We're home from our trip and I thought I'd sum up our little travelog with some of the experiences we had with people's perceptions of our family. And just for fun, enjoy a photo of us with my paternal grandmother, taken at my in-laws' house. She's the proud grandma to 20 and great-grandma to 53, not counting any "on-the-way" kids. Amazing.

The Good:

Several times during our trip, people stopped us to tell us how impressed they were with our children and how well behaved they were. Our kids certainly aren’t perfect and there were a few moments on our travels when I contemplated climbing in a hole (going through the security checkpoints being the biggies – YOU try putting on 6 pairs of little shoes, plus your own, plus reassembling two strollers, plus getting your laptop back in the bag, babies back in the strollers, and 11 coats distributed to the proper owners) but for most part, they really were unbelievably helpful and patient. My husband and I were very proud (and grateful!) On our second flight, one flight attendant stopped and talked to me every chance she could, asking about our family and how we got them to behave so well. It went beyond small talk; she really wanted to know what plays I had in my playbook! And one morning after finishing our breakfast at IHOP, a woman approached us with tear-filled eyes and told us how happy seeing our family had made her, and that we were living out the unrealized dream she’d always had for the building of her family. Several people made positive comments about our multiracial family, about our family size and the fact that we’d adopted. I was especially grateful for the people who made nice and appropriate statements but didn’t pepper us with intrusive questions. These were the good experiences.

The Bad:

Because we had two strollers with us, we had to take elevators in the airport. On one occasion, we shared an elevator with a woman in a wheelchair who was being transported by an airline employee. She began counting our children, intentionally sounding more shocked as she went. Finally she said, astounded, “You have EIGHT children?!”

“Nine,” I corrected her, as we started to make our way out.

“I’m glad it’s you and not me,” she called after us, at which point my husband and I high-fived each other and quietly giggled, “Us, too.” ;) Then the woman told my oldest son our family belonged in a semi.

The Ugly:

Whilst stopping momentarily in the lovely town of Baker, California, on our way to Utah, a couple of – how shall I put it when I’d dearly like to use an expletive – “very bright and highly educated” young men screamed “White power!” with one of them hanging out the truck window and gesturing with his fist at my husband as they drove by. I was so shocked I could hardly even process what had happened. I felt as though we’d been assaulted. It’s truly the worst thing anyone has ever said to us.

Other than this one truly awful experience, we had a wonderful time and can't wait for our next vacation in June!