Finally Home

I can't begin to describe my thankfulness to be home.  I enjoy travel and loved my experience, but am very excited to be home and hope to settle in over the next few days.  Finley and I are both a little jet lagged.  We have cleaned ourselves from the 36 hours of travel and took a 4 hour nap.  We have had McDonalds, sweet tea, and Connie's sonora chicken pasta.  Feels good to be home.  


Let me first tell you about the travel home.  We left from Kathmandu 2 hours late due to mechanical problems.  Our layover in Bangkok was only 1 hour 15 minutes.  We sweated bullets the whole flight, worried that we wouldn't make our connection but continually reassuring ourselves and each other that God's timing in all of this is perfect and making our connection would be no different.  Thai held our connecting flight for 30 minutes for a small group of us.  When we got to Bangkok, there stood a gentleman holding a Los Angeles sign.  Seeing him gave us a momentary sigh of relief.  It was short lived as he told us to run, because the plane would leave in 10 minutes.  We ran.  Finley was on my hip and laughing.  Erin was loaded with carry-ons.  I was sucking wind, trying not to cry.  It seems we ran for about half a mile (I'm sure it wasn't, but in the moment...).  We made the connection and off to LA we went - 14+ hours on a plane with a 2 year old that had just been introduced to a plane a few hours earlier.  


Finley was amazing.  She ate on the plane, the food they provided and the cookies we brought for crisis intervention.  She slept for about 6 hours laying in the middle seat, but woke every hour or so for me to hold her.  She was preoccupied with the remote control that was in her armrest, which she used to operate the tv, call the flight attendant a couple of time, operate the light, and use as a play phone.  She was happy.  She did have to make every trip to the airplane bathroom with me while she was awake.  I'll just leave the details out of that experience.  Erin and I were soooo  thankful to land in LA at 9:15 pm (earlier than we expected) that we didn't know what to do.  Even standing in long lines for Immigration and Customs, Finley was in a good mood, and very cooperative.  We had our first American meal at McDonald's in the airport as we were waiting on the last leg of our flight to Memphis.  Weary, but excited we arrived in Memphis at 7 am this morning!  Connie and Sarah Davis greeted us in baggage claim with a "Welcome Home Finley" poster.  Finley greeted them wearing her "coming to America" dress and waving her American flag.  Pretty sweet.  The trip home was a little tumultuous, considering Finley has never been confined to a car seat.  She had moment of quiet, but was quite distressed.  We did make it and are in really good spirits.  


Finley was initially apprehensive about coming into the house.  Once Erin and Sarah were on their way and Connie got the suitcases into Finley's room and began to unpack, Finley was bonding with the stuffed elephants and attempting to diaper them.  She was quite the assistant to unpacking!  Within 30 minutes, Finley was exploring and laughing.  She is so happy at home.  Although it was becoming abundantly clear that she had no intention of napping and I was fading quickly.  So, although it was intimidating, I loaded Finley back into the carseat and we drove 4 minutes to Connie and Jeff's.  Connie was willing to watch her while I slept.  I could not wait to see Ava and Ella! I was a little nervous to see how Finley responded to the girls and vice versa.  Finley and I walked into the Credille's and Ava looked at us and said, "hey Finley".  After a few minutes, the girls were playing with the large legos together.  Finley is definitely guarded and doesn't want me out of her sight.  


So very thankful for safe travel and Finley's exceptional tolerance for travel (I do believe that she will be a world traveler) and I am truly thankful for each of you that has prayed for us and continue to pray for us.  Pictures to be posted tomorrow.  Love to you all.  God is so good.