Then and Now: Airplane/America Day

April 30, 2009

One year ago today, we hurried to finish our last minute packing while trying not to wake Rai. Aaron brought all of our luggage downstairs to the hotel lobby while I carefully loaded Rai in a carrier hoping not to wake him. We made it to the van only a few minutes late and picked up Kim and Zoey whom we hadn't spoken to since our big receiving moments the day before. Both children lay mostly asleep until we got to the airport. The next several hours were a bit rough as the 12 1/2 hour flight was fine until we had to stay in our seats. Rai loved running up and down the aisles laughing when people turned and smiled. As long as he was moving, he was fine. Unfortunately, eating in such a small space (with Rai on my lap) was challenging, and Rai was a bit flustered when the seatbelt lights when on. And we won't talk about the airport experience in Dallas since I'd rather not remember the frustrations we had with the long lines and broken air conditioner.

But one year ago, Rai ran down the hallway of the airport in freshly changed clothes which read"I've Arrived!" and saw my family for the first time. My mom (Obaachan), my dad (Ojiichan), and my stepbrother (Uncle Don) were thrilled to see him, and we all got our first big family picture.

We arrived home (in the house) by that afternoon (Dallas time). I ran to the grocery store to pick up a few things only to return home to two very cute, sleeping boys. We played that afternoon, and I had my first parenting experience alone as Aaron left that evening for a soccer game. Rai did great, and we even had a quiet playdate with friend who dropped by. The biggest thought of the day? Home At Last!

April 30, 2010

Today marked the first day of our family day celebration. Rai and I did a few fun things ranging from gardening to visiting a few people at work. We took Aaron out to lunch and met Aaron at Chuck E Cheese for dinner. Rai had never been to Chuck E Cheese and only heard the word "pizza" (one of his favorite foods). He was in awe by the games, though! With 35 tokens, Rai made his way through the room full of games and managed to get 88 tickets by the end of the night - enough for a small deck of cards, a toy lizard, a toy bug, and a piece of candy.

I have tons of pictures to post, but they will have to wait until tomorrow. (Another busy picture day)