This is the Tower Calling Lily & Quinn...

All of the kids love it when their Daddy flies them into their beds at night.  The routine begins with them lying face-down on the ground with their arms outstretched like airplane wings.  Micah calls to them through his cupped hands, "This is the tower calling Lily (or whoever it is getting their flight to bed).  Are you ready for take off?"  Our children have then been taught to answer "10-4!"  Micah then calls out, "This is the tower calling Lily.  You are clear for take off."  With those words, he lifts them off the ground in his arms, flies their little bodies around the bedroom a few times with swoops and turbulence included and eventually lands them in their beds.  I love hearing the sound of his voice make airplane noises while the kids giggle.

They truly love airplanes.  What helps, I'm sure, is the fact we live right across the road from Goshen's airport and we get the pleasure of seeing planes take off and land every day.  When we first moved in, we would spend the entire afternoon in our back yard just watching all the action.  Now, we aren't necessarily out there with every plane, but when we hear a larger jet revving his engine, we still run to the door or window to watch him take off.  There is just something about leaving the ground and flying in the sky that is awesome.

Last night, instead of our children's typical flight into their beds, they got the privilege of an invite by a friend of ours from church who happens to be a pilot.  Donny called yesterday morning and asked if the kids would want to go up in his plane with him around 7 p.m....are you kidding me????  Of course they would want to!  Side note:7 p.m. is a lllloooonnnngggg time from an 8:30 a.m. phone call to a child.  I was asked countless times throughout the day, "How many more hours before 7 p.m, Mom?"  : )

Lily was beaming ear to ear when I told her Donny called to see if she wanted to fly with him.  Toby, on the other hand, admittedly said from the beginning he'd rather not get into the plane.  (He's going through a hard phase of nervousness around people and circumstances he's not familiar with).  Quinn began crying and crying when I said it was probably just for the older kids..."But, Mom!!!!  I want to go in the plane!!!" Quinn screamed through his tears.  There was no doubt in my mind he was being completely honest--that boy has no fear and such an adventurous spirit.

Finally, we headed across the road last evening to meet Donny and his wife, Mary, at the airport.

After Donny showed all of us some of the parts of the plane, Lily excitedly got up in the seat to get strapped in.

She began a nervous little giggle as her headset was put on...she was so happy!

They taxied down the runway and with that, they were off in the air!

My 6 year old daughter had taken off on her very first airplane ride...what an awesome moment for her.  We gave her a camera to take photos and videos of her first ride so you can enjoy some of her ride from her perspective...

 
As soon as she had landed and taxied back to where we were all gathered, she said her favorite part of the flight was being allowed to steer the plane all by herself!  Can you even believe it--not too many 6 year olds can say they flew a plane already!  They flew up to 1500 feet in the air at 150 mph.

After our talks with Lily, Quinn began again with is pleas to go on a plane ride...he REALLY wanted to go.  Donny said that was fine by him if it was okay with us, so up he went into the plane!

I can't even believe it--my little 2 1/2 year old boy just boarded a plane without his parents and flew up into the blue evening sky.  What fun!  Donny said he didn't say a peep on his flight, but when he came back down he told us all he loved it!  I wonder if we have a future pilot in the making...

Toby thoroughly enjoyed watching them take off and land in the company of his parents, Mary, our other pilot friend from church, Gordon, and his daughter, Ali.  He commented as he left, "Maybe some day when I'm older I'll do that, Mom."  That was perfectly fine with us.  He'll do it when he's ready.  Until then, THANK YOU DONNY, for the incredible experience for two of my little kiddos...they loved every minute of it!!!

I was so thankful Lily loved her experience!  We just got everything sent in for her passport this past week so hopefully, Lord willing, this was just the first of a few flights she will get to experience this year.  The next one will be a much larger plane, however....a jet headed to Haiti.  Lily is more than ready to meet this little sister she is getting and we think it will be great for Nora to meet at least one of her siblings too.  Now, we just have to keep praying all will continue quickly in our process for that trip to be very, very soon!  (*No other word from Haiti since I posted last, so we are praying and believing that no news is good news!  Keep praying with us that Nora would be protected and loving life at the orphanage until we can get her to our arms).

Here are a few short videos from the big evening at the airport...