October 29th, 2012:
Kinshasa to Belgium. Belgium to Chicago. Chicago to Denver. Denver to Dickinson.
The four legs of our journey were pretty much the same...
Crappy--lets just say the bathroom "changing tables" became my best friend...and the people sitting next to us did not like us too well (well, the smell at least). I brought along 6 changes of clothes for Addy and 3 for myself. ALL NINE WERE USED. Enough said.
Long--after an emotionally long trip we were exhausted. Yet, trying to get in sync with the time changes we were encountering and the long plane rides was not so easy.....which led us to being...
Uncomfortable--Addy was a pure joy (well, other than the issue listed above) on the plane!! She slept a good 70% of the time and the rest of the time was eating, laughing, or snuggling. BUT....sitting upright with no room to stretch your legs, while holding a 25lb baby girl, is quite uncomfortable!! One would think it would be so easy to get up and stretch out....but we found the flights being...
Frightening---(well, at least for me!). Our flight across the Atlantic Ocean was rather bumpy. Hurricane Sandy was making her way across the seas which led for a crazy 8 hour trip to Chicago! I found myself yelling at Bobby more than once, "I know I don't like flying very much...but this is NOT NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!" The captain confirmed my suspicions that flying over a hurricane led for an extremely bumpy ride, which in turn meant staying bound to your seats.
We spent our layovers walking through airports, buying diapers (because 20 was simply not enough), brushing our teeth, and changing clothes (again).
We got seated in the last row on our 2 hour flight home. Addy was completely OUT! She didn't even wink an eye while we changed her out of her pjs and into her "Welcome Home" outfit. My heart started fluttering like crazy as we drew closer and closer to loved ones waiting to greet us off the plane.
We walked into the doors of the airport (our airport is so huge that you walk from the 30 passenger plane right into the doors of the airport waiting room) and were quickly surrounded by our closest family and friends. Owen came up to us first and Addy was instantly in LOVE! She would not take her eyes off him and wanted to keep hugging him.
I quickly realized Ayla wasn't there...turns out our plane had landed a couple minutes early and Uncle Jesse, Uncle Cain, Aunt Ally, and Ayla were running a little late. So they arrived about 10 minutes after we landed...with all our welcome home signs and the missing link to our family of six!
After we took some photos and gave a ton of hugs, we headed home....a family of six! FINALLY! The kids were so curious, so ready to start getting to know their sister. We let them play for awhile in the kitchen as we unpacked a few things. At about 12:30am we were able to tuck all FOUR of our children in bed and snuggle up with Addy for her first night AT HOME!!!!
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And this ends the journey of bringing Addy HOME....and leads to the stories of our family of six....which will someday (soon?!??!?!) be seven.
To God be the glory for this beautiful journey of adding Addy to our family. Not only have we added a daughter/sister...but we've been changed as individuals, as a couple, and as a family. The journey of adoption can be tough, hard, trying, and even obnoxious at times...but it is a journey that will rock your world.
When you stop to listen to what the Lord is asking, it may not always be what you had thought or planned...but it's always what is BEST. He knows the plans He has for each of us...and He will equip us and mold us when we are ready to say YES to what He has called us to do.
Kinshasa to Belgium. Belgium to Chicago. Chicago to Denver. Denver to Dickinson.
The four legs of our journey were pretty much the same...
Crappy--lets just say the bathroom "changing tables" became my best friend...and the people sitting next to us did not like us too well (well, the smell at least). I brought along 6 changes of clothes for Addy and 3 for myself. ALL NINE WERE USED. Enough said.
Long--after an emotionally long trip we were exhausted. Yet, trying to get in sync with the time changes we were encountering and the long plane rides was not so easy.....which led us to being...
Uncomfortable--Addy was a pure joy (well, other than the issue listed above) on the plane!! She slept a good 70% of the time and the rest of the time was eating, laughing, or snuggling. BUT....sitting upright with no room to stretch your legs, while holding a 25lb baby girl, is quite uncomfortable!! One would think it would be so easy to get up and stretch out....but we found the flights being...
Frightening---(well, at least for me!). Our flight across the Atlantic Ocean was rather bumpy. Hurricane Sandy was making her way across the seas which led for a crazy 8 hour trip to Chicago! I found myself yelling at Bobby more than once, "I know I don't like flying very much...but this is NOT NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!" The captain confirmed my suspicions that flying over a hurricane led for an extremely bumpy ride, which in turn meant staying bound to your seats.
We spent our layovers walking through airports, buying diapers (because 20 was simply not enough), brushing our teeth, and changing clothes (again).
We got seated in the last row on our 2 hour flight home. Addy was completely OUT! She didn't even wink an eye while we changed her out of her pjs and into her "Welcome Home" outfit. My heart started fluttering like crazy as we drew closer and closer to loved ones waiting to greet us off the plane.
30 hours later we finally landed at HOME!
I couldn't help the tears as we introduced Addy to her siblings, grandparents, and my close friends who had supported me through the journey that brought Addy to us.
It was a beautiful, quick welcome at 11:00pm!
After we took some photos and gave a ton of hugs, we headed home....a family of six! FINALLY! The kids were so curious, so ready to start getting to know their sister. We let them play for awhile in the kitchen as we unpacked a few things. At about 12:30am we were able to tuck all FOUR of our children in bed and snuggle up with Addy for her first night AT HOME!!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And this ends the journey of bringing Addy HOME....and leads to the stories of our family of six....which will someday (soon?!??!?!) be seven.
To God be the glory for this beautiful journey of adding Addy to our family. Not only have we added a daughter/sister...but we've been changed as individuals, as a couple, and as a family. The journey of adoption can be tough, hard, trying, and even obnoxious at times...but it is a journey that will rock your world.
When you stop to listen to what the Lord is asking, it may not always be what you had thought or planned...but it's always what is BEST. He knows the plans He has for each of us...and He will equip us and mold us when we are ready to say YES to what He has called us to do.
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