Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Mom & Dad Gone? Oh Where Oh Where Can They Be?

So we arrived at Wimbledon Tennis Stadium around 2:00 pm. We were supposed to meet my mom & dad there at 3:00. Their plane arrived at the Heathrow airport at 1:00 so we figured we'd give them 2 hours to get their luggage, rental car, & meet us 10 miles away. My dad is an amazing tennis player. He's played tennis his whole life (& even attempted to teach my brother & I how to play) & loves it. It's been his DREAM to go to Wimbledon in person. This was special for him. I was SO excited to get to see him in his own little paradise.

The problem was. . . . they never showed up.

3:00 came & went. . . 3:30. . . . 4:00. . . .4:30! Where could they possibly be? The kids were getting restless. They got sick of the tennis pictures & the gift shop, & now they were getting bored of the cafe. 5:00. . . .5:30!! No sign or word from my mom or dad. Trek & I were panicked. What happened? Did something happen to the plane? Are they okay? Did their luggage get lost? Where were they? None of our phones worked in England so we had absolutely NO WAY to contact one another.

The plan was to wait until 5:30. If they didn't show up, we were supposed to take off for Lakenheath AFB without them. So we did. I was panicked the entire 3 hour ride. (Yes 3 HOURS! We hit London rush hour. Talk about miserable!) I had a silent prayer in my heart the entire ride home. I just wanted my mom & dad to be okay.

We arrived at Lakenheath at 8:40 pm & just as we walked into our hotel room, the phone rang & it was my mom! They were 2 miles from Wimbledon when 2 of the tires popped on their rental car. They had to knock on a person's door & ask to use the phone. They waited on the side of the road for 4 hours!! The tow truck picked them & the car up & took them BACK TO THE AIRPORT!!! Poor mom & dad. Not only were they jetlagged, but they had been in the hot sun for 4 hours & wound up back where they started. I was just relieved nobody was hurt. They left the airport in a new rental car at 10 pm & arrived at Lakenheath around 12:30 am. We were all exhausted, but happy to be together as a family safe & sound!