It was awful.

My parents leaving, that is. I still can't believe it - I kept thinking something else was going to cause another extension.
We picked my parents up at Safeway, where they were saying some tearful goodbyes and then we headed off to the ferry. We took the children out of school for the day. On the ferry we spoke. We sat quietly. We took photographs of each other, all of us together. We made jokes. My dad asked Eric to take care of a few last minute details.
When we got back to the car from the passenger deck, somehow, for some reason, the back door of the van slid right off it's hinges when Jethro opened it.
It really wasn't funny at all, but for some reason the whole situation had my mother and I laughing hysterically, tears rolling down our faces, holding our stomachs and clenching our legs!
The fact that we all had to run back upstairs and walk off the ferry, while Eric drove off with Jethro holding the door in place in the back seat just seemed like something so random to happen on such a day.
It's my mother's fault. Really. Whenever a situation is stressful, or something beyond her control, her built-in-leave-reality-behind-laughter kicks in. Ask my dad: He breaks his toe falling off a ladder. Does my mother offer sympathy? Well, yes: inbetween loud guffaws of laughter. Does she suggest medical attention? You bet: As soon as she is able to catch her breath. Does she run for ice? Duh!: If she hasn't wet her pants!
So, my mother laughing at the situation sets me off laughing and pretty soon Katy and Alicia (Jethro's girlfriend) join in. Dad shakes his head at us, Eric does his best to ignore us, Timothy walks away hoping people will not know we are all somehow related, and Jethro reminds us that we are making it worse.
After about 45 minutes my clever husband gets the car fixed and we head off to collect my parent's passports. To avoid overloading in the van we decide to split up and meet at the airport. I offer to ride the bus with Jethro and Alicia, everyone else goes to the homeland security office.
On the bus ride - longer than I thought it would be - Jethro falls asleep and Alicia and I squish as close together as possible. The man behind me to my left is breathing thick, alcohol stenched breath into the air, the one across from us is cursing at his cell-phone and the girl on the other side of us is singing loudly along to the music on her ipod: "Slow motion for meh, slow motion for meh."

Once we arrived we waited a while outside British Airways until the other half arrived. They had taken awhile because the person at Homeland Security couldn't find their passports right away! (And they really wanted to deport them!?!) Anyway, my parent's checked in. A few friends were there, and we all went to find a place to sit and have a meal together. No can do! It is impossible to have a hot meal together because all the restaurants are in the security closed areas. We eventually settled for sandwiches, soda and coffee to avoid having my parents go in, buy everything and come out again which would have taken at least 45 minutes to an hour.
After sitting and talking and eating, it was time to go. It was so hard. Lots of crying and holding. We watched them right until the end. Katy cried so hard. Brogan didn't want to give hugs and kisses, he was just so sad. He did eventually. As they were removing shoes and putting bags through the security screen, I felt that childish urge to scream out "Bye Mom, Bye Dad," just as I used to in the mornings when they left for work when I was a child. I was too choked to get the words out, instead we all just waved and blew kisses.They were supposed to meet up with a deportation officer once they were through the security. They went where they were told, but there was no-one there to meet them! We couldn't believe the INS had spent so much money to make sure my parent's were not granted asylum, and then there was not even one person there to make sure their money was well-spent! Impossible to believe!
They called the next day to say they had arrived safely. They were tired and we all cried again on the phone. The next day Eric and I went to clean out their last few things and the trailer in which their good friends had allowed them to stay.
We've spoken on the phone a few times since and although they are comfortable, they are missing us and the life they had here.
I'll give more news later.