Yes Loves, We are home.

After two days on planes and wasting hours and hour in airports in Kenya and Holland... we looked out our small round airplane window to see our very own hometown. The kids had all fallen asleep so soundly on the one hour flight to our local airport... that we couldn't get any of them to wake up. I ended up carrying my backpack on my front, and Harrison on my back the long walk down the hall. But when we reached the foyer... there stood a beautiful collection of our dear, dear community. Ah, what a sight. Madyline woke up quickly in the moment of joy and ran the steps down to greet Haleigh. Harrison slid off my back as I began to wrap myself into open arms for long awaited hugs.
Three weeks of joy... yet it seems so delicious to be back with family.
We collected our bags and sleepily drove home... to a yard that had been raked and edged and mulched with lovely pansies greeting us in the flower box.... and a fridge and pantry filled with our favorite foods... and a clean house... and happy pets... and a welcome home sign... and clean laundry... and soft, inviting beds... and messages on our voice mail.

Wow, I am overwhelmed.

We fell right to sleep... barely brushing our teeth. Avery never did wake up... from the Detroit airport all the way to in her own bed. She sleepwalked part of the way, but she never did register any of it.

We truly are loved... by those who greeted us, and those who have been praying for us, and those who have been encouraging us, and those who have been following our journey and living out their own.

As soon as I am coherent, I want to catch up on all your journeys that I have been missing for the past month!! Promise me... okay?

first I have to figure out how to sleep though.
I keep waking up at 3 am. The kids are up by 4.

This morning, the kids are all snuggled in our bed, trying desperately to fall back to sleep, but it isn't happening. Avery is telling me some story that I think is downright brilliant and I say to her "you are sharp as a tack... you have a mind that shines like a diamond"

and she replies in this monotone cantor " and eyes that burn like cigarettes. I am a girl with the right allocations...Who's fast and thorough, and sharp as a tack. I'm playing with my jewelry. I'm putting up my hair. I'm touring the facility..and picking up slack. I am a girl with a short skirt and a lonnnng jacket......"

It is four o'clock in the morning and I am laughing so hard I can't breathe.

Billy says "you are not allowed to load their mp3 players anymore."

Tonight, I'm trying my hardest to stay awake all the way until eight thirty. Crazy, I know. I'm hoping that if I go to bed later and later every night, that I'll sleep in later and later each morning. Or maybe I'll still wake up at 3:00 and just be more grouchy because I only had 6 hours sleep.

Hmmm... 8:30 is still two hours away. I don't know if I'm going to make it.

I've been going through some pictures today. I'll post a few with their stories in the upcoming days.... because Thya can't bring her sleeping bag all the way here from Seattle.

Do you want to guess how many pictures I came home with?
(Heather and Becky, you can't guess because I've already told you... )

Go ahead, guess...

I'll tell you tomorrow... hopefully, tomorrow at a reasonable time and not three in the morning.