Okay - moving from Guam is different than moving in the mainland. I've moved from Guam to RI and from RI to Hawaii and overseas moves have another level of chaos.
1. Since your husband has already gone, you are in good shape as far as having someone "on the ground" in AZ to get the first level of "settling in" done. (Elimination house hunting, getting the lay of the land, finding a pediatrician, etc.)
2. If you're going with the military, you will be granted a "main household goos shipment" and an "express" shipment. (Ask your coordinator what is good to go in each kind of shipment.) If you're civilian, you can probably find a moving company to pack large containers for furniture & household goods and pack boxes to mail for your express shipment. However it will be expensive so sell/donate as much as you can before you leave if you have to foot the bill yourself. Also, as you know from living in Guam, postal services may say "priority" but that really only applies in the mainland and the shipment dates are always estimations when you're dealing with Guam. This means going BACK to the mainland, as well. Carry all important things with you as much as possible (valuable jewelry, kids' loveys, medications, family pics, etc.) We moved about 4 yrs ago and did not need passports to fly from Guam to US UNLESS you're taking the flight out through Narita in Tokyo (which sometimes is the less expensive route.)
3. Again, if you're doing this yourself I can't emphasize enough how it will make your life easier to sell WHATEVER your can before you leave. Since your hubby is already in AZ, he can purchase replacements before you arrive. He can check craigslists so you don't need to buy everything new.
4. For whatever you're planning to take, take measurements before you pack it and keep a list of all those measurements on a laptop computer (which is a worthy purchase for while you're in transition if you don't already have one or a computer set up on both ends.) Likewise, as much as you can scan/ keep on a hard drive for important papers/photos back-up would reduce how much you have to carry/ ship. Anyway, back to the measurements, if you have those, you can plan your household even though it will take a while to get your furniture (plan on about 3-4 months.) I got a roll of blue painters tape and just went around the house before the furniture arrived and wrote the names of the furniture pieces on the tape and stuck it to the wall so I only had to direct furniture to the right room, once the heavy lifters got to the room, they could read the labels to put it in the right place.
5. If you have military priviledges, and are looking for a new car to replace the car you will probably leave in Guam, you can order your car at the military base dealerships, get the overseas discount, and have the new car shipped to a dealership in AZ for a lot less than to have it shipped to GU. Alternatively, you can obviously buy a used car once you arrive in AZ - probably for less than you can ship the cars from Guam.
6. For the plane ride, pack snacks and entertainment for the kiddos. For the length of this plane ride, you'll probably not be able to carry enough books to keep them all happy (unless they are voracious readers and each have a great novel to start!) I suggest some kind of electronic entertainment - ipod, video games, kindles, etc. That is one heck of a long ride - even for adults and although they usually play at least two movies, it's going to be tough. Get as much rest as you can before you go because you are going to need to be at the top of your game for this one with five kiddos. In your carry-ons pack at least one change of clothes for EACH person - maybe more for little ones - particularly of they are prone to motion sickness or are not potty trained. As much as they are able, kiddos need to carry their own stuff and check for any forgotten items before you leave the airport gates, hotel rooms, get off planes, and get out of shuttles/taxis. Impress upon them that if they leave something behind, you will NOT be able to go back to get it! If hubby can fly back to help with the flight, he needs to do it. If you're going through Narita, you may want to take advantage of a hotel and get some rest before the next leg of the journey. Likewise, you may want to have a long layover in Honolulu if you're going that way. We have gone with short layovers back to the mainland and it's usually at least one full 24 hr transit and we have had one that was 36 hrs. That is one heck of a long time to entertain, comfort, and corral five kiddos in a confined and unfamiliar environment. As much as you are able, try to figure out from them what they would want to do for that amount of time. Prepare, prepare, prepare them as much as they can understand and try to get them to see it as an adventure and to work as a team. (I say all this even though the last time we flew, both my kiddos were under 18 mos and we just did the RI to HI trip with more than one kiddo. GU to RI was with only one baby - not so bad. Sooooo I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm not really in the same position you're in and can't guarantee success!) ;-) If you can take something to help the kiddos sleep on the plane *benadryl* it might be worth it. Just be sure to give this a dry run and talk to your pediatrician before you try it on the plane. Some kids get hyperactive with benadryl. You don't want to find THAT out on the plane!
7. If you can at all afford it, do not try to "cheap out" and hold an infant in your lap for this trip. Get everybody their own seat and bring car seats with you. Also, have hubby research before you get there to find out about gettting a shuttle from the airport that can accomodate your whole family (including luggage and carseats.) Make sure you have this transportation arranged and RESERVED before you get on the plane and confirm them repeatedly! The last thing you need is to touch down in AZ after being in the air for an eternity and not be able to get out of the airport!
8. A last word about loveys - sew labels on all irreplaceable loveys with your AZ address and a phone number where you can be reached in AZ along with a plea for anyone who finds it to PLEASE contact you. Again, no guarantees, but maybe you'll be lucky and have a compassionate soul send your lost items back to you.
That's all I can think of right now. I hope it makes sense. Good luck in your new place!
:-)
jen