Tornadoes in Atlanta & Lost Luggage??

Well...we are home! And we are already wanting to go back!

We made it from our region to Moscow no problem. Although we did have a 2 hour drive from the airport to our hotel in Moscow and again the smells added headaches and chest pains and hallucinations!!!! At one point, we were driving through an underground tunnel for almost 15 min! I had to lay down in the back seat and close my eyes and think of my 'happy thoughts.' I had a Charmin wipe held to my nose the entire way to the hotel and by the time we got there, I had dried the cloth out.

Coby and I were hoping to go to Red Square and tour around, but we felt so 'sick' once we got the hotel, that we ended up staying in. We also found out that we were not as close to the RS as we thought. (A $50 cab ride, or jumping on the metro and going for about 30min) So we thought we will have more time our next time in Moscow when we return and the weather will be better and we will do it then!


Moscow was cold and a little rainy..but not bad. We asked where we could eat and they said there was a KFC right across the street. GREAT!!! Coby LOVES KFC, so we were happy. We had to go under the street in a walking tunnel to get there. OK.....we thought the 2 hour drive was bad, the tunnel smelled like a nasty truck stop bathroom and everyone smokes under there, and there is no ventilation.....I know you all can picture this! YUCK! Coby and I couldn't get through the tunnel maze fast enough. Just to find out that the KFC basically was....well.....lets just say it was NOT Americanized! Coby and I ended up ordering our food and sat down and looked at each others food and switched. We ended walking out still hungry.


On the way back we stopped off at the little market next door and bought the essentials......chocolate and Aqua (water). On our way in the market there was a car parked on the side walk with a sign in the window that we think said FOR SALE....that is the only thing that made sense. And Coby looks and the amount of rubbles it was being sold for and Coby laughs and says, "This car is for sale for $85!"


OK....here is the funny part....we just spent $100 in the airport because our luggage was 'illegally' over the weight limit......don't get Coby and I started on that. And we see a car for sale in the streets of Moscow for less money...I mean less rubbles??? Crazy!! I told Coby I thought we should buy it for $85, and then take the sign out of the window and sell it for $100 and make our luggage money back! The thought actually entertained our thoughts while we were in the market....but we decided to pass. How funny would that be.....we go to Russia and come home with a baby and a CAR! I can't imagine what they would charge us for being overweight for the car!


Well....we left in the morning for the airport and get there and the fog is so thick you could cut it....so of course, we are delayed. We arrived at the airport around 9:30am for a 11:30 flight...and we don't leave until about 4pm. NOT FUN! But...Coby made a friend with a group of college kids from I think South Carolina and one of the guys was the starting center for the football team and so they talked sports for a while. Amazing what boys can talk about when they don't know each other....sports....it is the 'universal man language.'


Then we sat next to a man who we notices spoke perfect English and perfect Russian. He worked for the military and lived in Russia with his wife and 2 kids, but goes back to the states to work every few months. He translated all the announcements that were being said and told us 2 guys sitting next to us were drunk and they were looking for their luggage and basically gave us more insight into the Russian people....he said that Russian's could give the Irish a run for their money when drinking their Vodka...


Once we arrived over Atlanta...they were still having bad weather and we could see it from the plane, it was amazing! So they were in a holding pattern for about 20 extra min before we landed. 11 hours and almost 45min later.....we arrive in Atlanta. We were told we missed our connecting plane to Nashville and they put us on the later flight. We go through customs and RUN to our gate and they said that our first flight was actually delayed and had not left yet and we were still on that flight. So we RAN to the opposite end of the airport because they told us the plane was leaving in 10min.....great! We get there and they were not even boarding yet. We finally get in and arrive in Nashville and of course.....our luggage doesn't make it.


So, we are driving home with our friends Michael and Sarah....Thank you a million times over!!!!! and we realize that no one has a house key. Sound familiar? We had the same thing happen the last time we came home from Russia and we found our hide a key...thank goodness! But this time, we knew the key was not there, so we drove to M&S's house and got the key and got home at 12:30am Sunday morning!!!

So, we woke up Sunday around 12:30pm and Coby went off to work and I did laundry and then we both woke up this morning around 3am wide awake. So I made a big breakfast for Coby and I around 4am and he just left at 5am for work and I decided to blog!

It's good to be home, the trip was wonderful and beautiful and educational and just great all around. We have already said 10 times that we are ready to go back and we want to be there now! I am very encouraged and thankful again for all these things that went on and I love to see God's hands move us in His direction in His time and in His way....and He did that this past week.

The one thing that we did not even have was fear! It never showed its face to either one of us the entire trip. Even the jitters on the plane were so quick, that we didn't think anything of it once they passed. God says not to fear and that His grace is always upon us. Before leaving, my fear was fear itself. Now I can say that when you tell God you are fearful and realize that is what it is, He will take it and replace it with so much joy and sometimes just a calm peaceful feeling that is nothing more then the lack of fear itself in you. What a restful thought to meditate on!

My prayer for you all is many peaceful, fearless, restful moments filled by God alone!