Move Update

We made it to Arizona! It was not an easy trip and we have been going non-stop since we got here, but at least we are finally here. I will definitely NOT being flying anywhwere with the girls' again anytime soon!

Our flight here went as well as can be expected, considering the circumstances and challenges. We were supposed to depart Tampa at 10:10 am, have a 90 minute layover in Dallas, and arrive in Tucson at 4:30 pm (Florida time.) We specifically scheduled this flight so we would not be traveling past the girls' bedtime. We boarded the plane in Tampa as scheduled, which is NOT an easy task traveling alone with two babies, two carseats, a stroller, and three carry-ons. We get all situated and as comfortable as possible. After about 30 minutes of waiting on the plane for take off, the pilot announces that there is a problem with the plane and everyone has to get off! UGH!!! So we deboard, again just as challenging as boarding. We had to reschedule both flights since we would miss our layover in Dallas and the next flight leaving Tampa was not until 4:30!

So we were in the airport from about 9:00 am until 4:00 pm before even departing. The girls were awesome (for that part anyway!) Thankfully there was a nice, clean play area in our terminal so we hung out there most of the time. It was probably not the most sanitary choice to let the girls crawl and play there, but it was a much better option than keeping them in a stroller that long before making them sit on planes for six hours. They did great playing and even took both their regular naps in the stroller. For a day spent in an airport, it went surprisingly well!

At 4:00 we finally boarded the plane. There was a wonderful, kind couple that offered to help us board and even switched seats with other passengers so they could sit in our row and help during the flight. They were so amazingly helpful! The girls did okay, but only because I had the extra pairs of hands to hand babies off to and help keep them happy and entertained. In any other circumstances I would probably be more hesitant to hand my baby off to a stranger, but in these circumstances you do what you have to do! The kind couple even helped us get to our next terminal for the layover in Dallas, even though they were at their final destination and I am sure were eager to get home. I must have had some good karma coming back to me because they were truly a blessing! I am forever grateful to them for making the trip so much more manageable, especially since the last leg from Dallas to Tucson was quite a challenge.

By the time we boarded our plane in Dallas, it was already past the girls' bedtime, they were tired of being on a plane from the last leg, and the boarding agents were less than helpful. It was a rough flight. They took turns screaming off and on. Thankfully they finally fell asleep for the last hour of the flight. Again, we were blessed with a wonderful, kind flight attendant that tried to soothe and carry whichever baby I wasn't holding. She also paid special loving attention to Aidan and gave us both lots of free drinks and snacks, which was greatly appreciated since we had not had time to eat during our layover in Dallas. She also helped us deboard the plane and helped carry the car seats to baggage claim.

We arrived around 11 pm (Florida time) so it was WAY past the girls bedtime. They were not happy campers. I still had to go pick up my rental car, but thankfully my sister Jenna came to meet us at the airport and stayed with the kids while I did that. They passed out in the car on the way to her house and actually slept pretty well that night.

I truly can not say thank you enough to all the amazing people that helped us on our trip: Sean, for getting us and our luggage to the airport and helping through security, the wonderful couple from Dallas, the flight attendant to Tucson, my sister Jenna, and the most amazing, wonderful, helpful boy ever... Aidan! They all played a huge part in me arriving sanely and safely in Arizona and they may never realize just how much they are appreciated.

Ever since landing we have been busy, busy, busy! We arrived Sunday night, we closed on our house on Monday, we settled into the house on Tuesday, and yesterday was spent shopping for food and other necessities and setting up utilities. Today we are having the carpets cleaned, we have a few more errands to run, and the nanny is going to come meet the girls this afternoon. Tomorrow I am going to the school to register Aidan, meet my substitute, and set up my classroom. The movers will be here with our stuff on Sunday or Monday and Sean should be here in a week. There is no end in sight!

I will try to post again soon with more details about our new house. I also have some exciting news to share about Cassidy, but it deserves it's own post so I'll wait!