I returned to the States late Sunday night after a long, long 24 hours of flying. My flight from Chicago to Minneapolis was actually delayed, which caused me to miss my connection home. So irritating. I am understanding in the winter, but not so patient when weather is not related. Anyway, I did arrive. It was wonderful being greeted by my mom, dad and of course, my kiddos. Claire ran right up to me, but Mya was busy exploring the airport. She caught a glance of me, but didn't seem all that excited. I picked her up and all she could do was examine me as though she knew she should know me, but couldn't quite figure out who I was. It was heartbreaking. Truly. She continued to look at me periodically still unable to place me. We drove home, went to bed and awoke the next day as though I was never gone. It was wonderful. Claire has been attached to me and Mya does her thing. Gotta love that kid. She is miss independent. My offer package arrived on Monday around noon and I have been running nonstop since then. It was literally a book of paperwork to complete. The kicker is that it all needs to be completed within 5 days. 5 freakin days!! Really. It wouldn't be such a big deal if I were single, but the fact is, it involves birth certificates, notarizing, fingerprinting, passports, a medical exam, and jumping through five thousand hoops. Pure delight. Thankfully, my Mom is here to help out with my kiddos so I can get the paperwork done. It has been kind of nice being back in ND as I have connections and haven't had to run very far for the things I need. Luckily, I had given keys to our apartment to my friend Michelle, who found and overnighted the birth certificates and the girls' passports, my friend Nicole is a notary and I was able to just run to the police station and fingerprinted without an appointment or any questions. The best part is that neither of those things cost me a thing. Amazing. I even had to get letters from my kids' doctor stating their health status. Thankfully, I found a fax, so I could receive the letters. I have restated the same information on five different forms. Only the government. I just got back from my physical. Things seem to be coming to a close. I received the birth certificates today and will have the results from my TB test on Friday, after which I will mail the package. Woo hoo! Thankfully, my jetlag has been minimal. I seem to function well during the day although I try to have a nap. I tend to wake up during the night, unable to get back to sleep. All in all, I look forward to things returning to "normal" whenever and whatever that may be ;)
We are potentially down to our last four months in Korea. I say "potentially" because it rests solely on where we are going. If we are heading back to the States, we will most likely be leaving early June so that we can enjoy a full summer with family and have time to get settled before Claire begins school. We caught wind today of what could be our next assignment. Although it is far from official word, all of a sudden my tummy is filled with butterflies. I had the privilege of teaching a little first grade girl who was one of a set of quadruplets. They (she and her sisters) are the most delightful little girls. They are well behaved and truly beautiful inside and out. Anyway, their family was due to PCS (military move) in December. I teased her that I was going to follow her and live down the road. While they were house hunting, I continually asked if there was a neighboring house for me. She'd laugh and giggle, not really sure if I was serious or not. Her Mom thought
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Love ya,
PS I understand your busy!
J