The flight from Kalamazoo to Detroit was a success. It was the first time the younger ones had flown, and the short, uneventful flight dispelled myths of "all planes probably crash" and "what happens if the wings fall off?". As parents who have flown many times by ourselves (usually alone), having all of us together provided us with sense of peace and we didn't feel compelled to say a little prayer during take off/landing to take care of the rest of the family just in case the plane were to crash or, the unthinkable and unspeakable-the wings were to fall off. Even during turbulence on our second flight (from Detriot to Amsterdam), the slight bumps we felt only added to the grand experience.

On the flight to Amsterdam, the kids did remarkably well. While traveling years ago as a kid, one year my (Bob) dad figured out we were paying, in our ticket price, for the food they served on the plane. So he decided we should eat everything served and as much as possible. Not a scrap of food was to be left by the time we departed from the plane. It was even okay to ask the starngers on the plane if they were going to finish their meal. How embarrassing. Is it a coincidence that 2 of his 4 kids were voted "biggest mooch" in high school mock elections? The meals we had from Detroit to Amsterdam were really quite quite tasty. So good in fact, that Jack and I ended up eating everyone's leftovers. We were able to finish our entire meals, plus Bekah's and most of Katilee's. I was so proud of his willingness to join me in this eating adventure. So much so, that I turned to him, and said with pride "Way to go Jack. Since we're paying for this, let's eat all that we can."