Suburbanites greet loved ones at O'Hare home for Thanksgiving
Squeals of excitement from grandkids mingled with tears from grown-ups as thousands of travelers streamed through O'Hare International Airport Wednesday en route to their roots.
Waiting in Terminal 3, Mike Masoncup held high a welcome sign with two Thanksgiving balloons attached for grandsons Harold, 3, and Samuel, 1, who were on their way from Denver.
"I haven't seen them in four months and I can't wait for them to come down the escalator," the St. Charles dentist said.
"As you get along in years Thanksgiving is a really big time. Family becomes the whole center of your universe, and especially when your grandchildren are really young - that makes it even more special."
About 1.8 million passengers will pass through O'Hare and Midway international airports over the holiday period. O'Hare should receive more than 1.3 million travelers between this past Tuesday and the upcoming Monday, Nov. 28, and Midway will handle up to 530,000 fliers.
The busiest day is Sunday, and passengers are advised to arrive at airports in plenty of time. But fliers reported few problems at O'Hare as of midmorning Wednesday.
The minutes ticked by slowly for an anxious grandpa until an energetic Harold and drowsy Samuel emerged with parents Meredith and Ryan Piec, both graduates of St. Charles High School.
The family had left their house at 4 a.m., and the flight with two toddlers "was on the good end of the spectrum," said Ryan Piec, pleased that Samuel had slept on his lap most of the way but stiff because "I couldn't move for an hour and a half."
Coming home "is very special," Meredith Piec said.
Austin Costa of West Chicago also had a balloon, but it was heart-shaped with the words "I love you," intended for girlfriend Alexa Gallegos. She was traveling from Dallas to meet his family for the first time.
"It's almost like a dream come true," he said.
The two embraced as his mother, Marie Costa, admitted to being a little emotional.
"I'm thankful for family and friends. ... I'm so excited that we finally get to meet her and that's she's going to be part of my family."
In preparation for a big Thanksgiving dinner, Costa had started preparing days ago. "I'm cooking turkey, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cheesecake, chocolate cake ... I'm thrilled to cook."
Arnold Barrientos of Naperville and his sons Eliseo, 3, Jayden, 7, and Misa, 7, were eagerly awaiting a flight from Texas with his mother aboard.
"Grandma's pumpkin pie is something traditional we all make at Thanksgiving," Barrientos said. "It's a great thing to have her. We're giving thanks for all the blessings we've received this year."
A frisky German short-haired pointer named Peck enlivened the boys' wait. "Can we pet your dog?" they asked, but it turned out Peck was on the job.
"No, he's working right now, I'm sorry. But you can say 'hi' to him," explained Peck's handler, who turned out to be U.S. Transportation Security Administration Officer Terrence Pappas. The two were among numerous security teams at O'Hare.
In another part of the terminal, Steven Schneider, 19, of Wilmette reunited with his father after returning from his first months at University of Rochester in New York as a freshman.
"I'm looking forward to seeing my dog, and laying in my own bed and seeing some friends I haven't seen for months," he said. "And, home-cooked meals."