“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” Ps. 5:11Dear Family & Friends,
The last three weeks have been a blur of fun and excitement and a pleasant distraction from the ills of first trimester pregnancy. Life got very interesting for Brad (and others) when almost three weeks ago I returned from class and informed him that I really wanted to go home with him to the United States for the week. I was nauseous 24/7, homesick, and dying to share the joys of my pregnancy with family and friends at home. Although I had felt this way for some time, and been dropping subtle hints for awhile, this was my first (albeit last-minute) direct attack. Thankfully for me and for Brad, he is a pretty mellow and flexible guy. After talking to our travel agent, our deans, our foreign affairs department, our parents, and my siblings, I joined Brad for the international flight from Beijing to Washington 48 hours later.
Our arrival in America was not without incident. We arrived in the U.S.A. on Wednesday 11/19 where Bonnie and Ed (Brad’s parents) picked us up from the airport. Getting through customs was an adventure, as I discovered “citrus” (a.k.a. oranges) in my bag, and was ratted out by a customs official and a K-9 cop. We were informed that my citrus would have to be incinerated, lest I had carried toxic fruit juices from China into America. We were directed to the “Agriculture” desk, where a bored and unhurried clerk eyed our fruit and promptly dropped it in the very average-looking trashcan behind him. Not exactly the fires of Hades I had been expecting. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed.
The time at home was so refreshing. I spent all day Thursday talking to my Mom, digging up her old pregnancy books, asking pregnancy questions, trying on maternity clothes she’d bought for me, and eating Josh’s homemade chocolate chip cookies. For dinner, Mom, Dad, Josh, and I had spaghetti (my favorite) together, before I headed back to Hagerstown for the night. (Bonnie generously gave me the keys to her mini-van while we were at home, and thanks to low gas prices, I could conveniently enjoy my visiting.) On Friday Brad spent the day with Mr. Bair and Brian Montgomery, two of his best friends, who took the day off just to be with him. Brad hung out with the guys all day while I went maternity shopping with Ed and Bonnie. It was funny trying on the clothing in “Motherhood” where they give you a stuffed pillow on a belt to imitate your big belly for maternity clothes. On Friday night the guys returned from their adventures, and the four of us played a new version of “Settlers” (Brad’s favorite game), which was a Christmas gift from Brian.
Saturday was spent following Brad through the JFK. For those of you who aren’t from Washington County, Maryland, the JFK is a 50-mile ultra-marathon beginning at Boonsboro High School (where Brad attended), then following the Appalachian Trail, Potomac River/C&O Canal, and ending at Springfield Middle School. This year Brad ran his 10th JFK, and joined the esteemed “500 Club.” After a year of using a Hal Higdon advanced training schedule for ultra-marathons, and having lost 35 pounds in the last year and a half, Brad took more than an hour off of his personal best time. Despite the freezing 19 degree starting temperature, Brad finished in 9 hours, 40 minutes, and 43 seconds. His achievement buoyed his spirits even in his fatigue during recovery. In addition, the Hagerstown Herald Mail reported on his story, and acknowledged that he was one of the few to be so successful despite the terrible cold. For Bonnie, Ed, and I, the day was simply spent meeting Brad at various points along the trail, supplying changes of clothes, reading books while we waited, and most importantly—keeping warm inside the van. Toward the end of our trip we picked up a girl named Abby who was hypothermic and in tears, and unable to convince her to finish the last two miles after she’d warmed up, we drove her to the finish and handed her over to the capable EMT staff.
On Sunday, Brad and I visited Tristate in Hagerstown, and caught up with our friends there. We laughed when we walked in, only to hear Randy talking about Brad and I in front of everyone. We joined him at the front, where again he talked to everyone about us and about China. Afterwards, Brad and I went upstairs to hang out with our “Young Marrieds” class, which has spent the last few years morphing into the “Young Families” class. It was great to talk about pregnancy with the girls who have been there so recently, and to see the adorable children that resulted from the whole thing. It’s great to know there’s an end in sight! Brad and I had to leave early to help with dinner, which was a good thing. Bonnie had a Thanksgiving feast planned at home, and it was a great day, full of warm memories, and the exchanging of Christmas gifts. My parents and Josh joined us (fresh from 2 days in Ocean City!), as well as Brad’s sister Nancy, her boyfriend Brian, her daughter Becca, and Brian Montgomery. I enjoyed hearing about pregnancy from Nancy, and swapping stories.
Monday and Tuesday were quieter days than those that went before. On Monday Brad printed letters, stuffed envelopes, and mailed letters at the post office. He topped the day off with Monday night football, and yet another soak in the hot tub. I spent the day downloading photos off our old camera, organizing our belongings and mail, and preparing a speech for English club. On Monday afternoon we stopped by Boonsboro High School and caught up with Mr. Bair and our former Club kids who were at play practice. Afterwards, Mr. Bair had us over to dinner with him and his three young sons, and then Brad played “Settlers” with the guys until the wee hours of the night. Tuesday was much the same for Brad, and I went into Frederick for a doctor’s appointment to investigate the cause of my six weeks of coughing. One of the joys of pregnancy is the inability to take any common medication because it might hurt the baby. So she prescribed a baby-friendly allergy-type pill, and my coughing has pretty much ceased. I spent Tuesday afternoon doing last minute shopping and then Brad and I drove down to Bethesda to meet his cousin Joanna and her fiancé Joe for dinner. We had a great time catching up and solving the world’s problems before heading back home for the night.
Wednesday, for me, was Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled into one. I was up early packing for our trip back to China, and running into Hagerstown for a few last purchases. My mom picked me up around noon, and I got to spend the afternoon listening to Christmas music and hanging out with my sisters, Kerri, Kristy, and Karilyn. Thanksgiving dinner was served at 5pm, and Brad, Bonnie, and Ed joined us for the occasion. The food was fabulous, and we all ate until we were stuffed. We talked until late, and then exchanged Christmas gifts with my family, before packing up for our early morning flight. After 2-3 hours of sleep, our alarm clock rang at 3am. My parents drove us to the airport, and we made it in plenty of time for our 7am flight to San Francisco and then Beijing. Saying goodbye was really difficult, especially after such a brief taste of home, but it was also great knowing that it will only be 6 months until we see each other again.
So, thank you to all of you who made our visit home such a delightful time! It was great to see so many familiar faces and to be greeted with so much love and understanding. Thank you Mom and Dad and Bonnie and Ed most of all, for opening your homes, cars, refrigerators, and schedules to a couple of vagabonds whirling in from China. You guys are awesome! Thank you to Mr. Bair, Brian Montgomery, Joanna Charron, Joe Portnoy, Kristy Head, Kerri and James Frederick, and all others who changed your schedules in order to make time to be with us. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful family and so many great friends. You fill us with joy and gladness and rejoicing. Your thoughts and love that goes the “distance” to China encourages us, and makes our time away from home so much more bearable. Thank you for encouraging us to follow our dreams to China, and for always greeting us with open arms when we return home. You all amaze us. We love you.
Always,
Jessie and Brad
“I am thankful every time I remember you. In all my thoughts of all of you, I am always full of joy because of your partnership in this from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until that Day.” Ph. 1:3-6
