We're here!!!

WOW, what a ride! There are really two ways we could look at the process of getting here...we could focus on the insanity and the fact that the best laid plans will always implode...or we could recognize how blessed we were that no matter how crazy things got, there were always people there willing to help.

From the starting block this experience was nuts. The kids and I stayed up all night long doing laundry and last minute packing. Part of that was purposeful (we wanted to get a jump on the time change...Cliff said it worked for him) but part of it was just the natural consequences of having too much to do, wanting to squeeze in too many goodbyes, and the harriedness of Christmas. We were still stuffing things in suitcases at 4:00 AM when the first of our caravan arrived. The Elliotts, the Mitchells and Deb all helped us get ourselves, the animals and 20+ suitcases to the airport.

She has no idea what's in store!


Yeah...those are all ours!

Because things seldom go smoothly AND our situation was full of complications, we had to RUN to all 4 gates (including the flight that was canceled!). I'm sure we were quite a spectacle...especially in the Japanese airports. Our first flight was canceled as we were taxiing away from the terminal, due to a malfunctioning instrument. They managed to get us on the next flight to San Fran, which gave us less than 20 minutes to catch a bus and get over to the international terminal...and we had to sprint from the bus to the gate. There were people with walkie talkies along the whole route asking "Stuart?" and relaying our ETA to the gate. I was so worried about the animals being transferred properly...but they were taken care of. We had been ticketed in seats totally separate from each other...but when we got to the gate, they had upgraded us to a nicer section with more leg room and ALL of us sitting together. (Trivia: Even as stressful as the whole ordeal was, this was the only time I cried!) What a blessing this was for the 12 hour flight...and I didn't even ask! Yeah, United!

Can you see the Golden Gate Bridge?


For each flight, we were handed these cards to let us know that the animals were safely aboard


Troy brought 3 books for the trip. That should get him started...


"Should I start with Karate, kick-boxing or Japanese sword fighting?"


They fed us...not once, but twice on this flight!

Once we got to Osaka, we had to get all of our bags AND take custody of the animals to go through quarantine and customs...and then go through the whole check in process again. This time it was the animal quarantine that held us up. We had done all the proper paperwork and then some, but they wanted a copy of Cliff's orders (even though it wasn't on the list). During all of this I'm of course looking at my watch, thinking we are never going to make our flight. He speaks VERY limited English, I speak NO Japanese. As if this wasn't enough, Brownie stood up in her cage, causing the entire thing to slide off of the cart and sending the cat cage (which was on top of her cage) flying through the air, catapult style. (hehe, I just got that...CATapult!)

While it is funny now (only because she was fine) at the time it was awful!

Their water dishes all spilled everywhere...and out of nowhere, a secret team of janitorial ninjas appeared to mop up the mess...and sprinted off into the shadows. It was mind-blowing!

Finally, the nice man gave up and let us go...again, with about 10 minutes to spare. Once again, a team with walkie-talkies was standing by to relay our movements. When we got the the check-in counter, a team of 12 airline ninjas was there, all over our luggage. We got through so quickly my head is STILL spinning, and we once again sprinted to the gate, the last ones to board.

Our first taste of Japan...riding the train between terminals in Osaka.

By this time the kids had pretty much had it, but we were SO close we could feel it. Coree said she wanted to go home. At first I thought she was kidding, but she started crying and saying how everything was so different and she couldn't understand anyone (How is that different from El Centro?). I felt for her.

It was SO great to see Cliff! He brought an entourage of his own (another chaplain, a Marine and 3 RPs) to get us and our stuff to our house. This was waiting for us:


I'm going to like these neighbors!


This was the scene the next morning. They didn't skip a beat. The animals are their usual, happy selves, the house is great, and the landscape is gorgeous. Today we went to the exchange to do some last minute shopping. I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas already! When we got home, there were more welcome baskets from more neighbors. As homesick as I am, I think Cliff was right...this is SO going to be worth it!