We made it home!

Phew!  We're home : )  It was a loooong trip, but we made it.  We arrived home on Thursday evening and have been trying to recovery and get so much done at the same time.  As soon as we got home, the countdown started in my head that I have 6 days until I turn around and head right back.  Even though it is short, I really needed to see my kiddos that were here at home with my mom and also get recharged.  Besides being at home and seeing my kids here, I REALLY missed tortilla chips and salsa.  The last day we were in Kiev I was able to get some at the TGIFridays.  But yesterday we went to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Salsarita's and had a ton of chips and salsa.  Tonight we are going to Carlos O'Kelly's for dinner and I will surely have some more!!  Did I mention that I LOVE chips and salsa?

We are very excited about tomorrow also.   One of my greatest friends, Ruth, had her baby days before we left for our first trip.  I was bummed that I was going to miss out on his first few weeks.  She did post pictures for me and that was awesome....he is soooo cute.  Anyways, baby Seth Martin Robbins is being baptized tomorrow and Steve and I are his godparents!  This is our 5th godchild and how we love and pray for them all!!  We are very much looking forward to this blessed event and sharing this time with our good friends tomorrow.  God is good :)

So....there is also so much to do before I leave on Wednesday, April 13.  It is hard trying to balance all that I need to do before I go back. I need to get ready to go bring home Julia and Aaron. I also need to spend some time enjoying what I have missed so much while we were gone for almost 4 weeks.  We also miss Julia and Aaron very much.  Coming home and seeing Evan reunited with his older brothers and sisters was just a taste of how joyous it will be when they all finally get to meet their new siblings for the first time.  We cannot wait.

It is also so incredible to have so many friends praying for, supporting and encouraging us through this journey in our lives.   We take so many things for granted in life all of the time. We all do it.  We know we have good friends, but when we stop to think of what they mean in our lives and what they are willing to do for us, it is just so awesome.  My wonderful friend, Aimee, is taking 2 weeks out of her busy life with a husband and 4 kids to come back with me to help me bring Julia and Aaron home.  I know she knows how much this means to me, but it still warms my heart when I think about what great friends God has placed in our lives.  Please pray for her husband and kids at home that the time passes quickly for them as we know she will be missed.   Also, Ruth will be coming to my house two days a week to watch my four kids while Steve is at work.....and she has 3 of her own kids, one of them a new baby, and she homeschools too.  My neighbor and another one of my dearest friends, Lena, will be coming over one day a week to also watch the kids.  And Steve's mom, who came with us on the first four week trip to help us watch Evan will be coming over one other day to take care of the kids.  And my mom leaves on the train this morning to head back to her home in  CT.   She has held down the fort here with our three oldest.....shopping, running them around to their activities, cooking meals, doing laundry, homeschooling, etc., etc., etc......I LOVE MY MOM!!  She is the best mom I could ever ask for.  It was so comforting to be so far away and not need to worry.....I knew my babies were in good hands.  The sacrifice of so many people to have this all come together means so much to us.  We cannot begin to thank you all enough or convey to all of them how much we appreciate the sacrifices!

Lastly, we want to thank each and every one of you who has contributed financially to this entire adoption process.  What a testament to God's army being joined together for His glory.  For us personally, it has been such a blessing to not have to worry about how we would be able to afford what God was calling us to do.  We have thought about this every step of the way.  Many times, while we were visiting Julia and Aaron at the orphanage, I was thinking about how this was all possible....and how many people besides us fell in love with them and knew how important is was to us and God to bring these children into our family.  We are so looking forward to the day we leave the orphanage with them and even more for the day they walk into our home forever.