The Catch-Up Weekly 7+!

The kids and I thoroughly enjoyed our whirlwind trip to the States.  The reason we came home wasn't happy, but we definitely had a wonderful time catching up with family that we haven't seen in too long!  We have so much to praise about this past week:

~I'm so thankful for all the prayers that went up on our behalf last Thursday.  It is a great feeling to know that you're covered in prayer!

~The flights went quite smoothly on Thursday.  We had a minor speed bump in security in Panama, but other than that, all went super well. 

~The Lord sent an angel to help us in Atlanta's customs area.  A translator without a client took a liking to Coralynn and kept her entertained while we waited in line.  It was so nice to not have to keep her contained!

~Our flight arrived at STL with no issues, and we easily found my waiting brother.  He had already gotten the car so all we had to do was grab baggage- which took longer than I wanted- and be on our way!

~Sonic!  I love Sonic!  Nothing says "Welcome Back to the United States!" like cranberry limeade.

~We pulled into town at exactly the time I told the kids.  A special thanks to Uncle Tim who drove exceedingly slowly into the driveway to insure our exact 8:30pm arrival!

~The kids slept great every night!  Coralynn isn't a very good sleeper, but she did really well the whole time!

~My mom's friend and hairdresser made an exception to her normal work days and cut my hair Friday morning.  I'm thrilled with the cut, and I'm so thankful I didn't have to explain what I wanted in Spanish.

Before

After



~We had a smooth trip to Peoria, and my brother and I had the privilege of talking with Carson for the trip.  The entire trip.  The 2.5 hour trip.  We answered at least 100 of his questions before we left the first city's limits.  I'm thankful he has such a hunger for knowledge, but, wow, he asks a lot of questions.

~Friday night, we all had a great time meeting up with my Mom's dear friend from high school.  She's like another aunt to me, and it was nice to see her.  And to eat ice cream at Culver's!  (Yes, all my memories are combined with food.) 



~We also got to see my aunt, uncle, and cousins.  It was great to see them and great to have someone else answer Carson's questions!

~Friday night also saw the Cardinals win a World Series ring!  A highlight for my Dad's very St. Louis-loyal family!!

~Saturday, the memorial service went well, and I was very pleased with the kids' behavior during it.

~The time of visiting after the service was wonderful, and the kids enjoyed getting to re-meet everyone.

My parents, brother, kids and I!



~I'm so thankful that we were able to have lunch with Tony's parents.  The kids enjoyed getting to play with Grandpa and Grandma A.  And yay for Chinese food! 



~We were also able to enjoy some time with my mother's parents.  I know they enjoyed seeing the kids, too!

~I was nervous about the flights back, but the kids did well.  The highlight of the trip home was the AMAZING Delta flight attendants from Atlanta to Panama City.  Airline service often gets a lot of bad press, so I had to email Delta and tell them how fabulous this crew was.  They made the trip home so easy- I wish I knew which flights they were on so I could make sure to be with them every time!!

~It was wonderful to enjoy family, but I am so thankful to be home with my husband.  People ask us how we handle moving so often and being away from loved ones.  There are times that being far away is incredibly difficult and lonely; however, seeing Tony at the airport reminded me how complete the 6 of us are together.  I am blessed beyond measure.