Our Journey Home

 

 

            Our journey home was nothing but chaos and miracles.

 

            We were still waiting for Minnesota to give us the all clear to come back with Brayden. They said it should be Friday, but could possibly be on Monday. Justin and I were going stir crazy and wanted nothing more to get home. We appreciated the time the three of us had alone because it allowed us to bond with our baby with it just being us, but it was hard being away from home. We couldn’t go outside because it was so hot and there is only so much you can do with a newborn. Let’s just say time past by very slowly.

            We decided to go grocery shopping thinking that we might as well prepare for the weekend because it wasn’t looking good for us to get home. When we got back to our hotel room it wasn’t twenty minutes later that we got the “You all can go home.” Justin and I were so excited we didn’t even know where to begin. We needed to pack and we needed to find a flight home.

            This is where the chaos began. We packed so quickly and we were so unorganized I don’t think we cared if we left anything behind. Just as long as the three of us got out of there. While we packed Justin tried to find flights for us. His brother helped us out in finding some that left that night and Justin’s aunt offered us stand by again. We had to choose between what chances we wanted to take. Do we sit at the airport and hope that we get on a flight or do we take the flight that’s at a different airport and hope that we make that in time. We were still trying to decide what we wanted to do as we dropped the rental car off. Then we found out some information that hindered the later flight. Brayden had to be two weeks old to fly or else we needed a doctor’s note. So, then we started scrambling to find a doctor that would fax their approval to southwest. As we were frantically empting the car we had to decide which one we were going to take a chance on. We decided to take the buddy passes.

            We had three flights that were an option to get on. They all didn’t look promising, but we had faith that we were going to get home that night.

            We were frantically running with a baby and more luggage than we needed trying to get to the first flight that was leaving in less than an hour. When we got to security I am so thankful that TSA was patient with us. We had forgotten so many things that needed to be taken out and put in separate compartments. I had more formula than I knew what to do with. As Justin and I were putting our bags on to be scanned a man tapped me on the shoulder and said with a huge smile, “This is the best decision you two will ever make, God bless you”.  I was in awe and thanked him with tears in my eyes. Another man stopped us as well to ask a few questions, bless us and wish us luck. It was amazing to see how two complete strangers were so compassionate and kind. We will never forget that encounter with those two men.

            We ran to the first gate and when we got there we both had a bad feeling. I went up to the gate just to see how the flight looked and the person at the gate didn’t even look at me and said you aren’t getting on this flight. I went back to sit with Justin and let him know we were 0-1. The next flight didn’t leave for another hour so we began to wait.

            As I was sitting there holding Brayden, Justin and I couldn’t believe where we were at. Things had happened so fast. We were parents and responsible for our little guy. We were hoping in a few hours that we would be home where we could start the new chapter in our life. It was just a three hour flight away.

            As the second flight got closer, Justin decided to walk to that gate to see the status of that flight. I kept thinking of the strangers we had run into at security and kept thinking we have to get on one of these flights, we were blessed twice. It has to work out. I knew that wasn’t the case when Justin came back not too much longer shaking his head. We were 0-2. We had one last flight or else we would probably be spending the night in an airport.

            We continued to sit in the same spot. We didn’t want to move because we were so exhausted from all the chaos to get to the gate. We just kept hoping we would get on the next flight, which was a few hours away. As we waited we had people come up to us and congratulate us and ask us questions. For the most part people were so polite and sweet, but we did get a few inconsiderate looks. It didn’t bother us. How could you not look at this baby and just smile?

            Finally, it was getting closer to our last chance. I had taken Brayden to the bathroom to change him and when I came back I noticed a lady sitting next to Justin. Not thinking much about it, I handed Brayden to Justin and told him I would be right back. When I came back, the lady sitting next to Justin began to ask questions about our baby. She was very sweet and genuine. She asked about our story and then told us she was a minister and would like to pray for us. As she began praying for us, I felt her passion and this blanket of protectiveness come over us all. I had never heard a prayer quite like hers. She prayed for people to see our boy as a human and for people to be colorblind, she prayed for finances, she prayed for wisdom and instincts to help us raise our child and she prayed for things that Justin and I have kept private. It was as if she knew everything we had been praying for and needed. Her prayer left us speechless.

            We continued to talk and learned more about her and then it came up that we were trying to get on this last flight. She said, well let’s pray about that. So, she prayed for us to get on this flight even if it meant others would miss theirs, but it was all at His will. After the last prayer we talked a little bit longer, but she had to catch her flight. We thanked her again and exchanged information so that we could stay in contact. As I watched her walk to her gate I said to Justin, if we get on this flight it’s because of her.

            A few more minutes had passed by and Justin told me to go to the gate just to see how the flight looked. When I went up there the gate agent said it’s not looking good. He looked up at me and saw Brayden and asked me if we had been there all day. I told him pretty much. He then looked at the computer again and said he was sorry, but the chances of us getting on are slim. He told us to stick around though because you never know what could happen.

            When they began to board we were nervous, but also had a feeling of calmness surround us. As the passengers began to board and get on the plane the gate agent kept looking at us. He continued to call all zones and as the gate area began to empty he called the passengers that had checked in, but yet had to show up. He said this is the last call you have thirty seconds to get here. It wasn’t more than fifteen seconds later he said Mueller party of two. Justin and I looked at each other in awe. We couldn’t believe it. We sprinted up there and the gate agent basically took our luggage and threw us on the plane so he could shut the door. He wanted us to get on that flight and he wasn’t going to let anyone get in the way of that. We couldn’t thank him enough.

            We were on!! We were going home. I started to cry, I was so happy and couldn’t believe the kind strangers that had left a huge impact on us that we had met during this day. They had all helped us get home.

            Before taking off, Justin and I discussed all the things that had to happen for us to meet that incredible woman that had prayed for us. We had to be approved by Minnesota to come home. We had to choose to go stand by instead of flying out of the other airport. We also had to miss the first two flights, which we could have moved to the second gate, but we decided to stay in the exact same spot. Come to find out she had missed an earlier flight as well. Coincidence? We don’t believe in them. Everything happens for a reason. God had placed us at that very place at the right time because we were supposed to meet her. I like to think of her as Brayden Micah’s guardian angel.

 

 

 

            We are now home and adjusting well. We have had the most incredible support from friends and family. We are loving this new chapter in our life and will never forget the journey we were on to get here. Someone told me it’s amazing the miracles you see through adoption. It truly is. It can be frustrating at times, but when you fully trust, open your eyes and heart completely, it’s amazing the miracles you see along the way. We are truly blessed and when the Lord wants you to be blessed with a gift there is nothing going to stand in His way of giving it to you. Ours is a beautiful boy named Brayden Micah.