International Arrivals!!

The day finally arrived! Amber and Mike return form their year abroad! I dressed up in red, white and blue......Louis Dean talked me out of wearing a crown of USA tinsel stars on my head! So I carried a flag in my hand!

I will a little anxious just to GET there so we left for the airport before they even landed! We live only 10 minutes away from DFW...if you are ever in the area!

Mike's mother was on hand for the arrival! Can you tell how happy we are? They will be here ANY MINUTE!

An hour and a half later we were still watching not wanting to miss that FIRST glimpse! (You know how MOTHERS are!) It was fun to people watch all the friends and family greeting arrivals from Paris and other exotic places! There was a  'Feel Good' feeling in the air!

First glimpse! Louis Dean took the pic....I was already headed for them!

And they are HERE!!!! Look at all the smiles!

The moment I have been WAITING for! I love email, blogs, Facebook and Skype....but it is so NOT the same as a real live HUG!!!

We just kept SMILING!!!

Welcome HOME, Amber and Mike!!

They toasted with their FIRST cold Bud Light (Their FAVE!) in what Mike called our Texas Beer Garden! It was 105 degrees when we picked them up! Since they have been SO cold for SO long.....Mike lingered outside a few minutes to soak in some Texas HEAT!

Amber was reunited with Snowball. Louis Dean loves to sing 'The Cat Came Back' to Snowball when he is brushing her! This is the cat that was at death's door 11 weeks ago! She has- and continues to recover!

We ended our day at The TEXAS Roadhouse for 'Parents Dinner!'  Mike's parents,Jim and Lynn Bell are to my right. Amber's dad and his wife, Jesse and Cynthia Davis, are to Amber's right. We had a great time celebrating together the return of our 'children.' Although in many ways the roles slowly reverse! It is a mystery how- in a moment of time- I am so  aware of how much I have learned from the little girl I once taught! All my children have continued to teach me so much about life and how to live it.....how to get the best of relationships with friends as well as families....not to mention the ins and outs of modern technology- an area all FOUR of my children excel in!  I am grateful for that! I want to be a life long learner and what better teachers than your own 'kids?'

I will close this post with a pic of my dear husband. He wasn't in any of the other pics because he was manning the camera so I could enjoy visiting! By the way....in the pic above Amber is sitting on the sofa...Louis Dean was smugly happy that Snowball still wanted her daily brushing from HIM!

I best go now.....the briskets are in the oven and the cakes and cookies have all been prepared. However, there is still the potato salad to do! But MAN! This house smells GOOD!!! Wish you could all be with us tomorrow to celebrate!