Getting back

Well, we've been home for almost 2 weeks....which is 2 weeks closer to when we're ALL home.


Our flight back to the states was long but I really can't complain. The kids were awake and required a few more tricks from my bag but in general- they were great. Andrew slept the entire 5 1/2 hours from Lajes to Norfolk and Emma slept the last 2 hours. Nobody puked or spilled anything on themselves or had a meltdown and really, that's all you can ask for. When we landed in Norfolk at almost 6 p.m. the kids body clocks said almost midnight and they were pretty toasted. They weren't thrilled with the lines at immigration or luggage or customs. BUT, they were both asleep 4 seconds after their heads hit their pillows- and we made it home safely.

Adjusting back to our time zone was a little brutal for the kids- and the Mama. The first morning we were home they were UP and ready to roll at 3:35 a.m. Eek! It was New Years Eve the day after we got home and it was officially my lamest New Year's ever. We've never had super exciting New Years but this year the kids were begging me to go to bed by 5 p.m. and I was dead asleep by 8:30 p.m.

It took about 9 days until we were back our normal 7:30 p.m.- 6:30-7 a.m. schedule. I thought I would just crumble from exhaustion during this transition. The first Sunday we were home was our first Sunday of 1 p.m. church and Andrew took a two hour nap BEFORE church. We were all a little messed up. There was more than one day during the transition I gave Emma the remote for the DVR and fell asleep on the couch while the kids watched too many Blue's Clue's and Olivia episodes. Why don't kids just want to take a nap?

Even though we saw some amazing things- my most favorite thing about being in Italy was being together. Even though we lived in a 300 sqare foot hotel room- it felt normal. I never once felt overwhelmed by parenting and it's been easy to feel overwhelmed in the last year with all the single parenting I've done. Being able to see each other in the middle of a deployment is SUCH a blessing- and one that I know did the kids a world of good. Our family will be very different next time we're all together so this trip was such a wonderful thing for everyone. I feel greatly blessed with this family.

Below are my favorite pictures from our trip- well my most favorite is the one of us up top on Mt. Vesuvius. These otherw are my favorite- normal, sweet, family time.