A Very Pink Christmas

 We were away from home 22 days.  That is a long vacation with a preemie and two crazy boys.  We didn't think we were going to make it back for Christmas.  Our caseworker kept telling us that the government officials who give us permission to leave were already on Christmas vacation and we probably wouldn't get clearance until January after the holidays.  Then we received one of the best Christmas presents.  We got a phone call late Thursday the 20th night that we were allowed to leave.  As much as we enjoyed our time in Utah, we were grateful to be home for Christmas!

We said goodbye to these awesome people (Jake, our brother-in-law, was on a business trip the last week probably to get away from our family!)  Zane and I are forever grateful for Toni and Jake's generosity and patience.  Staying at their house was an answer to prayers and made our adoption situation so much easier.

 We started the two day drive home on Friday morning.  I wish I could say this is how the boys looked going home.  In actuality, I think Dallin is faking sleeping in this picture because if one brother fell asleep, then the other one did everything in their power to wake them up.  Mostly we watched movies the whole way home to keep me sane as trying to entertain the boys without a movie involved fighting and a headache.

 Liliane did sleep the whole way home.  She doesn't like her carseat, but as long as the car is moving, she slept soundly and wins the prize for being the best behaved.

There is nothing more exhausting then driving two days straight with two energetic boys and a baby who keeps you up at night.  We planned on making stops on the way home to let the boys run around, but it was 18 degrees in Southern Utah.  By the time we got home, it was late and all Zane and I wanted to do was climb in bed.  I kept thinking that I should have called my mom to tell her to set up my baby swing so that I had a place to put Liliane while we got the boys to bed since she hates her car seat and she didn't have a bed set up (we left in a rush and I don't do much to prepare for a baby since a birthmom can always change her mind.  It is too painful to take things back or put away.)  When we pulled into our driveway, Zane exclaimed that he could see a Christmas tree through the front window.

Our friends and family had been busy!

I felt really bad for whoever pulled down the tree from the attic because it isn't an easy task.  I'm sure our names were being cursed.  The boys were so excited though to have a tree!

We were also greeted with this sign (in the darkness of course) plus other signs in the yard

 Our house was covered in pink with treats too!

 And the best treat, a place to put Lily as we unloaded.  It is like my family and friends knew exactly what we would need and provided.  I even had some fresh vegetables in my fridge. 

I was so touched by the many hands that welcomed us home from a very long journey.  We definitely felt loved (and I of course cried happy tears)!