Guest Blogger

Hey! It's Katie. Randy is still asleep, but I am feeling too sentimental and sappy to sleep right now. In about 15 hours we'll be getting on our first plane and heading home as a family of four. I'm as excited as Randy is to go home, but I am still amazed at how well the trip has gone and just a little giddy. I know that I may be singing a different tune after the flights, but it really has been amazingly smooth. We've all been healthy, the paperwork went well, we've loved the new hotel, and it's been wonderful to have all the support and help from my parents, Greg and Eileen. We even found a yummy Italian restaurant over here and saw panda bears! And when I look at our little ones sleeping, I feel like we've been blessed beyond belief.

I'm especially pleased with how well Lee has done on the trip. I won't pretend he's been perfect - yesterday he both slapped Eileen and told the waitress her legs were smooth! But all in all, he's been great. It's not easy to fly half way around the world, have no schedule at all, sleep on a couch, lose a lot of attention, eat funny foods, and handle it all gracefully, especially when you're four. And not to brag too much, but he didn't even throw a fit when Francie bit him in an effort to grab his grits!

I can't begin to describe how excited we are about this funny little girl. Francie's still eating everything in sight, won't wear hairbows, and has gotten used to way too much attention from everyone. But otherwise, she's just about perfect. It's amazing how quickly we've all fallen in love with her. I know the weeks and years ahead will be challenging at times and even tougher at others, but she's already brought us incredible joy. Thank you so much to all who have written notes and comments while we're over here. We have appreciated the support and felt like all our prayers have been answered with the most amazing blessings.