KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City International Airport officials expect more than 400,000 travelers between now and the Sunday following Thanksgiving Day. And each traveler has a story of their own. The Zahnd family’s story is one of reconnection.

Curtis Zahnd has waited 50 years to see his birth mother, and this Thanksgiving, it happened.

“I’m very excited to see her and spend some time,” Curtis Zahnd said. “We’ll get a few days. I think she’s nervous.”

Twenty days after he was born, Curtis Zahnd said he and his sister were adopted.

“My sister and I were both adopted and she found some family,” Curtis Zahnd said. “She gave me the test kit and it sat on our counter for two years before I actually did anything with it.

Through Ancestry DNA testing , he recently reconnected with his birth mother, Judy Adler. His wife and two children were all excited to witness the moment.

“I enjoyed watching him going through it and seeing him, how happy he is about it,” Cooper Zahnd said. “It’s really good to see that.”

Wednesday, the family waited anxiously to welcome their mother and grandmother to Kansas City.

“Yeah, just really excited and looking forward to spending time with her," said Beth Zahnd, Curtis’ wife.

Expecting a more subtle warm welcome, Adler said she is thankful to be spending the holiday a little differently this year.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Adler said. “I never thought, I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately, but never did I ever think this would happen.”