Russia for two other families. The stress didn’t affect my stomach, thankfully! No, it erupted into two angry red zits on my forty-year-old face! Sigh… thank God for concealer. =)

Now that I’ve napped a bit I feel better. I will try to post after we have reached Ekaterinburg and have rested.