So I sat down to write all about my trip thus far and realized I don't have very good pictures AT ALL. Most of them are of Emmaline running around the airport (and you all know what that looks like anyway) or closeups of Lottie in her carseat. So this post will be sans-pictures.
Our trip started out very nicely. We made it through security easily and into the waiting area where we only had to sit around for about 40 minutes before boarding. I did not buy a plane ticket for Lottie but we were lucky enough on both flights to have an extra seat for her to sit in. I was very grateful about that. Emmaline did phenomenal until the last 45 minutes of the second flight where she pretty much went balistic. She kept kicking the seats, throwing her crayons and crying because she was tired of being cooped up. I don't blame her.
Once we got to Seattle we had quite a bit of a wait. The flight check in was at 1030 and we arrived at 3. Luckily there was a USO to hang out in. Unfortunately, there were other kids and no one wanted to sleep. Emmaline ended up crashing on the benches just about midnight after being awake since 4am. Wow.
Unfortunately we did not make it on the flight we were waiting for :(. There ended up being severe wind problems and they had to restrict the amount of weight being allowed on the flight. We are considered category 5 fliers and they didn't even get all of category 2 fliers onto the flight.
By the time we knew for sure I wasn't going to be on the flight it was nearly 1230am. Then we had to find a hotel- I ended up sharing with another girl I met who was trying to get out to Korea to visit her husband as well. She was also LDS, which made me feel super comfortable with her. I dont think I got to bed until 130, which meant I was up nearly 24 hours!
I have family in the Seattle area so I was lucky enough to go visit during my lay over. Emmaline got to play with cousins Ryder and Mariana and we got to meet new cousins, 3 week old twins- Delia and Luca! I was so grateful to have time to get to know my sisters-in-law better. We really have never had enough time to do that!
We headed back to the airport on Saturday night and got on that flight easily! We were still up forever because that flight didnt even leave until 5 am and we couldn't sleep from 11:30 on because of moving around, briefings and getting in lines. But that meant Emmaline slept forever on the flight.
The food was really good, surprisingly, and there were no big issues with flying to Korea at all. They layover in Japan was even nice, even though I could hardly keep my eyes open because of exhaustion! Once we landed in Osan we found out we were the first flight to ever fly into their brand new terminal. And since Emmaline, Lottie and I were among the first few passengers off, we got our pictures taken! But, the downside was that the workers were just figuring out the new procedures and it took an hour and a half to get our bags. I had a bus to catch at 2, landed at 1215 and figured I'd have plenty of time. I was wrong. I was barely getting through customs 10 minutes before I was supposed to catch the bus. Supposedly the bus was only a block away but no. It was a half a mile away. I had to take a taxi. You'd think that on-base taxi drivers would speak english but not really.
Anyway, we got on the bus just in the nick of time. And although the many many people who helped me along the way will never read this THANK YOU!!! I couldn't have done it without the compassion of a few strangers, especially Joe who even went as far as buying my bus ticket for me. He deserves an extra special thank you.
Matt hurt his back (we think it was a pulled muscle) and was required to stay home the first night (he was also on night shift). That was super lucky for me because I wouldn't have been able to get from where the bus dropped us off to his dorm without help. I had too much stuff and I didn't even know where to go! We got everyone settled in and went to bed super early. We were so tired!
That night was when the fun started. At 345am there was a fire alarm. Matt thought it was a drill at first but when the 'drill' dragged on to an hour we realized we were looking at a real fire. I guess someone on level 2 was cooking? I'm wondering why someone was cooking at 345 in the morning... Anyway. We were lucky enough to be allowed to take shelter in the Sonlight Inn- its not an inn at all, just a hang-out spot. Emmaline got to watch Nemo.
So, back to bed at 7 and suddenly the fire alarm goes off again at 8! We woke up the girls again and started tromping down stairs when we were told it was just a false alarm, to go back to our rooms. Sigh. The girls were already up so we just rolled with it and started the day. But, since Matt has night shifts we all had to get to bed again for a nap.
Here was adventure #2. Emmaline got mad at me for making her go to bed. So mad that she was screaming her head off. Do you know what Emmaline does when she screams like that? She throws up. Yup. And she did. She threw up all over herself and the playpen. I had to wake Matt up (as if he wasn't already!) and have his help in cleaning up. Sigh. Emmaline didn't get a nap that day.
So, adventure #3. The next day I was trying to kill time because Matt was sleeping all day and I was bored. I started cleaning out the fridge, cupboards and closets. Do you know what happens when 4 men live in a room but never talk to eachother? Over the life of this dorm room the they have acquired item after item in the cupboards and fridge that never get cleaned out. The grossest thing in the world was food that expired in 2005! Most of the stuff in the fridge was over a year old. I tossed three garbage bags full of food out.
At some point in that, Matt and the girls were both awake. We put Lottie in the stroller and sadly enough, she fell out. I nearly cried. She slid out the bottom and landed on her face. Once I got her calmed down she fell asleep. I don't know too much about head injuries but I figured it was probably important for me to check on her every 15 minutes or so. BUT! Emmaline decided to be helpful and closed the bedroom door while we were in the kitchen. These doors automatically lock and we didn't have the key. So, Matt, Emmaline and myself were locked in the kitchen while Lottie was locked in the bedroom. I was just insanely grateful that she was asleep and not laying on the bed or the floor...
Matt rushed off to call for help but it still took more than an hour to get someone there to open the door for us. And the entire time I was convinced that Lottie had died because of hurting her head. No worries, she's alive.
After that there weren't adventures. Thankfully. Matt ended his night shifts, we were finally able to go outside and enjoy the nice weather and Matt got a few days off. This weekend we'll go on a tour and thats when I'll get the nice, non airport pictures. :)
There are no words to describe how cute this picture is!
We had a flight from Seattle to Japan then another one onto Osan. We were all so tired during our layover.
Once we got to Osan, we were the first flight into their brand new facilities. Emmaline, Lottie and I were among the first to actually walk through the doors and ended up having our pictures taken. There are perks to going through the brand new facility first, everyone is excited to help and everyone is smiling! But there are definate drawbacks. It took nearly 2 hours to get our bags off the plane because they really had no idea what they were doing.
The result of that was me practically being in tears. I was so tired and the bus I needed was supposed to leave at 2. By the time we got done getting our bags, it was already 1:50. So, sad story, I'm pushing the stroller with Lottie and the cart with all our bags, trying to get out to get a taxi. Just as I get out the door, one of my bags falls off the cart. I turned to grab it, letting go of the stroller, and the stroller starts rolling toward the street. I didn't realize there was a slope there. Luckily there were other people around and they caught the stroller before it went careening into traffic. But I felt like a horrible mom because I worried more about the bags than I did the stroller!
I was so lucky there were so many people around to help. We ended up making it onto the bus, against all odds.
Aunt Denelle, Lottie, Aunt Melanie
Uncle Mikey, Aunt Crystal, Ryder
Lottie slept through the first flight and Emmaline and I played with the goodies in her backpack.
Lottie was content to play and chill, didn't need much more than smiles every once in a while. (Sadly, we lost that toy in the picture...theres at least something we loose every trip...oh well!)
