Homecoming Celebrations

Brining OE home to our family & friends was an experience I'll never forget! It was so good to be welcomed so warmly by our loved ones! On our return trip we had a short layover in my original hometown, Memphis. We still have family & friends who live there, so we were blessed with an extra welcome home party there. As we stepped off the plane in Memphis, it was so good to be home to Tennessee! I knew we were almost home when we got off the airplane, & I could feel the humidity & smell BBQ--homesweet home! My cousin, Holly, & her husband & their daughter came out to the airport to welcome us home! Don't our girls look precious! I can't wait for these two cousins to play together soon!
My little sister (at heart) & her husband live in Memphis & came to welcome us home, as well! Adonia brought us lots of my favorite treats (pink iced thumbprint cookies, homemade rolls...hmmm...Adonia is the best baker)! It was like a mini-reception! Then it was time for the grand finale--our welcome home to Knoxville! Woohoo! I was so excited I could hardly stand it! There's no place like home!

The boys as they awaited our arrival!

Me running through the revolving doors like a crazy woman with N trailing along behind me...the minute I spotted my boys, I couldn't get to them quick enough! It was so good to have all my kids together at last!

My sweet adoptive mom buddy made a wonderful suggestion for how to do our homecoming. Two of our friends waited with the boys upstairs at the airport & we asked all of the family & friends to wait downstairs in baggage claim. This way, the boys got to meet their sister & reconnect with us wihtout the rest of the crowd looking on. It worked great! Then, we were able to go downstairs together, as a completed family, to celebrate with the others. It was amazing! Plus they took pictures & video of everything, so we were able to soak in the moments & not worry about getting pictures or videos! Here's the sight we saw as we rode down the escalator! This is when it hit me that we were really home with our daughter! What a welcome we were given! I will never forget this moment!

We were welcomed home by tons of our family & friends! I never expected so many folks to come out for such a late night celebration--family drove in from over 3 hours away, old church friends came, neighbors came, other adoptive families came, a collegue from N's work came, & the list goes on & on! We were so humbled & blessed by this! OE did great & seemed to love every minute of it! She greeted everyone with hugs & kisses! The boys were so proud of their little sister & loved showing her off! What an amazing ending to the most amazing trip ever!