6 years 11 months

Day 2525. We had set several alarm for 1:30 am so we would not miss them but Randy was already up just after 1 am and got ready. I got up a little later and woke up the kids. Most of our luggage was already in the car. Randy put the rest in, then strapped the kids into the seats. It was dark, quiet and there was a nice breeze. At 1:45 am we drove off in the direction of the Denver airport. It was a 40-minute drive north-east as we were in the south of Denver.

Emmy was the only one of the kids who went back to sleep in the car. We stopped to fill up the car, then continued on to the aiport. Their rental car facility was outside the airport. We got there after 2:30 am, parked the car, and Randy got everything out - our five suitcases plus all the carry-ons and the wheelchair. He then opened the two empty suitcases, got the three car seats out and took them apart to put them into the two suitcases which took a little time. The three of us used the time to go to the restroom.

After our luggage was ready, we walked to the shuttle that was sitting right there. Every ten minutes it was leaving, and another one was pulling up. We got all the luggage on the bus, and the driver flipped out a ramp for Sammy to roll on. Then we started our 10-minute drive to the terminal.

When we got off the shuttle, we had the challenge of how to get our luggage to the check-in counters. The carts cost $8 a piece which seemed too high. We then made it work, moving luggage in the direction we had to go, then coming back for the other ones. That way we made it all the way to the check-in counter where there was already a long line. I then found the line for "special assistance" where we were lucky to be the first ones in line. I thought the counters were opening at 3:30 am but we waited and waited, and noone was coming. Sammy was getting very antsy and was whining so I gave them their tablets, then they were fine.

It was nearly 4 am by the time they came and opened up the counters. We had a very nice lady helping us. I had printed out the suitcase labels at the self-service kiosk but it had printed too many. She checked our passports and put the labels onto our suitcases, one after another. We also checked Tammy's carry-on with the toys as they offered to do it for free. She printed out our boarding passes, then sent us to where we would get help with the wheelchair.

It was not far from the check-in counters, and a very nice, older lady was assigned to us. Shen the pushed Sammy with the rest of us following her. We had to take an elevator down, then walk and walk until we got to security. First they checked our passports. The kids and I were done, then it was Randy's turn. The officer looked and looked at the screen and started asking Randy weird question like whether he was flying with United (it was Delta) and whether his last name used to be Turner. ??? He didn't even get it at first. The officer then said that in his computer his last name was turner and he was flying United. He said we had to go back to the check-in counter so the airline could sort it out in their computer. We couldn't believe it! We had boarding passes with his correct name, and his ID's! The lady helping us said she had never seen any problem like that ever before in her time of working at the airport!

We had to start the long journey back to the check-in counter. I was a little worried, wondering whether they could fix the problem and where that problem even originated. Were we going to make our plane? Back at the check-in counters a lady who looked like a supervisor took Randy to someone else to have a look. The lady plus the four of us were waiting for Randy to return. After only a few minutes he returned saying they had corrected the mistake but we still don't know how there could have been a mistake like that. 

We started our long journey to security once more. I was wondering whether we were going to make it through this time. The lines were longer than before so it took some time before it was our turn. This time there was no problem, and we were able to move on to the security check. Thank God! We put our stuff on the conveyor belt and went through the machine, then continued on to our gate. That's where the nice lady left us. 

The gate agent put a tag on Sammy's wheelchair and told us that boarding was starting ten minutes later, at 5:05 am. Everyone was hungry so I left to get something to eat. Tammy and Emmy came with me. Most places were still closed, including Chick-Fil-A, so we had to go to a shop where they also had sandwiches. One sandwich for $15! Horrendous! But we were hungry so we shared that one sandwich on the plane.

Back at the gate they were already starting to board so we went on right away. We left the wheelchair at the door of the airplane, then Randy carried him on and to our seats. The kids were excited about the video screens in their seat and got a free headset. They started watching their movies while everyone was still boarding. Sammy was still antsy and whining, wanting the plane to take off. At 5:45 am it did.

The flight to Atlanta was nearly 3 hours and surprisingly noone slept; I did stop my movie at one point and closed my eyes as I could not go on anymore.

At 10:45 am local time - which was two hours later than where we had come from - we landed in Atlanta. We had a 3-hour layover so plenty of time. We got off the plane, put Sammy into his wheelchair that was sitting right there, and walked into the terminal to find our gate. Our terminal was the next one over so we could walk there. At the center of it was the food court, and everyone was hungry, so we decided to have lunch there before going to our gate. The Chick-Fil-A line was very long plus we have gone there many times on this trip already. I then lined up somewhere else and got a burger, chicken tenders and fries. It was enough food for the five of us. We sat down to eat by a window with a big plane right behind us.

After having eaten, we walked to our gate and sat down to wait for boarding. I closed my eyes as I was so very tired. As time went on Sammy got really whiny again as he wanted to get on board. We walked to the gate to stand in line there, and he kept whining because we weren't getting on yet. The plane had arrived late, so people were only just getting off the plane. We talked to an old veteran waiting there for a short time which distracted him. Then two really nice airport workers came up to us to tell us to leave the wheelchair at the gate of the airplane, and they interacted really nicely with Sammy which was a great distraction but we were still not boarding. Then we finally got moving.

When we walked on board we had to smile that the same memorable flight attendant was right there at the door. What were the chances! We walked to our seats, I on the left with Tammy and Emmy, and Randy on the right with Sammy. This time I sat on the aisle so Sammy could be close to me.

This flight was just under 2 hours, and this time Sammy was not whiny at all like on the first flight, and he did get a short nap in while Randy got a longer one next to him. Tammy and Emmy both stayed awake, while I finished my movie from the first flight and then closed my eyes again.

At 4 pm we landed at Baltimore airport. We had chosen this one as the flight was the cheapest; we had actually paid for it with miles so it was a free flight. We got off the airplane, got the wheelchair back and made our way to the baggage claim. By the time we got there, all the luggage was coming out, and we got our suitcases right away. I did purchase a cart for $7 that we put four suitcases on top of. The rest we had to roll ourselves, and the kids helped. 

Once more the rental facility was off-site, so we walked outside and to the place where the shuttle was going to shop. I had looked it up online before to be able to find it more easily. When we got there, there was already a big crowd of people waiting there which made me wonder whether we were going to get on that first bus. Thankfully it was quite a big bus so everyone was able to get on. Sammy's wheelchair had to be strapped in up front this time so Randy took him to the front.

It was a 10-minute ride to the rental car facility, and the driver was a Christian and really funny, making the ride memorable. Once we got off, we did not want to pay for a cart again. We walked into the building and looked on the screen to see where our car was located. However, this time it said "see desk" so we had to line up. There were already many other people in line but there was only ONE single agent taking care of everybody! I couldn't believe it! Thankfully we are Gold members with Hertz so our line was shorter but it was still very annoying to have to stand in line that long. All he did was to check my driver's license, and they do that at the exit anyway. In LA we had been able to go straight to our car. It took us nearly an hour before we could finally walk in the direction of our car. 

It was a nice car, and Randy got our three car seats out, put them together and installed them in the back row. Then he loaded all the luggage in, strapped the kids in, and after 6:30 pm we finally started our 90-minute journey to Harrisburg. It was after nearly 2 hours that we arrived at the grocery store near the house where we were staying, and I went inside by myself to pick up food for dinner and for breakfast. I went as fast as I could but I was extremely tired, my eyes barely staying open. I found most items I was looking for, paid and walked back to the car. Then we drove the last few minutes to the house where we arrived at 9 pm. 

We had stayed at that place before, three years ago, so we already knew it. It's an old house with many rooms for students of the church's ministry school and other people in town for a season. The church had been so kind to offer two rooms for us to stay in for the next few days and had even purchased sheets and towels for us. I went to the back door to get the key but the pin code was not working. It was 9 pm, I was tired and I was hungry, just like all the rest of us. I tried to reach our person at the church but couldn't at first. What should we do? Then I heard from him - thank God - and he gave us a differen pin code, and this time it worked. We were so relieved!

We carried the groceries in first and sat down to finally eat. Then we journeyed up to the third floor to find our rooms. It was extremely hot there. Randy had to get all our luggage up the narrow stairs to the third floor which was not a little feat. I got the kids ready for bed as quickly as possible but still had to unpack the sheets and put them on the beds. The kids were so tired and so hot and saw bugs that all they did was cry - Tammy and Emmy did, not Sammy. I put them to bed, and they fell asleep right away; it was some time after 10 pm. Randy went to bed as well while I turned my computer on but I was so tired that I couldn't finish all I had to do. I finally gave up and went to bed at midnight.