It Is Good To Be Home

I have been home since late Monday night. My flight on Monday seemed like orphan flight. There were three couples with ten children between them that were all heading home from their adoption journey. I sat across the aisle from a man from Holly Springs who has adopted two children and was returning from a trip to get a visa for a third. While I also wished we had our three on the flight too I know that we are close to getting them here. Now that I am back in the house I cannot look around without imagining them here.

The flight was long and got even longer because of the thunderstorms heading up the east coast. We were on schedule arriving into New York before we got to start circling the airport waiting for the opportunity to land, that added an extra hour to the ten we had already been flying. On the ground I do not have much to say for the organization or efficiency of the customs process at JFK. I am sure if they would give me one day I could have them straightened out! By the time we got through we had 30 minutes before the flight to NC was to leave so we race-walked to the gate. We need not have worried because that flight was delayed too. First from 4:05 to 6:50. Then to 7:55 then back to 7:20 (which was better). Really they were not sure when we would leave because we were waiting on both pilots and flight crew. The co-pilot arrived first, then the pilot and finally a flight attendant. The plane lifted off the ground at 8:40, four hours and forty minutes after it was scheduled to. We were so happy because there were many flights that were completely cancelled.

Touched down in Raleigh at 10:05 by the time we got the luggage it was after 10:30 getting on the road home. Felt so good to be smelling NC air.

Despite having been up at that point for 25 1/2 hours there was no way I was getting in bed without washing the Ukraine off.

Didn't really sleep that late Tuesday or Wednesday. Actually today, Thursday, was the first day I really slept in. Tuesday I didn't do much of anything but wash clothes and lay on the couch. Although, I did have the Bo for breakfast, sweet tea has got to be the bes thing on earth! Tuesday I got back to normal with a trip to Wal-mart and checking some e-mails. Joe and I also had dinner with Rachel and Tadd.

Several people have asked if we are going to put pictures of the children on the blog now that they are officially ours and the answer is yes, but it will probably be this weekend before we get some time to sit down and get them on. So check back on Monday.

We plan to return to Ukraine on May 15th. My fervent hope is that it will be for about a week. Hopefully while we are here in the US new birth certificates and passports are being made and all that will be left will be medical appointments and a trip to the US EMbassy for visas for the children.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and well wishes. They have been much needed and much appreciated. The journey is not over yet but we cannot wait to get our new ones home and settled in and have them meet all the wonderful people in our lives.