Just Luke, Kailee and I made the trip in March after Douglas passed. We weren't sure how long we'd be there and Hailey would already be missing a bunch of school for our upcoming travels in April.
The kids did great on the ridiculously long flight and I had countless friends willing and ready to help get me from BWI down to Virginia Beach (and back). I'm glad Luke and Kai were with me as their energy and joy helped us focus our thoughts elsewhere for brief periods of time.
We flew Space Available out of Ramstein, but with an Emergency Status, so we didn't have any problem getting on the flight...it was one leg, direct into BWI, but over 7 hours...ugh!!!
Kailee and Rylee Stampfer....Tiffany picked us up from the airport and the next day drove me halfway to a friend's house in Richmond...
At Sara (Campbell)Maida's house in Richmond where Mike picked us up.
This peanut exercise ball was as fun as it was dangerous! ;)
Luke was beyond clingy being in a new place, but these tennis balls definitely kept him distracted!
After being in the house day after day while we were working on funeral arrangements, we had to get the kids out for some fresh air! Mount Trashmore was the perfect place, but a little chilly that day.
More fun...Kailee had a blast going into the attic and picking through my brothers' and my old toys from childhood!
Outdoor fun....the kids are in my grandfather's old Ford...I should know the year; '64?????
Kai and Luke met my grandmother, Makelina, for the first time around the same age...
And this was the first time Hailey met my grandmother. She was only two weeks old and we had flown to Florida because my grandfather had passed away.
She is 92 now!!!!
The solution to keeping young kids occupied in a retirement home!!!!
With my parents before we flew back...
It was a long day....we had to make a 4 hour drive from Va Beach to the airport in Baltimore...my parents drove us halfway to Sara's again and she drove us back to the Stampfers in Fairfax. We had a few hours to kill before Jim drove us the hour to the airport. We had no issues getting on the Space A flight, but we had wait for 4 hours before getting on the 8 hour flight!!!!!!!! I was exhausted to say the least when we landed the next day in Germany. Once we got home, I showered and dumped the kids on Leevi and took a 3 hour nap!
The girls were definitely excited to see each other! Leevi and Hailey had a fun bonding week and I got many photos texts!
And lastly, I found this photo while searching for the photos of my grandmother...it was the last visit I had with Douglas (summer 2009). When we came into town the summer of 2011, he had already left for his travels through Asia.
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