the countdown is over...

Well, we made it back to WA! We are one step closer to being in our home but we are on WA soil and it feels so good!
Our adventure started early Wednesday morning. I got up, finished up my packing and checked out of the hotel. I never thought I would be happy to check out of a hotel but that morning I was happy to do so! 5 months was long enough! I must say we earned alot of Marriot points though! Right before I left the hotel I got a phone call from the ambulance plane company saying that there was a "warning" button that was going on in the plane and that they needed to check things out. They had no idea what was going to happen next or what time they would be coming to get us. I made my way to Ben who was eating breakfast in the dining room and told him that our flight was delayed. We waited, and waited and waited! We were to go at about 9am but we finally got picked up about 12! It was alot of waiting but to have a "healthy" plane made it worth it!
When we got in the air Ben got some nausea medication because of what happened on our last flght. I should have given in and taken the shot too but instead my stomach was in my throat for a few hours. We had about a 3 hour flight and landed in South Dakota for gas and food! Up and away we went again for another 3 hour leg! Ben was awake the first and slep almost the whole last one. He did great!
We landed at the Olympia airport and some of my family was there waiting for us as we arrived! All my neices and nephews were jumping around and waving their arms! They got to see us unload from the plane and lots of hugs and kisses were given out! It was quite amazing and so fun to see everyone that was there!
Off to the rehab facility we went! I got Ben settled with some dinner and in bed and he was exausted! We were still on east coast time and so by the time we got to the rehab center it was after 9pm our time! After I got him settled I took off and finally got my first real meal of the day. I think I went to bed after 1am east coast time! I was pooped for sure!

Of course I was up at like 0645 this am because of the time change and I tried to rest a bit before rolling out of bed. I am staying with one of my sisters until we move into our rental house so I went down stairs for coffee and to hang with the kiddos. It is so fun to be close to them again!
I headed over to Ben who was already in an OT session. She was helping him shower and get dressed to see how he did it. Ben at one point said, "this is not how Rich and Ilana do it!" I had to laugh to myself because these were 2 of Ben's main therapists! To him, this new therapist was doing it all wrong! He continued on though! He had a break and then PT came in to work with him. After that was lunch followed by some chill time and visitors and then ST. While in ST she went over a few general questions and then some more challanging ones. Ben has had these before and I was able to hear his answers then and now! This time he did SO MUCH BETTER!! A few of them he needed to be asked, "are you sure?" and then he would think about it and change his answer to the new one! He did awesome!!
For the rest of the afternoon we chilled and rested. Ben was getting pretty tired at this time so we just took it easy. Please pray for him as this is a hard transition. He REALLY wants to be at home and just keeps asking me when we can go home. He said this new place is just like the last one and that he doesn't want to be there! He actually said that he would like to go back to Kessler to work with his old therapists! I explain to him that this is very short term and that we just have to be patient! He says, "ok." Poor guy is just so tired of being in a hospital and I cannot blame him. He also kept saying that it is not fair that I can just go anywhere I want to at any time (told him I had to go to Target to get meds.) Ben said he doesn't like that and wants his feedom back and to be "normal" again! Please continue to lift him up in your prayers!
Prayers for me as well! This facility is new to me and it is hard not to jump in and tell them how we have been doing things for the last 5 months. I know Ben better then anyone but I also know that I need to be open to what other people might have to offer because it might be better! Also pray that these next few weeks go smoothly not only with setting up our rental house but also with being there for Ben in his frustration! It is alot to bear sometimes and keep everything going smoothly!

Thank you all for your sweet comments, prayers and encouragement! It has truly helped ana has been a huge blessing! I will try and get another update soon! Just know it will be a bit busy around these parts!

{our plane}


{boarding up}


{not alot of room even though it looks big!}