A Rainbow in Bozeman

This might have been the most amazing rainbow I've ever seen...a complete arc over the Eastern sky during sunset my last night in Bozeman, MT.  

We Made It

"Hello folks, this is your captain.  Just wanted to let you know we have reached our cruising altitude of 35,000 ft.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight to Chicago."


40 minutes later
"Flight attendants, return to your seats immediately.  We are landing this plane in ten minutes."


I begin to look around.  Everyone on my flight is looking around.  "Why are we landing when I still have Diet Coke on my tray?,"  say the questioning eyes around me.  "And why do I see only fields out my window?," say others waking from a groggy traveling nap.  Then the plane drops suddenly, and I am thankful for that seatbelt we so dutifully buckle high up in the sky.  Ten minutes later the plane does indeed land and the captain returns to the intercom.

"Folks, we have made an emergency landing in Omaha, NE.  Please do not be concerned by the firetrucks which are surrounding us.  This is standard procedure in situations like these."

"Situations like what?," I wonder to myself while the girls bounce in their seats and say, "Are we already in CHICAGO?!?!."

We file dutifully off the plane, and I notice a faint smoke smell in the air.  As the several hundred passengers file off our huge 747 into the tiny four walled concourse that is the Omaha airport, we quickly fill every seat and much of the floor space that the small airport has to offer.  Thus begins a seven hour wait sitting on the floor in Omaha with my girls wondering if we will ever get to Chicago. During this time we find out that the cockpit of our plane had filled with such severe smoke that the flight crew had been wearing oxygen masks as they landed the plane.

 After a seven hour wait for United to bring in another plane that could accommodate such a large number of passengers, we then get the joy of sitting in a hot airplane for an hour while they figure out how to get our bags on the plane (the airport was not equipped for such large planes to land and had no baggage equipment to load the bags into our new plane).  It got so hot in the plane they finally said, "We can allow a handful of passengers off this plane to get some air, but unfortunately we can't allow everyone off. Oh, and by the way Chicago has grounded all flights because of weather, so we are not sure when we will be able to take off."  Great, I'm being held captive by United flight attendants.

It wasn't until almost 10pm- eight hours after our projected arrival- that we finally touched down in Chicago.  Rynn and Eleanor were absolutely amazing.  They hung in there great and even made some new friends as all the moms on the plane began to pool our DVDs and laptops for some group movies on the floor of the Omaha airport.

We are finally here, in our home, and we have even taken a swim in Lake Michigan and bought our summer beach pass.  No chairs to sit in or dishes to eat upon, but we can go to the beach!  The church has been amazing.  They have organized meals for us, offered to help clean our rental home, and invited us for meals.  We have been awed at their kindness.  We are here.  We are safe, and I don't need to see another airplane for many months to come.

watch a video from an Omaha local news clip @ http://www.kmtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12763486 

Hula Hoopin' in Big Sky

Last night we were sitting in this field listening to a loud band and waiting for fireworks when I felt a tap on the shoulder.  "Caroline?  Caroline Little?, " said a voice.  I turned around to see Travis and Suzanne Wilson standing behind me! Old friends of Jason's from RUF years at SMU and now old friends of mine from our Houston years, Travis & Suzanne were visiting her parents in Big Sky.  We haven't seen each other in over five years since they came through Chattanooga from Texas.  What a small world...I couldn't believe in that big crowd at dusk I got to hug some old friends.  Little blessings along the way...

Suzanne, Travis, Joseph, Ellen, & Jack this morning in Montana!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July from Bozeman, MT!  The girls and I are still enjoying the warm sun, cool nights, and big skies of Montana while Jason and the dog continue their journey Eastward across South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  With flags in their pony tails my little patriots hit the park in downtown Bozeman today singing "Happy Birthday to America."  All their idea, I might add.

from West to East we go...

Big Skies and Big Adventures

Being in Montana has been an incredible blessing.  There is space, both physically and mentally, to settle into the changes of the past weeks.  In the quiet beauty of this transition I am able to see what incredible adventures we have had in the past few weeks.  How blessed we have been to make this journey together, to see old friends and family, and to see so much of the United States!  Three weeks ago today we left a house of boxes for our vacation on the East Coast.

Two and a half weeks ago...Eleanor jumps waves with cousin Molly in Duck, NC

Ten days ago we were cruising the Chesapeake Bay watching a sailing regatta...

Nine days ago we stood on a replica of one of the ships that came to America's first colony- Jamestown, VA...

...and explored the 'Governer's House' at Jamestown..

Eight days ago we had a sleepover with my old friend Susan, her husband Paul, and their four children...

...played cards with aunt Jane and Uncle Frank in Arlington, VA...

Walked the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 100 degree DC heat...Rynn wanted to stay and draw Lincoln in her journal.  She was really touched by the whole thing which was fun for us to see.

...and a week ago we took one last swim off the dock at the Bay (thank you Clay and Mike!!!) before heading back to the West Coast..

...where we arrived back in Portland for two quick days of goodbyes.  Caitlin Clark, a member of HOPE, has taken some beautiful photos of some of Hope's events.  To see some of the wonderful folks who are a part of a church we will always love and for whom we will continue to pray click on Hope's Flickr Page

...and a blurry Iphone picture to document our last Portland houseguest- my cousin Leigh on her way to Canada for a conference- Leigh got to embrace the chaos with us on our last night in Portland.

And then on to Montana...

Last night we roasted marshmallows and made S'mores around the firepit under a bright pink Montana sky.

Dad sporting his Western wear and giving a marshmallow roasting lesson...

...and this morning while Jason and I drank our coffee on the back deck the girls made Indian head feathers and proclaimed they were "Daughters of the Chief."  Jason now has a new title- Chief.

Eleanor builds her fire...

...while Rynn works on her teepee.

and an Indian village is created.

The Chief tries to catch some World Cup soccer while making slingshots out of rubber bands and sticks.

Montana Big Skies

Hyalite Canyon in Gallatin National Forest

...a hike this morning a few miles from Dad's...It is called Big Sky country in these parts.  I didn't really believe it until spending time here.  I mean, isn't the sky really the same size everywhere?  Not sure about  the science, but here in Montana it is easy to feel quite dwarfed by the bigness of it. The sky is IMMENSE...and so is the hail.  Whoa.

We're on our way...

, originally uploaded by jasonchristopherlittle.

The last few weeks have been full. We have stood at the feet of Abraham Lincoln in 100 degree heat, been swimming with jelly fish at sunset in the Chesapeake Bay, sat at the table of a dear old college friend, hugged family in DC, watched colonists and indians at Jamestown, played on a sandbar in the Atlantic ocean, hugged more family as we gathered at the Outer Banks, said goodbye to dear friends in Portland, and today our travels begin. There is so much to share, so many pictures, so many emotions which haven't yet taken the shape of words. There will be quiet days ahead, days to blow bubbles on our new back deck, days to write and to read in our new city, but today our feet are on the ground as we begin our journey East. We have one more stop- a week in Bozeman, MT with my Dad- while Jason and Roscoe make the more tedious journey driving across the country. Thank you for all your notes of encouragement and for staying present with us in this transition. And the adventure begins...