Welcome Home Al and Mil!

The blessed day finally came...the end of three super duper long years...

hallelujah!

But before we could welcome my parents home there was a lot of work to do...lots and lots of work.  As soon as I got over my Indian jet-lag I headed over to my parents' yard to see what I could do to help make it beautiful and, in the little less than three weeks I had from the time I returned from India until my parents' return, I spent hours and hours and days and days working in the yard.  The bad thing about this was that my back really hurt after so much yard work...the good thing though, was that I was able to keep my Indian tan in a nice and bronzy state...well as bronzy as a white blond with moley pasty skin gets.  

Anyway, my parents hired some yard people to help out, but that didn't go so well.  The first day they came, one of my brothers saw them steal an old machete that he'd purchased at Smith and Edwards back in the day when every family trip to Utah included a stop at Smith and Edwards, which then resulted in the purchase of really random things like my lucky Elvis is Dead...Deal With It! t-shirt, old army equipment, rodeo costumes, machetes, and lots and lots of candy and other snacks...the candy later leading one of us to overindulge and barf.  Good times!  

Anyway, so the next day I asked our Hispanic yard helpers in English if they'd seen an old machete over by the shop.  Here's how the conversation went, with the English part of the conversation in normal print and the Spanish portions in italics.

Me: "Did you guys see an old machete over by the shop?"

Mexican #1 to Mexican #2: "Oh yeah, that's the one we took the other day."

Mexican #2 to me:  "Yes, we will bring it to you."

A few minutes later...

Mexican #1 brings me the machete and in broken English says: "See, we were using the machete to trim the bushes and cut the edge of the grass."

Me to myself: 'Yeah right...that machete hasn't cut anything since about 1974.'

Me to Mexican #1: "Oh, okay."  (and a big smile and nod to make him believe that I believed him)

Mexican #2 to Mexican #1: "Did she believe you when you told her that we were using it to work on their yard?"

Mexican #1 to Mexican #2: "Oh yeah, I just told her that we picked it up to use on their yard...she doesn't think that we stole it."

Two hours pass during which I worked planting flowers right next to los Mexicanos as they weeded nearby.  I listened in on their conversations...about the machete...about how they were mad that they had to cut out the grass from the landscaped areas...and about some guy named Fernando.  

Then I decided the moment had come...to bust out the Espanol.  So I say to Mexican #1 in Spanish: "Where are you guys from?...I heard you speaking Spanish."

Mexican #1 (with a "just pooped my pants" look on his face) stammers:  "Oh, you speak Spanish?"

Me: "Sí."

Mexican #1: "Mmmmexico.  We're from Mexico."

Mexican #1 then walks over to Mexican #2 and informs him that the girl that they'd been speaking Spanish in front of for at least two hours also speaks Spanish.  

Mexican #2 to Mexican #1: "Yeah, but do you really think she understood what we were saying?"

Mexican #1 to Mexican #2: "Yes, she speaks very well."  

Silence.  

Then I left for the day and they never did show back up the next day to finish the job.  I guess they were embarrassed and quit.  Too bad though...they were pretty nice guys, despite their thieving ways.  

Dear Mexicans, 

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world...not some secret code language.  Remember that next time.  

Love, Becca

Anyway, even without the help of los Mexicanos, we got the yard looking pretty decent and I got my goal done and got all the flower beds cleaned out and planted and also got my mom's flower pots planted.  

The morning of my parents' return I, with the help of our tall skinny cowboy neighbor, my friend Lorina, and her 12ish year old son, hung up a big "Welcome Home" banner over our road.

Anyway, we got the giant banner up and it looked awesome.  Right then anyway.  Unfortunately, due to the Idaho wind, it didn't look so awesome by the time my parents got home.  Oh well, I guess it's the thought that counts.  

I put some finishing touches on the house with Welcome Home posters, flowers, bowls of peanut M&M's and Whoppers(the candy, not the hamburger) on the table, and a fridge stocked with milk, Reed's Dairy chocolate milk, cottage cheese, pickles, low fat bologna (as requested by my dad), etc.        

And before I knew it, it was time to head to the airport.  Their official landing time was 2:43 P.M., but I wanted to get there by 2:15 to decorate the airport a bit, stake out a spot for all our relatives to gather in, and just to make sure I was on time.  But, their flight was late...so we got to wait another 15 minutes or so...but 15 minutes is nothing after waiting three years!  And boy were we all excited for Al and Mil to come home!

As excited as I was to have my parents home, it seemed kind of unreal that they were actually coming home.  They'd been gone for what seemed like an eternity, and it felt kind of weird waiting at the airport, knowing that, after being gone so long, they'd be back with us in just a few minutes.  I kind of didn't believe it...until I saw them through the glass doors coming down the escalator...and then it felt real...

they were here!

My parents were super excited to be home even though they were exhausted from the long flight...I think the kid in the picture with them was super confused about what was going on and how he got stuck in the middle of it. 

My mom was super happy to see us all!

Here she is with two of her sisters and her mom.  I hardly have any pictures of my dad's side of the family from the day as they are not as cooperative with posing for pictures as my mom's side is.  But my dad's side of the family was there too...there's just not much evidence of it.  

My dad and I at the airport.  He wasn't feeling too great when they flew home, but it wasn't anything a trip to Plum Loco and a good night's sleep couldn't fix.  

The attendees...at least the ones who didn't leave before we took the picture.  

We're so excited to have my parents home safe...we can't get enough of them!  In fact the first few days I found myself following my mom around everywhere she went. I think I may have even accidentally followed her into the bathroom a time or two.  Sorry mom!

Welcome home Al and Mil...welcome home!