And the kazventure has begun.......

Friday started out as any normal day.....Ha! If we would have had fireworks to celebrate the day we would have but instead we did it my way, at MAGEE'S. Nothing better to get you started on a big adventure than a pure sugar load. Pat and I stayed up until 2 am trying to figure out how to get everything they tell you to bring in 2 checked baggages and 2 carry ons. Not posssible, I finally broke down and added a duffle but still left some stuff at home. I am not sure how I am going to face a little one with out Cheerios but they didn't make it....we may have folks ship them later when we are settled.

So, the day progressed rather rapidly but fairly organized. Just the last minute panic of "do we have everything we might need for 2 months" Probably Not. Carrie took us to the airport around 330p arriving about 2 hours before our flight. And, yep, we were over the weight limit but the kind people at northwest had mercy on us and didn't charge....it's a good thing because now they owe us, big time. They decided that it would be more beneficial with our weighty baggages to take a different flight thru detroit since it was a jet versus prop-job and Memphis was expecting freezing rain. So we said sure! It would get us into Amsterdam a bit earlier but we had a long lay-over anyway. Well, that's when the excitement started........

Just so you know, we vowed to always keep a sense of humor about any of the ups and downs so parents just don't worry, we will survive even cocky, barney fife wanna be's. OK, so here is what happened. In lexington, we went thru our securty check almost without problems but alas, something in my bag flagged them. I asked for a private viewing because they were going to have to take all my stuff out and I had it packed to the very last inch.....oh, I dreaded trying to get it back in....but they were very kind and quick and the offensive material, PEANUT BUTTER! yes, that food product didn't even cross my mind. It was probably on the list but I didn't remember. So, Our peanut butter is now donated to the homeless shelter.... so be it! Unfortunately, we can't count it off on our taxes......because they are already done! So, efficient we are.....Thank you so much, Tammy!

Now, we catch our slightly delayed flight to Detroit. No problems, we think.....well, we sat out on the tarmack in Detroit for a few minutes, just enough to make us have to walk really, really fast to our flight to Amsterdam. Our little nice Northwest people at the beginning failed to really explain how close the flights might be..... We rushed to the plane, the last ones to arrive. The ticket people were practically pushing us down the jetway but then we had to stop to visit the customs people......No, let me re-phrase, BarneyFife dressed as Tom Cruise. Seemingly nice looking fella, Nope. He asked the normal questions and somehow when we said adoption like we were supposed to little flags went up in his head.....oh, they carry money. So, he proceeds to lecture us on the importance of declaring our money....which we hadn't because no one told us we needed to. We were bringing extra because of the chance of getting two so we went over the limit. Now, remember, they were pushing us down the taxiway to get on the plane that was waiting for us. Barney decides that since we had not filled out the form yet that everything must be searched because we might be hiding another million or so in our backpacks (very heavily packed back packs). Oh, did I mention that he wanted to count all the money right in the middle of the taxiway.....he did get some people to help him so lets all know that Karen and Pat have money on them.....there went that anonymity that we were supposed to keep. So basically it was this fight between them and the airline. The one security lady was thinking he would let us go once we signed the forms but nope, had to search everything and count that money (new money, which so easy to count! ) Needless to say, we made the plane. This is also where the kindness of strangers never came in to play because in our delay, a rather hateful man decided that he wanted Pat's seat because he wanted to be next to his wife and would not move! So then the Flight attendant tried to get the lady next to me to move to the other seat where Pat had been sent to.....aisle seat, no different than hers. AND, she wouldn't move! So, I sat in the middle of the middle seats and Pat sat 5 rows in front of me for 9 hours. Lovely! My lady was so obnoxious that I decided to hog the arm rest just as a protest. She had her earphones on so loud that I didn't even need mine! But, I am happy to say that we are blogging at the Amsterdam airport waiting on our flight to Almaty at 615p (9 1/2 hour layover). We are tired but glad to be back together. The KLM people and everyone here at the airport are so nice and we are just going to be glad for that and remember barney and the mean people with a smile on our face because we are half way to getting our child! Woo Hoo. We will blog again if possible once we get to Almaty! Bye for now, the rather tired and dazed Kitzkazventurers.