Hello to all  - this time from USA!!!

Friday was a day filled with packing and getting ready to come home.  We had some final fun times with our newest friends - especially trying to get group pictures!  We had family pictures made, a big group picture, and then tried to get pictures of all the adopted kids sitting together.  That was fun!  They were all dressed in their little Chinese outfits and looked simply precious. 

We received the visas Friday afternoon, then left the hotel headed to Hong Kong to spend the night.  Four of us families rode in vans to Hong Kong - and that van ride was quite the adventure.  Those guys weaved in and out of traffic like crazy - which made for a very nauseating three hours!  By God's grace alone we made it there!  We were there for the night, then headed out of Hong Kong for home.  The flight was long and at times turbulant.  Joshua did well and slept off and on for alot of it.  We arrived in Chicago and had a long layover there.  It grew longer as there were many delays for our RDU flight.  It was supposed to leave at 7:45, but finally left at 10:20.  With the time change, we made it here about 2:45 Sunday morning.  It was great to see home again! 

We had a wonderful homecoming with quite a few surprises from some wonderful friends!  A few awesome friends had 4 boxes of diapers sitting here waiting for us.  Another dear one had a basket full of goodies for Joshua.  She even had printed out some of the pictures from the blog and had them framed.  Then some sweet friends had stocked our fridge and pantry so we would have some food when we got back home.  When we walked in Matthew's room, we were blown away to find a crib set up, complete with Lightening McQueen bedding and filled with gifts for Joshua.  We are completely humbled and so blessed by these acts of kindness and care.  God just keeps right on outdoing Himself - proving over and over He provides all that we need, exactly when we need it.  He is simply amazing!

Joshua has continued to do well and seems to enjoy home.  He's just been exploring his new surroundings.  I've noticed him playing with the carpet some - rubbing it and pulling at it.  He likes the magnets on the fridge and all of Matthew's cars.  He is eating well and has filled out even in just these two weeks.  His smile is precious and his laugh contagious.   

I've sat down a couple of times to try to reflect on so many things learned throughout this whole process.  I haven't finished or compiled all of my thoughts yet - first of all, due to exhaustion and trying to readjust to the time change.  I keep falling asleep!  And second of all, there is so much to tell.  I'll have to gather my thoughts and emotions and hope that I can come close to making sense of that fact that God would be so gracious to let us travel this road and bless us in countless ways.  I'll continue to blog some.  I've enjoyed that it has helped me ponder the things that God has done, and I pray it has brought Him glory in the process.  He is worthy of all praise, honor and glory in all things. 

Thanks for reading.  I'll post more pictures later!