New Zealand Trip-Day One

OK, so I'm finally starting on all my posts from our trip to New Zealand. I took SO many pictures that I've decided to do a post for every day of the trip. It's less overwhelming for me that way :). To say that we had a blast would be the understatement of the year!! So, I hope you enjoy re-living our trip, one day at a time :)

December 14th - Day of my departure...

This is what I walked into when I went into the girls room to finish getting them ready for school that morning....bathing suits on their heads. They are too funny!

After I dropped them off at school, I headed to the Mobile airport to get on my first flight of FIVE...yes, it was going to be a LOOOONG couple of days. My first flight was from Mobile to Memphis where I met up with Katie. We were making the rest of the trip together (thank the Lord I didn't have to do the whole thing by myself). We checked in and went to our gate to wait to board our plane to Los Angeles. This is where the first of many hilarious events takes place. Katie proceeded to sit down in a chair that did not exist. She falls completely on the floor and screams at the top of her lungs as she does so. I almost pee'd my pants. She was slightly embarrassed, as you can see by her face being the same color as her sweatshirt :)

We were super pumped!!

Beautiful scenery somewhere over Arizona (I think)

I forgot to mention that I had a very small responsibility of bringing Georgie's WEDDING DRESS from Mobile all the way to New Zealand. Yes, that is correct. Slightly a big deal. When I started out in Mobile I carried it straight-up, off the ground so it wouldn't get wrinkled or anything....that sort of changed the longer the trip got.... :)

Started off good....

In L.A.....we got a little more sloppy....

We were trying...but it was so heavy and we were so tired.... :)

I mean, it was in a bag, so only the bag got dirty when we drug it on the ground..... :)

Going through L.A. security for the SECOND time....yes, fun times....got to love airport security :)

Waiting for our flight from L.A. to Fiji. This would be the LONG one. Twelve hours to Fiji, then four more to Auckland, NZ. Yay.

I was already this tired BEFORE we got on the plane. Not a good sign....

We were trying to be excited....

Even though our seats were in the middle of the middle aisle. YUCK. No window to lean up against. I knew it was gonna be a LOOOOOONG sleepless flight...

We were a little over-tired = hyper for the first few minutes after we took off from L.A.....Katie was smart and brought a cool neck pillow....

Stretchin it out before my feet became the size of watermelons :)

Do not be fooled...i was not asleep, I was just trying to be asleep...I even had my mouth open and everything...yep, it didn't work....nor did the sleeping pills :(

12 hours later....we were lookin and feelin Gooooooood :)

This may seriously be one of the worst pictures of my life...."mama TIRED"...

Yep, these smiles were forced....as if you couldn't tell :)

Our welcoming band in Fiji at 5am....nice touch...

We had to stand in the security line in Fiji for an hour and a half...no exaggeration. Poor Katie. Poor Georgie's wedding dress. We were "nah-nah" at this point....for future reference, "nah-nah" is what my children have always said when they are "all done" with something. Don't ask me why they just don't say "all done"......they just say "nah-nah" instead. Katie and I were definitely "nah-nah" with the traveling thing....oh, except we still had one more flight to go!

Fiji from the airport window...too bad we didn't get to explore a bit....

Last leg of the flight....4 more hours to go....we were getting way excited about getting there :)

WE ARRIVE IN AUCKLAND!!! Georgie picked us up and I safely placed her wedding dress in the back of her car!! yay!! I did my job. The dress made it there clean and in one piece. Now, the bag....that's another story :)

Georgie gave us some yummy New Zealand chocolate upon our arrival.... Snow Bites (which we re-named Frosty Balls).....they were fabulous!!

Our friend, the bride, our favorite Kiwi ever....our dearest Georgie :)

Modeling the extremely amazing cake topper that Katie's hubby made for Georgie and Mark....way cool.

Katie taste-testing a pair of Georgie's Candy G-strings that she received at her Hen's (Bacherlorette) Party. We were severely jet-lagged, thus, this picture.....

Georgie trying on her wedding dress for the FIRST TIME EVER....hello...only a week before her wedding and yes, it fit her perfectly except for needing to be hemmed at the bottom....amazing.

Well, that's a summary of Day 1 (and day 2) if you count the day that we actually didn't even get to live....the one that we "lost" when we flew over the international date line....yeah, I still don't understand how all that works, but anyhoo....we made it and now the real adventures begin..... :)