We are Home.....

We are now home and have the task of unpacking and cleaning the house so we can start setting up for Christmas. Though a few families from our trip want to have an actual Thanksgiving meal, so after this weekend and our belated Thanksgiving feast - we'll officially start on Christmas.

I feel like I have a mountain of 'to do's' ahead of me for home, school and church and honestly feel a little overwhelmed. I just keep wishing I were back on the beaches of Maui. Especially when I look out the windows and see drizzly, rainy cold skies! Oh well!!!!!! So I thought I would start with our last day in Maui - so any of you who were jealous we were on vacation and not you - can reconsider! Then I'll update with pictures - and you can be as jealous as you want because we really did have a great time! I don't have any pictures of this day - it just wasn't going to happen. But I will have a receipt for the scrapbook!

Our last day in Maui started about 6:15 am. John was getting up early to go for one last snorkeling trip, Tyla went with him and I stayed back to finish packing. I wanted to sleep - but Elayna was already up so the day started early. The plan was to pack and get the kids ready to hit the pool one last time after John and Tyla were back. But about the time I expected John back he called instead to tell me that he had lost the key to the rental car somewhere in the ocean. He is still not sure how that happened, but none the less after a good laugh, a few panicked calls, $150.00 and 2 hours - we had a replacement key from a very nice local locksmith.

Since we were now behind schedule about 2 hours I sent John and the kids to the pool so I could just get ready and finish packing the toiletries and try to return the snorkel gear while the kids were at the pool. As always the getting ready and trying to cram the toiletries in the luggage took longer than we hopped and as I was ready to head out the boys came back. So we all stayed to get everyone ready, swim suits dried and everything ready to check out.

We got a call that the Squires were making a last batch of pina coladas which Tyla hadn't tried yet so we headed over for a quick drink before heading out (still a little tight on time). But then had John discover that he had lost the second set of condo keys (a $75.00 replacement cost) so we spent the next 45 min to an hour looking for those. We were just about ready to unpack everything to look for them when John decided to go check the pool just in case. Off course the keys were there, but then he needed his pina colada and the boys needed to go up to the top of the parking structure one more time.. so by the time we left to run our last minute errands we were again 1 hour or more late.

We quickly went to return the snorkel gear (which took longer than it should have because John was boasting about all his finds during the week - which truly were 'epic'), tried to drop off unopened food to the food bank (which wasn't where it had been), Tyla and I wanted to exchange a t-shirt and get some free mugs.. and then we were off. We were in Kahalui to get gas and make a quick trip to costco for macadamia nuts and lunch when we were supposed to be at the airport. So we opted for McDonalds (or Old McDonalds as Tyler calls it) and canceled the costco trip and barely made it to the airport at 1:30 in time to meet our luggage buddies (we grouped for luggage check in so we didn't have to pay extra since they now charge for checked luggage).

I didn't know we had to go through agricultural inspection every 100 yards (yes that's an exgaguration!) So when I turned around and our buddies were gone, I had no idea where they were or where to go. So after fumbling with our massive luggage pile, lunch in bags and kids... (John left to go return the car) I finally started towards the check in lines only to get in trouble for being late, and not having sent everything through the agricultural check. So I went back - realized I had left all our big luggage on the side-walk and after getting them - sent everything through... had to get another cart (because of the missed luggage), and then we hurried into the line that took up most of the airport. We made it in line, John showed up. I sent Tyla to feed the kids in a corner. And John and I ate our hamburgers while each pushing carts full of heavy luggage. We finally were checked in. Got all our carry on's checked and approved and then headed quickly to the security check in - which was just as long since it was everyone from the first line. Tyla and I stopped at the airport store to get macadamia nuts, got in line and had to hold all the bags and heard the kids through the line. Finally we made it through and had to run to the absolute end of the airport (gate 1) stopping along the way for yet another agricultural check. And made it to the gate just as they were announcing for pre-boarding for those with kids.

We were lucky enough to be in the front of the plane (about 4 seats behind 1st class - which wasn't so nice seeing all their perks!, but it was definitely more quiet! The flight is just a continuation of the day ahead as I was yelled at (litterally) by one of the stewardess' for having Weston and Tyler (in a car seat), sitting alone next to the windows.... because they were too little to deal with the masks if the cabin decompressed. So I explained they were fine, they wanted to sit there now, but that we would be moving around during the flight and we would take care of them. So then I was in trouble again because we couldn't allow them to move during the flight and most definitely could not allow Elayna to sit in the car seat and have Tyler as a lap child because he was too old to sit on laps. So I ignored her and let things go. As the flight progressed I changed seats with Weston, Elayna had a rousing game of peak-a-boo with a very nice gentle man two rows back.. and was literally trying to climb up me to jump over the seats. I finally switched Elayna to the car seat when Tyler wanted to watch Weston play computer games. And had the stewardess from before come by and get angry with me. She started in again on how she knew what I was doing (by switching seats with the kids) and how I couldn't do that... and so on... so I interrupted her and very sternly said I didn't care what she said or what the rules were but that I was doing it anyway for my sanity and the sanity of everyone else on the plane. She looked erked. I said we weren't going to say anything to the airline, we wouldn't hold them responsible at all if anything happened, but I was still doing it regardless. So she calmed down a little and said she would have to go tell (on me) the captain so that she would be cleared of any fault. I was so irritated that I basically ignored her as she walked off.

The flight continued and Elayna did not fall asleep even though she was exhausted (too close to the TV's and not enough noise to lull her off to sleep). I realized Elayna was dirty (really dirty) so I headed back to the galley area to change her diaper. I let Elayna stand up while I was cleaing up the diaper mess and had the stewartess come back with a cart and almost run Elayna down, which she was genuinley sorry about until she realized it was me (I could see her eyes working) and then she yelled at me again for letting my baby run around without supervision and asked me to go sit back down. We went back but as I tried to sit down Elayna got really angry so I figued I would just stand up by my seat for a while to give Elayna a break. But the stewardess came back by and got mad at me again saying I couldn't just stand in the isle and had to sit down.

The flight went on...we ended up switching Tyler back to his seat and I went to the middle section with Elayna - where the stewardess came back and during the drink service made some comment about how I needed to drink a beer. Then she came back and said she was going to help me out and give me a break by taking Elayna (which I wasn't real sure about because Elayna was being very calm and quiet and good - and the stewardess just made me mad. But I didn't want to be really rude so I let her take Elayna - happily John brought her back not too much later on his way back from the restroom. The flight continued. We had rented a digi player so Tyla and I watched a movie (Mama Mia - very fun) while Weston and Tyler and John played ds games (borrowed from a friend in the row ahead) and watched walle without sound on the tv's and movie screen. John and I also took turns with Elayna trying to help her sleep and having no success at all and just making her and everyone else around us really mad!

The flight was faster than expected because we had a really good wind behind us so instead of 5 1/2 hours it was only a little over 4. I had escaped into the movie to keep from getting really mad.. and found that I wasn't as wasted as I thought I would be as we landed. But found that I got really motion sick as the plane was making it's way down.. very weird! We landed and while gather things up and then trying to get Tyla on a shuttle that night instead of the next day I didn't make it off the plane with John or the boys. The very nice gentle man that had been playing with Elayna during the flight helped us carry stuff off the plane. As I was de-boarding the stewardess that had yelled at me so much patted my arm and said "your boys are so cute and wonderful, they both just came and gave me a huge hug as they left". I was still angry with her and wasn't really able to look her in the eye so I just agreed and left. And John confirmed that Weston went up to her and the other stewardess there and gave them each a huge hug and Tyler followed suit.. So then I felt guilty that I was still harboring such angry feelings toward her, but oh well..

Tyla and I and the boys then ran to the baggage claim area to find where the shuttle service was - and hopefully get Tyla on the last shuttle that night. John was waiting behind to get the back carrier we gate checked. Tyla was going to be able to make the shuttle - we had 30 minutes to get her luggage and walk around the corner.... we waited and waited and waited and no luggage. Finally it came - and she made it to the shuttle with about 5 or 10 minutes to spare.

John was still waiting for our last item - Tyler's car seat. Everybody was gone the luggage belt wasn't moving and we still had no car seat. So after a very long day - we still had to wait and try to find our car seat. We found a car seat identical to ours (with another name on it) in the over sized (left behind) luggage area. We found someone in charge - ended up calling the name on the other car seat and luckily they had ours and were still in the airport. We made the switch and headed out to find a taxi - because the shuttle service from the hotel we stayed at didn't have a shuttle driver and couldn't come get us.

We finally found a taxi van - able to fit us all. We made it to the hotel - started packing up the car which had a very strong smell of graham crackers (due to the box of teddy grahams that had been dumped and smashed into the car on the way to the hotel before we left), I don't think I'll be eating graham crackers any time soon.

We started heading on our 2 hour drive home, only to have John try to speed it up by getting in the HOV lane, which sadly headed north instead of south. So after driving until we could find an off ramp, then driving again until we could find an on ramp, I turned and found the kids were asleep including Weston since we told him he had to stop asking questions until we were going the right direction. The kids slept until we made it home about 2:30 am.

My bed felt sooooo wonderful, especially at 3:am! Sunday we all slept in. Layna slept till around 9:00 and the boys slept in till almost 11:30. We are still a little tired and disorganized, but happy to be in our own home. But we do miss the sun, warmth, very nice beaches of Maui and our rental car keys! Which if anyone should happen to find them (waterproofed in a baggy) get them for us... we still anticipate a hefty bill from Alamo for the lost fog (or toggle thing - the key less entry thing). We would love to not have to pay any more for that rather expensive accident!

So now that that is off my chest and out of my mind.. I can start reliving more peaceful and happy moments from our trip! They'll come slowly since I have a lot to do - but they will come and this time with pictures!