FLAP THOSE ARMS, KIDS....IT'S TIME FOR A TRIP HOME!

When we found out that we were moving to Belgium in May, I declared that we would make a trip back for the Summer.  We had things to do (Hannah's big GRAD bash), cousins to play with, Zoo's to visit, birthday parties, etc.

Jason was planning on spending a week with us on the front end of the trip.  After that he had to fly to Florence for a week, back to Belgium for a week, and then back to the US to spend a couple more days with the family, then he flew to Chicago (to check on the house) and drove to Indy for a couple of days of work and then flew back to PA just in time to fly back with us to Belgium.

The night before our flight I was STILL packing.  I had to figure out what we first would need for our time in Buffalo, where we were flying to first for Hannah's party and then I had to remember everything else that comes along with spending 4 to 5 weeks away from home.  I told the girls that they better exercise their arms for the long flight home.  Here is the shot I took of them practicing...

Our flight was BRIGHT and EARLY so the car service picked us up at 6:15 AM (Belgium time...in EST that would be 12:15 AM--so if you are keeping a tallying...our day began VERY early, seeing as how we were not due to arrive in Buffalo until around 4 PM EST)  Here we were right as the car was arriving to pick us up.  Little tidbit of information for you...it was the same driver who brought us to our new house when we arrived here in Belgium on May 15th!

We flew from Brussels to Newark and then Newark to Buffalo.  My Mom, Dad, and Sister were meeting us in Buffalo in time for the par-tay so we would drive back to Erie with them...and ALL of our luggage.  

When we arrived in Newark (ughhhh, Newark Airport) we had to pick up our bags, re-check them, and go through security once again.  Thanks to the friendly, helpful TSA Agents there we also were randomly picked to be Agriculturally Screened...go us!!  The best part was when we got up to the screening devices and the one Agent said, "You guys?!  He randomly picked you?  A family of 6?"  It was a good thing we had a layover because we needed every minute of it!!

The kids were troopers, jet-lag and all!  Piper especially loved her new Peppa Pig backpack.  She would not put it down and insisted on carting around Sophie's as well!