En Route to Australia

Here are my posts from Facebook while we were enroute to Australia...

November 14, 2011
On our way to Australia...in Seattle and everything going well. It was pretty tough to leave Alaska and all our family and friends. The last couple of weeks were incredibly hectic. Please forgive us if we wern't able to get in touch before we left. We were frantically orgnizing and packing right up to the time we left for the airport. The flight to LA is boarding now, so have to go. We'll write more as soon as we get a minute.

We are in LA, resting at the hotel. Everything going well so far...all the bags and the pets arrived with us!! Kiddos are real troopers, great travellers. LA is sooo busy...will be happy to move on tomorrow night. At least it makes leaving the US easier!

November 15, 2011
And the fun begins...Ryland is throwing up and we have a 15 hour flight to Sydney tonight, followed by customs, quarantine, and a 4.5 hour flight to Darwin!

Off to the LA airport...Ryland is feeling much better. Crossing our fingers!!

Checked in, through security. Everyone feeling well, running around. Kids are amazing. Probably won't hear anything more until we are settled in Darwin.

Hopefully we will see most of you next summer. Take care and we'll write more from 'down under'.

November 16, 2011
In Sydney, everyone great. Kids actually loved the 15 hour flight. They probably won't like it as much when we go back to the US and have to sit in the back of the plane, though! The seats that turn into beds were quite a hit.

We are through customs, picked up bags, through quarantine, dropped off bags, back through security, bus to next gate, waiting to board last flight. Everyone we have met so far have been SOOOO friendly, even the customs and quarantine officials! It really takes you off guard. A nice introduction to our new world.

Getting settled in Darwin. Glad to finally stop. It is hot and humid like you would expect. Hard to believe we left a foot of snow just 3 days ago. We really didn't think it was that big of a deal coming to Darwin, but we understand that Pres Obama is coming by tomorrow to mark our arrival!! Seriously, we would like to thank everyone once again for all the help the last couple of weeks. I don't know how we would have done it without you. Hopefully we can return it someday. We are off to get some food and then maybe get the kids into the pool. Talk to you more soon.

November 17, 2011
Still on Alaska time...its 3:30 am Thursday here. Passed out last night with the kiddos. Everyone else still asleep, thankfully. Don't know how much sightseeing will do today. The town is going nuts because President Obama is supposed to fly in this morning for 4 hours. They don't usually get that sort of attention around here. They are shutting down parts of the town. Obama is suppsed to stay where we were booked so we opted for somewhere else.

In a decent townhouse with two fenced pools very close. A very small fenced backyard with a "barbie". Will work great with the kids. Will start looking for more permanent housing today...after the sun comes up, and a swim, of course.

Paul went to a grocery store last night and got 2 bags of food for breakfast...cost $80. We're not in Kansas anymore!

Skin is just soaking up the humidity...feels like soup going in the lungs. We heard we just missed a beautiful thunder and lightening storm yesterday.