Dear friends and family,

Just thought we should check in with you and let you know we are leaving Iowa today. We have to pack, meet with our lawyer and take Rowan to Tina's by 5 PM. Then we head West.

Although there have been some pretty stressful points on the trip, being with Rowan has made all the difference. We haven't been this happy in a long time. And as much as we love and need Rowan, it is clear that he feels the same about us. His has been so happy, kissing and hugging us repeatedly, playing and letting us know in every way he can that he remembered us, missed us and loves us. He is such an amazingly smart, articulate, energetic and affectionate person. I will tell you more of the details when I get home, but for now I wanted you to know that the trip was worth all the struggle to make it.

We also had the opportunity to spend time with some friends we missed very much. The love and generosity of many of our friends both here and other places has really been a blessing.

Now the last hurdles. We have to let him go again. And then we have a 2000 mile drive through snow and ice, crossing two mountain ranges. When we drove out, the weather was pretty clear. After we arrived, a blizzard hit and we have been surrounded by large banks of snow, driving through icy and snow blocked streets and dealing with temperatures that included highs that didn't get above 0 degrees F, with windchills of 30-50 below. We have done our best to check the weather and it looks like the highways are clear. We even have snow chains we borrowed before leaving California. We will drive carefully and let you know when we get there. We hope to be home by Saturday.

Thanks for your support. I will write again soon.
Love, Dawn