Re-entry

After a week more of "lasts" and farewells and 36 hours of travel, we are back home in Colorado!  The Lord showered us with his traveling mercies, as all eight of our suit cases arrived on time and without blemish, and all the flights and transitions went smoothly.  Lily and Anya were SUPER excited to be on the plane at first.  They could hardly contain their excitement about eating, sleeping and watching shows on the plane!  But by the final 5 hours of the flight, they were making vows that they will never fly again!  Lily said "I'm not flying again for 101 days!".  But they did a great job.
It was so good to see Paul, Kathy, Bobby and Alexandra, and to be home!  We happily allowed Paul and Kathy to drive us home- back on the right side of the road, and stopped off at Wendy's to satisfy our Wendy's cheeseburger craving...and it lived up to our idealistic expectation!  So good to have fast food again! (a true American :))  We got home to Paul and Kathy's house in Greeley, and it was an exciting reunion for Lily and Anya with all of their toys!  They have been loving the rediscovery of all of their long lost toys, and have been enjoying the luxury of TV again!
The girls have been waking up at 2am or various hours throughout the night.  Thankfully Kathy had Thursday and Friday off, and took the "night shift" the first night and has been so helpful and accommodating throughout the days. Last night everyone slept through until 5:30am!  Woo hoo! We are all tired and adjusting, but slowly starting to feel more and more back to ourselves.  It was a happy reunion with my parents this weekend, and we enjoyed Chick-fil-a, BBQ, and seeing the house we're going to live in.
So we're back!  Back to... pumping our own petrol, easy returns at stores, free plastic bags (though it's still a good habit to bring my own to the stores), vast variety and selection of goods,  delicious Mexican food, kids meals with a fruit option, more affordable kids clothing, reality of providing our own supervision in the play places, consumerism, commercialism, confusing our "needs" with "wants", driving on the right side of the road, having cruise control, freezing temperatures, short days (sun down by 5pm), Pandora, Dr. Pepper, free refills, unlimited data and airtime on our cell phones, Starbucks, Cheetos, aisles full of cereal options, houses covered in Christmas lights, coupons, internet customer service (no more Telkom!), Hulu, and so much more!  We are adapting and enjoying life back at home,  but we have left a piece of our hearts in South Africa...a piece that no American convenience will replace.  We're proud to be Americans, but thankful God called us to South Africa, and for who our experience there has helped us to become.