Two Weeks

Two weeks have flown by at record speed. It really has been a whirlwind, and we're settling in well in Atlanta. The travel was LONG, but really went as well as we could have asked with two little children and one on the way. We had a 12 hour layover in Korea, which sounded terrible before the trip, but ended up being an amazing blessing, as it gave us the chance to regather our wits, rest and get clean in a hotel room before tackling the 13 hour leg of the trip. It was so, so good to land in Georgia. A couple of pictures of our travelin' kids...

6 am in Seoul, not sure what time it is in Bangkok or Atlanta...the disorientation has begun

Happy to be off the airplane, enjoying a park in Korea

We arrived in Atlanta to the welcoming arms of friends and family. Much love went into making our house a home for us, and it is wonderful for our family. We can walk to any number of great restaurants, to grocery stores, to church- what else could we ask for? Friends brought incredible meals for the first week while we recovered our senses, for which we are so very thankful!

Our first days were also marked by sadness as we grieved with our friends the Peabodys, who lost their precious son Joseph after a 9 month battle with a brain tumor. We were far away during the diagnosis and the treatment, and we were so thankful to be here to go to Nashville to hug them and be with them. We continue to grieve with and pray for you, friends.

A number of people have asked me how we're adjusting and if I'm experiencing "culture shock". For now the answer seems to be just fine, and not really. We've definitely noticed differences, but overall it just feels like home. Emotions are fickle things and I know that could change next week, but for now it all feels very normal. In some ways it seems that we've missed only a couple of weeks, not years- the same people are leading worship in church, we see the same faces on the nursery hall...but all of the children are bigger! I'm struck with the ease of certain everyday things- from the magic of the dishwasher, to the hot water coming through the pipes for dishes and laundry, to the ease of putting sugar in the cabinet and knowing it won't be overrun with ants within an hour- and it's rather fun to have the perspective of appreciating these "normal" things.

A few pictures from our first weeks...

Emmy at the American Girl store with her new friends- a long awaited birthday treat from Granna

And Asa on Paw Paw's Harley. He's a big fan of motorcycles, but you don't see them like this in Bangkok!
Today we're celebrating our boy's birthday...more to come soon!