Well we have had Dedra's Mom and Grandmother visiting this week and we wanted to update everything that has been going on since our last post.

Hanna and Haden are doing great! Hanna tested for her senior green belt on Friday and did very well. Haden developed an ear infection and was a little cranky this week. Other than the ear he is doing wonderful. Dedra and I are settling in to a routine and it seems to be working.

This week the Mom, Dad, and Lisa are coming to visit. They will arrive on Friday just in time for Hanna's birthday party Saturday. She is having her party at Laser X. Laser X is a 2 story laser tag facility that we have gone to this year a couple of times. We hope all of you are well.

The Hicks Family

Good Morning Family and Friends,
Well it is 1:20 Sunday morning and I find myself sitting with a precious little man who is wide awake. He is just smiling at me like this is what we are suppose to be doing. I of course am smiling back thinking if you wern't so cute and it wasn't so cold outside I might just have to let you explore nature for a few hours while I explore the inside of my eyelids. :) I guess that is why God gives them just the right personality at just the right time.
I want to take this opprtunity to say a few things to everyone. First I want you all to know how special you are to me. Though I couldn't read the comments you were sending on the blog I could sense your presence and love all the time. Yesterday, I found 7 messages on my cell phone that people had sent on Wednesday, the day I left Vietnam, and what incredible words of love and encouragement they were. Between my awesome God, my loving husband and daughter and you all I could not have felt more love.

To my sweet family and friends, who have sent or given gifts, I want you to know that your thank you notes are coming. As always, I have great intensions. We are utilizing everything we have gotten. Hanna keeps saying, "Did I have to have this much baby stuff?" Of course we assure her she got more new things because she was the first. Haden gets the hand me downs.

Looking back on the last week of my life it is hard to believe it is already over, that I made it through and at the same time it is hard to believe I ever had doubts. You all know I was praying to get out of Vietnam but I was also praying and asking you to pray that God's will be done. How quickly he showed me his will was being carried out exactly as he planned. When I think of all the flights out of Vietnam that were possible for me to get on and how each of them fell through I stand in awe at how awesome God is in his work. I know his will was for me to stay right where I was because our precious baby would need so much more than to be home. I am crying right now thinking of how God spared him from flying when he was getting so sick because I don't know what would have happened to him had he been on a plane. I also stand in amazement at how God gave me the strength to trust him during the times that I just wanted to do things my own way. Haden is a true testment to God's favor when we walk in faith and obedience.
It is so nice to be home. I am getting back into the swing of things. Haden is obviously still trying to understand my swing of things. I am hoping he will soon learn the importance of sleeping when I want to and not when he wants to. I was so glad to be able to take Hanna to school and pick her up. It was great to tuck her into bed and to have a snuggle night with her and Jeff. I am so thankful to see Jeff every morning and evening and to go have lunch with him during the day. I love my life. God has so blessed me and I am so greatful.
On a final note, I learned one thing about myself while in Vietnam. I was not made to be a world traveler. I love being home and I love my life.
Thank you again to everyone for your love, prayers and support.
I just took this picture to show you how happy Haden is to be awake right now.
Love
Dedra

Our first night home was interesting. Dedra stayed awake all day on Thursday so that she could sleep and try to get herself adjusted to NC time. Haden on the other hand, decided that he was up at 1:30 am and he is still wide awake. The great news is he looks and acts like he is feeling much better. We have an appointment for him this morning with the pediatrician for a check just to make sure.

We have been worried about sibling rivalry showing its ugly head. What we didn't know was it would be the four legged sister that we would be the most jealous. If Haden is in one of our laps, Penny is trying to get in the other.

Hanna is doing great and the picture is of the four of them ready to head out to school. Dedra could be ready to field a few calls today, so give her a try.

They are home!!! After a wintry drive in sleet and snow Dedra and Haden are home. We had a surprise when we got home and had several friends here waiting on us when we got home this morning. It was wonderful for them to be here with us to celebrate their homecoming. After a short visit they left and our family settled down and started to try to get things going in a normal direction. Haden is in his own bed sleeping right now. Hanna had some wonderful snow to play in and Dedra and I just relaxed and sat on the couch for a few minutes.

This has been a fantastic journey that we have set out on. Chapter one will now close and we will begin the next chapter in our families life together. Thank you for being a part of this. Dedra and I feel wonderful about all of your energy and interaction with us through out the trip. I highly encourage you all to start using this as a way to keep your friends and families updated on your families. Thanks again for all the prayers, and we can't wait to see you all soon.

We love you all,

Jeff, Dedra, Hanna, and Haden

Dedra called me somewhere around midnight to tell me that they were in LA and were on the way to the next flight. Haden did well so our prayers were answered as they flew over the Pacific Ocean. God is good all the time!

I am up now and getting ready for the drive to Charlotte. To all our family and friends in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, we are going to get the winter that you have had starting ... This morning. So in the possible icy conditions several of us are going to drive to pick up our precious travelers. We will make sure to get some photos and I will try to post those when we have a chance today.

The finished flight and a 80 mile trip in the car and Dedra will finish her part of the journey that has taken our family over 20,000 miles to bring home our beautiful baby boy! (I am very tired right now, but, can I say beautiful in regards to a baby boy?)

I will post when we get home and the celebrations can begin!

4 am Jamestown time and I just confirmed that Dedra and Haden are going to the airport for the 7:10 departure on Cathay Pacific. They fly to Hong Kong and begin to run against the clock. Hong Kong is one hour back from Hanoi so they fly 2 hours but it will be 10 pm when they land. They have a quick turn around and will leave Hong Kong @ 11:40 pm. The flight to LAX will be around 12 hours depending on the wind speeds in the jet stream. They will land in LAX Wednesday night @8pm. They will then take the inter terminal bus to terminal 1 for the 10:45 US Airways flight that should land in Charlotte @ 6 am.

If all goes well they will be eating breakfast with us Thursday morning!!! I am so thankful for this. It is truly a testament to Gods glory and the answer to many prayers. They still must travel half way around the world, but I am praying that God will have a hedge of protection around them.

This could be the longest day of my life!!!!!!!

Breaking News!!!!

I just got off the phone with Dedra, and it looks like they are going to try to be on the scheduled flight out of Hanoi Wednesday night @7. They will fly to Hong Kong and the doctors are giving Dedra some medicine to use if there are any issues. The Hong Kong to LAX flight will be the key. If they make that with out issue they will continue and be in Charlotte Thursday morning @6:15 am.

I am going to work on some plans for LA if there are any problems. Between our friends and family in Southern California we hope to have them covered if they need to have an extended lay over.

We will continue to pray for guidance and safe travel. Dedra is trying to get her things together at this point. Then she will get Haden and go to the airport this afternoon. What a wild ride this has been. Thank you all for joining us.

I am talking to Dedra right now and things are looking much better this morning. Haden is eating better and his oxygen levels are staying above 95. Dedra sounds great and it looks like they will be coming home this weekend. She is going to upload some pictures and she will update today also.

Good Morning All,
Well, I am at the hotel right now for a few minutes. Woke up this morning in a great mood and the sun is actually trying to come out here. Yipee! I will have the nurses look after Haden several times today so I can step outside and enjoy it. Haden is doing so much better. He is acting like himself, staying awake a lot and smiling. He has the sweetest personality. He still does not want to eat. They are still giving him the IV with fulid and nutrients. He is also still not getting enough oxygen to be able to fly. He is fine on the ground although his levels still need to rise but he could be compromised in the air. He is getting breathing treatments every 6 hours now instead of every 4. They did lower the fluid they are giving him today. The doctor said they will assess him after lunch and see if we can at least come back to the hotel. There is a possibility that we will not be able to leave tomorrow. I will let everyone know as soon as I know something. I am fine and know that God started this journey, it is his will and in his time he will complete the journey. The doctors and staff at the clinic are just wonderful. The food on the other hand is not. :) Keep praying for us. We love you all and can't wait to be home. When I get another chance to come back and send another blog I will send pictures. If you want to e-mail me my address is dedrah@earthlink.net. Remember that I won't get it until I am at the hotel so be patient.
Much Love, Hugs and Kisses.
Dedra

I just got off the phone with Dedra and she sounds much better. I called earlier and she was sleeping, which was a good thing. While I was talking with her she put Haden on the phone and Hanna and I both got a chance to hear him talk back to us, so he sounds much better tonight. Dedra was feeding him some rice cereal and although his appetite was not fully recovered, he was eating a little. We need to keep seeing improvement and hopefully they will get some good news while we sleep tonight. I will call her as soon as I wake up in the morning and we should have something from the Doctors at that time.

Hanna had a good day with her friend Kayla. They played around and went to Kayla's horseback riding class. Thanks Jennifer for the picture. I think that she is ready for school on Tuesday. We will try to get her back into her routine.

It is 6 am in NC and I just got off the phone with Dedra. She had a rough day and was upset when I talked with her. Haden is still not eating and is having trouble getting enough oxygen between breathing treatments. There is now a possibility that they will not be ready for travel on Wednesday. She was going to the hotel to try to shower and change clothes and will call me back when she is there. Please continue to pray for her strength and Hadens recovery.