We’re finally back home again! Sorry we haven’t posted in a couple of days but the trip was grueling and we are still trying to get back on US time. Our travel day started out well enough. Our 3.5 hour flight from Guangzhou to Beijing was on time and not full at all. We had lots of space. Then there was the flight from Beijing to home. We didn’t have seat assignments again so in order to sit together we had to upgrade. Just to economy plus this time. We got on the plane and at around take off time the pilot came on and told us there was an issue with the baggage system and everything had to be checked on manually. It would delay us about 20 minutes. An hour and a half later, our flight finally took off. Thanks Rusti and Kevin for sharing your bad luck with us – we’ll never travel with you again!

Then there was the long flight home. Economy plus just is not business class. In retrospect, we should have saved the business class upgrade for the way home. We all made it through and had a nice welcoming committee to greet us. Thanks everyone for coming to meet us. With all the excitement and 25 hours of continuous travel, Hannah was exhausted and fell asleep on the limo ride home.

When we got home we showed Hannah around the house. She ran around looking at everything saying “Wow!” She also said that about the refrigerator, though. Meeting the cat was interesting-- she was totally enamored with Slash. Let’s just say that the feeling wasn’t and still isn’t mutual. At that point the battle began to get her onto US time. She doesn’t understand why she can’t take a 3-4 hour nap when she’s tired or why she can’t go to bed at 6:30 pm.

"Having someplace to go is Home, having someone to love is Family, having both is a Blessing." ~ Unknown

We are going to try to touch base with Sarah, who was in the same place a year and a half ago. She can explain to Hannah about the time changes, the food, etc … all the things that Hannah just doesn’t understand. Our first night at home before she went to sleep we let her watch some TV and she didn’t understand why there weren’t any Chinese programs on. It’s just hard to know what is going on in her head.

Since the writing of the above, we have spoken to Sarah. We were so worried about what was going on in her head and what we might have been doing drastically wrong. Aside from a few requests for food or changing her sleeping conditions, most of what she conveyed was a list of things she wanted us to buy for her. That’s our girl! It seems she’s trying to make up for 10 years of lost materialism. Please feel free to donate to the "Hannah Needs Everything Fund."

Today has been a good day though. She had a nice sleep during normal sleeping hours so I think we are finally getting back on track time-wise. It seems that most of our travel group are having the same problems. It could take a little while longer to get back in the right time zone.

Other than that, things have been going remarkably well. Hannah is so filled with life and joy. Everything makes her laugh and everything is exciting to her. We just have to take a moment to say how thankful we are that we have her. This isn’t the path we would have chosen for ourselves but God knows better. I used to be annoyed at people who would tell us that when you get your child the wait will have been worth it. I hated the wait and couldn’t understand why we had to wait 3 years to get our daughter. But the fact is we weren’t waiting for a daughter, we were waiting for Hannah. And it has been worth it! God always knows best.

Please visit our last post from Guangzhou. We finally added some pictures there.

Goodnight from HOME!

"Not flesh of my flesh,
Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously my own.
Never forget a single minute,
You didn’t grow under my heart but in it."
~ Fleur Conkling Heyliger