Now it's been over a year since my last post, and I find that I am missing keeping a log of our adventures.
We moved back to the Chicago area on June 11, 2015 - the same day that, 27 years earlier, Steve and I had gotten married.
The logistics of getting back to the US were interesting. First, we had to book a cab to take us to the airport. It had to be able to fit me, Steve, Zach, Rugby, Chloe, two large dog crates and 9 suitcases. The guy showed up with a mini van pulling an open trailer! Still, it worked, though the dogs h ad to sit in the back seat of the van with me and Zach.
It was easier to get the dogs back to the US than coming to Ireland, since Ireland is rabies free. We had their pet passports and they told us to take them right up to the counter at the airport - so we did! It was quite funny. Then it was time to put them in their crates and they were zoomed off to the airplane to go in the hold under the pilots. It is temperature and pressure controlled for them there.
We had a really n ice flight and drank champaign to toast our anniversary and then, at long last, we landed at the airport. Haley drove up to pick up Zach and lots of our luggage. We had to wait for the cargo to be unloaded so we could get the dogs. there was a hurling team waiting for their hurling sticks and the workers were just bringing out the sticks and golf clubs and things and setting them on the ground. We had all our papers to show that they were our dogs - and we were told to be prepared because Homeland Security takes this seriously. So what did they do? They wheeled the dogs out in their crates and dropped them off and left. ANYONE COULD H AVE PICKED UP MY PUPS!!
Still - we were home and all 5 of us were living on the same continent again. We were happy for that.
Once we moved into our new home, there was unpacking, picking up our things from storage, getting essentials for the house, kids to get sorted, and on and on it goes. After being back in the states for 10 days, I went back to work for Prairie State Legal Services. Now we have been here for almost a year and though summer was hot and winter was cold, it feels good to be back around family and all our friends and having lots and lots of things to do!
So - I wish I hadn't let my blog go unattended for so long - even if it's only me who reads it! It's like my own personal scrap book really. Anyway, I am going to fill in with more from my 2015 adventures and hopefully I will get caught up eventually.
