We're here!

**Know that I will be checking my email only every few days ~ email is taking a while to load. Please use commenting on the blog as a way to let us know you are following along. It is quicker for me to check, and it will be a priceless treasure for both of our kids in years to come for them to know how many friends and family loved them through this trip!

Before I begin, I must include a picture of our sweet Maya (now enjoying her two week vacation at Grandma's farm) and her ride to her "home away from home" ~ on top of all our China luggage ~ last night, or two nights ago, whenever it was! Two years ago that Highlander seemed so spacious ~ now two car seats later...
It has been one heck of a 27 hours since we rolled out of bed at Adam and Traci's at 4 am Charlotte time! Adam was kind enough to drive us to the airport and snap a last picture of us as a family of three stateside. Yes, it's a lot of luggage, but it is for four people and I even had to bring milk for Kylie to drink...


Kylie did quite well on the flights considering that she hasn't flown since last August. It greatly helped that we were on the Charlotte to Newark flight with another family in our travel group and then we met up with Darby's family in Newark.

Here's a rundown of the flights in pictures.

Flight from Charlotte to Newark.
Pretzels and apple juice ~ the breakfast of champions!

Flight from Newark to Beijing.
Drinking milk to relieve pressure in the ears.

Getting sleepy while checking out our current location.

Sacked out ~ and yes, that is the floor!
You try holding a 31 pounder for four hours in an airplane seat!

Playing with stickers with Anna Claire after a rest.
Darby missed this play session as she and her mommy were "trapped" in the window seat...

Sharing cheerios.

We're here! Thank goodness that with a total of 17 hours of flying, the only crying we had was during our slightly turbulent landing here in Beijing. Kylie kept saying that she was scared and wanted her Daddy to hold her. After it was all finished, she laughed about it.

The "pants" building as seen from our bus on the way to the hotel.

Three girls giddy to be in their homeland for the first time! They all kept dancing around singing "We're in China," or asking "Is that car in China too?" Darby was tired and didn't want any part of a hug, but Kylie and Anna Claire kept on hugging. Can you believe they met this morning in Charlotte?

And now I'm off to bed (the time is 12 hours ahead ~ until the time changes at home, then it will be 13). So tired and we have a full day ahead of us tomorrow.