31 for 21:24 pt.2

You guys just learned about our PCS move to Hawaii.  Now I need to share our PCS move to Italy.

It was decided sometime in 2006 that we were finally getting our chance to go to Italy!  We were so EXCITED!  Because we lived in Hawaii and our things had to be shipped to Italy, our pack out date was at least a month before we left the island.  We also decided to leave base housing and rented a small condo about a block from Waikiki beach...pretty awesome!

Everything was going smoothly until about a week before we were due to leave.  He still had orders for Italy, but this time they changed it so he had to go without his family. Bummer, right?  At this point, I only knew that I had to go to Washington.  I had no idea where in Washington I had to go.  Everything was pretty sketchy.  So, it was decided that the kids and I would stay with my dad in Southern California and then catch up with him in the summer. (a 15 hour nonstop flight with a 21 month old is no fun!  I brought a change of clothes for the kids, but not for me...)

The day before we were suppose to leave was hectic.  Our car was towed because we forgot to move it at a certain time.  We ended up spending the day trying to get our car out so we could put it on the boat going to California.  That same day, he was finalizing our travel arrangements.  We decided to fly back to Florida and say our goodbyes there.  It also gave him the chance to see friends and family again.

We went back and forth over the phone trying to find the ideal flight for our family and dog.  When all was said and done, we spent the night at our friends house and had our final goodbyes.  PAY ATTENTION....a few hours before we said our farewells, we had to take the dog to be boarded first. By this time us moms and girls were crying and hugging and telling each other we would see each other again.  It was very sad to leave great friends, whom I considered family.  My very sad daughter cried all the way to the airport.  When we arrived to the airport, I started to realize that what I thought was our departing time was not the same time on our ticket!  I truly went by the million conversations I had with him about travel arrangements and didn't look at the tickets!  Needless to say, our dog made it to Florida and we didn't.

At this point, we are blaming each other for missing the flight.  What made it worse was the fact we had to call our friends to pick us up at the airport after our very sad goodbyes...the next morning the girls were so confused!  After I took care of things we were finally on our way to Florida...but with a 24 hour lay over in Seattle, WA.  Thank you lord for the USO!

By the time we got to Florida, our dog had already spent 3 days before us!  I'm not sure if I ever want to fly again.  Murphy is not my friend!