We're HOME!!!!

Well I finally crawled out from under the jet lag and laundry mountain enough to make an update post on how we're doing.
(Sorry about the long delay and thanks to all of you who hung in there and kept checking back! Bill has been on the computer the last couple of nights too... oh well. Thanks for being understanding with all the adjusting we are doing right now finding time and energy to post has been hard.)

So here goes...

The plane ride was the longest and hardest one I have ever taken. Since XuXu is still only prefers me I had the job of contending with an almost 17 month old for most of the 12 hours. Coach is uncomfortable in normal situations, but this was extreme air travel. She did sleep some... maybe a total of 5 of hours in two naps. The rest of the time was spent walking her around the plane or wrestling with her in the seat, and also trying to keep Zion happy and entertained. By the way, Bill sat across the aisle from us and enjoyed his i-pod and book and naps, most of the time. (To his credit, he did help out whenever I asked him too... but I'm still jealous.)

It was so good landing and seeing Los Angeles (all together now... I LOVE LA!!... We Love it!). To see the blue sky and the open spaces was such a relief (LA is a big city but not nearly the sky scraper jungle that the three cities in China that we visited were). Getting out of the airport was a task however, especially after traveling for about 20 hours. We had too many carry-ons. Zion didn't fall asleep on the plane till it was almost time to land, so we had to practically drag him through immagration, baggage claim and customs. He was so tired. But we made it and both kids (I 'm still amazed I can say that now) slept the whole car ride home.

Going over the hill from West Lake, driving down the grade and taking in the view from Camarillo through Oxnard to Ventura to the Ocean was wonderful. I always love that view and it was even better this time. Ventura is beautiful place. We are so blessed.

Pulling into our driveway we had a wonderful welcoming committee. My friend Susan organized friends and family to be there to cheer as we pulled up. There were three big welcome home signs, one from Zion's whole first grade class, one from the friends who were there and one from the Woods family. It was a beautiful ending to our long and hard trip to get hugs and congratulations from those that we love. Especially after the anticilmactic official who mumbled XuXu's welcome to America in immigration at LAX. Thank you to everyone who came to greet us! And then thank you for leaving so we could rest. (If I can figure it out, I will post the video of us pulling up.) Here are pics of the signs. (If any of you who were there have photos you could e-mail to me of our arrival, I would love it. I only have video)




Well, I'm trying to type with one hand now and hold XuXu with the other. I will post more later.