From There to Here......

We flew from Reagan National Airport at 6 a.m. Monday morning.  Yes, that means we had to be AT the airport around 4 a.m.  So all eight of us were sluggish and wilty even before the marathon flight around the globe began.

From DC, we flew to New York's JFK Airport for a layover of several hours.  Based on a tip from David, August's brother, we arranged ahead of time to have a wheelchair (for Oma) waiting for us.  Walking the very long distance from one terminal to another would have been a real hardship for her.  And, let's just say, speed is not her strength.  :)  But, let me tell you, traveling with a family member in a wheelchair really had its perks for us yesterday.  It got us to the front of the security and boarding lines; some of which were VERY long.  That wheelchair was happiness for all of us.

I'm also very glad to report that none of us were patted down and six of us were able to avoid full-body scans when going through airport security.  August and Oma weren't so lucky.  Maybe they looked suspicious?  :)

Our flight left NYC at 10 a.m. Monday morning and was in the air a little over fifteen hours.  Brayden spent his time sleeping, in the "lavatory", or tampering with any and all of the electronic gadgetry available at his seat.  Truly, it was toddler boy heaven.

We had lunch, dinner, and multiple snacks, all of which were quite tasty, on this flight. And who knew Cathay Pacific served complimentary wine with dinner?  :)  Thanks to my friend, Laura, we were prepared for the cabin to get a bit chilly so we all bundled up and alternated between sleep and movie watching for most of the flight.  Before leaving home, I had loaded up my Kindle in anticipation of some lengthy reading time on the plane but my eyes were just too tired.  Honestly, it was kind of nice to do nothing.

We arrived in Hong Kong at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning Virginia time but it was actually 4 p.m. there.  We were tired, hungry, and cranky - well, actually, not August or Oma.  After a four hour flight to Surabaya and lots of warm, enthusiastic welcomes from family we all collapsed into bed.  It was so good to be horizontal!

The Story Behind Our Trip

In 1969,  a young couple packed up their most valued earthly belongings as well as their two most precious treasures (seven-year-old and eight-year-sold sons) and left their homeland of Surabaya, Indonesia for the United States.  Drs. Dan and Marina Sanusi, and their sons, eight-year-old Han (now known as David) and seven-year-old Tjioe (now know as August) left all that was familiar - flourishing medical practices, life-long friends, and generations and generations of family to begin a new life. They settled in Shreveport, Louisiana where they knew no one and spoke very little English.  (From here on, I'll refer to Han and Tjioe as David and August.  We'll call their parents Oma and Opa.)  

Fast forward about 4 decades......

This current journey to Indonesia actually began back in 2007.  In that year, Opa hatched a plan for a big family "reunion" (as he liked to call it) in Indonesia to happen following summer of 2008.  The purpose of the trip was for Opa and Oma, being in their mid-seventies, to visit Surabaya and their many loved ones one last time.  Tragically, the 2008 trip never happened due to a fall Opa experienced in March of that year.  He died, two weeks later, of a traumatic brain injury as a result of that fall.  It wasn't until last year that we and Oma were ready to again begin considering taking such a big trip.

So 10,186 miles, 12 time zones, and countless trips to the airport lavatory with toddler boy later.......we're here.

The Countdown Begins.....here we come Indonesia!

We're shaking the dust off this poor neglected blog to chronicle our upcoming trip to Indonesia - August's birthplace!  Marina, Olivia, and I (and maybe some other Sanusis, too!) plan to document our adventures here in this space.  (That's assuming our internet connection in Indonesia will be sufficient.) We'd love it if you'd come along with us!

Blast off is in 13 days!!!

Update:  I've been informed by two other contributors to this blog who shall remain unnamed, that the blog header which I spent TWO DAYS creating, is not fun enough and does not fit.  While I'll admit it doesn't fit and may leave you wondering "to the glory of what?",  I remain firm about it's fun-ness. That said, it seems as it this blog's facelift is not finished.  :)

Happy Birthday Eliza!

Lovely Eliza, this picture says it all:  sweet, funny, friendly, silly.  What would we do without you!  You are such a special gift!  love, Mom and Dad

Lent and Preparing for the Prize

I'm running a race on Saturday.  It's really not that long - 8K - but the significance of it is HUGE for me.  It is the first race I've run in over 2 years.  My first race since my pregnancy with Brayden, since bedrest and a c-section.  The fact that I'm even up for running it feels like a tremendous victory to me. For the past 8 weeks, I've been focused on preparing for the day - March 12th.   It has been on my calendar for months and all my training was with this race in mind.  The rigor of the training has been so satisfying.  The date on the calendar has been so helpful for my staying focused.  But, truth be told, I'm terribly afraid to face the day after the race.  Will I continue to willingly push myself so hard?  Is my own health and fitness enough of a goal?  If I'm completely honest, I have to admit, sometimes it just isn't.

Until not too many years ago, I thought Lent was about giving up chocolate or sweets.  And maybe for some, it is.  But really, it has the potential to be so, so much more than that.  Lent is, for my heart, what the past 8 weeks have been for my body - a season of focused preparation with my eye on the goal.  This morning, I could almost hear a collective sigh of relief as we all arose to the beginning of this Holy season.   Finally, finally, this sacred season that begins so late this year is here.  This season that, through it's discipline and structure, helps us see more clearly that which we truly long for.  This season that helps us scrape away all the unnecessaries and distractions........those things that "aren't helpful to us", as Fr. Buda said in this morning's Mass.....so that we can see that which we're really made for.  Because, ultimately, heaven is our goal isn't it?  Ash Wednesday, Lent, Easter are all just markers along the path.  Sacred markers, but still not the true prize.  The weightiness of deprivation that Lent can bring serves not only to make the joy of the Resurrection all the sweeter but also to remind me to stay focused on the True Prize the rest of the year as well.

How grateful I am for the gentle cadence of the liturgical year to provide steady rhythm and focus for this wandering heart.  God knows I need it!

Happy Birthday Juliette!

"They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor."

Isaiah 60:21

Before you were born, when we and so many others cried out to the Lord to save you and heal you from your defective lung, this was the verse we chose for you.  Here we are, 12 years later, and you continue to display the spendor of the Lord.  You are the work of His hands, sweet Juliette.  You were formed and molded to be just who you are - beautiful inside and out, generous, tender, creative.  I am so thankful for how God shows Himself to our family through you!  We love you.

Watching and Waiting.....

Advent is here and I just have to recommend this WONDERFUL Advent resource I've found this year. Even if you already have something you're using with your children, I heartily recommend this devotional for YOU.  I'm finding my heart challenged each day as we read.  While you're over there, it might be a good idea to allow yourself some time for clicking around.....really good stuff there.