HOLY JET LAG BATMAN!

Home one week:

Well, we started the week on a SUPER HIGH!  Our arrival home was amazing.  We could not have made this trip and left so peacefully without the great care we knew our first three would be getting at home.  We had the generous help of many people in our lives who were able to jump in and come to our home to care for our kids since they were not yet out of school.    First Uncle Kirt came and helped get us off on the right foot.  My best friend Laura and her family had the kids on the weekends and kept them occupied and distracted.  Our long time friend Susie came and helped get through the second week.  She was able to help make Anna's 13th birthday special as we were across the world :(   And the final leg of the race was Uncle Jim and Aunt Suzanne.  Their stay was extended as our flight was delayed so they had the longest run.  They made our home coming so special.  The house was immaculate, dishes and laundry done, everything was tidy; it was an amazing site to come home to :)  And we were greeted by the sweetest 14, 13 and 10-year-old faces I'd missed!!!!    Thank you so much to the many other people who helped out during our time away to make sure it went smoothly.  We feel so fortunate for your generosity and love for our family!!   We have also been blessed beyond measure with gifts of hand me down clothes and toys.  We started with nothing and have more than we need. These babies are truely provided for.  We have had friends stop over with groceries and baby supplies and we really feel spoiled and loved on.

The first week home has been rough after the first day of euphoria:)  Jet lag hit harder than we had anticipated. Days 2-4 were very hard to function.  Both Evan and Anna had several tests the first days home, so they had a little help studying:

The kids had been eating a lot until we came home.  It's been harder to transition to a variety of foods, so we are trying to keep some familiarity as well as continue to offer new options.  Bananas are the all time favorite.  They are liking smoothies and yogurt as well. I made some rice congee, which was "so-so" by responses I got.

Car rides have gotten better we they have realized car seats are just part the drive now:)

 Elizabeth's first mimic of "cheese"

                                        

Elizabeth hasn't napped as well as Levi, so we are taking advantage of the one-on-one time 

First family car trip to cousin Jake's graduation party: success. We got to meet Aunts and Uncles and cousins and Pa!!!!!

He was feeling left out he  had nothing special in his hair as I do sister's hair :) So, we added a barrett!  He was thrilled.

All the Big kids have done so well and been so helpful lov'n on The Littles

Can't help but dance when they hear music, LOVE IT!!!

We've had some fun time meeting our friends and neighbors on walks and for water play and swinging:

We are having lots of fun on walks and visiting neighbors for swinging and water play.  The weather has been gorgeous!  

They have been learning several signs to help communicate and lessen their frustration, and have been picking it up quickly.  I don't think I'm as fast as they are!  

Thank you to the many encouraging phone calls, emails and texts we have been receiving.  Please be patient with us as we are slow to respond.....  we are so appreciative.   

We have had some requests to continue the blog as you all are falling in love with these two like we are.  I am going to do my best to keep updates coming as I can.  Thank you for your enthusiasm!!!

We spent the day Grandma and Grandpa's house...... Aunt Heather is here to visit so meeting lots of family this weekend!

HOME NEVER FELT SO GOOD

We are home under one roof for over 24 hours now.

Recap of journey home:  On Saturday morning when we were told we would not be leaving, we made a quick plan to return to the hotel we had already stayed at.  They were able to send a shutle bus to pick us up quickly and we returned to the same room.  Since we had already eaten at the hotel the night before we were really hoping to get out of there to find some other food.  We napped in the afternoon and then took a taxi about 10 minutes to a mall area.  We found some needed baby wipes and had McDonald's for dinner and walked and stretched before returning to the hotel.  This hotel did not have bathtubs.  The kids did not prefer the showers I gave them the night before, so I decided to try a sink bath.  They enjoyed it but it was much quicker than what they have come to love as playtime!  Back to early bed and up at 4 am on Sunday.  Back to the airport by 5:15.  FIRST IN LINE and BOOM; got our boarding passes quickly :)
We made our way to our gate and let the kids run around and eat before getting ont he plane.  They were not too cranky and were more settled on this flight into Tokyo.  We had a layover in Tokyo from 12:30 to 6.  We again let the kids run, play in the water fountain for distractions (yup, gunna pay for that mistake next time we walk by one!) walked the halls and tried to find some food: slim pick'ns.  Got the kids some noodles and they filled up on that.  We were able to request all our seats together.  There we two seats in the outside rows and 5 seats across the middle.  So we were all together and able to manage.  During the flight the kids slept for a majoirty of the first part.  Levi woke up with a nose bleed, which was disasterous.  I know it was just due to the altitude.  But initially I was really freaked out.  He was kicking and screaming and crying and blood was gushing out, I had to pass him off to Drew, who in Hero like form calmed him and got the nose bleed to stop.  We made it into Chicago and fairly quickly made it through customs/immigration and were onto the rental car.  The drive home was a mix of the kids sleeping and screaming.  They have had TONS of freedom in the car/van/buses we have been in since getting them; no restrictions in China.  They are not fans of the carseat!  We dropped mom off and made it as quickly home as we could.

Worst flight experience: Goungzhou to Beijing

happy at the airport riding on the luggage carrier

squeezing Baba's nose helps the time pass

Grandma found a cart that Elizabeth LOVED to ride around in, also helped the time pass; Granda saved the day

scooting on him rumpus along the rail, he could have done it for hours

Just in case he was confused on how to proceed; boss lady keeps him in line!

We came home to the best home welcoming aroudn 12:30 in the morning!  The kids and Uncle Jim and Aunt Suzanne were all in the adoption T-shirts we had sold.  The house was decorated with flowers and signs and decorations.  The kids were beside themselves waiting for us to get into the ouse with the babies.  It was NO TIME and it felt like the kids somehow "knew" they were home.  I can't explain it.  The kids all took to each other after the "littles" had a few minutes of sizing everyone up.  And Mr. Levi, who has been my "tick baby" as my good friend describes it, was off and running with Evan.  He was free from me for the longest time since we've gotten him.  Oh, they did visuals on where we were, but you could tell, felt comfortable and loved in their new home.  The girls helped bath the kids and we just spent a few hours together playing.

formal introduction to the life of Legos!

No boy is complete without sword in hand!

OUR NEW NORMAL :)

We finally went to bed around 4 am.  The Bigs stayed home from school.  We slpet until around 11 on Monday morning and all spent the day together.  Our dearest friends came over to bring us a meal and meet the Littles.  Our interactions with each other and with other people in the house is going far better than we could have hoped..... for the first day, anyway :)  Even though our beginning or "home coming" was different than how we intended, I can't help but think this was the way it was meant to be.