Flight Back to HI..one last time

Flying back to HI, it hit us that this time would be the last time--well maybe not forever, but the last time while we are living here.  It was a little bittersweet as we were making our descent over the islands-i tried to take it all in, the beautiful hawaiian sunset over the clouds and the peak of Mauna Kea peaking through, the coastline lit up by a sea of lights--and lets not forget the warm sweet breeze that that blows over your skin the second you step off the plane...i'm gonna miss that. 

i have a feeling the next few months are going to include a lot of those feelings.  faithful blog readers, you might as well get ready ;) 

but for now, i'll get back to the trip home.  4 words.  It was just OK. 

first 2 flights were fairly uneventful (minus a medical diversion that caused us to detour to PHX before heading on our way to LAX) and the kiddos handled them like champs.   It was that 3 hr layover in the worst airport ever that has NOTHING to do and NOWHERE to let the kids run around and be free. Followed by the last leg, longest flight of the day--6hrs on a small 1 aisle plane with only shared movie monitors hanging from the ceiling playing one 90 min movie that no one cared to watch anyway.   Thankfully the kids slept some of it... the hours they didn't sleep were an emotional roller coaster bouncing between tears and wild pent-up bursts of energy.  i am SO glad its over.  

So far though, they slept through the first night back, woke up happy and went right down for nap...they really do seem to be the best 2 year old travelers ever.  We are SO THANKFUL for that :)

ready to go ...waiting at the gate for our first flight at 6am EST

 Wendy's Bfast on the plane!

 

sharing with Woody 

 Daddy why do you always take pics of me?

a little nap on the second flight of the morning...all snuggled with her animals

 HRB on the second flight...he's a bit more finicky...we've learned to build him a fort and he sleeps much better!

 

Daddy sitting my himself :(

  third flight... a little timeout corner for a brother who didn't want to share

Woody (Toy Story) ALWAYS does the trick. 

 and then when we got home it was like Christmas all over again...TONS of Christmas Cards in our mail pile...as tired as we were we opened them all before we went to sleep.  Now i gotta find a place for 'em all on the refrigerator!