Home sweet Home! - Aug. 6th (part1)

Warning - a long rambling post... :)

That was the longest day since maybe about 4 yrs ago (when we brought Hayleigh home):) We are so glad and thankful for all of the prayers! We were a little wearrie when we woke up and saw that it was raining and then soon found out that it was because of a Typhoon - great! I mentioned our worries to our guide and he said "no problem! unless it thunders and lightening" and about 10 sec. later - yep! Thunder and Lightening - great! Our drive to the airport was rather quiet - mostly concentrating on the roads and weather and praying that we would still be able to leave. We were also seranaded by Maylynn's singing - she loves to sing (although she's not singing words -chinese or english- just making her own sounds up to the tune) it is very cute and she loves it when i sing with her:) We made it to the airport with perfect timing and we were quite the sight to see - after we made it through our first of oh maybe 15 security checks for the day, Lance's arms had given out and he wanted M. to walk - well she didn't want to so i carried her screaming through the airport in China - we got several looks (and this wasn't the first time that it had happened for the day - smile:)) we made it to the gate - i set her down and guess what - she stopped crying... our first flight was only about 3 hrs. and not too bad - we were bummed that they had ran out of the more "american" type of dinner and we didn't get much to eat - but Maylynn didn't eat all of her monstrous meal so i had a few nibbles of her leftovers - it was a good thing too. Maylynn sat in Lance's lap for pretty much the whole time - we were able to get her to sit for a few moments here and there doing coloring, stickers and eating. We also had enough time for our connecting flight out of S. Korea to Seattle - no amazing race today - horray! but we were quite the sight again - Maylynn didn't want to walk but needed too and she did but we got several looks again. She is very strongwilled... Our flight to Seattle was about 9 1/2 hrs. - we sat very near the back of the plane and it was very turbulent and just plain wiggly! I started to get sick - i have never gotten airsick before but i felt like it was coming - they soon served dinner and oh my goodess was that unbearable!! I had to get up and sit in the bathroom for about 5 min. but didn't get sick - when i had returned, Lance and Maylynn were done with their meal and was ready to walk around a bit - so i quickly jumped into his seat (near the window) and remembered that i had some air sickness bands in my backpack from 4 yrs. ago! Whoo hoo! I slipped those puppies on and sprawled over 2 of the 3 seats - put my mask on - propped up my pillows and tried to go to sleep - i think that i did and i felt much better when i woke up. But then L. was super frustrated with M.'s clingyness - he ended up walking to the back of the plane again - i soon followed and told him to go to the bathroom and i'd take her - she complained and cried but was so tired, she quickly gave up and was asleep in my arms for the FIRST time - woohoo! I loved it and didn't want to move for the rest of the flight but we had about 6 hrs. left and my arms were already burning after about 20 min.:( soon after i carefully moved my way back into the seat without changing her position at all - she woke up:( and crawled back into her daddy's arms but we were able to keep her laying in the seat - thank goodness!!! About 2 hrs. before we landed they served breakfast - i was so excited and hungry by then but by the time they got to me - they had JUST ran out of the omelette - i was sooo tired and rather hungry that i just started to cry - i couldn't turn the tears off... the stewardess felt bad and gave me some other things to nibble on which turned out to be good enough:) I felt so weird crying about not having food but it had happened 2 times in the same day!! Anyway, we soon made it to Seattle - we were hoping to make an earlier flight to Pasco but we didn't make it:( We had to go through immigration -which we weren't really sure what line to be in - the lady at the consulate told us that since our child was a foreigner that we had to go through the foreigner line but there was just the American and visitor line -so we got int eh visitor line - we were standing there watching the American line zipping through and our line was inching along:( soon a gaurd guy saw us and asked us if we were americans but if we were just returning with our daughter -we said "yes" and he pulled us out of line and zipped us to the next open station - we were so happy that i almost started to cry again! Then when the passport immigration agent stamped all of our things etc. he told us to go to another stations to process Maylynn's paperwork - then he said "Welcome home" tears started welling up in my eyes - it was such a sweet sound to hear - i loved it and the agents were so friendly (in China you feel like you shouldn't smile or look at the agents) anyway, we made it down to the next station about 20 min. later they stamped Maylynn's passport and she was now a US citizen!! woohoo! We then had to go get our luggage and go through customs - we felt like cattle herding through the gates to the officer - we gave her our information and she too said the words! "Welcome home!" I love those words!:) We then had to drop our luggage off to be put back intot he luggage area to be put on our plane and then we went through a few more security checks and by then it was 2:00. We had a bit to eat and freshened up a little bit (mostly Maylynn - she was a wreck!) She fell asleep again while we waited for our last flight - we were a bit nervous b/c there wer TONS of people at our gate - we found out that some other flight were delayed b/c of mech. problems. About 10 min. before our flight was to board- they made an announcement that they had to delay this other flight some more but were possibly going to switch out the plane with a different one - Lance and i quickly started to pray that it wasn't going to be our plane! and it wasn't thank goodness! We boarded, left Seattle and before we knew it we were landing in Pasco!! We were so glad to be home! We came home to family and some special friends - what a wonderful sight to see - loving and familiar faces!!! We were Home!!!

stay tuned - more to come tomorrow...