Katya is Home from Romania!

Our year started with a great surprise! Katya's travel plans to come home on February 23rd finally arrived--tickets and everything. And then...a day later, she called us and told us that she would like to come home a transfer early. She had to decide very quickly as transfers were happening literally in a week. She had a long talk with Heavenly Father, with her mission president and his wife, and decided to go come home. 

We were absolutely elated, of course, although it was a very short notice!  On Jan 5th she made her decision and she was flying home on Jan 12th! We made everything happen super quick--telling our friends who wanted to come see her, the poster and rearranging our plans around Robert's dental conference. Sadly, I still had to drive to Georgia for Mark's tournament that he couldn't just leave (and his partner), and we had to rebook Alex on a flight asap so he could be here to see her. 

Katya had a bunch of departing activities in Bucharest right before she left. 

This is Katya with Sister Fowler, her mission president’s wife.

And this is the Fowlers--her mission leaders.

As a last meal in Romania, they chose to go to Hard Rock Cafe of all places-hahaha. It was not exactly Katya’s choice but she wasn’t the one picking the activities.

She was flying home with just one sister, sister Greer, who incidentally, decided to extend her mission by one transfer. 

She was so nervous flying on her own, so it was a tender mercy that Katya, the pro, was right beside her. They flew Bucharest to Paris to Raleigh. Easy peasy. 

Katya also had to do the Global Entry interview which made it so that she had to spend longer at the customs in RDU, but it was worth the effort. 

We all were SO excited. Beyond excited. The Romans, the Roylances and Melanie West were able to come to the airport. Alex flew in early in the morning on a red eye flight from UT. 

It was wonderful to hug her and to be together as a family.

I am not crying--you are crying. 

With mama.

With Melanie.

With Melissa.

We drove quickly to the stake center to get her released from being a missionary. It was a very moving experience and quite a fundamental core memory for all. 

Mark and I then drove to Peachtree, GA that night, arriving super late, but safe. In the meantime, Alex got to entertain Katya all weekend as Robert could not miss the dental conference an hour and a half away. They had dinner at Panera that first night. Katya was just so happy to be back in her room! 

Playing games together. 

Katya and Alex hanging went to church in their red minivan:).

Katya, who missed Christmas, is opening her gifts! We left all the decorations up for her once we knew she was coming home. 

 We all experienced quite a whirlwind of emotions! So happy and excited! And Katya felt like she had completed a very difficult thing, but sad at the same time that it's over. Coming home is a big adjustment for missionaries! 

We love Katya and are so happy she was able to serve a mission!