Day 9 - Wrapping up the trip

Today we woke up with Scott feeling much better. We decided to have breakfast in the hotel and then checks out of our room.  

We drove back to Deally plaza to get Scott up to date on all the things we learned on our tour yesterday.  Then we headed into the sixth floor museum located in the book depository.  The museum was well done but was pretty full so we paired up and went thru at our own pace. We wrapped up around the same time and headed back out to the car.  

Then we drove past the other places we visited yesterday basically following Oswald’s straps after the assassination.  

Next we drove over to the world aquarium.  From the outside it reminded me of the rain forest cafe but the inside was a fun path thru 4 floors on animal exhibit.  To be honest, it didn’t have many aquarium tanks rather more animal exhibits but it was a great way to spend some time.

After the aquarium we headed out of town for our afternoon stops.  First a visit to Chilis for some lunch.  Then on to MicroCenter - an electronics store that’s not in Michigan but one that Tyler has wanted to visit.  He was thrilled!

Then we drove further north to see the headquarters of Dude Perfect. It’s not much and has nothing for the public but Sammy wanted to see where the magic happens.

After that we stopped by The Gaylord Resort to show the boys this space.  Sammy and I stayed in a Gaylord resort in Nashville last fall and were really impressed.  

Then grabbed some fuel and headed to Hard Eight BBQ for a quick snack. I had visited this restaurant with my grandma years ago when we flew out to visit my aunt.  It’s an open pit BBQ with all the meats made fresh; nothing like it back home!  I knew it would be a favorite for my fam so we grabbed some sausage, brisket and pulled pork even though we were all still pretty full from lunch.

We were hoping to connect with some family while in town but with Scott’s sick day, we were trying to wrap up all the other activities I had promised. 

After our “snack” we headed back to the airport. Scott dropped off the bags other Sam and I while he and Tyler returned the rental car.

Tyler and I worked on school work while Sam and Scott watched some fails.  It was a pretty quiet night.  I think we are all ready to sleep in our own beds tomorrow!

Weather: high of 66* and overcast

Day 1 - Travel to Texas

Today was busy! Tyler had classes at GVSU, I was wrapping up an intensive class with LU and Scott had work this morning.  So rather than rushing to the airport to catch a 3:00 flight only to wait 4 hours for our connecting flight, we decided to rent a car and catch the second flight from Detroit. We left our house around 2:30 and enjoyed a more relaxed itinerary.

Dropped off the rental, checked in at the airport and found a pub to have dinner.  The waitress seemed super grumpy until we ordered our drinks and then she started dropping off trivia questions to the table for us.  We had a couple good laughs and enjoyed our meal.

Then we headed to our gate and waited for our 9:30 pm flight.

We landed in Dallas around 11:00 pm after a really smooth trip.  We grabbed our luggage and then took a bus to the Grand Hyatt.  We stayed on site at the airport because our flight arrived after the rental car offices had closed.  But we are all super tired so I'm grateful for a quick and convenient option!

Day 1 - Happy Thanksgiving San Francisco!

We had a relaxing morning at home before needed to leave for the airport.  We left around 10:00am for our noon departure.  I wasn’t sure what to expect traveling on Thanksgiving but it proved super smooth.  The flights were full but overall the airports weren’t too busy. We figure most people have already arrived where they needed to go.  But for us, it worked out perfectly.  We flew through Chicago with only a 40 minute layover so the travel day went quickly.  

We touched down in California ahead of schedule around 3:20 pm.  The driver was waiting on the curb for us when we grabbed the bags.

It’s about a 30 minute drive from the San Francisco Airport to the Fisherman’s Wharf area, where we have a couple rooms at the Holiday Inn Express.  It’s a great moderate hotel that has a breakfast included and is in walking distance to most of the attractions we hope to see.

Tyler and I were here just last year in March as part of our cross-country train trip.  And we are both super excited to share the experiences with Scott and Sammy.

We checked into the hotel, dropped the bags and went out to explore the Embarcadero before dinner. It’s relatively early, but with the time change we are pretty hungry, so I bumped our reservation to 5:15 pm and we got right in to Boudin’s Bistro.  A famous bakery in town that specializes in Sour Dough Bread.  

We had a fabulous meal.  Scott had sea food, the kids and I shared steak and pizza.  We all were full as we headed back to the hotel room.

We were all pretty tuckered out so we headed to our rooms to rest.  Scott and I were sound asleep by 8:00 pm which is CRAZY!  I can’t say for sure about the kids… I suspect they made it later than us… but I assume they fell asleep earlier than usual as well!

Day 10 - Preparing for Re-Entry

We met at 9:00 am for breakfast.  By now, Rog and Gretchen had already completed a 2-mile walk as they were up early and on a mission to find some items at the market.  

Unfortunately the restaurant in the hotel was unable to prep any food because of an issue with the gas in the kitchen.  So, we headed toward town to find something to eat.  Adema’s grabbed a meat pie from a local shop, one of the only stores open this Sunday morning.  Otherwise the stores were mostly boarded up and closed for the Sabbath.  Meanwhile the streets were crowded with cars and the sound of hymn-singing could be heard.

We ended up visiting Moe’s, the local grocery store, and got some items for a continental breakfast - charcuterie, fruit, muffins, with chocolate milk.  We brought it back to the hotel courtyard and enjoyed our final few hours together.  Thankfully, the restaurant was still able to serve coffee!  

As we discussed the highlights from the week and how difficult it might be to return to our typical routines, we wondered... what memories will stand out later this week?  What images will come to mind when we reflect in a few years?  What moments will we cherish most as we grow old?  

A little before 11:00 am, we packed up and checked out of our rooms.  Adema’s headed out for the airport and the rest of us waited a few more hours before leaving that spot in the courtyard.

The flights were pretty smooth for all of us.  A few delays along the way but by 11:00p we were all safe at home.  

 

Its a beautiful thing to travel, to learn and grow and to return home a changed person.  

I’ve never experienced a trip like this one.  I felt a deeper level of relaxation than I knew was possible.  I honestly could just take in the beauty all around and experience the emotion and gratitude I felt. 

The trip certainly exceeded any expectations that I had.  But what makes it so extra special is sharing it with people that we love.  Each and every unique personality onboard contributed to the special week that it was and I am forever grateful for those smiles, those laughs, that love!

For me, our time together was Heavenly.

Compassion Trip - Day 1

So it was a late night (12:30 to be exact) as we wrapped up things around the house and finished packing. We also spent some final moments with our house guests from Life Action and shared a few last laughs before we left.

But the bigger problem was the 3:30 am alarm that woke us from a deep sleep (Ugh)

Honestly though, there is so much excitement about this trip that we both perked up pretty well. We arrived the the airport on time and everything with luggage and security went smoothly. We boarded the plane a few minutes before 6:00 am and settled into our seats with a blanket. I have to say, its the first time ever that I've slept through the take-off! It was bumpy getting out of GR as a rain storm had covered the area but soon enough we leveled out and enjoyed a smooth flight to Atlanta, mostly asleep.

We had a fairly short layover in Atlanta so by the time we used a bathroom, took the train and walked to our new gate, they were already boarding. We both picked out a movie and got plugged in for the 3 hr leg of our trip. Around 10:00 am they served us ravioli that was amazing. I filled out our customs form and we soon prepared for landing. We took lots of photos as we flew over Honduras. The approach into Tegucigalpa brings you low to the buildings and then you kind of drop down into a hole. Its actually rated one of the 3 most dangerous landings in the world... so you know, Scott was glued to the window!

We got off the plan and through customs in no time... seriously we waited maybe 6 minutes in line. Our bags were the first off the carousel so we walked right out of the airport in record time (thanks God)

A man in the airport helped us with the bags so we led him out to find our Compassion host. As we walked through the crowd we didn't see her before finding ourselves on the outside curb. So Scott stayed with our bags while I did another pass through the airport lobby. A woman approached and greeted me with a hug. Ah, you must be Scarleth. She introduced her two companions, Ravvy and Noemi. All three would serve as our hosts and translators for the extent of our trip.

We went out to find Scott, our helper and the bags and walked to the car.After we loaded up, we stopped at a gas station for something to drink. Keep in mind its only 12 noon here but we've already been up for 9 hours.

Tegucigalpa is the capitol of Honduras and sits in a hole, so to speak, with tall mountains all around. We drove up on city streets that otherwise reminded me of crowded switch-backs from the western states back home. In the hour drive we saw a number of different terrains... amazing views, farm land, US army base, forests with tall pines, mountains with rocky cliffs, etc. The country is beautiful.

We arrived at our hotel a little after 2:00 pm. We tried to check in but had some difficulty. Hotel Santa Maria had a reservation for us but not for our three translators. Apparently they had accidentally reserved a room at another hotel several blocks away. So they left us to get settled and headed for the other hotel.

This hotel is considered a four-star lodging but not necessarily using the US scale. The biggest difficulty is that there are no English-speaking hotel staff and our translators are blocks away. No matter, its a place to sleep and we are fine!

Scott and I did a quick walk around the hotel and rested by the pool while we waited for our friends to return for lunch. We took them to a nicer restaurant just down the street who claims to have the "best steaks in Honduras".



We shared a great meal and had a chance to get to know one another better.

• Scarleth has several adult children, one still at home. Her husband passed away 17 years ago. 
• Noemi has a beautiful daughter (early 20s) 
• Ravvy is in his 20s and single. He lives at home with his parents and is always smiling. (The other two are constantly looking for a wife for him... LOL) 

All of them are extremely proud of the work Compassion does and enjoys serving the ministry this way.

After our meal, Scott and I sat by the pool to enjoy the breeze and the quiet of the afternoon. The temps are in the mid-70s and very comfortable. I totally fell asleep in the pool lounge chair, listening to my book so when I scared myself awake, I suggested we head back to the room as it was now 4:00 pm. (Hey don't tease, that's 6:00 pm back home). As there are no chairs in our room, Scott and I both settled in on a bed. Within moments Scott was asleep... good thing to because he had been dealing with bad sinus pressure and a headache most of the afternoon.

I flipped through channels most of the evening. There are 90+ available but only 2-3 will have an English-speaking movie at any given time. And the next time through, those same channels will be in Spanish. It was frustrating and I never did find something to watch.

I fell asleep somewhere around 7 pm. Scott struggled with his migraine until around midnight when we got his meds and we both slept the rest of the night.

Day 8

Its bittersweet this morning.  I am excited to get back home, but hate to leave this beautiful place.  We will always remember the memories we've made here.

We ate some breakfast and finished packing.  Our ride picked us up right on time and we had a quick trip to the airport.

Once we arrived at the airport we circled up to pray for our day.  It was a pretty cool way to finish up our stay in Mexico.

Check in and security went smoothly and it wasn't long before we were standing in line at Starbucks, waiting for our flight.  Over the next hour, as we waited, the airport lost power at least 3 times.  I'm not sure what caused it or how they repaired it each time... but it was certainly a first for us all!  I have a really funny story about what happens when you are in an airport bathroom when the power goes out (it is crazy-dark) but would prefer not to put it in writing (so I can deny it later).

The power outage caused a slight delay in our departure but the pilot seemed confident that we could make up the time in the air.  I got to sit with Tyler this time so we watched A Dog's Purpose together and enjoyed our beverages.

Customs, Immigration, and Security all went smoothly in Atlanta.  We stopped at Chick-Fil-A for supper and then headed to our gate.  

Before boarding, our plane was taken out of service so we had to move to another gate and aircraft.  Again, we departed a little late but made it up in the air.  This time I sat with Scott and realized that I hadn't flown with Sammy all day... this was a first!  

We arrived in GR as scheduled and like always, it was a smooth transition to grab our bags and get to the parking garage.  

What a day!  What a trip!  Its good to be home.

Day 1

As soon as my alarm sounded, I rolled over to check my phone.  The kids' passports had still not arrived but were on their way from New York overnight.  We were scheduled to pick them up at 8:00 am at the Fed Ex facility at the airport.

The morning went smoothly as we took showers, got breakfast and packed our final items.

We loaded up around 7:30 am and headed to the airport.  As we passed 8th Avenue, the Wielhouwers were waiting at the corner... we didn't waste a moment.  The morning was running smoothly, thank you Jesus!    Its been a rough few weeks for all of us and what we need, more than ever, is things to go our way.

We arrive at the Fed Ex building as scheduled but wait outside the door because they cannot find the woman who opens.  10 minutes late, she finally emerges.  I kinda chuckle at how nervous I was getting...  Everything is fine.  I almost didn't believe my ears when she said she wouldn't have the package until 10:00 am.  Um, excuse me?  

She was more than sympathetic to our situation and immediately got on the phone with another Fed Ex location to find a solution.  They agreed to pull the package and hold it for us.  It was after 8:35 when we finally found the location and had those passports in hand... Phew.

Let's be honest, it wasn't terrible... but the added stress of these expired passports has taken its toll this week.  I'm ready for a vacation!

We checked in, dropped our luggage, got through security... all without incident.  We sat down at a quiet gate and enjoyed some down time.  It was good to catch up and giggle a bit and it was obvious that the kids were excited!

We shifted down to our gate just prior to boarding.  We settled into our seats in First Class and prepped for the flight.  The kids sat together and did amazing!

We landed in Atlanta about 2 hours later and headed took the train to our terminal.  We stopped for lunch at McDonalds, Villiage Pizza and Arbys before finding our gate.  We boarded our next flight and were on our way.  Both kids did awesome on the trip... I didn't use a timer or small gifts for Samantha and she never had an issue.  I am so proud of how far we've come.

We breezed through immigration, got our luggage and headed through customs.  The process was incredibly smooth.  Then we headed outdoors to find our driver.  Within minutes he had loaded our luggage on a cart and we were headed to our van.  Luis drove us to the Superama grocery store where we found lots of options for food at the condo.  We loaded up on snacks and a few meals and headed back to the van.

We arrived at the condo around 5:00 pm (Cancun is one hour behind home).  We waited a bit to be introduced to Francis, the property manager.  Francis gave us a quick tour the property on the way to ourcondo.  We boarded the elevator (all 7 of us) only to be over the weight limit. So we all chuckled and deboarded.  Unfortunately the elevator wouldn't reset so we had to wait for maintenance to arrive.  

Well, we did wait a bit but our sweet travel party has been on the go all day.  We are tired, and our bodies have not yet adjusted to the 90* temps.  So in order to proceed, we opted to walk the steps up to the condo... 7 floors! 

Once in, Francis showed us around and got us settled.  While we were busy with that, the bellman brought up our groceries and luggage (after the elevator was fixed).

We were all ready to eat so rather than taking the time to cook something we decided to head across the street to this little place called 19.5.  (The Hotel Zone is a peninsula that is appx 7 miles long.  It is essentially a strip of land (appx 100-300 yds wide) with the Gulf of Mexico on the east and with a fresh water bay on the west which separates it from the mainland.  You can only enter the Hotel Zone from the north or south and to discuss location, you use the kilometer markers... like the ferry is at 7 kilometers.  It actually is really useful to us tourists). Our little restaurant is at kilometer 19.5!

We were greeted and brought to our table under the tiki roof and on the deck on the bay.  It was a gorgeous evening and the food was AMAZING.  The service was quick and everyone who came to our table was hospitable and kind.  

We headed home with full bellies and smiles on our faces.  We got unpacked and settled into our rooms.  Shared some stories in the living room and called it a day around 10:30pm.  

Its been a great day!  It is enough.

Heading Home - Day 7

It was 5:14 am when I woke up, just 1 minute before the alarm sounded.   I got myself ready for the day and made sure the kids were up.  Then I went to work finishing the packing job.

We all met downstairs at 6:00 am for our pick up.  The same driver came to get us.

We checked our bags curb-side, making the move into the airport much smoother.  We had less than 20 minutes to get through security and then we boarded the tram again to get to our terminal.

We had only about a 30 minute wait before boarding our plane.

It was a smooth flight arriving a few minutes ahead of schedule.  We had about 1.5 hours in Atlanta, so we used rest rooms and then made it most of the way to our gate before stopping for lunch at Five Guys, Burgers & Fries.  

Then we sat down and enjoyed some quiet time before boarding our next flight.

 

Our next flight was appx 2 hours up to Grand Rapids.  Although we left the gate late because of delayed pilots, they planned to make up the time and arrive as scheduled.  However about 20 minutes out, they came over the loud speaker to announce the runways were shut down for snow removal and they would be slowing down to take up the time.  

You'll notice in the pic that the adults are all sleeping.  Yup, the kids played together while we all slept.  Just goes to show those who can and cannot handle a Disney trip!

We arrived only a few minutes later than planned.  It was great to be home but the snow didn't feel too welcoming to my sandal-clad bare feet.

Our driver was waiting and took us home... first the DeYoungs, then us, and finally Ray & Bev.

It was a great week but boy, is it good to be home!

Disney Here We Come - Day 1

What an amazing (and busy) first day!  A car service was scheduled to pick us all up this morning.  Bev and Ray were loaded up by 7:30, Scott and Jen's family by 8:45 am, and we were pulling in at Sarah's family a little after 8:00 am.  We arrived at the airport, ready to travel shortly after 8:30 am.

We had planned in some extra time in case anyone wasn't ready so we were at the airport 3 hours early.  But it gave us time to check in, go through security and get settled before it was time to go.

We left GR at 11:20 am.  Everyone was super excited to be on our way and the added perks of first class were nice too!

We had just 45 minutes of layover in Atlanta and our departing gate was quite far from the arrival gate.  So, after restroom stops, we took off through the halls, on the train and over to our new gate.  Made it just as the previous plane was unloading (they had arrived late).

We loaded the next plane with a different seating arrangements and were off.  Disney here we come!

As we came down the escalator to baggage claim, William (our driver) was waiting for us.  He brought us to the right area and we grabbed our luggage.

It was great to see the sun and feel its warmth.  Just after we landed, my mom sent a text showing 2" of fresh snow at home and reminded us of what we were missing :)

On the drive to the resort, William made a quick stop for us to get some McDonalds as we had yet to eat lunch and it was closing in on 4:00 pm.  William was a biologist in Columbia, here in the US seeking asylum.  Just fascinating.

Disney had already texted us with our room numbers and our Magic Bands were already programmed to open the doors.  Since we had all our luggage plus tons of McDonalds bags, we decided to have a picnic lunch before heading to our rooms.  We found a picnic table near where we were dropped off and quick ate.

Next, we headed out to find our rooms... ten of us, walking, pulling our luggage... I'm sure we were a sight.

We got settled in our rooms.  Sarah and Jeff are room 8721, Ray and Bev 8712, and our family is 8711.  We are just down the hall from one another making it really convenient to borrow / share items and meet up before leaving.  We LOVE the accommodations.

The girls grabbed a cab to buy some groceries while the guys hung out at home.  Scott and our kids unpacked, Jeff and their kids went for a walk to explore.  It was nice to have some down time.

Around 6:45 pm we met to take the bus system over to Disney Springs and find our restaurant for the night.  It was a beautiful night... we truly loved seeing the Christmas decor!

We had previously made reservations at a restaurant named T-Rex.  The kids loved the decor.  We were all super-excited to eat here, and were lucky to land a table in the "ice cave". 

After the meal, we ordered dessert and the wait staff delivered it with a lively Happy Birthday song for Dad!  He was so surprised.

After dinner we checked out the Lego store.  Its fun that all the kids have this in common.

Then we decided to walk back to our resort.  It was a pleasant quiet path to our hotel and gave us a chance to see just how big our property is.

We stopped at the lobby to fix the DeYoung's Magic Bands and then headed home for the night.

We all went our separate ways and tucked in our darlings.  It was a big day for us all!