We're Here

We're ALIIIIIIIVE!!!!

And happily settled into the DR!

It's been almost a week and we just finally got internet.

It's not that I am hiding away on a Caribbean island, drinking Mai-tai's.

It's that I'm on a Caribbean island without internet.

Anyway, I've got a lot of catching up to do. This week has been filled,just packed, with daily graces.

FIRST.

The flight.

For some odd reason, when I checked in the night before, my ticket said that for both legs of the trip I was in FIRST CLASS.

At first I thought my honey had got a wild hair and decided that I indeed deserved first class treatment for being so happily willing to travel with our 3 children,pregnant, and alone.

Then I realized that,though sweet, this would have been absurd for a number of reasons.

I asked.

He confirmed that,indeed, though he loves me dearly,

He is not insane and

 he would not have done such a thing with our limited budget.

last time I checked, it was an extra $400 or so for this kind of upgrade.

x4.

Do the math.

Anyway.

Best I can figure out,aside from it being simply God's abundant grace to me...

American Airlines saw a woman traveling by herself with 3 young children and felt pity for my pour soul.

On the way home in August, when Noah travels with me, it's economy ALL.THE.WAY.

Anyhow.

5am came around and all my matching princes were awaiting our departure,sleepy, in the back of the car, in the dark.

I placed them there. They didn't sleep there or anything weird.

We got to the airport.

Almost couldn't bring the stroller that was going to be my lifeline.

Turns out it looks heavier than it is.

We were fine.

whew.

The boys were little troopers the whole way,as usual. I couldn't have asked anything more from them.

Just handsome little troopers,marching through the airport, staying close, behaving like gentleman.

We boarded into first class,where the stewardess was content to "ooooh" and "awwww" over the boys,learn all our names,bring us endless drinks and full,restaurant quality meals... on a 2 hour flight. By the time I had gone through a spicy tomato juice with lime, a ginger ale, and downed a gourmet meal, it was time to buckle up for our arrival into Miami.

In First class,they hand you steaming hot towelettes with tongs to wash your hands with before your meal....or for wearing on your head...if you're of the lower class kind who doesn't know how to handle first class and finds yourself asking frequently, "is this complimentary?" out of fear that they assume you can afford this kind of treatment,thus sticking you with a"we put it on your tab" kind of bill as you exit the flight. So just to erase any doubt from their minds, Shepherd wore the towelette on his head.

Breakfast on the first flight...

Lunch during the second flight.

FYI,that's cheesecake...turtle cheesecake.

And what's in that child's cup with a straw? Oh that's a Shirley Temple that the stewardess mixed up for the boys as a "special treat." She likes to mix those up for the kiddies in first class.

That salad? No plain ol' dinner salad. Oh no.

It's got artichoke hearts,capers,kalamata olives, and love all over it.

And this was only one of a few different menu options.

       

The good news?

We got to do this for 2 flights and it.was. AWESOME!!!

The bad news?

I will never again,in this life,see the likes of First class, and now I know how truly poor the rest of us really are.

How truly economical those "economy" seats are.

It's painful.

My friends back in the gut of the plane...didn't even get peanuts.

ouch.

Anyway, Miami, proved to be a lengthy layover,as weather delayed us an hour,then another,then another...you get the picture.

Of course God's grace came to us in the boys meeting new friends.

The bathroom being close to our gate. We visited it many times.

The limited toys I brought (each boy had one backpack full for the whole 2 months) were efficient.

And one of the coolest things of all was meeting a family on the flight.

We literally couldn't have been farther apart,seeing as I was in row #1...you know...First class.

And they were in row #20,000(the VERY last row). 

But seeing as we were delayed for so long and they had 4 young kids,too...we got to talking right before we boarded.

It's kind of a longs story,but let's just say that it was a God thing and no accident in the slightest. He is an oral surgeon and they have been traveling back and forth from the US to the DR for about 5 years teaching classes to other oral surgeons. They are involved in ministry here and we got to spend 2 different days with them during their week here.

And each of those days was filled with grace,great conversation,and tons of fun.

You'll meet them more throughout the week.

We have been so blessed by their quick friendship.

This is a photo at the luggage carousel before we all headed out into the DR. All these kids all made friends on a matter of hours waiting for flights. I love that. 

Then Noah picked us up and we drove to our humble abode,tired,and oh so happy to be together.

I'll give you a tour later on in the week, but let's just say, I'm in a 600 square foot dream come true.

Neither words,nor pictures will attempt to capture what I see out my huge windows every day.

you're gonna have to trust me when I say it compels me to worship.

That first night, Aslan wasn't terribly sure about sleeping in a house with lizards, alongside all the newness of everything.

It's kind of glorified...very glorified... camping.

Falling asleep to the sounds of crickets..I think... and lot's of outdoor noises, with the breeze flowing in through all the open windows.

He wasn't sure he'd like it but by day 2, we were all in love.

 Aslan took this final picture of me before the dusk fell on us. It had been a day filled with so much grace I could not have but should have expected.

I was so tired and it took me a couple of days for my body to sleep well through the night in a new environment,but...

we've been learning so much every day.

And I've got the pictures to prove it.

More to come soon.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR OUR TRAVELS.

THANK YOU FOR LOVING US,FRIENDS.

FAMILY.

THANK YOU.

My husband says that typing in all caps is yelling.

I do it too often.

But,yeah,I'm yelling.