Almost Home

A feeling of jubilation overwhelmed Eric and me today.  We are packing to go home!  We head out for Hong Kong on tomorrow evening, and back to the US on Thursday.  We are positively exuberant!  We had no idea how much we could miss Lauren, Andrew and Gabe.  We had no idea how difficult this journey would be.  It was so emotionally charged.  In some ways it reminds me of those first few days after giving birth to your first child – exhaustion, uncertainty, doubts, emotions run amok.  I guess since this is our fourth child we thought we would be better prepared for all that.  It is awesome, though, how God has carried us through this whole time.  I heard him speaking to me so clearly in the few scriptures I was able to read while Hannah was sleeping.  I heard his Word speaking to me in the midst of my fears.  I heard him say, “I am with you.  This will strengthen your faith.  You can’t think or plan this thing through; you need me for your every breath, thought, action.”  And this is just the beginning.  I know this road will be harder than I thought, but I also know that God is using it to grow me in faith.

 

Right now, Eric is on the Pearl River cruise.  Being seasick in the heat with the very real potential of a temper tantrum by Hannah just didn’t appeal to me.  As with a lot on this trip, Eric will take plenty of photos, so I can see what it was like.  I did get a massage today, though.  It was called a “90 minute foot massage” but she did almost every part of my body.  It was heavenly.  I just relaxed in the silence.  The best part is that it cost only about 11 US dollars.  Can you believe it?  90 minutes - $11.  I really needed it.

 

Hannah has had a good day.  Good times with Dad again while I went out.  Lots of speaking in Chinese and singing in Chinese.  A few good bonding cradles.  Peekaboo and exploring.  It gives me hope.  Sleep is still a challenge with some screaming before sleeping.  This may be our biggest battleground.  I keep reminding myself that our sweet Lauren used to cry for an hour before napping when she was a baby.  I kept a journal, of course, so I remember.  She ended up being our best sleeper.

 

We took the famous red couch photos today and I’m sure Eric will have a bunch from the cruise.  Hopefully, we’ll post some photos tomorrow before we check out.