We are finally home from China!

So we made it and better yet.......so did our luggage!  When our plane touched down in San Francisco the 4 adoptive families on the flight burst out into applause and shouts of joy.  The Chinese on the plane all looked rather offended, but we were just so thankful to be back in the states.  Katie cried for a total of 5 minutes the entire 15 hours of flight time and had been up for 30 hours with more than 2 hours of sleep.  She was such a trooper.  She was so happy exploring her new home and actually started babbling some last night which we had yet to hear.  And, to top it off we got to hear her first words!  Any guesses as to what her first word was?  You guessed it...... "Da da".  Her next words will be "get away from me Mom!"
Yep, she is still not liking me much these days, but we are working on it. 
Last night she grieved a lot.  She went to bed around 8:00 and at 9:00 woke up sobbing and it went on all night.  I finally got up and journaled and read my book for a few hours (NOT easy after taking an Ambien) and then she finally fell asleep around 4:00am.  At 7:00am we were all up and getting ready for school. 
Today after the kids got home from school, she just beamed.  She sat hugging Brooke on the floor for hours and Brooke combed her hair and made up stories as they thumbed through book after book.  When someone came to the door for a visit, she just clung to Brooke, putting her head in her lap as if she was her safety buoy out in a vast, scary sea. 
And tonight as I tried to put Katie to bed, she cried and cried until Austin got out of his bed and came in to comfort her.  He asked if he could climb in bed with her and the two of them fell sound asleep cuddled up in the middle of our king size bed.  Tears are streaming down my face as I give thanks for my amazing children.  They have proven to be such little heroes to me.  I wish I had half the amount of grace and patience that they have.  Austin fed Katie his entire chocolate chip cookie after dinner tonight.  Brooke shared her lip-gloss with Katie (which she wouldn't do for ANYONE else, trust me).
And as I sit hear writing, I realize that not only am I so lucky to have such an amazing family, but I also live in the best darn country on earth.  There is no one telling me what I have to believe, or scaring me into believing how great my leader is, even if I don't believe it (example, Mao who coldly murdered a guestimated hundreds of thousands of his own people.) 
There is no one indoctrinating me about other countries, and forcing me to endure socialized medicine.  America is the greatest damn place on earth, and if you EVER doubt that, take a risk and go visit a communist ruled country like China or Russia.  I have been to both and I have seen the dead zone that lies right behind the peoples eyes.  I came away from both countries with such a sadness, as I watched and saw that you don't see groups of friends gathering at restaurants for dinner.  You don't see laughter on the faces of people on the street.  Very few people smile and the children lack the vigor and energetic happiness that is so mainstream here in America.  To be free, is priceless.  And as a Country, we love to complain about how horrible we are at polluting the earth, and how the gas of our cattle is burning holes in the atmosphere and how big trucks are bringing down the sky.  Folks, you ain't seen nothin' until you have been to China.  I did not see the sun for 3 entire weeks, and it wasn't because of clouds.  The smog and pollution are flabbergasting.  I had heard about the pollution in China and how they had implemented driving restrictions but you truly have to see it to believe it.  Astounding.  You can not see farther that a few city blocks because the haze engulfs the giant buildings, trapping the odors of raw sewage that permeates from doorways and alleys.
 
Overally, China was a great experience and I am so glad that I got to take in all the beauty that is a big part of China.  I will forever have those memories to share with Katie as she grows and her curiosity about her origin of birth emerges.  And maybe someday, the difficulties of traveling with a toddler for 3 weeks in a foreign land will fade, and we will once again return to her roots to explore her history, if she so desires.  But for now, it is sooooo good to be home!
 
And for what its worth, here are the things that I missed most during my 3 week stay in China: Being able to drink water from a faucet without boiling it first, wearing my sunglasses, the ring of my cell phone, hanging out in the alley or at the park with my neighbors, bear-hugs from my children, battling traffic at my childrens school during morning drop off,  eggs that are cooked all the way, raw vegetables, knowing that whatever meal is placed in front of me wont contain a chicken foot, an ox tail, or shaved tongue, a soft bed, and the sun.
These are the things I took for granted.  Now go and kiss your children and your spouse.
I will post more pictures of Katie this weekend, once I get some sleep and get settled in....
Kristie