Welcome Home Elder Bailey!

Elder Christopher Bailey returned home from the Romania Bucharest mission on March 3, 2010. What a joyous time it was! It was such a bitter sweet moment though. Of course I was looking forward to him being home! But on the other hand, we knew how much he loved Romania and how he didn't want to leave. I will say that he looked so nice when we finally got to see him coming down the escalators at 9:45 pm. Just by seeing him, you could tell what a grown-up he really had become over the last two years. He cried talking about his mission and being gone, and since I can't sympathize with him too much there, all I kept thinking about was when I had to leave Nauvoo to come home. I cried and cried and I had only been there five months. I think missionaries love their missions so much because they become so close to the Lord. Since then, I really have learned a lot from my LITTLE brother. He is such a good scriptorian, a good example, is more positive and so much more loving than I remember him being. A mission is definitely the best thing I've seen for him--from an outsider's point of view. I can't say how good it is for him to be back. I have LOVED LOVED LOVED hearing about Romania, the people, the food, his companions, the places he served, the branches, everything. I can't wait to go back with him.

Probably my best friend. We've done a lot together in life, even shared a room for many years. I can't believe we're all grown up now and Chris is already home.

A few months back, on Sora Lundberg's blog about the Romania mission, she wrote of her new grandchildren that came all the way to Romania to visit. Her daughters had made the babies shirts that said, "Hello, my name is __________, nice to meet you Grandma and Grandpa." I thought that since Chris had never met Matthew or Reese, that it would be perfect for the kids Chris had never met. And then for Gavin and Amelia, I made their shirts say just Welcome Home Uncle Chris! He was definitely surprised to see two little toddlers when he got home!

Kylee came to the airport. Sloan got some balloons and I made some signs.

I was so excited to have Matthew meet Chris!

The kiddies and my dad and Zane.

The boys arguing over who'd see Chris first.

We were waiting down the wrong escalators

Gina made a great sign too.

We saw him and my mom and I started running! We yelled and my mom got to hug him first--good thing. I think I would've slapped anyone who tried taking that opportunity!

Amelia had a cute sign she made too. I couldn't get a good picture but she LOVED seeing Chris. She just hugged and hugged him. We have the best parents in the world.

All the kiddies and Ma.
(Reese with one shoe...haha)

We drove the beast and all of the siblings had the chance to be home for the first time in two years! I have the best brothers and sister EVER!

Chris brought us some amazing scarves and these stacking dolls from Moldova. He also got me a Chelsea jersey shirt thing, a Yankees beanie and this cute sign that says Sora (meaning Sister) and saying in Romanian a nice thing for a sister. He brought back a lot of cool things and over 5000 pictures. We still aren't done looking at them. I really like doing so though. I can't say how proud of him I really am! He is such a good example to us, and I am so glad that Matthew will have his dad and all three of his uncles be RMs (not to mention BOTH his grandpas!).