The other side.

We made it. We actually SURVIVED the 14 hour flight from Doha to DC. I'm not going to lie or sugar coat this one, it was brutal. It was so very long and so very hard on the kids and me, Carter had a constant countdown of how long until we got off the plane. I could not have managed without Mike and my hands are down to the expat moms who manage that monster of a flight by themselves with kiddos.

So we've been here for a little over a week and this is what we've done.

• Visited family in Virginia at the farm, pet the donkeys, saw our dog, played with cousins, swam in the pond, went on the paddle boat and gave grandma lots of love.


• Two visits to Chickfila in the first two days we arrived, visited the 7-11 for slurpees, and even managed a Target trip in the first 24 hours. It was as if I walked in the door and the clouds broke and the light shown down and angels sung. It was heaven for a girl trapped in the sandbox for nine months!!!


• Spent the night with Tom and Emily and their awesome kiddos. They were our first post airport stop and were amazing to host us for the night. Carter still calls Layla, their daughter, his girlfriend. lol.


• Spent two days in my old town, Woodbridge, visiting with my brother, sister and dad. Had some great BBQ, with all things pork being grilled for Mike thanks to Chad.


• On night three we actually managed to sleep for 10 straight hours and knock out the jet lag. Who knew a Fairfield Inn mattress would be just what our little family needed.


• Day three we also jumped on another plane, much to the boys dismay, to travel across the country to Boise, via Denver. Took almost six hours, which felt WAY too long for only going to Idaho. I kept telling Mike we had a slow plane, it couldn't be that far.


• Now in Idaho we've caught up with Mike's family and all of our little cousins.


• We watched Pappa, Bryan, Paul and Brenda in the Caldwell fourth of July parade and then spent the night watching fireworks at the stadium. Owen LOVED them and has been requesting fireworks every night since. Carter was the big surprise. I thought he would love them, and he didn't. Not at all, he kept asking to go home and haven't mentioned them since.


• Mike and I spent an afternoon at the Boise LDS temple. We were hoping to go a few times while we are here, but turns out the temple is being closed for a year to remodel and last week was the last week it was open.


• We've made it to Target probably two more times, along with Walmart and Subway and Sonic. Even managed to talk Mike into taking me to Olive Garden.


• Went on a mini Dille family trip with the gang up to McCall Idaho and just got back yesterday afternoon.

Now I can actually unpack our suitcases and get a little settled after ALL of this traveling I can't wait to be settled. At least for a few days, Mike and I are off for Houston this coming weekend. Then he heads back to the Sandbox and the boys and I will stay in the States for another six weeks.

It feels so good to be in the States. We've really missed our families. One of my personal highlights, I can drive everywhere and can shop whenever I want. It's kind of amazing!

More updates and pictures to come of our adventures on this side of the world. Oh, it's so good to be home!

Hugs, A