Back home

We arrived back home late Saturday night. It is so good to be back! I have slept like a rock the last 2 nights. It really makes you appreciate your own comfortable bed.
To back track a little- on Wednesday, the day after court and our last day in Aktau, the baby home director and pediatrician hosted a lunch for us at the baby home. Our coordinator and translator were there also. We had bread, cheese, meat, fruit, pastries and chocolates. It was a very beautiful table! We also drink tea and cognac. The baby home director gave us a little Kazakh doll and our coordinator gave us a small rug.
On Thursday we stopped by the baby home on the way to the airport to see Brogan one last time. We had a nice flight back to Almaty and went souvenir shopping on Friday. We left for the airport at midnight Friday evening.
The only glitch on the way home was missing our flight from Chicago to Tampa (the last leg of that LONG trip home) by only 5 minutes! The plane was still at the gate, but they had JUST closed the door! We had to wait 4 1/2 hours for the next flight to Tampa. Our connection was too tight. The Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt arrived on time, but by the time we went through immigration, got our luggage and went through customs, rechecked our bags, changed terminals and went through security again, we just missed it. Keep that in mind for anyone traveling soon - make sure you have enough time if you have to make a connecting domestic flight back home in the US.
Bryson was asleep by the time we got home. I tried to wake him up - I just wanted to see him so bad - but he was zonked out! But he was so excited to see us that next morning.
We had a nice Easter afternoon with family and both returned to work yesterday.
Now Joe will return in about 3-4 weeks, probably with my mother-in-law, to get Brogan. The Canadian family is still there and I have been in contact with them by email since we got back home. They said Brogan is doing fine - smiling an seems active and happy. It's nice to have someone there to keep an eye on him and keep us posted.
I will post a picture of him once our appeal period is up on the 18th - then its official and I won't be breaking any rules I guess.
We miss Brogan, but I can't express how great it is to be home!