We Made It!!!

We made it with flying colors! The flights went fantastic! We left Portland at 1:17pm and flew to San Francisco. Benjamin did great on his first flight and seemed more enamored than afraid. The flight with Air New Zealand was probably the best flight I have ever been on. We got a baby bassinet for Benjamin to sleep in and we didn’t have to sit next to anyone, which meant an open seat for better sleeping! Amazing! The attendants were so friendly: we got free diapers, wipes, bottom cream and baby food for the flight…. can you believe that? We made friends with the other parents (they have all the bassinets together) and we even got invited to a birthday party at the end of this month here in New Zealand. We made it through customs without a hitch (mostly, we lost our turkey jerky).

Mary picked us up at the airport and then we were off to the base. We drove through Auckland and the countryside; let me tell you, the pictures don’t do it justice! It is breathtaking and you have to come visit! Once at the base we went straight to our new home. We found a sweet note, two cans of L&P and two Moro bars. I think Moro bars are my new favorite candy bar!  Our house is a two-story, two-bedroom house- such a blessing!! We have a living room and a small kitchen downstairs and then upstairs are the two bedrooms and the bathroom. It needs some love and some homeying up but I am up for the challenge! My favorite room is our bedroom- it is kind of loft like and has four windows overlooking the field and hillside! I will try to take pictures soon, but we are still settling in.

The people have been so warm and friendly. Robbie and Julia, some of the base leaders, have been so great about walking me through life on the base with a baby. They have three kids of their own. We laugh often since we find ourselves re-explaining phrases or words. Nappi= diaper. Trolley= shopping cart. It’s the little things J

 Benjamin has already stolen the hearts of everyone on base. He really is a character. He flirts with all the girls, which they love. We already have many offers for babysitting- woohoo!

The staff have been so understanding as we get settled and regain our footing. It looks like we will ease into our jobs next week, but we are still defining and talking about what exactly that will look like.

I feel like I could tell you all so many things, but for now I need to unpack some more and enjoy the sunshine!