It's hard to believe we are really here. Going back a couple of days...

Monday morning - Our trip started out smoothly enough in Minneapolis... our team of 7 all congregated at the gate after getting our over-priced lattes and boarded our plane to O'Hare. The problem started by a delayed start (of course!)... which got us into Chicago (on the ground) about 45 minutes late. The plane then taxied for an eternity and got us to the gate 8 minutes before our connection was scheduled to take off. I had hopes of grandeur that our connection was also behind schedule. Since I ewas the closest to the door, I ran (O.J. Simpson style) to gate K-8 only to get there in time to watch our plane start rolling away from the jetway... a full 3 minutes before the scheduled departure time of 12:10 pm!!
Once all 7 of us gathered again, i found a gate agent who directed me to the reservation phones. She had looked up our options and saw only 2 seats on the  2:20 flight but was confident we could all get on the 4:25 to Miami. Well, once I got the reservationist on the phone and a little sweet-talking and a small tear (which didn't translate well over the phone) we all somehow got booked on the 2:20. We had lunch then got on our flight for a relaxing flight to Miami. 
The other 5 members of our group met us there and we started retrieving our twenty-four 50 pound totes. Well, 23 showed up. We spent the next hour waiting in line and explaining our situation to the guy at the lost luggage desk. After another search and a description of the wayward tote, we started completing a claim, when one of our team started scanning the various lugage conveyors (yet again) and lo and behold, it showed up. Hallelujah!
We all got checked into our rooms and most of us met for dinner in the ritzy restaurant in the hotel, and found that in lieu of the pricey entrees they agreed to make us burgers and club sandwiches. Things were finally going our way!
Off to bed for an early morning flight 6:15 am (check-in 4:15) to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.
Updates to follow.