Welcome Home Alona Reece Farrell!

We arrived home one week ago today. This past week has been a huge whirlwind. I will write another post in the next day or so about our first week home. First, I want to share with you our homecoming!

Alona and I were scheduled to arrive at the airport at 6:30 pm last Friday. She had requested that there not be a big "to do" because she felt that she would be overwhelmed if a ton of people were there to greet her. I completely understood her wishes, and so we made plans to have just our little family and my parents to greet us at the airport. (Ryan's parents were all out of town or else that would have been there as well:)). 

Unfortunately, we missed our connecting flight in Chicago. We had slightly less than a 2 hour layover. Turns out, that is not enough time to clear customs and get your visa processed. There were, oh...about 1,000 new immigrants needing to be processed and ONE agent processing the visas....seriously?!? So, by the time we got through with all of that, our plane was long gone. We re-booked on an 8 pm flight, and landed in Little Rock at 10 pm. 

Sweet little Adalaise could not stay up for the sweet homecoming, but Ryan made an exception and let our other 3 "littles" stay up well past their bedtime to greet their new big sister. They had made banners and bought balloons and flowers, so they would have been devastated had they not been able to come to the airport. 

As soon as our pilot told us that we were making our descent into Little Rock, I had to have a really nice talking to with myself so that I would not completely melt into hysterics. I wanted to ball my eyes out, I was so thrilled to FINALLY be home! BUT...I did not want to lose it in front of Alona and my other girls. I wanted them to know I was ecstatic to be home, not sad. And if you know me, you know that when I get started crying...I can't stop. SO, I bucked up and somehow, someway..with the Lord's help...kept it together! 

I arranged for a dear photographer Kerry Guice, to be at the airport to capture the meeting of Alona with her new family. I knew that we would cherish these pictures forever...and our family was obviously in now way prepared to take pictures ourselves. So, a HUGE thanks to Kerry for being there. If you need a fabulous photographer in the LR area...check her out here.

And without further ado, I will let the pictures speak for themselves on how Alona Reece Farrell's homecoming went:) We love you sweet girl and are so beyond blessed to call you ours!

Sweet girls waiting on us to arrive!

Seeing us finally come down the escalator:)

Telling Alona "yay!!! there are your little sisters!"

Meeting her Emmie for the first time

 Reunited with her daddy

Sister Hugs for the first time!!

Hugging her Papa

Arabella was a bit bashful

My baby girls were pretty happy to see their Mommy too:)

Alona with one set of her new grandparents

Home at last! Alona will never long for hugs, kisses, comfort, and security ever again.

Precious

Our crazy family....minus one lil baby

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine". Isaiah 43:1