Home at Last!

This adoption trip was quite the experience. We had a difficult time getting to China, an emotional first week, a great second week, and a crazy experience getting home. Our trip home started out common enough. We, along with our friends, took a late night flight from Guangzhou to Honk Kong. The flight was short and uneventful. We purposefully choose a hotel connected to the airport for ease of transportation and for getting to bed quickly. Well, the hotel was horrible when it came to checking in. Imagine waiting for 45 minutes to get a hotel room with two tired children after midnight. Not fun!
While we were waiting I started to feel a twinge in my stomach. I figured I was just tired and maybe a bit hungry. We finally received our room number and headed up the elevator. Upon walking in, we were surprised that we had a suite. It was nice, but so late that the room barely registered in my brain. We got the kids to bed and fell under the covers ourselves.
Shortly after falling asleep, I woke up feeling quite unpleasant. I proceeded to spend the reminder of the night becoming best friends with the toilet. I managed to lose 5 pounds that one night! Yuck! Either I had food poisoning, or my body just shut down. Not sure exactly, but I do know that I did not have the flu. No fever or chills accompanied my misery.
When the night finally ended I was miserable. Jon was concerned enough to start planning another night in China and changing our flight home. There was no way I was going to spend one more night in China! They have toilets on the plane! With help from our friends we managed to get to the airport. I owe great thanks to Breanna Wong. She carried my heavy backpack along with hers. She also kept track of Nate when Jon was trying to check us in. I do not know how we would have made it without her.
We were cutting it close to the time our plane was boarding. Finally, we were called out of line to get our boarding passes and told to hurry. We waited to get our passports checked and then jumped the line at security. Nothing like pushing your way through security to get your stress level up. We arrived at the tram to take us to our gate with only moments to spare, walked quickly to our gate, and finally made it on the plane. I praise the Lord for keeping everything in my stomach where it needed to be during this whole time. What an answer to prayer.
The flight home was brutal. One child on my lap, and the other crying off and on. Flight attendants took off with our son and didn't bring him back for 5 minutes. They were entertaining him in the galley with food! Um.... no!!!!!!! We told them very firmly to bring him back. Mae screamed every time I got up. She dozed here and there, and did well as long as I was near.
Flying into America is such an amazing experience. I am so grateful to be an American. We are incredibly blessed to live in this country despite the economy and politics. We are able to drink water here, eat without wondering if you will be sick, and have the freedom to express our religious beliefs. I so look forward to worshiping my God tomorrow without any government telling me how or when. How blessed we are.
Being all together under one roof again is awesome! I missed my children at home so much. Micah, Alex, and Lily are thrilled to have us back. Lily is quite a bit emotional, but I know that in time she will adjust. Nate loves all the toys, and Mae is starting to smile a little more and frown a bit less. It is a little crazy having three toddlers in the house. I will be one busy mama. No more wasting time on the internet for me!
I will leave you with a few pictures of the kids enjoying one another. Thank you for following our journey. Stick around. There may be more China adventures to come! Who knows?!