We have lots of pictures of the airport, thanks to the family and good friends who were waiting for us. There were a lot of balloons and very special signs made by the kids.
Catherine enjoys some Grandma time while waiting.
Fun with balloons!
Thomas was very proud of his sign.
The weary but happy travelers emerge!
Catherine was the first to run to me for a hug, followed by Thomas, who, brandishing his sign, hit me in the face with it.
She started showing her cute personality right away.
Thomas wanted to see if his new brother was real.
I think the new kids were wondering what kind of a crazy family they have found themselves in.
A highlight of the evening was reuniting Thomas with his Little Panda, and returning Froggy to Jose. Both boys were concerned that I take very good care of their friends in China, so they were relieved to get them back safe and sound.
Jose loved Froggy's Chinese outfit.
John Francis got pretty overwhelmed by all the attention and went into shut-down mode, then quickly into crying hysterically.
He even refused an offered cupcake, but calmed down after I held him.
It was so wonderful to see all the familiar faces!
After we got our luggage we loaded up our 6 kids in our big van. Both new kids took the carseats well. Jose really did a great job making his new brother feel at home. He sat next to him and I could hear him chattering cheerfully to John Francis, and before long I even heard some laughing. My little Thomas, who was so brave the whole time I was gone, really lost it when we got in the van. I sat next to him and he kept crying and telling me he was so sad I was gone. It was a big sacrifice for a 3-year-old to have Mommy leave for 3 weeks. I haven't ever been away from him for more than a few hours. The only time I have left the older ones was to go to the hospital to get Catherine, once for an outpatient surgery, and then the 2 nights in the hospital when I had Thomas. I think it will take awhile for everyone to recover from the trip, with the adjustment to two new siblings, the travelers being jet-lagged, and the "old kids" needing to get caught up on Mommy time.
