We're Home!!!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig! Yahoo! We are home and so incredibly happy to be all together again! Liam was absolutely wonderful on ALL the flights and he is in love with his other brother and sister. Wishing I could say the same for Biscuit, but she's a tough little lab and isn't taking it personally yet.

Our internet was cut off after the last blog entry and we decided we would just wait to finish writing at home. Albeit long, our trip was really wonderful. Our guide, Connie, was fantastic. The Chinese people we met on the island and subways and around town were wonderful. The food ranged from interesting to necessary. The accommodations at the White Swan were very comfortable and pleasant. Nobody (other than Liam's ear infections) got sick. Nothing was lost or stolen (okay, the squeaky shoes went AWOL on the last day but were quickly replaced.) Truly, we have nothing but good things to write about and many things to be thankful for.

I will miss little things about China. I will miss the turn down service at the hotel and the little chocolates on our pillows. =) I will miss the little triangle folds at the end of the toilet paper and the smiles from the hotel attendants. I will miss having breakfast fixed for me each day and I will miss just getting out to walk for no reason other than to walk and be outside. I know I could do the turn down & chocolate here and I can even fold the toilet paper after I use it, but it was really nice to have someone else do that for 17 days!

I will miss the little bits of information I got about Shantou or about Chinese culture from the local people. As I have said, these are little gifts they gave without cost and they are gifts I will treasure always. How else would I know about the tea and the fruits in Shantou? How else would I know that the babies there like to have the blanket draped across their tummies and not covered in the blanket? It may seem like trivial information but when we are grasping for anything of our son's past two years, it is golden.

Our plane rides were functional and we are home so it is all good! I can't tell you how many hours we spent on tarmacs (every connection was delayed) and how difficult it is to entertain a two year old that doesn't really speak the same language and has figured out how to unbuckle the seat belts, especially when you are the window and middle seat customers. For 22 hours in the air/tarmac. BUT, truly, Liam was really, really good. He is a happy kiddo and considering this was another list of firsts for him, he did a fantastic job!

Our flights were uneventful, especially comparing the return flight to the arrival flight debacle. Unfortunately, our seats were scattered again and we were able to get two and two, ten rows apart. Both right next to the bathrooms (yuck), both with middle and window seats (ugh), and both with men who had steel bladders and slept the whole trip on the aisle seat. Like I said, we are home now and it is all good!

We landed in Newark, NJ and had to go through immigration there. With our precious sealed "brown envelope" from the U.S. Consulate with their blessings, we went through the line and little Liam James Thompson became a United States citizen at 2:42pm on September 27th. I got teary eyed and wasn't allowed to take pictures (airport regs, not Wade's) to mark the occasion. We gave him his first hugs and kisses as an American and passed through the rest of the inspections. Of course, over my shoulder I hear someone who sounded like they were rehearsing their lines for the Sopranos, using expletives and adjectives that are distinctly American...Ah, you knew that had to happen somewhere and at least it was here and not in China. Welcome to New Jersey, Welcome to America, WELCOME HOME, LIAM!


Our homecoming was absolutely wonderful!!! Greg, Caroline, Elizabeth and Mark (my brother & family) and Wade's sister, Joni was there with our nephew, Travis! It was wonderful to come around the corner and see such beautiful, happy faces waiting for us! A sweet lady (who gave Liam her blackberry to play with on the plane!) came out before us and asked our family if they were waiting for the beautiful little boy from China, which just made our family beam brighter as we rounded the corner. Liam took everyone in and let everyone coo over him, without much fuss! He was dressed in his "Proud to be an American" outfit, decked out down to the new squeaky sandals.

I will post pictures later today when I can see more than just the screen to type! mct