Jetlag is a KILLER

Well it's 3:04am here in GA and I just made scrambled eggs for two very hungry children. Ashley and Avery and I have been awake since about 2am and both got hungry for breakfast. Having two children on one schedule and two on another is NOT my idea of a fun week:)

I have no clue how to handle it, but i'm going to let them stay up till 4am then put them back to bed. Avery has school in the morning and she really needs to try to stay as long as possible. It's amazing how much I can get done getting up this early:)

Yesterday AM we took Ashley to church for the first time. I know some people think you have to hibernate in your house for 6 weeks, but if my children plan on living for the next 6 weeks, this mama has to get out of the house! Jay and I (and Avery!) have missed our church friends and family SO much over the last 16 days...we needed to see them and be in worship....oh, how I have MISSED worship at our church for three weeks! Ashley stayed in my arms the entire time really did well! She's not fond of men, so when they came up to her, she turned her head..but she was playing peek a boo and laughing up a storm with my Sunday School friends! Foster care has really saved this child in so many ways.....she's not timid and certainly has an air of confidence about her! She walked in here when we got home the first time just like she owned the place...headed straight with Avery to the toys and as long as mama was in sight, would have played the night away! She seems to have no "sensory" issues that I can tell, and is perfectly on track developmentally.

Ok so want to hear our loooonnggg trip home? Not really sure I want to rehash it but here goes....

Our Friday morning started out at 4:30am, waking up to be in the hotel lobby and ready to head to the airport by 5:45am. Head to the airport for a 9:30 flight that eventually gets off the ground at 11:00am due to weather delays. Thankfully, we were on all these flights with several other families so we had friends to wait it out with . Learned some cuss words in Chinese that a local decided a few of us needed to learn that had us laughing so hard we were crying...yes, the trip insanity had begun to set in!

Landed in Shanghai and got a quick bite to eat (another ordeal...guide told us they took American cash, they did not...) and got on the BIG plane at 5:05pm. At this point, we have the longest flight ahead of us and we've been up and traveling for 12 hours.

Another God thing, we were not seated together on this flight and a sweet man switched seats so we were all together...this would be so crucial. About two hours into the flight, we hit the worst turbulence I have ever experienced. When the pilot comes over and says loudly, "Flight attendants DOWN" you know it's REALLY bad. We dropped altitude so fast and were shaking all over the place. It was the first time in my life I really thought I was going to die. All I could think about was Ally and Annalyse and I was a mess. Avery was hysterical and so scared...that killed me but I was so out of it I was no comfort to her...thankfully, Jay held onto us both and was our rock....that stuff lasted about an hour all total and it was the most terrifying thing that I have ever been through. Ashley? She was asleep...another blessing....she slept on my lap for 10 of the 12 hours!! (and she peed on me and smeared cheese in my jeans:)

We landed in Chicago at 4pm (now traveling for 23.5 hours) and had two hours to make the connecting flight to ATL. Yeah, NOT ENOUGH TIME. We had to re-check our bags through customs, get Ashley's paperwork stamped by immigration by a not-so-kind gentleman, and ran full speed all the way to our plane that was calling for final boarding (through another security screen, I may add).

Flight to ATL was smooth as glass and Ashley made friends with the flight attendants. Landed at 9:05pm and Ashley was there to meet us. Found out our bags never made the last flight and would be sent to us the next day....grabbed some really good, american food...and drove three hours home. All total traveling....31 hours.

Highlights of the trip (there were so few) were being on all flights but the last with 7 families from our group....Ashley sleeping 10 and Avery sleeping 8 hours on the long flight....and walking in and waking up the girls, and seeing nana and nammy!

God got us here in one piece and believe me, I had a LOT of conversation with Him on that flight! The emotions of the two weeks hit me on the leg home and it was a very emotional one for me. So many thoughts and feelings...one day I'll go into that more.

For now, we are home and soaking up every sleepless minute:) Pics to come!