April 29

Today is Ethan and Caleb's last full day in Kazakhstan. There is a sense of excitement today as we know that we are almost on the last leg of the journey. I know I have said this before, but I am so glad Caleb is going to get home, to "old home". I was talking to him about it today a little and I saw a sparkle in his eye as I talked of our "old home" and the things we did there. Ethan and Caleb leave tomorrow at 1pm and will fly into Almaty. There, they will have a 11 hour layover, which they will spend with a fellow adoptive dad who is in Almaty about to leave with his new daughter. Then, Ethan and Caleb will take a 7 hour flight to Frankfurt and spend 30 hours in Frankfurt. This is an intentional long layover to allow Caleb and Ethan time to rest up before the last 10 hour flight into Atlanta. The plan is for them to go to a zoo, park, and McDonalds while in Frankfurt.
Today we are packing. It seems that we are leaving with a lot less than we brought. Definintly no souviners to be bought in Kaz. Plus, we have our souviner, a cute little girl, no reasons for Kaz snow globes or magnets. I have a feeling we will not soon forget the trip! Today we were BLESSED as a fellow adoptive couple who we have been spending a lot of time with offered to watch Julia and Caleb while we went to lunch, during waking hours for the kids! It was the first time since April 1 when I have been without a child. I felt light as a feather walking out of the hotel. I could not beleive how easy it was to walk to the "mall" and have lunch. Thankfully Julia and Caleb did great. I was fearful Julia would cry, but she did fine they said. That gives me hope that she will be ok with meeting new people and being alone with them once we get home.
Ethan and I have decided that it is best for me to stay in our current hotel suite rather than move again. We really went back and forth on this, as the room we are staying in now is obviously more expensive than the small one room that Caleb and I shared. But, we decided it was best, as Julia is a very light sleeper and I am not sure what I would do while she slept besides sit in the hallway. Plus, feeding her in my lap at our table is hard enough, I cannot imagine trying to do it sitting on our bed or the floor, which would be our only options. So, there is some sense of releif that we do not have to move again. Plus, our space is big enough for other adoptive couples to come and spend time. Last evening we had 2 couples over which is really nice. Companionship is not something that can be taken for granted.
I have included some pictures of our play time at the "mall" playground that we have frequented a lot over the last 7 weeks. Notice the stuffed animals hanging from ropes wrapped around their necks. I just have not been able to get over how bizarre this is!
Thank you each for your kind words of encouragment and prayers. They have meant so much to Ethan and me. Words cannot express it!