ALL home together

Just warning you up front...I'm tired.

And crabby.

Some of it's plain ol' we-just-spent-62-hours-on-international-travel.

Some is the whole day/night time zone issue.

Some of it's hormones (such an ugly admission.)

Some of it is life re-entry and the subsequent issues that always brings.

Some of it, there doesn't have to be a reason.

But I'm okay with being crabby as long as I think I won't be this way forever.

I don't especially like me this way, so I doubt the rest of you do.

It was so nice when the kids met us at the airport in Orlando. It was great to hug their necks, even though it felt like their necks were a few inches farther from their feet than they were when we last saw them (23 days ago for the Littles)

Our travel was not-as-planned since China wouldn't allow Maylin (traveling on a Chinese passport) to enter Taiwan without the appropriate VISA. Well, that would have been good to know when we booked those tickets, eh? Mark had checked VISA requirements, and the internet said we didn't need one. Hmmm.

We showed up at the airport at 2pm on Thursday (2am EST) to check in for the flight to Taipei, and were told they wouldn't let Maylin on the plane. That don't work.

In the end, the story can condense to this:

We purchased 3 tickets to fly Guangzhou, China to Hong Kong. 

(run, run, run to gate. wait, wait, wait for the delayed flight)

Fly Hong Kong to Taipei, Taiwan.

(run, run, run to gate. wait, wait, wait for another delayed flight.)

Fly Taipei to LA (12 hour flight)

Maylin enters the US of A and becomes a citizen. 

Too tired to cry, but too happy to talk.

(I made note that the US Customs and Immigration Officer that did her paperwork was a pleasant Hispanic dude called, De Jesus. Made me smile) 

Is it sacrilegious to say, Thank you, DeJesus?

Miss the final flight to Orlando because of our international flight being late.

Cry at ticket counter.

Check into hotel and gratefully eat an extremely yummy hamburger at 12m California time. (PST)

(3pm China-tummy time)

Return to airport at 6:30am PST.

Fly to Orlando (5 hour flight) to meet the family.(4:30pm EST)

Yeah! Cheesecake Factory, then home.

Maylin was pleased to see the four sibs and future sister-in-law she'd already met in China, and is warming up to the other three. She had a rough time going to sleep last night at 12:30...well, actually closer to 1:45am since she cried for 50 minutes. She only cried for about 15 minutes when we put her to nap this afternoon.

Lots of flowers. Lots of seeds. Lots of patience needed.

One very specific need is for her fear of all animals to be replaced by trust and a sound mind. There is no way for us to know why she is deathly afraid of animals (all...like even sparrows and butterflies...) but life will be difficult for her (and our dog, Lucy) until that particular hurdle is behind us. Mark and I need wisdom.