We are finally here!

Vaccines are not a requirement in the Andes region of Ecuador where we plan to stay.  When Will and I went last February we went sans vaccines.  However, the coastal region, the amazon and the galapogos are a different story.  If we visit certain parts, you cannot get back into the country without your immunization card. So, to avoid complications I decided at the VERY last minute to vaccinate us all.  I know some of you are gasping, it is so popular now to not vaccinate with all of the known risks.  However after researching some of these diseases that are still prevalent in developing countries, I was willing to take the risk.  

We had to drive to dallas and take everyone out of school- a very fun field trip for our clan-.  Everyone did great- with the exception of our little middle.  When faced with the shot, he simply screamed no.  We tried to reason with him.  "Eli, you cannot go to Ecuador with your brothers if you don't get the shot," I explained to an  irrational 4 year old.  "I'm staying here then he decided."  Trauma - after a few minutes, I sat on him and we were all done! 

We are all aboard the airplane.  We left the house at 4:30 this morning and it is 11am now and Eli and Zeb are sound asleep next to me.  Bleu and Liam are sitting in first class(only miles tickets left) and the rest of us are in the back of the plane.  The last thing Liam said to me as I walked to the back of the plane was what do I do if I have to toot?  Oh heavens I feel for those people up there.  These probiotics I've been loading everyone up on has done a number on our whole families system.  

 We have arrived at the Hacienda.  It is 3am.  The bumpy dirt road we were on for the last hour in our jeep has lulled everyone back to sleep.  Will sat in the front with our driver and I sat in the back seat with all 4 boys.  Very Cozy.  Most of our bags are tied on top of the car and we sat on our  carry ons.  The plane ride was very uneventful thank goodness.  The airport is another story.  Quito airport is notorious for being unsafe, aren't all big city airports though?  The only problem with this is there is no order---bags tossed all over the floor and once you exit customs it is a free for all.  Thank goodness the kids were so scared they voluntarily stayed close to us.  Will sweating as he was stepping over the people(He is very tall here-Ha!) and gripping our 70 pound duffles all over the airport.  I was standing by the luggage with all our computers and told to keep an eye on everything- well a few seconds after he left us I turned around and a woman had her hand in my purse holding one of our passports.  I grabbed her hand and she dropped it, smiled and walked off.  I didn't tell Will until after we were out- no international scene was needed as she simply emailed and gave it back.  

At least she was pleasant!

We are all tucked in soundly going to sleep.  We have big fires and water bottles keeping us warm that our new friends had ready for us when we arrived.  It is beautiful in the middle of the night, I cannot wait to see it in the morning.  The men that just left us after building the fire said it was time for them to go start milking the cows…I am glad I am not a farmer today.