24 hours of traveling alone with 3 kids...

I’ve been back in Japan for one week now and life is settling in quickly. I ran out to the car my second day back to drive Alyssa to her gymnastics class, her first class, and we were going to be late. I pulled out of the drive way and started down the street. There were cars parked in all directions on the sides of the road and I was instantly confused trying to remember which side of the road to drive on. It was the first time I was driving since getting back. I actually had to pull over to think for a second before continuing. The rest of the drive was fine, right back into the routine. Alyssa enjoyed her gymnastics class but has a long way to go in learning about listening, following directions and doing gymnatics. It’s a mommy/me class that I look forward to doing with her while Hayden is at school and Danica is at preschool. Hayden started t-ball and even though it is crazy hot and we are sweating just sitting in the shade, he’s having a good time and said he’s glad he signed up. He did well at his first game yesterday. Another great thing for Hayden is that a new family moved in across the street and they have a 2 year old girl and two boys ages 6 and 8! Hayden is so excited, we went to meet them and Hayden carried over a Lego Star Wars guy and when he met the new boys, he looked at what they had in their hand and Hayden was holding the exact same character as the 8 year old! I’m thrilled he’ll have more kids to play with, they seem like a really nice family.

The down sides to being home: I miss our extended family already knowing how long it will be until we see them again. It’s crazy hot, just like I knew it would be, yesterday it was 104, who knows how hot it felt due to the humidity. I have sooooo much to do, we are switching the bedrooms around so the girls share a room and Hayden has his own, a great plan but a ton of work. Plus the yard has been ignored for 2 months and is over growing with weeds.... I think I’ll put that off for a while longer. Probably the worst part is the jet-lag. The kids were up a million times out first night (since it’s day time to them.) They hardly slept on the flights so I thought they would sleep a lot at home but I guess not! The second night they were up at 4:00 and didn’t go back to bed until their naps in the afternoon, which I couldn’t wake them from. I dragged them out of bed and to Hayden’s t-ball practice but they cried most of the time because they were so tired and hot! Same thing the thirst night, up at 4:00 wide awake. This time I kept them awake ALL day (it was torture for me too) but luckily it seemed to the trick and they slept until 6:30 the next day. They are back to normal now.

Several people have asked me how I survived the trip home, and I want to write it down so I remember for next time. I left for the airport at 7am, (Utah time) and arrived at my house in Okinawa and nearly 6:45am (Utah time), the next day. I left Utah on Saturday morning and arrived in Okinawa where is was Sunday night. So here are the details: The flights home were okay with only a few rough patches. For instance, I checked in curbside with sky cap in Salt Lake. I then went through the security line and got to the front and discovered the guy had not printed new boarding passes for the kids. He handed me the folder and said I didn’t need the ones I had printed so I through them back in the car. So, I had to lug the kids all the way back across the airport to the terminal desk to get their passes. Then we ran back (a relative term with three kids and carry-ons for 24 hours in tow) made it through the line, then the long walk to the gate. We finally got there after they had boarded, the flight attendant had to make an announcement to get people to switch seats so that we could sit in three seats together. I was so embarrassed, wished I’d listened to my dad and gone earlier, but alas, at least we caught the flight! The flight was smooth. Things went well in Seattle, we got our luggage, checked in for the long flight and waited. Alyssa opened a birthday present from her Aunt Amy and Uncle Ryan and was thrilled to have new coloring books to use on the plane. We finally boarded the plane and hit glitch number 2. Our seating assignments were odd, We had two seats right behind the bulk head (dividing wall) and one seat across the aisle from that. Hayden was reluctant to sit alone but in the end realized I was still within arms reach and the extra space the aisle created was actually nice since Alyssa was my lap child. The real lousy part was that being behind the bulk head meant that the carry on bags, I had stayed up late meticulously packing, had to be stowed in the over head compartment. Not exactly convenient to grab things when I needed them. However, the kids were great on the plane, only a few stressful moments, hardly any sleep, lousy food, but no major tantrums and they stayed busy enough and were happy.

Landing in Tokyo was great, after nearly 12 hours on the flight I was anxious to be so close. However, the kids had finally fallen asleep right near the end of the flight and I couldn’t rouse them. I was literally shaking them trying to get them wake up to walk off the plane. We finally made it off the plane but they had announced that we were at the farthest away gate. I began the trek toward immigration, with the kids crying, dragging their carry-ons and begging me to hold them. That’s when my angel arrived. She was a literal answer to prayers. She was a United Airlines supervisor who was there to talk to the Japanese attendants that were getting off the flight. She saw that I needed help, tried to radio for some but when none came she picked up the car seat and some carry-ons and walked with us on the long journey. She took us straight to the front of the LONG immigration line because she knew one of the guys working the desk. Then she helped me pick up my luggage and get it althrough customs. Then she stayed with me through to the ticket counter where I checked my luggage on to the finaly flight. She was Japanese and translated everything making it so much smoother. She even had them call ahead to Okinawa to arrange to have someone there to help me off the plane. I didn’t know how to thank her enough. I gave her a hug and said thank you and she said she said she remembered the days of traveling with young ones and that her daughter just had a baby. I know several people were praying for us on our long journey and she was the answer to those prayers. I don’t think we would have made it onto the connecting flight without her. I would have ended up just sitting down on the floor and crying with the kids, afterall it felt like 3 am to me as well. Anyway, the last flight is just over 2 hours, Alyssa didn’t sleep so I was tired but we managed. At one point Danica woke up needing to go potty but to delirious to do it herself so I ran her back there. I came back to find a lady walking toward me with Alyssa who had apparently gotten out of her seat and gone running toward the front of the plane. I love nice people. A nice woman met us in Okinawa and helped me to baggage claim. Then we went out and met up with Tom- hooray!!!

It’s been great to be home with Tom, we missed him so much. Life is back in full swing, like I never left. I did music time in primary today, we had a new family over for dinner, we spent the week at gymnastics and t-ball and playing with friends. Friday night we went swimming. Saturday night we the Navy Dental Birthday Ball, instead of formal wear it was “saloon wear.” So dressed up in costumes and actually had a really good time. They had saloon games and such it was pretty relaxed and fun. This next week promises more of the same, busy as usual. School starts on the 31st. I will post a fun recap of my time in Utah soon, but now I have to go to bed. We signed up for a FULL marathon, on Oct. 31 so I have to get up early to go run. Good thing I have something to train for because otherwise I would just declare it way too hot!