It’s no small tale of how long it takes us to get to the US! We’re talking 10 hr drive to Gabs then a 4-5 hr drive to Jo’burg and then an 18 hour flight home and then an 1hr drive to the house! Seriously…..that’s a lot of traveling. We were blessed to be able to connect with some fellow missionaries though…….the Walker’s hosted us for a night and then we were able to catch a lift with the Heller’s into Jo’burg. It’s always good when you can connect with old friends for a bit.
The flight out of Jo’burg went very well. We got to the airport in plenty of time and found favor with airport officials to let us jump the lines so we didn’t have to wait. Traveling with one small one last time was hard enough…….now two is a different story. The kids did amazing on that long flight though. Upon take off both of them crashed out which gave Kev and I plenty of time to breath and grab a quick bite. Andrew had a hard time sleeping sitting up but we managed and when he was awake he played quietly. No major meltdowns at all…..praise the Lord!
We arrived into Dulles at 6am Tuesday morning and grabbed our Bucks and a lift from Kev’s dad. Andrew crashed out on the way home and missed his Chick Fil A! 
On Thursday we boarded another plane to Orlando for a Witt Family vacation. Andrew was pretty excited to get on the airplane again! I wish I could have shared his excitement! Thanks to extra hands and a wonderful Catbird baby carrier, we made it through the airports and stayed in a nice house with all the fam! Andrew was done and running a pretty high fever when we arrived.
On Friday we loaded up in the vans and headed to Magic Kingdom. G-ma stayed back with Piper as it was very cold that day. I was not prepared for that weather as I figured Florida would be sunny and warm. None of us were dressed for a day that never really did warm up. I had to buy Andrew a sweatshirt when we arrived at Mickey’s house.
Witt Crew!
Andrew did SO well despite the fact that it was so cold. Magic Kingdom was all decked out with Christmas stuff and was beautiful! He rode a lot of rides that I figured would scare him, including Pirates of the Carribean! When it got dark he held on tight and as long as we kept talking to him he was fine! All the character lines were very long so we didn’t take any photos. The thing is because we don’t have a lot of media, Andrew really has no clue who Mickey is. However when he laid eyes on Woody his face lit up!!! He waved and talked about Woody for a long time!
Chillin with Uncle Mike before the Country Bears show!
I wanted to take Andrew on the Dumbo ride. He was done in and so tired. He slept the whole 20 min we waited in line and then barely woke up for the ride.
Needless to say, I think only mommy enjoyed that ride!
The highlight of Andrew’s trip to Disney was a $10 balloon……..he loved it!
All in all the Disney trip didn’t disappoint, but we froze! Sure is totally different doing it with a kid. My favorite part was the Phylaharmagic show and watching the Princesses dance on the stage. What can I say……I love that! Andrew also enjoyed the shows on the castle stage too. Lots of parades which was fun. We even saw Santa…..though we were literally a few minutes shy of sitting on his lap before they closed the line….bummer, but we got a wave!
On Saturday the weather cleared up and we headed to Sea World. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as I hadn’t ever been. I woke up feeling pretty done in from all the travel and then all the walking the day before. I almost stayed home with Piper, but then pushed myself. I felt cruddy off and on all day, but I am so glad I didn’t miss out. If you’ve never done Sea World, it’s amazing. The shows were incredible and the viewing of the fish was even better! Andrew and Piper LOVED it. Fish is something Andrew totally gets so he was all about the sting rays, sharks and nemos!
Pipes chillin with G-ma. I love that hat!
Andrew watching the dolphins with Aunt Sara. (She’s not an official aunt yet, but we love her so much and hope she will be soon!!! )
Lookie mommy it’s Nemo!!! I think Andrew could have stayed in that aquarium the whole day! Piper you can see is snoozing in the carrier.
Riding the fish carousel with daddy. I think Andrew liked this much better than the flying Dumbos!
These guys would come right up to the glass! They are HUGE! I could have sat there forever and watch them play. Piper on the other hand was snoozing…..again.
So cool!
We saw Shamu as well and my Piper girl LOVED the Shamu show! She was squealing with delight as that huge whale jumped out of the water! The whole drive home ANdrew talked about the sharks and the whales and on an on. Poor Uncle Jay got an ear full! The family was amazing and really helped us and were so patient with Andrew and his fussiness! It was a great vacation despite the fact that we were still so tired!
On Sunday we headed back to Virginia and Andrew was done in. We all have colds and runny noses. Kids are still adjusting to the time changes and all the travel so we’ve not had much in the way of good nights sleep. Andrew is also enjoying the Grandparents and they are enjoying both kids.
Adjusting to life back in the US for four months. It’s all a bit overwhelming at times. I’ve learned that I really like the simple life I have in Botswana. I am still amazed as I walk down the cereal isle……it just cracks me up! I’ve only had one Starbucks since coming home and it was actually a bit disappointing. I found some coffee creamer though that tastes fabulous so I’ve had some good cups of joe at home with Kev’s mom. I am ready to get to my family though……I am in need of a big hug from my mom and sis. Not long now……..
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