Home Sweet Home!!

Well..... Jet Lag is the pits!  We got home last night around 8:30 PM Idaho time.  By the time we got home and got things settled down it was real late.  We got Maddie to bed around 10:30 PM.  She was real tired and went right to sleep in her new crib.  She slept till around 1:45 AM and then started crying.  Robin went in and checked on her and got her back to sleep.  She slept to around 4:30 AM and was ready for the day!  I got up and spent the next few hours playing with Maddie.  We had a great time playing with wooden puzzles and some of her other toys.  She was bouncing off the walls, while I was a walking Zombie!  Robin got a few more hours of sleep while I played with Maddie.  Robin is coming down with a cold and I wanted her to get some more sleep!  Maddie ran out of gas around 8:00 AM and we were able to put her down for a "nap" (bedtime in China).  She slept till around 2:30 PM.  Thank goodness!  Robin and I got some much needed sleep.  We kept Maddie up to around 8:30 tonight and she went right to sleep!!!  Hope she sleeps through the night!  Stay tuned for updates on Jet Lag.

Now the trip home......

There were a total of three families from CCAI that flew home together from Hong Kong to San Fransisco. It was fun to travel as a group and one of the family's mom was traveling alone with their new daughter and we were able to help each other out getting through security at Hong Kong, loading the plane, traveling, getting through immigration and customs, etc.  We were able to share a few final hours together in San Fransisco waiting for our connections and reminisce about our adoption experiences.  Our travel group was really fun and we have made some life long friends!

We left the hotel around 8:20 AM and made it through check-in and security by 9:30 AM.  WOW!!! couldn't have gone any better.  We boarded the plane and departed from Hong Kong around 11:30 AM.  A loooooong 12.5 hrs later we touched down in San Fansisco.  Maddie did very well on the trip.  We didn't let her sleep before we left Hong Kong.  Once we got on the plane, she fell asleep for 2 hours (Yea!)  We had some food and then the "wrestling" match began for the next 5 hours -  Mom versus Maddie.  You can probably guess who won, MOM!!!!  Finally, Maddie fell asleep for the next 4 hours (Yea!) as well as an exhausted Mom.  Dad was the referee, since Maddie once again would have nothing to do with me.  She woke up in time to eat and get a diaper changed before we landed in San Fransisco.  We made it off the plane and through immigration and customs.  It was so exciting to see our 3 "newest" Americans from our adoption group!

We had a 5 hour layover in San Francisco.  One of the other families in our adoption group had a 5 hour layover as well.  The third family only had about a 3 hour layover!  We had enough time to get some lunch and spend the final few minutes with our travel group.  It was hard saying "Good-bye" but we'll all be in touch!  We kept Maddie busy in the airport having her walk (sqeek) around the waiting area.  By the time we got ready to board the plane, she was pooped!  She slept the entire flight from San Fransisco to Denver (Praise the Lord!).  We had just over an hour connection in Denver.  We traversed the entire concourse B in Denver and caught our flight to Idaho Falls.  We landed right on time in Idaho Falls!

Thanks for all our friends and family that met us at the airport!  It was fun to let them see our little girl!  She was a little shy, but considering all she had been through the past few weeks she did GREAT!  My brother and sister-in-law took us home (and stocked our fridge with Maddies favorites - bananas and watermelon) and our friend Gina brought all our luggage to our house (made a great "Welcome Home Maddie" sign as well).  Our church family has blessed us with meals for the coming week (THANK YOU ALL!!!!).  God is so good!  Thanks everyone for praying for us these past many months.  Continue to remember us in your prayers as we adjust as a family.

Suitcases packed - Ready for America

Good-bye China!

 

Waiting at the Airport in Hong Kong

Buckled In - not sure about this.... maybe Dolly will help!

Yep!  Dolly works Miracles!!!

Got to Love those PJs!

3 Newest Americans - Maddison, Ellie, and Aiden

Coming into the Idaho Falls Airport

A Balloon - thanks Gina!

Meeting Grandma Laug

Welcome Home Baby!