Alive and Well, Home and Happy

Ok, not completely well... still pretty nauseous but doing better with each meal. I actually was fine mentally and even food wise... it was just eating at odd times that kicked my bootie! I'm good though. AIT went well... 4 hours but well. Only had one more paper that was needed that was accidentally put in there from another persons file (it was an English translation that had another Sarah on it). By the time I arrived at the hotel to call... it was already taken care of and we were allowed to pick up the Visa on Thursday! Yippee! Then off to the zoo with torrential downpours and panda and koala views. Milana is spunky and silly and an arm work-out! She loves kids and copies them everywhere she goes. She giggles at them constantly. It's a good thing we have siblings at home! Friday was one last stitch effort to get gifts for people. We raced against the clock across town to the Handicraft Market again to get some authentic stuff. People weren't kidding when they said that is the place to buy stuff. Everywhere else is made most places other than TW. We never really got to a night market as my sickness and Milana's exhaustion kept us in after 7... but we did get to see a fair amount of shops just setting up on the streets when the sun goes down. P.S. Save energy until late.... everyone else in TW seems to know that it is just hot and humid in the afternoon and to come out after dark! Coming home went well. Milana slept most of the way on the plane... Daddy dozed happily on his chair and Milana spread herself across her seat and most of mine... I mostly had ten inches and the pull-down-table to sleep on... yeah... 2 hours of sleep out of the 12 hour flight! WooHOO!! Alll good though... it was so nice to see her sleeping next to me... wiping her feet all over daddy! And when they are sleeping... you can mess with their face! She is so cute! At the international airport... well.. LAX took a while figuring out what line we were supposed to be in. They were very kind and let us cut lines but still had a hard time figuring things out. Next... I guess we took too long and they snatched our luggage, unknown to us as we thought it was lost or stolen. So we searched forever and the luggage people said just keep going and hope it will check through. As I almost cried in the customs exit... a man pushing our luggage went by! I screamed and chased him down... STOP, That's our luggage!!! He worked there and gave it back after I verified us! Whew.... next off to the long trek around LAX... to security! Warning: Baby Formula resembles explosives it seems and then they have to swab it. Then get a false positive and start all over! Then to Starbucks for two $28 dollar sandwiches and sit in some seats to rest 45 minutes prior to take off. Yup... that took 3 hours of our 4 hour lay-over. Milana is a serious trooper. Then off to Vegas... short flight but I was beyond nauseous by now. On the way home I missed my kids so much and was so eager to see them. The missing of your children makes you ache... especially with no sleep. That was one of the longest 25 minute drives of my life. So here are some pictures to enjoy! finally. The eggs are a gift Milana and her foster family prepared for her siblings. We still don't have a pic all together... more bonding and loving on each other and so many people in so many places ... we'll get one soon! Hopefully today! Happy Father's Day Donnie!!!!