Going "Home"

As they say, home is where the heart is. This is important for us, as we move a lot. Last weekend, after our house was packed up and shipped to the US where it will be stored for about 5 months or so, we packed up the dogs and got on a plane back to the US. What a production!! We had 5 huge suitcases, plus carry-ons, plus 2 dogs in their big crates.

We really worried that everything was going to make it back to Philly all in one piece, but alas, it did! You should have seen us check in- we tried to get a good photo but with all the chaos we only got a couple (lady and little girl in the one picture were cute- the little girl just couldn't get enough of talking to the dogs in their cages while we all waited at the ticket counter to check in!) We had 2 SUVs from the office take us to the airport in Phuket, and my dad AND neighbor picked us up in Philly with their 2 SUVs so that we had enough room for all of us and our stuff. Not to mention a big taxi truck to the airport hotel for the layover in Bangkok.
The dogs did great- we got them out in Bangkok during our overnight layover, and then checked them back in early Sunday morning, headed for Chicago via Tokyo. We cleared them out of customs in Chicago and they were doing great- even clean cages (no idea how they held it that long) but our layover was so short we had to put the poor guys immediately back in the cages after they were inspected, for the connection to Philly. But several hours later in Philly they were wheeled out to the baggage area and still doing great, so happy to see us and still clean cages! Steve walked them right away while we waited for my dad to pick us up, and they rode home just happy to be free. Once we got to my folks house they were introduced to their older cousin Hinkley, who is a yellow lab about 9 years old, and all went well. They loved the huge yard at my parents house and have already caught the scent of squirrels and woodchucks and other things that live in the woods behind the house. And of course, they instantly loved their grandma, my mom, who puts home cooked chicken and veggies in their dog kibble, gives them lots of treats and snuggles, and even had a comfy new dog bed and ID tags for their collars ready when they arrived! If she spoils the dogs like that, I can’t even imagine what it will be like when our little baby arrives!