We made it! To Holland that is...

We were picked up by the Airport shuttle at 12:30, of course a half hour earlier than they had said. So we quickly got loaded up, as quickly as you can load up 11 rubbermaid totes, 4 suitcases, 5 backpacks, one pack'n play, 2 strollers, 3 car seats and 7 people... There were 2 vans in case you were wondering.... The first photo is of the kids and our stuff just after we arrived at Vancouver airport.
We had an uneventful flight to Heathrow. Aidan didn't sleep a wink until we landed because he was too busy watching cartoons. At Heathrow, we were supposed to have a relatively short layover, but it turned into 6 hours of complete and utter boredom and hunger (it did help to have 2 gamboys and a stack of comics with us). We moved three times (and had to wake up Aidan each time) because first we didn't know which gate we would have to go to, then we found out which one and then just before we were to board, they changed it again and we had to walk to a shuttle bus and go on the plane the old fashioned way. Thankfully the crew were very helpful as we lugged 2 small suitcases, 3 backpacks, 2 duffle bags, 1 diaper bag, 2 strollers, a car seat and five kids throughout the airport and up the stairs of the plane. After a very short flight during which all the kids except Marc slept, we arrived in Schiphol (where we had to wake up Aidan again). We deplaned with a lot of help again and went to pick up our luggage. We were the last to get there so there was only our stuff and one lonely suitcase on the carousel. Of course, we were missing one of our 14 pieces of luggage. So I went into the line-up, I guess we weren't the only ones to be missing stuff, and waited for my turn. Meanwhile the Feunekes family had already seen us and knew that we just had to get our luggage. When I was near the end of my turn, the missing suitcase turned up as it had been sent on the next flight. Thank-you! So we managed to push our three loaded luggage carts and two strollers through the exit and into the waiting arms of the Feunekes relatives. The whole family except Arjen and Renate and kids made it to meet us! After an extremely pricey bite to eat from the Burger King, we loaded up the trailer that Dad had rented for our stuff and off we went for the two hour drive home. By the time we arrived at mom and dad Feunekes' it was just after midnight. So we got the kids off to bed and by 2:00 we were all sleeping. (big sigh) The worst is over. We've left the country and we've packed all our stuff. Yippeee!!! Our journey has officially begun! Today we heard a sermon about how Satan tempted Christ and how he does the same to us all the time. What a treat to worship in an over 100 year old church! Beautiful!



This is a photo of the kids at Heathrow, not looking so perky as at the beginning of our flight....