Nathan returns!

On Friday night Dylan and I trekked to SeaTac to pick up Nathan, who was due to land at 11:20. We got there precisely at 11:20, all excited to see him. And then we found out that his plane never left Juneau at 8:00 as expected. It was grounded with mechanical issues and the weather was very windy in Seattle. It was now supposed to land at 1:36. A.M. Dylan and I looked at each other, had a good cry, and then found a set of comfy chairs to sit and wait. Poor Dylan's phone had about 4 minutes of batteries left so he couldn't even entertain himself that way. Lucky for me, Dylan's shoulder was the perfect height for me to lean over and take a nap on it. I slept for an hour, woke up at 1:00, and asked Dylan to go check the Arrivals board. Now it said the flight would be in at 2:03. We quickly saw any chance for sleeping on this night fade away before our eyes. But of course it was all worth it when we saw Nathan walking through the doors. He looked great! Rested and relaxed, as he had slept during the last 2.5 hour leg of his flight! We got his bags, headed to the car, and started our trek north. First stop: get some gas. Second stop: stop at the Cutler's where Nathan parked his truck for him to "get his wheels." Third stop: Val and Dave's, where there are packages waiting for us. Fourth stop: the border crossing where we all sail through smoothly. Final stop: (at 5:20) home! Dylan decides there's no point in sleeping now since the day has already begun. I strongly encourage him to get at least a few hours. Nathan concurs. Dylan capitulates. We all wake up around 10:00 feeling surprisingly okay!

This is what Nathan's been pining for for the last 6 months!

Nick might not remember Nathan from 6 months ago, but quickly decides that he's OKAY!

self-portrait with Nathan's brand-new mohawk.

Morning snuggles.