Back in the USA: Spoiled by my Kaz Friends along the Way!

My sweet, sweet friend Shauna -- who called me every single day in Semey, picked me up at the airport with the biggest happiest grin on her face, insisted on buying my first dinner back in the USA (Outback Steakhouse!), helped me carry all my luggage in....hugged me good-bye. And left. And, look what I found in the kitchen 2 DOZEN gorgeous roses for me with a note saying "Welcome to the Mommy Club - Love, Shauna" -- Now you can't get any more spoiled than that. She is unbelievable. Thank you, Shauna!!

She adopted her son Dalton from the same baby house about 1 year ago and I am so, so lucky to know them both. It was pure good fortune that I met her online, she lived 10 minutes from me, was one of the nicest people I had ever met -- and then we BOTH were assigned to the exact same Baby House in Kazakhstan to adopt our children. It is just so perfect. Kamilla is going to go to the same daycare as Dalton -- in the house next door to Shauna's.

One of the two adoptive families that greeted me in the lobby of the Almaty hotel to spend the day with me during my layover. Dave, Cindy, and Danara!

The second family to greet me: Tammy and Julia! I saw both Danara (the baby in the previous picture) and Julia (in this photo) all the time during my visits with Kamilla. They were both waiting for their parents to come back to get them (which of course they did as soon as possible! I got to see both of them picked up from the Baby House ;-))

Hi everyone! I'm home in the USA. My trip was unbelievably long and I honestly thought I'd never get here.

I left at 8:45 am Kaz time on Saturday and got home at 6:35am Kaz time on Monday!! 46 hours of travel. There were some long flights (i.e. two 9 hour ones) and some long layovers. I flew from Semey to Almaty to Astana to Frankfurt to Philadelphia to Cincinnati.

Spoiled by friends in Almaty: Two families who I met in Semey very briefly when they came to pick up their children were waiting to greet me when I got to Almaty. They had been in Almaty for about a week doing paperwork to bring the children home, and when they heard I was coming -- they planned to spend the day with me, including lunch, a long walking tour of Almaty, hanging out, and a delicious pasta dinner.

I'm missing Kamilla like crazy and have been finding myself sleeping a lot both because I'm a bit sad and from jet lag.

I have some big work projects that I neglected while over in Kazakhstan -- so they are keeping me busy. Boy do I love the USA!!!! I never felt this much gratitude for it before. Kazakhstan is a beautiful country -- but there is no place like home.

Hey...the next post will have a NEW PHOTO of Kamilla -- taken today 11/11/2009 --- how did I manage that.....;-)