Back to America

We're back in the USA! We were supposed to catch an AF space available flight into Charleston, SC but the plane was canceled. So we decided to take the next available flight, which was to McGuire AFB, New Jersey. We were planning on driving to Florida, but were lucky enough to get another space-A flight from New Jersey to Fort Benning, Georgia. We were one of a few families who flew into Fort Benning along with an Army reserve unit returning from Iraq. It was interesting to fly with guys carrying handguns on their side and M-4's under their seats! Ethan saw one and said, "That's a gun to pow, pow, pow shoot the bad guys" while he gestured shooting with his hand. Oh man...

We saved alot of money, but certainly 'paid' a price in other ways. Jason and I went 24+ hours on no sleep. We stopped counting, or just didn't have the capability mentally to figure it out. Fort Benning rarely receives families or civilians, so we were stuck at the terminal on base all night long and half the day. There was no lodging, no transportation, so we had to wait until the shuttle started running. We couldn't get a rental car for a one way drop off, except for out of Atlanta. So after feeling homeless, dealing with cranky, tired kids, and more than 3 shuttle rides we were in Atlanta! We awoke from a desperately needed good night's sleep and enjoyed a southern breakfast to include grits and smothered biscuits.

Over the last 4 days we went to Stone Mountain, the Smoky mountains in Tennesee, and Savannah, Georgia.