Journey to Nola

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

I'm still amazed that another year has flown by. I'm learning what I had always heard is true; the older you get, the faster they go. But also, hopefully, another saying I've always heard is true; the older we get, the wiser we get. I'm believing that one too. I'm already thinking about how I can make next year's holiday's a little less chaotic. Even though I started shopping earlier this year than ever, I didn't finish until the last minute. Mark will never believe it when I say I'm going to do better next year. I'll let you know next year how I did with that.

We did receive some news about the adoption a short time back and I started a post but never finished it. I kept thinking I would have time to sit down and proof read..........ha! Since our news (that was actually 3 weeks ago now) nothing has happened. Even though the USCIS expected to immediately begin receiving names of cases, no one has gotten the call that their case is ready to proceed. Hopefully, now that the holiday's are over, things will start moving. There is the issue of a new president and new faculty and staff that will also potentially slow things down............don't you know..........there's always something. But I believe our good news is around the corner. Below is the post that never got posted and was written on Dec 14th.

It feels like forever since we've gotten any good news but it has finally happened! We were contacted by the USCIS on Monday. The e-mail stated the CNA had given them our case as one that they are planning to process under their new Acuerdo. We were given instructions to call in to a teleconference call today to find out about the process. The absolutely wonderful news is that our case now has a path to follow to completion. The not so wonderful news is we have no idea how long that path is. We were told that the group of families who were invited to join the call are cases that could be ready to process rather quickly. Not sure if they're talking my idea of "quickly" or CNA's but I really hope it's mine. The process will be initiated by the CNA so when they are ready to begin the final stages of our case, they will contact the USCIS, who will in turn, notify us. We were informed about the documents we will have to prepare when the USCIS contacts us and then were basically told to just sit tight until we are contacted. That'll be easy........... I thought I was bad at stalking my e-mail before! Now that I know we could get a notification at any time, I'll probably be tied to this computer!! The process sounds fairly simple. The CNA will require 5 items for our file:

1. a CNA application

2. current homestudy

3. photos of the inside and outside of our home

4. a psychological exam for both Mark and I

5. a copy of our I171H.

We are responsible for getting any written documents translated into Spanish before we can submit them. The psychological exam won't be cheap and getting a certified translator to translate the documents won't be cheap either but at least now we know there is a process to follow and our case will be included. I had been praying Nola would be home by Christmas. That's not going to happen but getting this good news during the holiday's is certainly a blessing! And now............we wait again!

I'm praying the new year brings good news for all of the waiting families! Let 2012 be the year that all of our children come home!!

Sending You A Little Christmas!

2011-12-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

Praying this is the last Christmas we spend without you home!

Thanks to my brother Jay and my nephew Trey for putting this together for me!

Happy 4th Birthday Nola!

2011-09-27T08:29:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Nola's fourth birthday last week end. It's so hard to believe four years have gone by! I know her special day wasn't recognized in the hogar. They do have a monthly celebration of some sort for all of the children who have birthday's that month.

I'm looking forward to the day when she can have her own party, and pick out what ever design she wants for her birthday cake and have her birthday wishes come true!

Maria has appointed herself the official candle blower outer.

But I know next year, Nola will take care of that job herself!

We're praying you home sweet baby! Happy Birthday!

It Feels Like It Might Be Hope!!

2011-09-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

We finally had some news last night, through a conference call, about the most recent trip to Guatemala by Senator Landrieu and her group. It sounds like cases, like ours, that have Certificate of Adoptability will be ready to process rather quickly. The CNA has released a Memorandum of Understanding which covers how the process will work and seems to have included most if not all of the stalled cases. I guess now we wait again to see how the process will actually function but for now I'm thrilled for an answer to prayer. We were told that the tone of this trip was completely different than the trips before. I know that was God at work. He softened the hearts of all of the officials involved which allowed them to see a way forward for these cases. The process is indeed in writing and ready to be put to work.

Thank You Lord!!!

"Hope has a way of turning it's face to you just when you least expect it.
You walk in a room, you look out a window and something there leaves you breathless.
You say to yourself, it's been a while since I've felt this
But it feels like it might be Hope!"

(Chorus of It Might Be Hope by Sarah Groves)

Waiting

2011-08-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

There have been moments in my life when I wished time would stand still...........and then, there is this moment. At this moment, I am so anxiously waiting to hear some news, any news, of the most recent meetings between the US and Guatemala concerning adoptions. The US group was in meetings in Guatemala Monday and Tuesday last week and arrived home one week ago today. Now tell me, how long should it take to gather thoughts, information, facts and statistics and put it all together into a message for the hundreds of families who are waiting???? In my opinion...............one week is plenty of time.

Could It Be, There's Finally Some Good News To Report???

2011-07-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

I may be getting a little ahead of myself here and I may be sorry for posting something that really hasn't been verified by anyone from our government...........yet...... but it looks like we may have something to celebrate on the adoption front.

The Presna Libre has reported that CNA has sent a proposal to the US Embassy in Guatemala outlining a way to process cases like ours. There are some stipulations stated. The case has to have been registered with PGN by 12/31/07 (our case was registered 12/27/07). There has to be proof of a bond with the child (no problem there). The case has to have Certificate of Adoptability and not be able to process under the old law. That's us!!!

I know I have gotten excited before just to be shot down but I can't help myself. I'm feeling hopeful again! The stipulations stated in the article will disallow some families from completing their adoptions and I hope this proposal by the CNA is just the beginning of a resolution. Many of those families have been in process much longer than we have so I'm praying there is going to be some on going talks between the two countries to allow all the in process families a way to bring their children home.

This news has been a long time coming. It's still really hard to believe and I'm not planning on things starting to happen very quickly (although I wish they would). Nola will be four years old in September................and we want her home!!

Please pray that the positive news continues to flow. Since my meeting with Sr. Valesquez in April, I've prayed that God would open his heart and show him a way forward for these cases. It's looking like that specific prayer is being answered! Thank you God!!

A "Magical" Vacation!

2011-06-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a wonderful week in Florida. Spent four days on our favorite Anna Maria Island and four days in Disney. Maria was in heaven!! She had a great time on the beach and she LOVED Disney. Seeing the expression on her face when she saw the castle in the Magic Kingdom for the first time was one of my favorite moments of the whole trip. Our little princess just couldn't get enough of the princesses. We had made arrangements for her to get her hair, nails and makeup done at the Bibbity-Bobbity Boutique and when we arrived for her appointment, they took her to the front window and she was the "display princess". She sat inside the big picture window and had her hair put up and her make up applied while passers by looked on. She was beyond thrilled! Then it was off to the castle where we had lunch at the Royal Table with the Princesses. She was living her little dream, all decked out in her sparkling Rapunzel dress, princess sash...........and tiara, of course.

Our week went by much too fast.

We celebrated Kyle's 25th, while we were at the beach, at a yummy sea food restaurant.....and no, he wasn't able to eat that entire dessert. Not even with help from his dad!

The weather was perfect, the water was warm and we couldn't have asked for anything better. I wish we could have reversed our time and had Disney first and the beach last so we could have had a chance to relax a bit before we headed home but it just didn't work out that way. By the end of our vacation we all felt like this:

Birth Mom Search Results Are In...

2011-05-18T05:31:00.001-07:00

...And it was just as we were fearing............or rather than fearing, I should say suspecting. The cedula (ID card in Guatemala) is a fake. Our birth mother's picture is on someone else's ID. We know what our birth mother looks like and we know nothing beyond that. Talk about a road block. I'm waiting to hear from our dear friend down there to know where we go from here.
We know we're looking for a small woman with black hair and dark eyes. Hmmm, anyone care to take that search on.....................in Guatemala?

Yes, it does seem like doors are slamming in our face at every turn. And yes, it would be very easy to give up but it's not happening! I'm more determined than ever to find a way forward for this adoption. I have faith and I believe our little girl is coming home.

Mt 17:20 ..."I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Happy 19th Birthday Kelsey!

2011-05-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Nineteen years ago, on Easter Sunday morning, God blessed us with our fourth child......and life has never been the same! Don't know where the time has gone but Kels just finished her first year of college. When she was little, an all too often visit to the shoe department would be her idea of bliss (if there was a purchase made) and today.........she's much the same way! One of her favorite past times is photography so I decided to use that theme for her cake. It's hard to see in the pictures but the camera on the cake is much like the real one she uses. The camera is made out of rice crispies and covered with butter cream icing.

Happy Birthday Kelsey!! Love you!!

Don't know for sure what kind of birds these are but they graced us with their presence one Saturday morning on their way to somewhere warm I'm sure.

They didn't stay long. I don't think they enjoyed having their picture taken.

Adoption news

I don't have a lot of news to share. The search for Nola's birth mother is going on currently. Mayra was hoping to have some news by the week end but we'll have to wait and see. The area where she has two men searching is a place that will be hard to access once the rainy season starts so we're praying for some quick results. We're also waiting to hear news from Senator Landreau detailing her visit over the Easter Holiday. As soon as there is something to report, believe me, I'll post it.

For now, please continue to pray and believe that everything that needs to happen, will happen, for us to bring our little Nola home. Pray for the men who are searching that they will remain safe and God will guide them to the area they need to go to find the birth mother.

Another prayer request. I've been praying for Byron Valesquez and would love for you to join me in covering this man with prayer. He is the head of CNA. He is the man who is leading the charge to find homes in Guatemala for the children who are already promised to adoptive families here in the US and beyond. I'm praying that God will soften his heart. I'm asking God to allow Sr Valesquez to recognize the bond the families have with these children and honor that bond by finding a way forward for these adoptions.

My trip in a nut shell

2011-04-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

Well, there were wonderful moments and heartbreaking moments. I met with the Consul General who was very kind and did her best to explain the problems they are having trying to deal with the Guatemalan government. I left the meeting feeling hopeful.

Then it was on to the the hearing. The hearing was cancelled. No notification, just cancelled. The judge no longer presides over the court. I'm not sure if she quit or why she is no longer there but no judge means no hearing. We left information so we could be notified of the rescheduling but I'm not sure that will happen. The hearing was my chance to see Nola and since there was no hearing, those hopes were dashed..........until I got back to the hotel. When I told Gloria about the hearing she got on the phone and worked her magic. Within two hours we were on our way to see my baby girl. The day could not have turned out any better. I have pictures but just don't feel comfortable posting them right now with the situation the way it is. Take my word for it, she's as beautiful as ever!

The following day I met with Lissette of the Foreign Ministry. She is very kind, took down our case information and offered to help in any way she can.

And now for the not so good news. We decided to go to CNA and just wait until someone would see us. Well, that's not all together true. We were at CNA at 9:00 and my taxi to the airport was coming at 10:30 so we were prepared to wait for an hour and a half anyway. After about 35 minutes we were called back to Sr Valesquez's office. He proceeded to tell me our case was terminated the day the judge issued the Certificate of Adoptability. He also said they are required to look for a national home for Nola. Talk about tears, wow! They did bring me a box of tissues and a glass of ice water.......if they had just brought me my little Nola, I would have said thank you very much and gone home!

So now we're really under the gun. I'm not sure how hard the US is pushing the Guatemalan government to honor the remaining cases. I'm praying if some sort of agreement is reached, it happens before Nola has been placed in a Guatemalan home.

So much for being "Grandfathered"!

We are now trying to locate the birth mother and yes, it will be quite similar to finding a needle in a haystack! Sr Valesquez told me if we find the birth mother, it's possible we can have the judge's ruling reversed and continue processing through PGN.

I'm just not ready to give up yet. I haven't fought all of this time to quit now. Until God reveals to me that her coming home is not part of his plan, I will continue to pray and believe that Nola's coming home some day. Please stand with me in that hope and pray our little girl home!

Latest News From The DOS

2011-04-01T13:49:00.001-07:00

Not sure where to begin this one. There just doesn't seem to be any good news to tell. We had a conference call yesterday with the DOS, USCIS, some other officials but I can't remember who they were and I don't really care. I'm sick (literally) and tired of being strung along all this time. Basically we were told yesterday that there are 27 cases like ours with the CNA. We are grandfathered cases and the Guatemalan government will process our cases but only after exhausting the possibility of National adoption. In other words, the CNA will try to find a Guatemalan family to adopt Nola first and if they can't find one, then our case can proceed. Thank you US Government for all of your support on that move! When we were told the news, it was very matter of factly, no words of encouragement, no promise to try and encourage the Guatemalan Government to see that these children already have loving homes to come to and there are so many children in their hogars who need families. No, basically, the facts were stated and then they moved on. Not sure what was said during the rest of the call. I was dumbfounded! How can they say we have "grandfathered status" yet make those of us with CNA process under the new law? It makes absolutely no sense! Welcome to the world of International Adoption. When it works, it's wonderful but when it doesn't, it's heart breaking. I'm leaving to head down to my home away from home on the 10th. The judge had scheduled a follow up hearing for the 11th that I will be attending. I'm sure I won't be able to sit in on the hearing but at least the judge will know that I'm there and I may be able to speak with her after. I have a meeting with the Consul General before the hearing and a meeting with the Foreign Ministry the following day. Believe me, this is one momma who is going to plead her case, probably through a lot of tears but..............that's me! I know that it isn't over yet. I know, if it's a part of God's plan, Nola will still come home. I also know this is getting to be almost more than I can take. Please pray. Pray that our little girl is going to have a loving family. Pray that no matter if her home is here with us or with a family in Guatemala that God will watch over her and protect her. Pray that God will give me the strength to get through this next wait cause, wow, it's going to be rough! This is a picture of my new mother's ring. I've always wanted one but could never find one I liked until now. Nola's birthstone is third from the right. It looks black in this picture but it's a Sapphire. She's my baby girl. She will always be my baby girl. Even if she never comes home to live with us she will always be in our hearts.

But I'm still praying "Please God, bring her home to us!"

Laura Story - Blessings My New Favorite Song

2011-03-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

Maria's Tangled Castle Birthday Cake

2011-03-07T10:07:00.001-08:00

Well, I wasn't sure at first how I was going to accomplish the latest birthday cake wish but after looking at several finished products on line, I came up with my plan. I used an old Wilton separator set that belonged to mom. I'm not sure if it's even made any more but it's the one with the center post that goes up through the tiers. I made a 14" lower cake and a 10" upper. I started with a batch of rice crispie treats to mold the spire for the top of the castle. I let that set while I iced the two cakes.

I iced the roof in butter cream and used fondant cut into little rectangles to make the shingles and fondant for the small spire over the balcony and the balcony wall.

After I had the top decorated, I formed two more batches of rice crispie treats into two halves to make the tower.

I should have let the two halves set longer than I did because the tower kept wanting to slump down as it set. I ended up wrapping a piece of plastic wrap around the tower to make it stay tight and hold where I wanted it.

I iced the tower with butter cream, decorated it with some vines and flowers and it was finished!

Maria was very pleased with the finished product! Although, as I was decorating, she did let me know when I wasn't making it quite like the picture.

She had a wonderful birthday party with all of our family here.

Happy Birthday Little Princess! We love you very much!

Happy Birthday Maria!

2011-03-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

I can't believe she's seven years old today!

Oh how she loves sparkles........and crowns........

so what can be better than a sparkling crown!!

Happy birthday sweetheart!

The birthday party (and cake) will be Sunday. I'll post and let you know how

I come up with a Tangled Castle.

It should be interesting;)

Valentine......

2011-02-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

.... You Melt My Heart!!

We finally got around to making the melted crayon hearts for valentines day this year. It was really a lot of fun! Maria loved making them........almost as much as Kelsey did;) We got an assembly line going. Maria and I picked colors and pealed crayons while Kelsey cut the crayons into pieces and filled the molds.

The finished product.

These two get along like a couple of battering rams sometimes

but they really do love each other.

Happy Valentines Day!

A Valentine Letter To Nola

2011-02-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

The Guatemala 900 has asked each of the waiting families to write a Valentine letter to their little one. They are hoping to bring a new awareness to our struggle. A new valentine will be featured on the Guatemala 900 site each day of February. This is my letter to Nola.

To: Nola

From: Mami

I want you to know, every moment of every day, you're in my heart.

In the morning, before I even open my eyes to see the light, I think of you.

I wonder if you're an early riser or if you love staying snuggled

in your bed until the last possible moment.

Through the day, little things turn my mind to you.

When I'm picking up your sister's toys around the house, I wonder,

do you have a favorite toy you like to play with? or a favorite color or outfit

you like to wear? Do you like to have your hair brushed and fixed or

could you care less about such things?

It's sad that I'm your mami and I don't know the answers.

When the night comes, that's when I think of you most.

When the house is quiet and there are no distractions, I pray for you.

I pray that someone in the hogar holds you close and kisses your little cheek each night.

I pray someone looks into your sparkling eyes and marvels at the

special little girl you are.

I pray that someone loves to hear that little squeal in your laugh

almost as much as I do.

But most of all, I pray that the time comes soon when we can bring you home,

when we can hold you close and never let you go

and make sure you know how very very much you're loved and adored.

We all love you and miss you so much sweetheart

and we won't stop working until you're home where you belong.

Te amo mi hija!

Yet Another Disappointment!

2011-02-04T06:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we received the long awaited update from the USCIS. There was no information in the update that we didn't already know. I guess it confirmed data. We waiting families are getting to be a pretty close knit group so when someone gets out of PGN, we all know. When someone receives the date for their Embassy appointment, we all know. So to read those statistics in the update, as if they were some sort of revelation, was disappointing to say the least! During our phone conference with Ambassador Jacobs, we were lead to believe we would find out "how many cases could be completed in X amount of time" and "what path those cases would take to completion". There was no mention of any of that.
We were told that the working group in Guatemala is meeting once a week and the Embassy is in close contact with the working group. Well gee, now that makes me feel all warm and cozy!
Maybe, just maybe, there is work going on that isn't being shared. I hope that's the case, otherwise, it looks like what we received in December were more empty promises.

The link to the update: http://adoption.state.gov/guatemala.html

Believe It Or Not!!

2011-01-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

I couldn't decide if I should post the following or not. I have to admit, if I had heard this story from someone else, I would probably not believe it but I didn't hear it from someone else.

I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES!

I was on my way home from Praise Team practice Monday night, around 9:00, about a half mile from home when something caught my eye. The road was slick so I was driving slowly and off to my left something dark was moving. When I looked closer, I saw a very large dark colored cat (I'm not talking a kitty cat here). He was moving up a small embankment and into a field. All I saw clearly from the headlights were his back legs and tail. His tail was very dark colored with even darker spots.

I put on my breaks but, of course, my car slid on the ice. I kept my eyes on the cat and watched him walk a few yards and then turn around and look at me as I tried to back up and get my bright lights to shine on him. The brights were no help. They just bounced off the snow on the embankment and I couldn't see beyond it. When I turned them down, I could no longer see the cat. I couldn't imagine a cat like that around here!

Tuesday morning, after I took Maria to school, I went to the place where I saw the cat and got out to see if he left any prints in the snow and he did!!

Don't think I would want to mess around with those claws! I came home and called the sheriffs office to let him know what I had seen and to ask what it might have been. He told me what I had seen was probably a panther! A PANTHER!!! That puts a little fear factor in the idea of back yard camp outs! I had no idea cats like that were anywhere near here but the sheriff said they have had confirmed sightings of bob cats, cougars and panthers in our area. The bob cats have been reintroduced by the DNR to the area because they were native here and were hunted to near extinction. I'm not sure where the cougars and panthers came from.
I know, it's probably something I'll never see again but believe me, I'll be lookin'!

From Our Home...

2011-01-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

......To Yours,

(or maybe I should say "From our yard to yours")

Wishing you a Bright and Blessed 2011!

Can't wait to experience all of the joy in store for us in this new year!

This photo was supposed to be the cover of our Christmas cards this year.

Downloading it to our computer was as close as it got

to becoming a Christmas greeting.

Oh well, it made a fantastic New Year blog post pic!

Happy New Year!!!

It's Christmas Time Again......

2010-12-26T18:22:00.000-08:00

...........and you're not home.

This song, even though it was written about a family waiting for a child from China, felt like it spoke to every family waiting for a little one to come home. No matter where you are in the process of adoption, the holidays without that little one home are so difficult. Although I shed many sad tears while I listened and longed to have Nola home with us, those tears turned to hopeful tears at the end of the song. I'm praying this is indeed the last Christmas that we will spend without our little Nola home. And if you're waiting, like we are, just know you're not alone. My prayer is that 2011 will be a year of waiting families being united with their little ones in outstanding numbers!

I know, it's been a while........

2010-12-04T19:10:00.000-08:00

......I just haven't had time to blog in what seems like forever! The last time I left you was just after the spider incident. Blah, I don't even want to let my mind wander back to that. Well, the car was repaired in about three weeks and looks as good as new! Kelsey was happy to have her wheels back and we have to give Dad a big Thank You for letting us borrow his truck for Kelsey to drive back and forth to school during the repair time.

Halloween came and went since I last wrote. Maria was a little butterfly. She enjoyed getting her face painted and Trick-or-Treating.

Audree was a little lamb, a very adorable little lamb I might add;)

Most of my time, the last several weeks has been spent on a remodeling project. We decided, with the crowd we were planning on having for Thanksgiving, we needed a place big enough to seat everyone. So we rolled up our sleeves and began finishing a room in our basement. Of course the job took longer than I had expected but turned out very nice.

Here is the before picture.

A during picture.

And the finished room.....complete with tables and decorations. It was so nice to have space to all be together and not be crawling on top of each other when we needed to move around.

We invited a dear friend of ours from Guatemala and her two children to be our guests the week of Thanksgiving. We thoroughly enjoyed their company! We didn't do a lot of extra things. They were just a wonderful addition to our family for a week.

Gloria giving Audree a snuggle before dinner.

Daddy carved the turkey as he traditionally does......and passed out samples to a lucky few who happened to walk by.

Gloria and Fredy posing behind the spread before we blessed the food and dug in! They were amazed at how much we eat!!!

Luis and Marcela and their kids were able to travel from North Carolina to join us. The Reyher clan was here too. We had a full house!

Gloria, Isa and Fredy helped us decorate our Christmas tree

Maria kind of stuck to Fredy like glue but he was a good sport about it. He even let her join in some of his soccer practice time.
We were truly blessed to be able to share such a special time with our family and wonderful friends!

We have so much to be thankful for!

I've never had an affinity for spiders......

2010-10-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

.....in fact, I can probably say I loath spiders. They're creepy! I know they have their place in the "great circle of life" but regardless, they make me shiver. But,come on now, how much trouble can one spider cause????? Well, I'll tell ya, a whole heck of a lot! The other morning, Kelsey was leaving for school. She was backing her cute little Toyota Solara convertible out of the drive when she felt a spider crawling on her. She immediately jumped out of the car. Did she take the time to put the car in park first? No! She realized that when the open door hit her as it was rolling off the back of the built up turn around area of the drive way. Being the athlete she is, and not wanting her beautiful car to roll into our pond, she jumped back into the car (which was still in reverse) and slammed her foot on the break, at least that's what she meant to do. By mistake, she slammed her foot on the gas and you can probably all see what's going to happen next. The door was still open, it hooked on a near by tree which spun the car around causing it to hit several other trees. Every side of her car has damage! Unbelievable! Thank God, Kelsey is fine! I really don't know the fate of the spider, nor do I care. The car, on the other hand, is in need of a major repair.......to the tune of $4,764.00. I didn't think to take pictures before it left on the tow truck. It was all such an unbelievable experience, it never crossed my mind that I may want some sort of photographic memoir to commemorate the occasion. But now that we're a few days past the event and we can all laugh about it......sort of, it would have been nice to have a picture just to prove exactly how much trouble one spider can cause;)

Look at that Smile!

2010-09-22T10:13:00.001-07:00

As you can see, we kept the Tooth Fairy pretty busy last week! This child's speech has gone from, difficult for strangers to understand, to kind of tough for Momma to understand ;) but we're managing. The only difficulty for her has been eating an apple. She was happy to report this week that she can feel one new tooth coming in already so apple eating should be back to normal soon.

Friday was our little Nola's third birthday. Maria blew out the candles and wished for Nola to come home soon. I had planned to make Nola a doll for her birthday. I have the image of it in my head. The problem is getting that image to translate into something three dimensional. I'm having a bit of a rough time. It's actually making me quite aggravated. I just want a sweet faced, cloth, soft sculptured doll that's going to hold up to the abuse of a toddler. So far, I have three heads laying on my dinning room table (the first one looks like ET) and I don't like any of them. My plan was to have it completed by last Friday. At the rate I'm going, I might have it ready for her fourth birthday. When I finally get it right, I'll post a picture......along with all of the failed attempts.

Everything has been quiet on the adoption front. There has been no news from the recent meetings. I was hoping this week would bring us some news but it's not looking to be the case.

Now, for a confession. I hope you have noticed the chocolate ticker on the right of the blog. I have gone an amazingly long time without chocolate...............well...........until Saturday. This is going to sound really stupid but I didn't even realize I did it. We went to the Corn Festival Parade (a real happening time around these parts). You know what happens at parades. They throw candy to the kids. Maria had a bag full and I reached in to get a piece and pulled out a mini tootsie roll, unwrapped it and popped it in my mouth. Later that day, Mark, Maria and I were out shopping and Maria offered me a piece of candy. It was a tootsie roll. I took it and started to unwrap it when Mark said "uh, Pammy, that's chocolate!"............I just looked at him while a wave of guilt washed over me. I couldn't believe what I had done. I even went as far as to check the ingredient label and there it was...........cocoa. Oh my gosh! He asked if I had eaten any others and I said yes, one. If it hadn't been a couple of hours earlier that I had eaten it, I might have gone to the bathroom and stuck my finger down my throat. That's how upset I was. To me, a tootsie roll isn't chocolate but now I know, it sure is. So to those of you who have joined my chocolate fast until Nola comes home, I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to fall off the wagon and if you want to take this opportunity to do the same, feel free. It was just a momentary slip (if I had planned on cheating, it certainly wouldn't have been with a tootsie roll. I would have gone for the good stuff!) Please know, I'm serious about this. No more chocolate until Nola comes home! But we're going to have some Chocolate Party when she gets here.

2010-09-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I left Guatemala for the twelfth time.........without Nola. I'm sure you know, I had no expectations of bringing her home this time but coming home each time and leaving her behind is heartbreaking! Mark and I signed a new POA and met our new lawyer. He wasn't exactly full of uplifting or encouraging words. Actually, he asked us how long we were prepared to wait and told us it could take a very long time. Now, I don't know about you, but I thought we had already waited a "very long time"!!! He was just being honest with us. He said he had no idea what might happen if and when our case goes back to PGN. He said if PGN required more investigations, it could take a long time. I'm not sure what PGN could possibly want investigated again but if I've learned anything from this journey, it's not to second guess PGN. They do what they want, when they want and in their own time.

We haven't heard any news yet about results of the meetings between Colom and the other government officials who have our adoption fate in their hands. I'm still praying Colom says that all cases will finish through PGN.................and be expedited! Hey, I'm praying BIG! I really think all of the pending cases have been investigated forwards, backwards, upside down and sideways! Just let these kids come home!

Can't let this post close without a big "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY" to my sweetie!

31 years today!! Love you Mark!

IS TIME STANDING STILL?!?!

2010-08-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

If I said I had been a bit edgy since Thursday (the day of the big meeting) it would be a huge understatement! I knew it would be several days before we would hear anything but that doesn't make this wait any easier.
Mark and I have decided to head down to Guatemala over the Labor Day week end and sign new POA. Our original lawyer announced he didn't want anything to do with finishing our case and I don't want to deal with his assistant who had taken over our case. He's quite the money hungry mongrel! We're stepping out and doing what we feel is best for our case and best for Nola. Mayra has gotten everything she needs from our original lawyer's office with exception of a copy of the birth mothers POA but I don't think she will have any trouble getting that. The fee the new lawyer will charge is very reasonable and he is someone Mayra has worked with and recommends.
We're praying the results of the meeting will send our case from CNA back to PGN to be completed. If indeed that happens, our quick trip to Guatemala will hopefully speed the POA process along and enable our new lawyer to jump right in and be ready to represent us as soon as things begin to move.

More Good News On The Horizon!?!?

2010-08-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

I heard from my friend Mayra last night. She and I have both been waiting for a response from Sr. Enrique Valesquez at CNA about whether or not our case will be able to continue. Sr Valesquez did tell Mayra that it would not be necessary for me to make another trip to Guatemala right now and that he would respond to an e-mail. Mayra and I both sent him e-mails and are still waiting for a response. But last night Mayra sent me this message:

I went to CNA yesterday with another family, they told us that right now they are having meetings and there is a huge possibility that PGN will finish all pending adoptions, this is not official, but they hope to have a final decition within a couple of weeks. We will take from there. That is why they are not answering to us, everything is in hold.

Blessings

Mayra

Hope is alive!!!

It's Official....

2010-08-19T10:28:00.001-07:00

.....all of the i's have been dotted and the t's have been crossed. Joshua and Alison are Audree's legal parents! The hearing was August 12th and I don't think there are two happier parents in the world right now. The kids had a baby dedication during church and a celebration lunch right after church this past Sunday. It was a perfect day!
I had a hard time trying to decide on a design for the cake but was pleased with what I finally came up with. I had all kinds of trouble trying to get my little bear to stay together. I ended up leaving the back arm and leg (that you can't see) off, and it was fine. I'm not a fondant master................and not sure I want to be.

This week brought another bit of official business to our home. Maria is officially a Kindergartner. Today was day three. Day one, she was up and out of bed and dressed in a surprising amount of time. Day two, she was a little more sluggish. Today, day three, I dressed her while she was sleeping. It was like dressing a big rag doll. Now that's the Maria I know and love. She loves her sleep! Hopefully she will adjust to that early morning rising soon. If not, I may be thinking about devising an automatic child dressing machine. You know, one of those contraptions that a child could be placed in one end and when they come out the other, they are completely dressed, hair and teeth brushed, shoes and back pack on and ready to go out the door. Oohhh, I might have to get working on that. Oh well, one more day and she'll have the week end to sleep in and catch up on her late morning sleep that she loves so much.

Posing for her first day of school.

There's a Buzz in the Guatemala Adoption Circles...

2010-08-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

....and boy, am I praying the rumors are true!

OPTIMISTIC NEWS FROM GUATEMALA
Guatemala Minister Counselor Fernando de la Cerda is returning to Washington, DC today after an intense 10 day trip to Guatemala which included 2 meetings with Guatemala President Alvaro Colom. Fernando is reporting significant progress in finding solutions for moving the adoption cases of the Guatemala900 forwards towards resolution. Fernando's efforts in Guatemala also included individual meetings with the PGN, CNA, Court of Appeals, MP, and with his own Department of Foreign Ministry.
On Monday, July 26th, President Colom hosted a meeting with the highest level officials from the PGN, CNA, MP and several high level lawyers. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss adoptions, including the resolution of the grandfathered cases. The same group along with the Deputy Secretary of Interior and high level officials from the SecretarÃa de Bienestar Social (SBS) convened again on Monday, August 2nd and will do so again next Monday, August 9th. Fernando reports that President Colom was sympathetic to the children who are in limbo and spearheaded discussions with the other officials about how cases can start to accelerate towards resolution. Fernando is optimistic that end result should be some significant measurable progress in the coming weeks and months.

The Guatemala 900 group posted this information last week and I'm sure everyone involved is on the edges of their seats as we wait to see what happens next. Our problem is, we aren't sure if our case is still considered "grandfathered" since the judge sent Nola's file to CNA. The Childrens Issues department of the DOS seems to think we have lost our "grandfathered" status and would now be processed as a new case. I'm not sure how the last almost three years of our process could be tossed aside and forgotten but our DOS doesn't seem to be putting any effort into figuring that out. The Guatemala 900 folks, on the other hand, are of the opinion, "once a grandfathered case, always a grandfathered case". I like the way they think better. For now, we just wait and see what happens. I would really like to look back through this blog and see how many times I've written that phrase......."we'll just wait and see what happens".

I did get a message from the lawyer at CNA stating it would not be necessary for me to come back down right now and that he would respond to an e-mail message from me. Mayra sent one and I did the same including information on our case and pictures. Mayra also just got the "golden ticket" from our ex-lawyer's office allowing her to retrieve our file and dossier from PGN and take it to CNA as proof of our grandfathered status.

Please continue to join us in praying that all of the children who are stuck in this unfortunate situation are united with their forever families soon!

We also owe a big THANK YOU to the Guatemala 900 organization whose tireless efforts seem to finally be paying off.

THANK YOU GUAT900!!!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig.....

2010-07-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

......sort of. We didn't come home with quite the spring in our step. Ole Montezuma has a fierce hold on Mark, a lesser hold on me and Kels and Maria seem to be faring quite well. To make matters a bit worse, poor Dawson has the same problem Mark and I have. Not sure what caused his. I thought at first, he was just maybe a bit nervous because we weren't here with him for a week but,now that we're home, it doesn't seem to be correcting itself. You can imagine, a big dog, in the house, with the runs, equals a big mess..........and a stinky one too! Yuck!!!

Sorry! Back to the trip. What a fantastic trip it was and an equally fantastic group of people to share it with. We began in Guatemala City arriving Friday afternoon and staying in my favorite hotel, La Casa Grande. We had Friday afternoon and evening and Saturday free so the group mostly rested up and did some shopping and a little sight seeing. Sunday morning, the real journey began. We left the hotel at 8am bound for the orphanage on three school buses. The drive was a winding bumpy one that lasted about an hour. Unfortunately, the streets of the village weren't made for school buses to travel but where there's a will, there's a way. Our drivers were great!

When we arrived and the gate was opened, the children of the orphanage were all lined up, name tags on and ready to go to the zoo. Unfortunately, they wouldn't allow pictures in the orphanage so you'll just have to imagine that scene.

I'm still not sure how many kids we took. There were 14 orphanage staff who counted the kids and went with us and kept track.........sort of. We were originally told 100 children would go to the zoo. Then the number changed to 130, and then we were told 30 children from each of four different hogars would be going. You can do the math, that would be 120 but when the kids were all loaded on the buses, the assistant director said to me, "100 children". Now if it hadn't been for the fact that we bought 50 bottles of water and told the children two of then had to share one bottle on the way home but we ran out before all of the kids had water, I might have believed that 100 count figure. I'm inclined to believe we had closer to 120 kids.

Our bus carried all boys. One of them asked if we could pray before we left so Gloria led the group in a prayer in Spanish.......the perfect way to start our excursion.

What a day! We started our time in the zoo with Pollo Campero lunch for everyone. The kids loved it! It was really a treat! I had gone the day before and ordered the lunches and paid for them so the restaurant was ready for us and they did a fantastic job of getting the food ready and out to us.

With the food gone, it was off to see the animals. The plan was for the kids to "stay in a line" with the orphanage staff spaced throughout the line and our group also spaced throughout. I'd say the line lasted about................5 minutes max. At first, I panicked. What would happen if we lost one of them?!?! But it all worked out fine. Eventually, we all made our way through the zoo and back to the buses.

The trip back to the orphanage wasn't without incident. One of the buses broke down so the occupants of three buses were combined into two but we snuggled up and made it the rest of the way back.

Before the boys got off the bus, Hector, a 14 year old who was sitting with Kels and Alex, said he wanted to thank us for such a special day. He said he would remember it for all of his life. Of course, I cried. To think such a simple thing, a trip to a zoo, had such an impact on a young man.

We unloaded the buses and had a quick tour of the orphanage, where we got to see our little Nola for a few minutes, then it was back to the hotel.

Monday morning we were off to Antigua. Our plan was to visit Kairos Christian School which was started by our friend Mayra Garcia's family. Mark and a couple of the younger men of our group went ahead to Kairos School while the rest of us received a tour of a public school. Our youth minister Tim did an awesome job of leading in some skits to entertain and educate the kids. We met with several different classes before we joined the guys at Kairos for lunch.

Mayra's 72 year old mother cooks for the children every day and she cooked for us as well.

We spent the rest of the day with the kids at Kairos. Tara lead the kids in some praise songs in English and then the kids sang one for us first in Spanish and then in English. It was Open The Eyes Of My Heart. A serious goose bump moment! Absolutely precious!

The kids leave at 3:00pm each day and so did we. We headed back to our hotel where some of our group braved the downpours and did some shopping. Most of our evenings were rainy unfortunately but it didn't stop the die hard shoppers.

The next morning it was back to work. The guys continued their construction help. Tim's group went to another public school. A couple of the teachers of our group led some English classes and a few of us painted a mural on one of the walls of the school. The students of Kairos had decided on a mascot of a sheep before we arrived. So we painted a sheep on the wall with the first few words of the 23rd Psalm. The painting was hard on a rough concrete surface but it turned out pretty well.

We signed our work with our church logo and the date. Another day done! It was back to our hotel for our last evening in Guatemala.

The next morning, some of us did some last minute shopping before heading back to the Guatemala City airport.

We owe a huge thanks to so many people. First of all to our church, Shelburn First Baptist. So many people gave so generously to make this dream trip become a reality.

Thanks to Gloria from La Casa Grande for getting our buses arranged for our zoo trip and for the correspondence back and forth until we finally got clearance from the director of the orphanage to make our zoo trip.

And another thank you to Mayra. She arranged for our transportation to and from Antigua and our hotel and meals while we were there.

God has blessed us with wonderful friends in Guatemala and He blessed us with an amazing trip!

Thank you Lord!

I wasn't able to get a meeting with CNA while in Guatemala this trip. Mayra is going to continue to work on that for me.

Nola's Hearing

2010-07-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've sat down several times to post an update but have just had too many things going on. I left Thursday morning to drive to Chicago (4 hours) to catch a flight to Guatemala. I arrived in Guatemala at 11pm Thursday night. My hearing was Friday morning at 10am. Mayra's husband was having some medical procedures done Friday so her brother picked me up to take me to the hearing and her sister went to be my interpreter. I took my camera because I knew Nola would be there and I was looking forward to getting pictures. Of course, when we went through security, they took my camera away and locked it in a cabinet. They told me cameras were not allowed in the court. I should have known but the fact never crossed my mind. We went on up the stairs and when I got to the top, I saw my little Nola. I squatted down as she turned around and saw me. I held out my arms and said Yo su mami (that was my best attempt at "I'm your mommy" in Spanish). She came running to me, wrapped her little arms around me and held on tight! What a beautiful feeling! I instantly started crying. I'm talking boo hoo crying. I'm not sure how long we held on to each other but when I looked up from our little embrace, everyone who was looking on was crying too!

Mayra's sister went to the desk and asked permission for me to come in to the hearing and in a few minutes, the clerk came back and said the judge gave permission. I was completely surprised, thrilled and nervous at the same time. Nola and I sat down to wait until we were called into court. I took a little doll for Nola and I pulled it out of my bag. She grabbed hold of it and loved it. I don't know if she'll actually be able to keep it for her own once she's back at the hogar but at least she knows momma gave it to her. I also had a little package of cookies from my flight that I had saved so I pulled those out and she scarfed them down.

Then it was time to go into the hearing. The hogar assistant took Nola from me before we went in. We all took our seats around the table and waited for the judge. After checking who was present, the judge instructed each one to speak in short sentences so my interpreter could interpret for me (another total surprise). Each person around the table took turns delivering their report and soon it was my turn to speak. I wasn't at all prepared so I spoke from my heart. I told the judge from the moment I heard Nola's name, I loved her and even though the paperwork didn't say so, she is my daughter in my heart. I told her our entire family loves her and wants her to come home. I said I know there was some problem with the paperwork but that we had done everything we were instructed to do and neither we nor Nola had anything to do with that problem and shouldn't be punished for it. I said even though the hogar was doing their best to care for her, Nola needs a family to care for her and love her. She needs a mommy and a daddy to love her and that Mark and I are ready for her to come home so we can be a family. I also asked for her to be moved back to a foster home until our process was finished so she could receive the attention she needs. Of course, I cried through my little speech but I did the best I could. The last one to speak was the PGN representative. She reported that they found the birth mother who was listed in the paperwork. The woman denied having a baby and the PGN took her word for it. There was no DNA test done for proof. It was just accepted as fact. The judge accepted each persons report and was ready to make her ruling. She said since the woman who is listed as Nola's birth mother was not, in fact, the birth mother, the birth mother's cedula was not going to be accepted as part of the process. And since they established that the woman who was listed as Nola's birth mother was not her true birth mother, that voided Nola's birth certificate. Nola's birth certificate was also not able to be accepted as part of the process. Since every other document in the process was based on the those two documents, the judge said she was going to have to declare the entire file of notarial documents invalid. She ordered that a new birth certificate be drawn up for Nola listing parents as unknown. The more she talked the harder it was for me to hold back the tears and soon it was impossible. She declared Nola adoptable. That sounds like good news but Nola is now adoptable by any Guatemalan family. Currently, there are not procedures in place for International adoptions to process in Guatemala. She also said the CNA will now oversee Nola's adoption and the CNA will be in charge of choosing the family for Nola.................more tears. The judge asked if there were any arguments (legal arguments) and since there were none, the judge dismissed us. We walked out into a waiting area to wait for the judges official to type up a summary of the hearing and give each of us a copy. While we were waiting the orphanage director came to me and said she was sorry but that since CNA is now in charge of Nola and they are a government agency, she could not allow us to take pictures of Nola...............uncontrollable boo hoo tears! About that time my lawyer came up to me and said he needed his money. The man, who I don't care much for anyway, picked the wrong time to talk to me about money. I went off on him! In a very loud voice I let him know if he cared for our little girl even half as much as he cared about his money, we might not be in the place we were in. I told him he was not to speak to me of money again. Just so you know, we have an agency who is supposed to deal with such matters and he knows that. Anyway he walked away from me and left me alone. He probably thinks I'm a crazy American woman but really what he thinks of me doesn't concern me in the least. After that little episode, I was called into a room with the PGN representative and the door was locked behind us. She told me she overheard the lawyer asking me for money at the last hearing, which he did. She told me my lawyer knew what the outcome of the hearing was going to be and he knew after the judge ruled on my case I wouldn't need him anymore. That was why he was so anxious to get his money. If our case gets accepted in CNA, we won't need a lawyer. The PGN official instructed me not to pay the lawyer another penny. She then told me to go to CNA and talk to them and make them aware of our relationship with Nola. Then the judge's official gave my interpreter a paper with the name of an organization who is helping families in the situation that we are in. I could feel God throwing me a lifeline. We left the room and the CNA representative came up to me and told me to make an appointment as soon as possible with the CNA and go speak with them about our case and our relationship with Nola. She said "no guarantees" but she obviously thinks it could help us...........more hope! We went back to the waiting area and the orphanage director came and whispered that when we get outside, we can take pictures. She got permission from the CNA rep. Again, I felt God giving me a little boost. We finally received the copies of the hearing proceedings and my passport (which they took to make copies of) and we were ready to leave. I got my camera back on my way out and I had a very few minutes to take pictures because I was already running late for my flight home.

Mayra is going to the CNA for me Monday and trying to get an appointment for the time when we are back down there with the church (which is just three weeks from now). I'll be going prepared with a new little photo ablum full of pictures of us with Nola. I'm going to make sure they understand, I'm not giving up. I'm looking at this as a bump in the very long road to adopt our little Nola.

I really shouldn't be surprised.........

2010-06-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

.............but today was just another in the long list of disappointments with our adoption. Our hearing was scheduled for 9am this morning. First of all, my interpreter didn't show up to take me to our hearing. Not sure what happened to her but I'm sure she has a legitimate explanation. I ended up taking a taxi to the court where NO ONE spoke one word of English. If I have learned anything from this experience it's that I really need to work on my Spanish! I know enough to understand that Nola was sick and not going to be able to be present at the hearing. Since Nola wasn't there, the judge would not proceed with the hearing. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me but that's the rules down here. Anyway, we have another hearing scheduled for July 2 at 10am.

My lawyer says it's very important for me to be here so I'm cutting this visit short and coming back next week. I have a copy of the document that the judge gave to all who were present that says in bold letters, she will make a ruling at this hearing.

Please continue to pray for a favorable ruling. It's getting harder to stay positive especially when nothing seems to be going our way.

Catchin' up through pictures

2010-06-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

I've become quite the slacker lately. So to make up for lots of lost time, I'm just doing a quick recap of the last few months through pictures.

Happy 18th birthday Kelsey!

We didn't have our usual family get together at our house due to lack of time so we headed down to our favorite after church restaurant one Sunday and celebrated Kelsey's birthday.

Then it was prom time!

Kelsey looked absolutely lovely and Alex was quite handsome!

Kels, Kyle and Maria.......My Three Homebodies

Maria and her dance class all dressed up for the recital.

She had such a wonderful time and did a great job!

Here I am with my first little graduate of the year. Yes, Maria graduated from preschool this year. Now we're on to Kindergarten in the fall.

And my second graduate of the year..........Kelsey and a group of her friends just before

their graduation ceremony.

We had Kelsey's graduation party here at the house. We learned one very important thing.........we need a bigger house! We had a great time celebrating Kelsey's accomplishment.

Congratulations Kelsey!

During Kelsey's party, Mark noticed several bees flying around Maria's play set. We found out we had a swarm of honey bees that decided to make a new home under the floor slats of the play set. We called a bee keeper and he came and rounded up between 1 1/2 and 3 pounds of bees, including the queen, and took them safely away. If you look closely in the picture, you can see several bees flying around. They had just started to make some honeycomb that was attached to one of the slats. Amazingly, not one sting out of that whole mess!

One sharp looking bike!

Mark had some custom work done to his bike. He had a fairing added, hard bags and a

trunk. Now, if we can just find the time, we're ready to hit the road!

Maria is becoming quite the little fish. She's about to wear her daddy out!

"Throw me up again, daddy, throw me up again!!!

Maria and her buddy Ella had a great time at the Indy zoo last week.
They are looking at one of the hundreds of butterflies at the butterfly exhibit.

Beautiful!

This was the first time Maria had the courage to pet the sharks in the petting tank.

The girls had a great time (and so did the moms)!

Now, I think you're officially caught up, at least until the next time I slack off.

Ahhh, Finally Home!!!

2010-06-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

It was a rough journey but they are finally a family and home where they belong!

Joshua, Alison and little Audree Suzanne. The smiles say it all.

Audree was bored with all of the fuss and would much rather have been sleeping but of course we all had to pass her around and take turns snuggling;)

Aunt Anna with Papaw and Daddy Josh looking on

Aunt Kelsey

Me...........Granny............oh, I love saying that!!!!

And Papaw getting his turn.

She is a beautiful baby and we are so thankful that she is now a part of our family.

Thank you God!

And Now, The Best Update Of All...............

2010-06-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

.........it's official..............Josh and Alison are officially parents!!! Praise the Lord!!!! Thank you all for all of your prayers. We won't get to see the little princess until tomorrow. I'll post some pics then. For now, we're doin' the happy dance at the Lane household!!!
Woo Hoo!!!!!

UPDATED UPDATE!!!!

2010-06-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, a healthy baby girl made her debut this morning shortly before 10am. Josh and Alison were there for the delivery and Josh got to cut the cord. Although the birth mother is saying now, that she wants to go through with the adoption, there is a wait time of 24 hours before she can sign the adoption papers. We'll continue to pray for God's guidance for the birth mother and patience and courage for Joshua and Alison as they wait through what will be the longest 24 hours of their lives.

Hopefully, tomorrow, I'll be making an official birth announcement and claiming the title of "Granny" once again!

Thanks for your continued prayers!

UPDATE!!!!!

2010-06-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

What a difference a day makes!
As I'm typing, Josh and Alison are at the hospital with the birth mother (at her request). She is in labor, a few weeks early. Please continue to pray...........for a healthy baby, for the birth mother to make the best decision for herself and her baby, and for Josh and Alison as they wait to see what the birth mother's decision will be.

I'll keep you posted.......

Needin' All Prayer Warriors Onboard

2010-06-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been since the first of May since I last posted and even longer than that since I posted any family news. I'm soliciting your prayers to cover my son Joshua and his wife Alison. After waiting for such a long time to start their family, Josh and Alison received a call a few weeks ago that they had been chosen by a birth mother to be the adoptive parents of her soon to be born daughter. Of course, with guarded hearts, they began making plans to be parents. They attended Dr. appointments with the birth mother and had been helping her out with living expenses. Yesterday, their hearts were saddened when they got a call from their agency stating the birth mother was having second thoughts and it wasn't looking good for the adoption to proceed as planned. The baby is due in three weeks so there is still a possibility the birth mother could reconsider, but that's not looking likely. Please remember Joshua and Alison as they work their way through this disappointing news together. And remember the birth mother as she struggles to make the best decision for her unborn child.

Mothers Day Petition!

2010-05-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Guatemala 900 has written a petition to be delivered to the First Lady of the United States and the First Lady of Guatemala. Please sign the petition and show your support for the many children in Guatemala waiting to be united with their forever family's.

http://www.gopetition.com/online/35925.html

It only takes a few minutes and hopefully, as the petition states, we'll make this the last Mothers Day we waiting mom's will spend away from our children in Guatemala.

What a day...............

2010-04-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

................and I chose today to wear make up!!!! If I had known what the day held, I would have definitely gone makeupless. Mayra picked me up at around 9:00 and we headed to PGN. Our investigator was in a meeting. We waited for probably two hours before we could speak with her. Then the fun began............(sarcasm). The first thing the woman told us was that the judge had no say in whether or not we could complete our adoption but that it was up to the CNA and the CNA already had their list of adoptions to complete and basically ours wasn't one of them. Of course at that point, the tears started to flow. Then the other woman in the office spoke up and said the first woman wasn't exactly correct but that if the birth mother was found, she could claim Nola or any family member could do the same (we already knew that). But then they told me that our attorney didn't show up to the first hearing in August and that the judge probably assumed we were not interested in completing the adoption. They said we were no longer part of the process. They apologized for the fact that our lawyer has been lying to us and giving us false information.............more tears..........and anger! They told us we should go speak with someone in another office who could possibly help so we went to ask for directions to that office. The secretary we spoke with (Sonja) told us it would do no good to talk to the people in that office and she told us to go try to speak with the judge. We were planning on that anyway and Sonja gave us directions. We were off to see the judge. That was an adventure in itself! After finally finding the building, it was up four flights of winding stairs and I think each step was a different height.............and me in heels.............what was I thinking?!?! Anyway, we finally got to the right floor and the right area and waited for about an hour for someone to come back to the office and found out we were waiting to speak to the wrong person. We finally got to speak to the official (who is under our judge) who has our file. It took her a bit to find it but she finally came back with a file that was at least 3 1/2" thick! No kidding! Mayra told her what PGN had told us and she started looking through our file. She showed me the report that our lawyer had written after the hearing and proof that he was there representing us. She told us that we are still part of the process and showed me all of our family information in the file. She just shook her head in disbelief about the info we got from PGN. She filled out a form with my name and the date and time and a note stating I was there and still wanting to complete the adoption. She had me add my signature to it. She made me a copy and put the original in our file and said the judge would be interested is seeing that I was there. I had put together a little photo book of Nola with us and took it with me. They all loved looking at it and they placed it in our file too. She told me that the judge will make a ruling at the hearing in June and it would be good for me to come. Just in case our lawyer didn't show up, I would be able to go into the hearing and represent our family. She was so nice and so helpful and certainly turned what had started out as a rotten day into a great one!

Mayra has already got me penciled in for June 24 at 9;00. She will accompany me to the hearing. As long as our lawyer is there, I will probably not be able to be inside during the hearing, but we can wait outside and it will be good for the judge to know I'm there.

I'm so glad I came! Mayra has such a heart for the children and families who are stuck in this mess. She is truly a gift from God.

I fly out tomorrow at 12:55. It still feels wierd being here by myself. I can't wait to be back home!

Thanks for all of your prayers and please, keep them coming!

Another Stamp In My Passport

2010-04-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

Hello from beautiful Guatemala. I arrived yesterday and am all ready for my day today. I'm dressed up (including heels) and I have make up on........yes, me with make up on;) Certainly not in my comfy zone but I'm going all out today. This morning, Mayra is going to pick me up to go to PGN to check on the investigation. Next we're going to the judges office. Mayra couldn't get an appointment for us so we are going to sit and wait for the judge to talk to us............could be a long day.

I'm all alone on this trip so I should have plenty of time to post this evening and let you know how the day has gone.

Inviting your prayers!

Seeing The World Through New Eyes!

2010-04-03T17:56:00.000-07:00

At her last Dr appointment, Maria's Dr had her do the generic eye test. I covered one of Maria's eyes while the nurse pointed at the black shape of a sail boat and asked Maria what it was. Maria responded "it's a house". Of course the nurse and I just looked at each other. She pointed at the next shape, which was a star. Maria called that one a triangle. So we switched eyes and got about the same result. I was beyond surprised! The Dr suggested we have a regular eye Dr test Maria's eyes. We found out she has a great deal of astigmatism in both eyes.
She's had her beautiful PINK glasses for about a week now. She wears them all of the time and doesn't complain. That shows me she can see much better with them than without them. And she looks just adorable in them!

Kels helped her color Easter eggs today. Ya, Kelsey was helping Maria, but she was having a good time too;)

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

MARIA REALLY NEEDS HER LITTLE SISTER TO COME HOME.......

2010-03-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

......so she'll have someone else to play princess dress up with..........

Poor Dawson!

Just a couple of updates:

*I'm still resisting my chocolate cravings. In fact, I have some days I don't think about it much.

But there are other days.................... I don't know how many bags of Hershey Candy Coated Eggs Mark has put away......(and by put away, I don't mean placed somewhere for safe keeping). He loves those things! I have to admit, I do too. I knew the Easter candy season would be tough but so far so good!

*There is starting to be movement for some cases in the final stages of the adoption process. That's good news for all of us. Even though nothing will happen for us until after our court date in June, it's good to know some cases are starting to be processed again.

I have made plans to go to Guatemala next month. I have a woman who is going to make an appointment for me to meet with our judge. I just want her to know, we're not giving up. I want her to see my face and associate it with one of the many files she has stacked on her desk. I'm also planning on going to PGN to remind our investigator, June is right around the corner, and he needs to get that investigation finished. Maybe I'll find out it's finished when I get there..............probably not, but maybe.

That's all for now.

Please continue to remember the kids in Guatemala, and their waiting

families, in your prayers.

THE CASTLE CAKE WITH PRINCESSES ON IT, WATER AROUND IT AND A MERMAID IN THE WATER..........WHEW!

2010-03-08T06:32:00.000-08:00

Well, my Saturday, that I had hoped to dedicate to cake baking and decorating, didn't go quite like I had planned................what a Surprise! Kelsey had a track meet she forgot to tell me about. Of course, it had to be an hour away and one of those that lasted most of the day. We left home at 10:00am and got back home at around 4:30pm. I didn't get started baking until around 7:00 and finally got to bed at almost 5:00am Sunday morning...............but the cake was done!

I started out with two 12" square cakes and a 10" stacked together. I had baked the 6" but it was cooling so while it cooled, I started on the towers.

Each tower was 11 chocolate chip cookies sandwiched together with icing and then covered all around with icing. I cut the corners of the cake off so the towers would fit against it and I stacked and iced the cookies on a pancake turner to make it easier to move while I iced them and to put them in place.

I topped the towers with cakes baked in a Wilton pan that is used to make the dress of small doll cakes. I would rather they had been more pointed and I was going to shape them that way, but when the time came, I decided they were fine the way they were.
I finished icing, placed the princesses and Voila! It was done!
Maria loved it! Unfortunately, for me, she's already planning her next year's cake

Now if you're wondering what happened to the mermaid, well, I wasn't real happy with the way she turned out so she didn't receive a front and center placement. She is, however around the side, in the water, leaning against one of the towers.

It was a lot of work but a lot of fun. If you have a little princess in your house who wants a castle cake, Wilton has a castle cake kit with all of the little pieces and parts you need to make a princess castle...............................but where's the challenge in that?

Another Year Past!

2010-03-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

Our little angel, aka little devil.............aka little princess..............aka little artist................aka little fashionista...................aka little bull headed bundle of energy (yes, she's all that and more)
turned six years old on Tuesday! It's hard to believe so much time has past. It's also hard to believe by looking at her (because she's so tiny) that she's six years old! But she is so proud of the fact "I'm not five anymore!"

I'm finally starting to believe Kindergarten may be an attainable thing for her next fall. She's come a long way in her language skills (although she still has a long way to go). Other Kindergarten ready skills are starting to show themselves and I'm hoping with some work over the summer, she'll be up to speed.

We haven't had her birthday party yet. That will happen on Sunday when all the family can come. She wants to have a princess theme (not a surprise!). She also has her cake all planned out. She's requesting a castle, with princesses on it, a mote around it and a mermaid in the water of the mote. I mean, come on...............no problem right?!?! What ever happened to a regular cake with candles? The Cake Boss..........that's what happened. She watches that show with Kelsey and now she thinks anything is possible. Well, you'll have to check in next week and see what kind of concoction I come up with.

To be continued.........

Ah.......A Much Needed Distraction!

2010-02-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

After a couple of very busy weeks of work and several weeks of feeling down about how things are moving in Guatemala, Mark let me know he had the week end off and was planning a special surprise for Maria. Knowing how much his baby girl loves to romp and play in the snow, he decided we needed to head down to Paoli Peaks to spend the day snow tubing. Maria didn't know where we were going, just that Daddy had a surprise for her. We loaded up the truck and hit the road. After asking for probably the twentieth time "Are we there yet?", she gave up and she and Monkey snoozed on the trip down.

It's about a two hour drive on some twisting turning roads ,which she would have enjoyed had she been awake. Probably the closest thing to a roller coaster she'll get for quite some time. I don't know if she'll ever be tall enough to meet the height requirement to ride a real one. Anyway, it was a perfect day. The warmest we've had for a while. It's a little expensive but we had such a good time. Listening to her squeal with delight on the way down the hills was absolutely priceless!

I don't know how many times she said afterwards "thank you so much for my surprise............it was so fun!"
It was what we all needed, to get away and just have some fun. Yes, even me, the one who sooo wants winter to be over, had a good time in the snow. I might even be fine with one more trip down there before they close for the winter ;)

What a great idea for a fun day daddy!

Uh Oh....

2010-02-11T12:22:00.000-08:00

....I think someone forgot to tell my daffodils that Punxsutawney saw his shadow last week!

It looks like my Spring bulbs are just as anxious for Spring as I am. At least the sun is shining today. Even though the high temp is only 25 ((((((brrrrrr)))))), there is no wind so it isn't such a biting cold. Who knows, maybe the daffodils know something ole Phil doesn't;)

Lets hope so!

Adoption news: The PGN had no news other than they are working on the investigation. I was hoping for more but at least our lawyer sent someone to check. That's more than has happened in a long time.

Waiting for the Snow...

2010-02-05T04:52:00.000-08:00

It's remarkably quiet in my house this morning. Mark and Kyle have gone to work, Kelsey has gone to school and Maria is still snoozing at 8am. I don't know what that poor girl is going to do next year when she has to get up for kindergarten every morning because unless I wake her up, she'll easily sleep until 9:00 or 10:00.

Our weather forecast is for 4 to 6 inches of snow which should be starting any time but right now we just have rain. I am so ready for winter to be over! I'm good with cold weather at Christmas time. A white Christmas is the best, but one good snow is all I care for and then I'm ready for Spring! Unfortunately, my personal likes and dislikes don't seem to affect the weather.

I've neglected my blogging lately and decided this morning would be a good time to get caught up. We all got together a few weeks ago to celebrate our December and January birthdays. We have several in those two months: my brother Jay, our little punkin boy Riley, my son-in-law Tim, my nephew Trey, my nephew Caleb, my daughter Anna and my Dad.

We had a surprise party for Daddy at Church on his actual birthday. Seventy-five years deserves special attention so we invited some friends and had finger foods and watched the Colts win their playoff game on the big screen TV that Jay brought in for us.

SURPRISE!!!!

Dad was certainly surprised and we all had a good time.

Joshua and Alison came over to take Maria sledding in the back yard after our last snow. You see, they had a great time so there is absolutely no need to have any more snow.

Woo Hoo!!! Look out belooooooow!!!!!

We headed down south to Evansville with Lisa and Ella to a get together with the SIFTGA group for a play day at Walthers indoor golf and fun. One dollar was all it cost for the girls to climb around and play all day..........money well spent! They had a blast! Thanks for organizing it Becky!

I've taken so many pictures of our sweet little Riley lately that haven't made it into blogdom. Here's one of my favorites. What a sweet boy!

Now for adoption news.........................uhhhh, there's really not any. Our lawyer has decided it would not be too much trouble to send someone to PGN to check on the status of our investigation. Wow, how kind of him! We were hoping to hear something last Friday but as usual, that didn't happen. Hopefully we'll get some kind of news this week.

Please continue to pray for all the children still stuck in process in Guatemala. The country is hoping to reopen adoptions in the summer for older and special needs children. The adoptions will be part of a pilot program and the countries involved have not been chosen yet by Guatemala. I pray if the US is chosen, our government will do something to advocate for the children already in process before they begin the new process.

And last but certainly not least.......................I'm still chocolate free! Amazing!! Unbelievable actually but so far so good!

6 Days Down, ??? To Go...........

2010-01-07T06:10:00.000-08:00

............... A few years ago, the term "emotional eating" didn't register with me. I couldn't understand the concept of a person turning to food as comfort. What kind of comfort can food give you? Well, I'll tell ya. Over the last two years of this insane roller coaster ride of an adoption, chocolate and I have gotten to be really good buddies! Now tell me, please, how ridiculous is that?!?! I get no emotional support from chocolate. I get no friendly advice from chocolate. No. All I get are extra pounds...... lots of extra pounds.............thirty to be exact! I'm not stupid, chocolate has never helped me solved a problem. It hasn't helped me deal with all of the disappointments in our adoption. It hasn't helped me at all! But it is absolutely scrumptious.......unbelievably, indescribably good! It has unfortunately taken me much too long to get to this point, but I've decided to give up chocolate. Yes, you read that right. I'm giving up chocolate. I committed to that on January 1st and so far so good. I know, it's only been 6 days but for me that's unheard of. It's not a New Years resolution. I've never been much into resolutions. I'm giving up something that I dearly love in an effort to get my heart, mind and body back where I should be. About a year ago, I fasted from all food on Mondays. I used my Mondays to pray and meditate. I committed to food free Mondays until we got some good news on Nola's case. I don't remember how long the fasting continued but it was several months. Some Mondays were not so tough and some were very difficult but regardless of the discomfort, I had made the commitment and was sticking to it. Now, back to the chocolate. How long can a serious chocolate loving gal live without chocolate? I guess that remains to be seen. I'm committing to eating no chocolate...............until Nola comes home. In reality, I'm probably looking at, at least, a year. With our hearing still scheduled in June and facing the reality that the PGN is not in any hurry to approve the cases it has, I'll be surprised if Nola is home this time next year. Just writing and reading those words is enough to sadden me tremendously but not discourage me. I'm turning my heart and mind where it should have been all along. Each chocolate craving will remind me to seek comfort and direction in prayer. Our heavenly Father is always there for me and for all of us and wants us to bring Him every care. He will comfort me and the good news is, I won't gain an ounce from it. It is certainly going to be a challenge. I'm going to have to retrain my mind but I'm up for it. I am loved and adored by a God who created me; a God who deserves my praise and who is always with me. He expects me to come to him in all situations so He can reassure me and uplift me................that's something Chocolate can't do.

I'll keep you updated as to how I'm doing. I am, however, allowing myself one type of chocolate and that is Hot chocolate and the occasional chocolate flavored coffee drink. Hey, it's my own personal fast so I can make up the rules, right? Hot chocolate isn't something I have often. On those bitterly cold winter days (like we've been having lately) it does seem to warm me up better than hot tea so I'm not removing it from my diet. And the coffee drinks, I only have on occasion so I certainly won't be abusing the fact that those two things will remain legal consumables.

Better Late Than Never!

2010-01-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

We finally got around to taking our family Christmas picture. You know, the one most families take well before Christmas and then make it into a Christmas card. Well, first of all, I didn't send Christmas cards this year...........no....not even one! And second of all, I've never been on top of my game enough to get the annual picture done early enough that it could be turned into greeting cards. The picture has always been for me. I just like to look back through the years and see how our family has changed and grown. I've decided at the point we are now, there is no need to have a Christmas tree as the background to our photo. Even though we have a nine foot tree, only the very tip top of it shows in a picture when we're all in front of it. But it's tradition. Another tradition seems to be Mark threatening to take the tree down the day after Christmas and me holding out for the time when all the kids can come over to get that all important photographic memoir. Maybe taking our family Christmas picture after Christmas is my way of keeping the tree up just a little bit longer. One year, the tree was still up on Valentines day. I just love a Christmas tree, always have and probably always will.
I was going to start taking the decorations off today but instead, I sat down to write this post. Darn, I guess the tree will have to wait until tomorrow.........or the next day;)

A Look Back At 2009 at OneTrueMedia.com

2009-12-31T19:37:00.001-08:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

UP AND DOWN AND ROUND 'N' ROUND

2009-12-22T04:32:00.000-08:00

As a child, I loved a carousel; the calliope music, the beautifully painted horses and the way I could get lost in an imaginary world as I was carried round and round in a never ending circle. Today, the thought of spinning around in circles is enough to make my head hurt but adding the up and down motion to the mix would surely cause an upper GI cleansing, if you know what I mean.
Our adoption is a bit like a carousel ride lately. We seem to be going in circles. I'm up one minute, down the next and it is beginning to make me sick! My meeting with the new lawyer in Guatemala was unusual. He offered to get Nola out of the orphanage (for a price of course) and he also offered to let her live with him and his family. That offer made me go hmmmmm. It sounded odd to me and a little uncomfortable. I think he sensed my uncertainty in that proposal and told me he and his family had fostered many children in the past and he and his wife were adoptive parents so that made me feel a little better. When I asked him what we would need to give him for foster care expenses, he said whatever we wanted to send would be fine. He also told me what he thought it would take (the amount of money) to get Nola's hearing moved up. We talked for about 45 minutes and then I was left to consider everything he had to say. He was very kind but there was something about him that just didn't feel right. I did my own investigation and didn't find any negative information about the man. The thought of getting Nola out of the hogar was so tempting and he said he could get that job done quickly (within a couple of weeks). Even though my gut instinct was saying "don't do it", my heart was already dreaming of the time I would be able spend with Nola during visits if she were with a foster family. I had talked myself in to it, and Mark agreed we could pay his fee.

After deciding we should have some sort of contract drawn up, I contacted the lawyer one more time to get all of the numbers straight. Well, that's when things began to change. Foster care went from "what ever we want to send" to $500 per month and the amount to get the hearing moved up doubled. I've read too many stories of families who got mixed up with lawyers who charged fees on top of fees and we can't afford to be one of those families.

So for now, we're stuck waiting again. I'm praying our original lawyer will miraculously grow a conscience and get himself motivated to push PGN to get their investigation finished. Even if the judge won't move the hearing up, at least we could know the outcome of the investigation and know if any birth family has been located who may want to raise Nola. If no family is found, there is no reason why the judge shouldn't allow the process to proceed (not that she seems to need a reason to hold things up).

Family News

I have been terrible at updating lately. So many family moments have passed without proper blog attention. I almost don't know where to start.

Our sweet Riley celebrated his first birthday! That seems unbelievable to me. Of course I had to make him a barn cake. He was born into a farm family so it was only fitting.

Mark and I decided (at the end of November) to put down hardwood flooring in our living room, dining room, hallway and master bedroom. The process was much more tedious than I had planned and took longer than I had planned. Tim and Jay chipped in and helped to speed the process along. The end result is absolutely beautiful!!! I couldn't be happier. I wanted a rustic looking wood with knots and lots of color variance. We put down a natural finished Walnut and it's perfect! We were going to get braided rugs to put down in some areas but I don't want to cover up the wood!

Since the house was torn up with the hardwood installation extravaganza, we had to put decorating for Christmas on hold until just this past week end. That's certainly not the norm at our house. Usually the Christmas decorations come out the day after Thanksgiving (and if I had my way they, would stay up until Valentines Day ;)

Our annual candy making day was yesterday. Wow, there is a table full of stuff and there are still some things we didn't get made. Maria and Dawson kind of slowed things down a bit this year. I felt like I just got things going and would have to stop to take the dog out or rescue him from Maria's clutches. He actually could eat her up if he wanted to. It's a good thing he's such a good sport.

I'll have to post some pictures later. I still have Christmas shopping to do, although I'm so far ahead of normal, it's almost comforting.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Pictures Say It All!!

2009-11-22T05:06:00.000-08:00

Shortly after I published the last post, Maria and I were eating breakfast when Gloria came in and said "we are going to the hogar in 30 minutes and we can stay for two hours". Oh my gosh!!! I wasn't ready! I still had on my nasty clothes from yesterday, hadn't brushed my hair (or my teeth) and had no way of doing that since I didn't have my luggage.....no deodorant (and it's hot here) but oh well.........we were going! Gloria got us permission to come and visit and then to return first thing Monday morning just to deliver the stockings.

The visit was wonderful! The kids are beautiful (including one very special snotty nosed little girl) and they are just starving for attention! I would guess there were between 40 and 50 kids from age 4 and down outside playing when we arrived and just 4 women trying to be care giver, referee, booboo soother and play partner. An impossible task! They do their best but the odds are a little overwhelming. It took Maria a few minutes to adjust to being mobbed by so many little ones but soon she was right in there playing and having a good time. She didn't recognize Nola so I had to point her out. We had had several talks about not being able to spend all of our time with Nola so as not to call attention to our relationship with her. Maria was great! She talked with Nola for a few minutes, I got a few quick snapshots, then she came over to me and said softly "we have to bring baby Nola home soon momma". I had to hold back the tears (not an easy task for me). The time went by much too fast and we had to leave. As we walked out, Nola was eating a bowl of pasta of some sort and when we walked past, she offered me a handful. I wish I had had my camera out at that point, but I didn't.

She had on mismatched shoes. She wasn't very clean but she is talking quite a bit and played very well with the other kids. As hard as it was to see her like that, I wouldn't trade those two hours for anything.

Now for news on our case. Thursday, I went straight from the airport to PGN. What an experience! Mayra took me in, talked to all the right people and after several hours, they finally found our file. It was in a stack of files that "no one is checking on" said the PGN official who finally found it. He said if the lawyer doesn't come to check on the case, the file sits with nothing done. They work on cases that people push them to work on first. He told me the judge had ordered them to try to locate family who may want Nola. He said if the investigation is finished and they find no family, our lawyer could ask to get the court date moved up. The investigation has to be finished and it hasn't been started yet, thanks to my lawyer who isn't doing anything with our case. To say I was unhappy was a severe understatement! Today at 3:00 I'm supposed to meet with a different lawyer and see what he can do to help us. We'll see how that goes.

Please keep praying! This process is so hard on these poor children! Little Kinsey is having a very hard time this trip. She wasn't feeling well, which didn't help the situation, but the longer this process drags on, the harder it is on her and all of the children. We have to pray them home!!!

I'll try to post after speaking with the lawyer.

Ah, You Know What They Say About The Best Laid Plans...

2009-11-20T06:16:00.000-08:00

...and it is oh so true. I haven't posted because our Internet has been down, but I'm in beautiful Guatemala right now. The weather is lovely, I'm all settled in at the hotel. The problem is, my traveling buddy and her son (who flew on a different airline) are stuck in Atlanta!!!!! Brittney and I were supposed to arrive yesterday and hit the ground running buuuutttt, things don't always work out like we expect. Hopefully she will be arriving today at 2:45 after spending the night in a crappy hotel with no luggage and no way to get anything she needed. There were major problems at the Atlanta Airport yesterday. But today is a new day.

Maria and I are here with Christmas stockings to deliver to the children at Nola's orphanage. We were supposed to go this morning and take them but I had so much luggage, I gave two of my suitcases to Brittney to bring. One of the suitcases has 75 stockings and the other has things to put in stockings and my and Maria's clothes and our bathroom bag...........in Atlanta. I don't even have a comb to put through our hair. Good thing we're staying at our home away from home (La Casa Grande). Fredy and Gloria don't care if we look a little shabby. Gloria is going to call the orphanage this morning and see what would be another time we can come. The kids at church have been collecting items to fill stockings with and last Sunday night, they stuffed them all. It was so fun to watch them. They truly had a good time knowing they were giving to children who didn't have anything.

We made and wrote names on 135 stockings (Thanks Alice and Kelsey). That was a job but I know the kids will be so appreciative. I wish I could be here to see them on Christmas day. The director is going to hold the stockings until then. Each stocking had a Beanie Baby (Thanks Jay) a coloring book, crayons, some candy, assorted small toys and some had socks. We also had some special gifts for the babies. They will get cute little blankets, a onesie, a pacifier and a rattle or teether.

One nice cheesy shot before the chaos begins and then.................

.........it's grab and stuff time.

A job well done!!

I'll post later about what I found out on my trip to PGN. Maria needs momma to take a computer break.

Where Has This Month Gone?

2009-10-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to hold out and wait for some adoption news before posting but this month's going to be over..........and there is no adoption news to be found.

Soooooooooo, I'll catch you up on family stuff.

Our little puppy Dawson is not so little any more. At his vet visit last week, he weighed in at 22 pounds, on his way to 45. The vet told me we could get a good estimate of his full grown weight by taking his twelve week weight and tripling it. He weighed 15 pounds at twelve weeks, so it looks like we're going to have a small horse living in our house. That's OK, I love big dogs! Maria just loves him to pieces and the two of them waller the daylights out of each other.

This picture is probably a month old. He's grown a lot since then!

Kelsey's high school volley ball team had a fantastic day this past Saturday winning their sectional. GO LADY ARROW'S!!! The Regional is this Saturday. It's hard to believe Kelsey's volley ball days are almost over. We've all enjoyed cheering on the team. She had her Senior pictures taken last week. We got a sneak peek at just a few of the shots and they're fantastic! As soon as we see them all and make our purchase, I'll post some. I guarantee you'll agree with me, she's just beautiful!

Of course, no Sectional victory is complete without a cruise around the square on a fire truck!
I also had my big day last Saturday and it didn't hurt a bit! Yep, you guessed it, I turned the big "50". For those of you who are dreading that milestone, I'm here to tell you, it doesn't feel any different than 40 or 30 for that matter. The only difference is I'm carrying around a whole lot more weight than I did at 30 and I can't seem to get motivated to do anything about it.

I had some "big dreams" of being fabulously fit by the time I hit 50 but dreams don't accomplish anything on their own. I have yet to put any muscle behind those dreams so right now I'm a frumpy, flabby fifty, but I'm not giving up on myself. One of these days, I'll get myself in gear and then............Look Out!

Well, I wrote this on October 28th but didn't get around to posting it so here are the updates. Kelsey's team won their first game of the Regional but lost in the championship game. She was very disappointed but they lost to a very good team in a close match. Now she's on to training for track and preparing half time dance routines for the up coming basket ball season.

Two Years Today!

2009-10-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me to believe that it's been two years since we received our referral of Nola. As difficult as this time has been, there are some families who have been waiting much longer, years longer in fact. Those of us who are left in this mess live from one anticipated date to the next. Unfortunately, for many of us, those dates come and go with no resolution in our case. I've been exceptionally angry lately. I know I look at this process logically and not so much through the eyes of the law. It's hard to see anything but logic when the law seems to be ever changing. Orphanages are over crowded and the children left "in process" are all around the age of two years or older. That means if a birth mother had changed her mind and wants to parent or if she wants to announce that her child was taken from her illegally, she has had at least two years to come forward and state that fact. It angers me that no one seems to be speaking for the children. How many times do officials have to check and double check and triple check paperwork? How many studies have to be done showing the ill effects of institutionalizing children for extended lengths of time before someone says "enough is enough"! Obviously, nothing is making an impression on the judges in Guatemala.

Last year, at holiday time, I was feeling blue that Nola wasn't going to be a part of all the family fun. But I just knew, it would be our last holiday season without her................................

This year, I'm not sure how many more Thanksgivings or Christmases are going to pass before she comes home. Honestly the reality is too difficult to consider. We're waiting. Not patiently waiting, not quietly waiting, just waiting. Waiting and praying for God to clear the way for our little girl to come home.

Happy Birthday Joshua!

2009-10-07T05:38:00.000-07:00

Today is the birthday of my first born! I can't really say that it "seems like yesterday" but I do have some very vivid memories of that day........Phone calls to our parents in the middle of the night announcing "it's time"..........The fear that Mark was going to miss the whole thing!!!!! (upon arriving at the hospital, the nurse announced that since it was my first "it's going to be a while")...............WRONG!!! After she examined me, she quickly called the Dr and they wheeled me to the delivery room (yea, back in the olden days, you had to go to the stainless steel delivery room to give birth..............not real comfy and cozy!). Mark had gone out to find my mom and dad to tell them to go and get some breakfast because the nurse said it was going to be a while. He just barely made it back in time!

Joshua wasn't only our first child, but the first grandchild on both sides of the family! Yes, he was showered with lots of love and attention.

His early childhood did have a considerable bump when he was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 7. He endured three years of chemotherapy along with radiation and dialysis. That was a very rough go, but he came through triumphantly!

He and his wife are now waiting on the referral of their first born. What an exciting time! I can't wait to be a granny again!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSHUA!!

Josh, with a couple of buddies he made on our last trip to Guatemala

Unbelievable...............

2009-09-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

...............it's started......................ALREADY!!!!!

You know that time of year, preceding Christmas, when it seems like every TV commercial is advertising the newest and best gotta have it toy. Maria is buying right in to it! This morning already I've been called in for a Pillow Pets commercial, a Dora DVD commercial but the last one was the best one. Maria called, "come 'ere Momma, hurry". I came in to see a Huggies commercial playing. Of course, I was wondering what was coming next when she said "just wait...........watch...............watch". The commercial showed how Huggies diapers are cut so they are better fitted to an active toddler, all the while a little one is running and the daddy is running after him. At the end of the commercial there is a close up of the Huggies package and the Daddy's running foot steps right beside the package. At that point Maria speaks up "right there! I want those running shoes". I had to laugh..............................and then turn off the TV.

I also wanted to share how our family is growing..............

We have fourteen baby water turtles that have hatched over the last week. I dug up the nest when I thought they would have hatched only to find out they hadn't hatched yet. We (I should say I) brought them in the kitchen and kept an eye on them. I absolutely loved watching them!

Below is our first hatchling in Kelsey's hand. She named him Dimitri. Not sure why the name, I guess she thought it was a fitting name for a tiny turtle.

This little guy just couldn't decide if he wanted to come out into the world or not. It took him a few days to finally make up his mind.

Turtles, turtles everywhere! We're down to eleven now. Three little guys have found new homes with most of the rest of them spoken for. What fun! I've thoroughly enjoyed them! They're just adorable....................in my opinion;)

Feliz Cumpleanos Nolita!

2009-09-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe our little Nola is two years old today! It makes me sad to think no one is celebrating her special day with her. Last year at this time, we were in Guatemala with presents and cake, of course. When we left, I certainly never imagined she would still be there today.

We had a conference call with our agency, the other four families still in process and our lawyers. The only positive information we were given is that mid October is election time in Guatemala and it's possible our judge will be replaced. That would certainly be to our advantage, since our current judge seems to have no regard for the children. I guess it would only be to our advantage if her replacement has a place in his or her heart for the children and families waiting to be united.

Our lawyer did petition for permission to check on Nola on a regular basis. He cited a Guatemalan law in his petition that gives him the right to have contact with her. We'll see what happens.

My prayers are going to be directed at our judge. I'm asking God to soften her heart. Her actions are currently keeping families from being united. Her lack of compassion is sentencing children to countless days in orphanages. Our lawyer said it best today when he said "she doesn't seem to care that there is a child connected to all of that paper work". If it's God's will for her to be replaced in the coming elections, I'm sure she will be. Until then, we have to pray that she has compassion on the children and families who have upcoming hearings.

We're going to have a lot of catching up to do when you finally get home little one. What a party that will be!!! But until then we'll just have to send you love and kisses from afar.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOLA!!!!! We love you!!

INTO EACH LIFE A LITTLE RAIN MUST FALL

2009-09-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

"And I wonder,

Still I wonder,

Who'll stop the rain."

The blog title is a Longfellow quote. The opening is part of the chorus from a CCR classic.

Why the reference to rain? Cause I think we're in the middle of a stinkin' MONSOON!!!!

Not literally , of course, but in the case of our adoption the rain just seems to keep on falling.

We heard from our agency yesterday. The judge with our case has set a new hearing date.

The new date is June 24, 2010! No, you did not misread that. It's June 24, 2010!!!!!!!!!

I was disappointed after the hearing in August, but disappointment doesn't even come close to describing how I feel now. I think numb is more like it. Angry, frustrated and

dumbfounded also come to mind. There is nothing anyone can say to make me believe

our judge has the best interest of children in mind when making her decisions. This is purely political! What a shame that helpless children are the victims in this mess.

I could rant and rave on and on but my anger wont accomplish anything. I just had to vent and now I have to find a way to channel my anger and frustration into something positive.

Nothing is going to make me stop fighting until we bring our little Nola home...................No

matter how long it takes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No matter what they throw at us baby, we're not giving up!

Another Longfellow quote:

“Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody."

I'm ready to do some knockin'!!!!!

30 YEARS..........WOW!!!!!!!

2009-09-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!!!!

30 years ago today, Mark and I were married outside by the pond at Taylor Chapel in Farmersburg, Indiana. We were very young, very "thin", very naive, and ready to take on the world (or so we thought). Today, we aren't so young, although we still feel like we are. We certainly aren't thin (or I guess I should say "I'm" not thin) but we're better equipped, emotionally and mentally, to take on the world. We have grown and changed and through our life together we have learned we are so much better together than we could ever be on our own. We have five kids (waiting on number six) and one grand child (waiting for more). (Do I sound like someone who's always wanting?)

To celebrate our milestone anniversary, Mark and I took off Friday morning on the bike for Cumberland Falls Kentucky. We probably took every winding, uphill, downhill, paved road between here and there (Mark's favorite way to go). The weather was beautiful (on the way down) and we had a great time riding. Saturday morning we headed for the falls. WOW! Absolutely Beautiful!

Cumberland Falls is the only falls in the Western Hemisphere where, during a full moon on a clear night, the moon light creates a moonbow through the mist of the falls. Unfortunately, the skies were cloudy Saturday night so viewing the "Moonbow" was not an option. Even without the moonbow, the park and the surrounding area are a must see. We stayed in Corbin Kentucky, birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and yes we did have some KFC while we were there.

The tobacco fields and the black tobacco barns were more of my favorite scenic views. The patchwork quilt block paintings in the gables of the barns were a call back to a simpler time when life was slower and maybe less complicated.

Our ride home left a little to be desired. We rode through pouring rain in 62 degree temps without rain suits.....................not so fun! It rained long enough to get us thoroughly soaked and chilled to the bone. The good thing about riding is you dry out pretty quick when the rain stops.

Last Saturday, the kids took us out to celebrate. We went to Stables, a fantastic steak house and had a great time and absolutely delicious food! They had a cake made for us with our engagement picture on it. Talk about taking us back!

It's hard to believe 30 years have gone by.

Here's to the next 30! Love you honey!

Catchin' Up On Summer Stuff

2009-08-31T07:51:00.000-07:00

(As hard as I've tried, I still can't get a slide show "in" a blog post. I keep getting an error message. So the above slide show was meant to be in this post but obviously, things don't always turn out the way they're supposed to be.)

It seems a lot has gone on this summer that hasn't made it into blogdom, not because it wasn't blog worthy news. I guess I have just been negligent. The first big "new addition" has come to our back yard. Early in the summer when Dad opened his pool, he found the liner was shot. Knowing he didn't want to mess with a pool anymore, Dad decided to fill his pool in but offered to put in an above ground pool for us. So we started pool shopping. Shortly after we returned home from Guatemala, our pool was installed (Thanks Daddy!!!). Then came the job of building the deck. My brother Jay had agreed to help me but just a few days into building, I got sick. Mark and Dad stepped in to help Jay and even though it's not quite a finished product, it looks just beautiful! I could not be more pleased!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Now for our next "new addition".......................................................Meet Dawson!

Isn't he just adorable? Such a little lovey guy. He's a Labradoodle. He's having a rough time adjusting to being away from his litter mates but that will get better with time. As I'm typing, he's in the kitchen by himself and he's not crying. Yay! that's a giant step forward! He's going to be a great addition to our family.

Now for Nola news. There's not much to share. Our lawyer was not able to convince our judge not to do another investigation. So even though the judge has not sent the notice to PGN yet, we're going to have to wait for another investigation. Nothing we can do but sit and wait again. This is all so frustrating! Nola will turn two in seventeen days. She should be home with her forever family to celebrate!

AHHHHHHHH!!!!

2009-08-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

I finally feel normal again. I've had more energy each day of this past week and I can't tell you how good that feels! The diagnosis???............................I contracted Hepatitis A on my last trip to Guatemala. So, a word to the wise (from someone who learned the hard way) if you plan on visiting Guatemala and you haven't had your Hep A vaccine..............GET IT!!! My Dr said we didn't need any shots and I just went with that, instead of doing my own investigation. I've read the older you are, the more severe the symptoms. Since I'm nearing "antique" status, it was pretty rough. But that's all behind me now. Praise the Lord, I feel good again!

There's nothing to report on Nola. We're still waiting to hear if our lawyer has been able to get a meeting with the judge.

I'll keep you posted.

WE WAITED ALL THIS TIME FOR............

2009-08-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

NOTHING!!!!!

Basically, that's what was decided at our hearing yesterday. The judge has a "feeling", not proof, that our birth mother is a minor. She wants PGN to do another investigation. PGN has already done a complete investigation and found no abnormalities in the paperwork and no information on where the birth mother may be. They don't want to do another investigation. Our lawyer argued there was nothing to be gained by doing another investigation. Several attempts to locate the birth mother have been made with no positive results. Our lawyer is going to try to have a meeting with the judge and see if he can persuade her to see his side. The last PGN investigation took almost seven months and then another four months to wait for a hearing.

Nola was sent back to the hogar. I had hoped I would get to reschedule my trip so I could spend her 2nd birthday with her but that won't be possible with her in the hogar.

Such a Disappointment!

Change of Plans

2009-08-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

This week has certainly not gone as planned. I've been sick and am still sick. Had lots of blood work done and haven't found out anything definitive yet. Today I had to cancel the reservations for our trip.
Probably won't learn about the judge's ruling until Tuesday. I'll let you all know.

The Reservations Are Made...

2009-07-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Maria and I finally have our airline tickets purchased for our August trip to Guatemala. We'll be in Guatemala at 11:00 on the 10th. The hearing is supposed to start at noon, but from everything I've heard up to now, punctuality is not a priority in these court proceedings and they can go on for hours and hours. We probably won't hear any update until the following day. Maria is not looking forward to traveling without Daddy, (me either really) but I told her we'll have a good time and we won't be gone for long. We're flying out on Monday and returning on Thursday. She's already planning what she and Daddy will do when we get back. The first thing on her list is going to "Donald's". That's McDonald's for you and me but for Maria, it's just "Donald's". You have to spend some time with Maria to get comfy with her speech. She's come a long way in the last couple of years but still has a long way to go.

I feel like a bundle of nerves when I think about the hearing. I'm sure the closer we get to August 10th the worse I'll be. I have a good feeling about the outcome, but still, I'm very, very nervous.

Here's Maria stylin' in her huipil we brought home for her from our last trip. She's not real crazy about the skirt since it doesn't twirl when she spins around but she did wear it to church last Sunday when we did our orphanage presentation. She actually lost her skirt during children's church but it didn't bother her much. She's used to running around half naked anyway. There has to be some kind of trick the mothers in Guatemala use to keep traditional clothing on active little girls.

Aw, I'm sure missin' this sweet little face.......

2009-07-14T05:12:00.000-07:00

After returning home from Guatemala, I decided to make some changes to my blog. I've removed any mention of the name of the orphanage where Nola is staying. In an effort to protect her and the progress of the case, I've also removed the link to the fund raising site. I hated to have to do that but I don't want to take any chances. I know the orphanage director would not have let us in, if she knew our connection with Nola. I couldn't take a chance of someone with authority googling "the name of the orphanage" and pulling up our blog. For now I will walk on the safe side.

We were all so blessed on our trip. It was truly a life changing event. God's hands were most definitely surrounding every aspect of the trip. It could not have been more perfect! We all left with a sincere desire to do everything we can to help all of the children housed in the Orphanage. We have already started making plans for next year. We spoke with the director about taking the children to the zoo and she loved the idea! We're talking about tie-dying little shirts so the kids are easily recognizable, taking a deep breath.................and going for it! I think we'll have a blast. We even got a quote for renting our own "chicken bus". We're thinking about going the end of July or the first of August next summer.

Between now and then, we're going to work on getting bumper pads made for the baby beds. The director said they could really use them. The beds are small, similar to portacribs. I would imagine toddlers who move around a lot when they sleep would probably bonk their heads easily since there is little wiggle room. We also hope to provide some twin size sheets for the special needs children area. They're also in need of some pack-n-plays. They currently only have one and would like to have more for the children who have seizures.

I will be returning to Guatemala for Nola's court hearing. It's scheduled for August 10th at noon. I'm praying the judge will release Nola to her foster mother and if so, I'll be able to have her with me while I'm visiting. It will be a quick trip with just Maria and me traveling.

I'm praying for good things to happen!!

One last picture. This is Mark consoling Nola after she was put in the time out chair.......................for biting! We're going to have our hands full when she comes home............but I can't wait!

One Happy Momma!!!

2009-07-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

First of all, I'm sorry for not posting sooner. We have had a wonderful time! And yes, the picture below is me with our sweet Nola! The orphanage director let us take all the pictures we wanted, so we took a bunch. Between Alison and me we probably have close to 300 pictures inside the hogar with children. Nola wasn't too happy to have momma holding her at first but very soon...........................................she was holding on and not letting go. What a wonderful feeling! She seems to be doing very well. The staff is doing the best they can for the children and it is evident the children are loved.

Our little one is quite the eater. All the kids are! They all sat at their little table and fed themselves spaghetti.............what a mess! While Nola was eating, the little girl beside her put her hand in Nola's bowl but not for long. Nola started shaking her head no and bonked the little girl on the head. She has obviously learned how to stand up for herself. When I saw that I was actually happy. Not happy that she hit the other little girl, but seeing she has a strong will and is able to stand up for herself already helped me to know she will be alright in the situation she's in.

I have so many pictures to post and so much to say about our trip so far. I'll post on the orphanage site tomorrow.

Please know that all of our prayers for this trip have been answered. It has been the most rewarding experience I think I've ever had. God is watching over us.

Gotta go for now but will post more soon.

The Bags Are Packed........

2009-07-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

.......and the van is crammed full! We leave tonight at midnight for Guatemala. We're driving to Chicago to fly out of O'Hare. We'll be in Guatemala tomorrow at 11:41 Guat time. We're going to hit the ground running. Tomorrow will be shopping day and Saturday and Sunday will be hogar days. We're all so excited about taking the donations to the hogar. I'm even more excited about the possibility of seeing Nola.
We'll keep you posted.
Pray for safe travel and a successful mission trip!

A Lot Has Happened Over the Last Few Weeks...

2009-06-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

....Some happy and some sad. I have been very busy with everyday life. Several weeks ago, Mark's mom fell and basically crushed one of the bones in her arm near her wrist. At 86 years old, the question was whether or not to do surgery to repair the damage. Without surgery, the Dr said she would probably have constant pain and not be able to use her hand well. She opted to do the surgery. It was done using a nerve block so she didn't have to be completely put out since that would be a real strain on her heart and her kidneys. The surgery was done in mid April and she just couldn't seem to bounce back. It was all just too much of a strain on her already too frail body. She passed away June 5th after spending time in the nursing home and then the hospital. It was a sad time around here. She had moved out of our house and into an assisted living apartment in January and seemed to have a new lease on life. She made new friends and was enjoying the activities there. Her new and old friends are going to miss her. The Young and the Restless has lost it's most faithful viewer. The game of euchre has lost a fierce competitor. The sports world has lost a huge fan and my kids have lost their last grandma. We're going to miss you Ruth!

If you haven't checked out the **** ****** site, our fund raising efforts are going through the roof! We have raised over $3,000!!!
We have planned our first trip to deliver donations. We're arriving in Guatemala on July 3rd and will be taking donations to the children on the 4th. Then, (this is the fun part) we get to go back on Sunday the 5th to take ice cream and toppings to let the kids make sundaes. It's gonna be such a good time! Mark and I are going as well as our son Joshua and his wife Alison and our friend Cheryl from church. Please pray that everything will fall into place. We need a truck to haul the playground items we will be buying. We will only have Friday afternoon to find and purchase everything we want to take to the hogar so it will be a whirlwind first couple of days, but oh so worth it. The children will be so happy! We have actually received so many clothes and misc items, I don't know if we will be able to take everything down with us this trip, but there will be more trips. Everything will eventually get there.

It's been a busy summer already and summer isn't even here yet! Our youngest son Kyle celebrated a birthday as well as our daughter-in-law Alison.

Happy Birthday Guys!!

Kelsey has already attended Dance camp

That's her in the middle bent over backwards. She's now in Florida with the school Beta Club attending their National Convention. When she gets back, it's going to be time for Volley Ball camp. I was really hoping she could get a job this summer to at least help pay for gas in her car that she seems to go through like it's water! Not lookin' like that's going to happen.

Tim and Anna, as a farming family, have been stressing a bit over the insane amount of rain we've been getting. Our little breaks in the precip haven't been quite enough to let them get in the fields and stay there. But at least there have been the little breaks. Riley isn't stressing over anything. He is growing so fast it's unbelievable and such a good baby!

Joshua and Alison have decided on an adoption agency and are sending all their paperwork in soon. Hopefully we'll have another grand baby to spoil soon!

And then there's Maria. Maria is ready for fall so preschool and dance class will start. She's been working on her letters and her tumbling so she'll be ready when fall comes around again. She even wrote a letter to baby Nola today. It kind of looks like ocean waves, but it actually says "Mommy and Daddy love you and I miss you" (I only know that because Maria told me that's what it said). Then she went on to show Nola all of the letters she could make...........very sweet!

There's no Nola news. The lawyer we contacted has had no luck yet getting our court date moved up. It's looking like we're going to wait until August. I guess the way this summer's flying by, August will be here before we know it.

I think you're pretty well caught up now. Life's been crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Keep the prayers comming!

WAIT!!!!!...........STOP THE PRESSES!!!!
WE HAVE MORE NEWS!!!
Mark got a call this morning..........HE HAS A NEW JOB!!!!!
He starts July 13th at a small biotechnology company in Terre Haute!
Praise the Lord.......A true answer to prayer!!!

Our Saturday Get Away

2009-05-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

(Orphanage link deleted to protect Nola)

I've surprised myself in getting a Paypal Donate button up and running on the **** ******* site. If you have planned to donate, it's now easier with Paypal.

On Saturday morning, Mark and I took off on the bike for a day long trip. We headed down to Madison. It's located in Southeastern Indiana on the Ohio river. If you haven't been there, it is such a beautiful town. Now, for some reason, I have no pictures to prove that so you'll have to take my word for it. Beautiful homes built in the 1800's line the main street. Downtown there are quaint antique shops and specialty shops. We're going back sometime when we have more time to explore.

Clifty Falls State Park is just outside Madison. Riding through the park in the shade of the towering trees was a welcome change from the midday sun. There are several trails in the park leading to waterfalls. We only had time to take one. Hiking in our motorcycle boots wasn't the most comfortable but seeing the falls made it worth it.

Ah, chivalry is not dead!

How sweet of my hubby to hold that giant boulder up out of the way so I could continue down the path.

This picture of the falls does not do justice to the actual beauty of the scene. I couldn't get far enough away to get a nice picture of the falls without it being covered by trees. The sound of the water was so relaxing. It truly is a special place. The park would be a great place to camp if you're a camper (I am, but my family's not). If you ever get the chance, head down to Madison. http://www.oldmadison.com/

Adoption news: There's none to share. The lawyer who is going to try and get our court date moved up gets back from his vacation tomorrow. You can bet I'll be sending him a message reminding him............................we're still waiting.

I'll keep you posted!

Back To Everyday Life

2009-05-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

I've had a hard time talking myself into posting something new on this blog. I don't want to take away from the needs of the children of **** *******. Sooooooooo, I've started another blog, (web address deleted to protect Nola) and hopefully you will visit there and follow our fundraising efforts. I added a link over on the right to make that easier I just wish it was more noticeable. The donations are starting to come in and I will update that site weekly. If you would like to donate, we hope to have our first shipment leaving the end of June.

There is good news on the adoption front (not our adoption front). Our good friends Danny and Brittney have gotten a favorable ruling from the judge and their case is going back to PGN. They had a court date Friday and the Judge made her ruling yesterday. That is certainly something to WOOOOHOOOO about!

Lets pray that little Kinsey is home with her Mami and Papi very soon!
Don't you just love that hair!!!

http://babygirlreyher.blogspot.com/

Now, on to the family stuff I've been neglecting. So much goes on in a family our size.

On April 19th, my number four child turned 17! Unbelievable! Happy Birthday Kelsey!

Then it was prom time. Doesn't she look beautiful!!! And her date was quite handsome! Our pink dogwood tree made the perfect backdrop for pictures on the porch.

The day I had been anticipating (and fearing) finally came, May 2nd, our mini marathon day! We drove up to Indy the evening before so we could miss that hour and a half drive the day of the race. We all ate dinner at Max and Erma's (yummy) then it was off to our hotel. Upon our arrival, we found out the hotel sold our rooms that we had reserved months before and confirmed the night before. Luckily, there was a hotel with some open rooms not too far away. That in itself was a miracle! Race day was just perfect, cool and partly cloudy. We couldn't have asked for better. We started the race in corral X. That means we were way, way back in the field of starters. It actually took us 26 minutes and 10 seconds to get to the starting line after the race had started. There were around 35,000 racers. It was an awesome experience! I finished in 3 hours and 13 minutes. I walked of course with my two walking buddies Alice and Michelle. We averaged 14 min, 45 sec miles. My goal was to complete the race in 15 minute miles or less and WE DID IT!!!!! I have a medal to prove it! All in all it was a great experience!

We just finished updating our homestudy for the second time during this adoption. Paperwork............what a joy! Hope you can sense the sarcasm. The lawyer we contacted to see if he can get our court date moved up will be back from his European vacation on the 29th. He promised to do his best to help us as soon as he gets back. I pray he can get the job done. Our little Nola needs something good to happen. I'm so worried about her mental and emotional state. No child should have to endure the life altering changes she has experienced in the short time she's been in this world. I'm praying God will heal her little broken heart quickly and completely when we get her home.

Please continue your prayers. All of the children caught up in this mess need to be remembered along with all of those who may not have an opportunity to have a happy forever home.

HELP FOR ORPHANS OF GUATEMALA

2009-05-07T05:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who has offered to help make the lives of the children in "the hogar" a little brighter. I've been trying to figure out the best way to ship supplies and donations but I feel like I'm wasting time. Those details can be ironed out as we take in donations and see what kind of shipment we actually have to send.

Here are some facts about the orphanage. There are two houses. The first one is home to 97 children from birth to 6 years of age. The home is overcrowded and understaffed, although the staff seems to be doing their best to care for the children. The biggest need at this house is clothing, shoes and playground equipment. The second house houses 15 special needs children on the first floor and 17 babies from 1 month to 9 months of age on the second floor. The second house needs everything you can think of for babies:

*Bottles
*Nipples
*Pacifiers
*Formula
*Diapers
*Small toys with lights and music
*Exercsaucers (3 or 4)
*Punkin seats or bouncy seats (aprox. 6)
*Baby bed Mobiles (could use 15)
*Soft rubber interlocking floor squares
*(No stuffed animals or cloth toys that can't be wiped down with antibacterial wipes)

I was not allowed to take any pictures of the children but I do have a few pictures of empty rooms. The hogar is clean. The colors of the rooms are bright and cheerful but there are just too many children and not enough staff. Any kind of toys that offer stimulation for the younger children would be a great benefit. Unfortunately they spend way too much time in their beds and their little brains need to be working.

It's hard to tell by this picture, but this is the play area for the first house. It's a concrete slab. There are two rubber balls, three half tires sticking out of the ground, a small plastic slide and a baby swing. That's the extent of their playground equipment.

This is a typical bedroom. As you can see, it's full of beds. Each bedroom I saw was completely full of rows of beds with just enough room to walk around each row. Most rooms had a rocking chair where the room mother could sit. The day I was there, each room mother I saw was holding and rocking a sick child. With so many children in such a small space, they can't help but pass along their sickness to each other.

This is their little dining room. There were 18 little chairs around this table and it's the only one in the room. I can't imagine 18 toddlers sitting down and sitting still at a table like this but I guess if they want to eat, they learn to sit and sit still.

It no longer makes sense to ask why our little Nola has been placed here. I've seen for myself the need of these children and I have to do all I can to help them.

Small items can be sent relatively easy. Our friends Danny and Brittney are traveling down the end of June and have offered to take an extra suitcase full of donations with them. I'm sure I'll be traveling down again sometime soon and I will take all I can with me. It might make more sense to purchase large items while in Guatemala. We'll just wait and see how shipping fees turn out.

If you would like to donate items (new or gently used) send them to:

Shelburn First Baptist Church

520 West Mill Street

Shelburn, IN 47879

Monetary donations in the form of check or money order can also be sent to the church.

Please be sure you put Guatemala or Guatemala Orphanage on the memo line.

If you have a specific way you would like the money to be used, just enclose a note with your wishes.

I would love to outfit the playground with some Little Tikes play houses or something similar and some ride or pedal toys. The children will be so grateful for anything we send. They currently have nothing so anything we send will be wonderful.

I'll keep you all updated with lists of items donated.

Praise the Lord, I saw my little Nola

2009-04-29T00:47:00.000-07:00

Things didn´t go the way I had hoped. I was told by too many people that I would not be able to get in to the hogar if the director knew I was a prospective adoptive parent. I didn´t want to ruin my only chance to see Nola, so..........when all else fails................. get creative. Gloria who works here at the hotel told me about another guest they had recently who entered a different hogar by saying he was with an organization who wanted to support the hogar. It worked for him so I prayed it would work for me...............and it did! Our in country staff person called all of the people required to get me permission to have a tour of the facility. I went in with my Colts folder (that Brittney loaned me) and paper to take notes on and we started the tour. I prayed and prayed and prayed that I wouldn´t cry when I saw Nola. (I think God got a good laugh out of that one) He knows I´m a faucet face and I might as well show the world. I started crying when I went into the first room full of infants. I knew none of them was Nola, but the tears started flowing anyway. The children were divided in the rooms acording to their ages so when we got to the one year olds room, I started looking. All of the little ones were just waking up from their naps. Most of them were still laying down in their beds but one little girl was standing up. She looked at me and I just wasn´t sure. She was so big. Her little face was so round and her hair was cut really short but those eyes. I kept staring at her while the director was talking. It had to be her. I made my way through the room talking to all of the little ones. The director started telling the names of all the children in the beds and then she confirmed it. I was standing right in front of my little Nola. Her eyes were so sad looking but when I walked up to her and talked to her she put her little hand up to my mouth. I kissed her palm. I did that a lot when we visited her so in my heart I felt she remembered me. Then, of course, the tears started to flow.......and flow.....and flow. The director told my interpretor that I was very emotional. He said ¨she just gets like that when she´s around babies¨. I knew I couldn´t spend any more time with Nola than I did with the rest of the kids, so I had to move on to the next little bed and talk to the little boy in it.
It was so much harder than I imagined, seeing her for the first time in seven months and not being able to hold her and love her and spend time with her. I wasn´t allowed to take pictures of the children, but I don´t think her sad little face will leave my mind for a long time.
All of the workers were very nice. The place was clean and they are doing their best to take care of the children but they need help. I have a list of things they need and I´m going to do my best to see they get them. There are 97 children in the building where Nola is and 31 more in another building. I´ll post again soon letting you all know what you can do to support these children if it´s in your heart to do so.
Brittney and I have had a great time. I´ll post pictures when I get home. Kinsey is an absolute doll with hair that is out of this world..............you´ll see when I post pictures. We also had a visit from our blogging friend Eva. It was so nice to meet her in person. She just happened to have a school lab canceled so she had time to come and spend with us. We really enjoyed our time with her.
I´ll close for now. Thank you all for all of the prayers.

And the News Just Keeps On Comin'

2009-04-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

Some good and some............well.............you be the judge. We found out today that the PGN has finished their report and found no problems with our paperwork (woo hoo! that's the good news). The report was delivered to the judge and the judge has set the court date when she will rule on our case. Now, here comes the news that I wish were different. The court date is not until August 10th, four months away! That will be a month and a week before Nola turns two. After the ruling, we will still have a long road to travel before we can bring her home.

I am praising God for the progress in our case just wishing things could move..........a little quicker.

Keep the prayers coming and I will keep you all posted.

Oh Yes, I Believe.........

2009-04-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

...........There Are Angels Among Us!

(Hogar name has been deleted to protect Nola)

I posted a while back that I had been in touch with an organization who would locate Nola for us for a fee, $500 to be exact. Well, I received a very unexpected e-mail from the person I had been in contact with from the agency. He said he had his paralegal do some checking and found that Nola was only in the first orphanage for about 15 days and then was sent to **** *******. As far as he knows, Nola is still there. **** ******* is an hogar specifically for babies and toddlers overseen by the First Lady in Guatemala City. I haven't been able to get any information about the hogar yet. I have read that orphanages overseen by First Lady's in the past have not been very well managed but hopefully this one is an exception to the rule. Did I mention, the man gave me this information out of the goodness of his heart. No money changed hands. He truly is an angel.

Now...........the rest of the story:

The plane tickets are purchased and plans are being made. My friend Brittney and I are flying down to Guatemala on the 26th to see what information we can get for ourselves and hopefully, I'm praying, I'll be able to get in to see Nola. Our angel from Guatemala spoke with Brittney tonight and told her he didn't think there would be a problem with me getting in to see her. Amazing, it's just amazing how kind and helpful this man has been to me and to Brittney. God sent him to us at just the perfect time. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more, God heard the alarm bells ringing and said "better send an angel to Pam with some good news". What a difference it's made in my outlook. Thank you Lord!!!!!

Please pray that the director will allow me to visit Nola. Pray that the time in Guatemala will be productive and enjoyable for Brittney and me.

My Favorite Five Year Old

2009-03-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

It still sounds unbelievable to hear myself say, Maria's five......... When did five years go by?.......... Was I sleepin'?......... Anyway, I finally took her to get her pictures taken for her big fifth birthday. Of course I spent too much money on prints, but I was really pleased with how they turned out. The final prints were actually cropped, but this was the best I could do with my computer.

What a little sweetheart!

Now on the adoption front, Thursday marked 6 months since Nola was taken from her foster mother. Six months since we have had any kind of update on her. We still have no idea where she is. Our lawyer has finally admitted, he doesn't know where she is either. I didn't hire the agency who offered to find her yet because our agency asked us to wait. Well, we've waited...........four weeks to be exact. It's been almost two weeks since our lawyer filed a petition with the judge asking for information on where Nola has been placed and asking for visitation rights. I have no idea how long it will take to get a response from the judge.
I sent an e-mail to PGN and surprisingly got a response pretty quickly. Here is a portion of the message they sent:

Dear Mr & Mrs Lane regarding the file **************** the file is at Minors unit, and they are waiting for the last resolution that the Judge of the 1st Court has to send to Minors, but is better if you contact your lawyer, they can ask the Judge for the resolution and bring it to PGN or send it by fax. Regards Elisa Soto PGN Information Center.

Well, I'm not sure what that means exactly. It could mean that they finally have their report done and they are waiting for the judge to rule. That would be great! It could also mean that she doesn't really know about the report the judge asked for and is actually in the dark like the rest of us about why this seems to be taking so long. We learned a long time ago that the information from PGN was not always reliable, but I had to do something. It actually gave me some comfort knowing someone in PGN could find our file and at least try to give us some sort of update on it.

Please continue to pray. There are so, so many children who are caught in this mess. There are still over one thousand children and families who need to be united and for that to happen, the political tug-of-war has to stop!

We're praying for you Nola!

BIRTHDAY TIME!!!!!!

2009-03-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

This past week saw two birthdays in our family. Maria turned 5 on the 2nd and my sweet hubby turned "50" on the 7th. (I remember when I thought 50 was old;-) We celebrated their birthdays together on Sunday. Our kids were here and Dad and his friend Rosemary and of course Mark's mom too (she didn't remember it was Mark's birthday, so the fact that it was his big 5-0 just flew right past her) but she had a good time anyway. We all enjoyed ourselves. During church, the kids pulled our van under the front entry awning at church and decorated it so everyone would see that it was Mark's "special day" when they left church. Mark was really thrilled with that.
I made homemade pizza for lunch, which was Mark's request, and we all pigged out. Maria was so proud of her birthday cake. Since she is the farm girl, I made her cake like a barn (a pink one of course), and she just loved it! I don't know how many times she said afterward, "I had the best birthday party didn't I mom!" It was just a wonderful family day!

Happy Birthday Mark and Maria

Sheep, Lambs, Rabbits and Barn Cats

2009-02-28T07:32:00.000-08:00

What started out to be a play day for Maria and Ella, turned into a group play day at Lisa's friend Marty's house. There was a houseful of kids to play with, but the highlight of the morning was a visit to the barn to see the new lambs. Maria was just thrilled, (since she's going to be a farmer you know). The kids all got a turn to hold the new lambs that were just born on Sunday. So, so sweet! Maria would have been happy to hang out in the barn all day, but oooooh, it was too cold for me. So after some major boot bottom scraping (yuck), it was back to Lisa's house for some lunch and an early birthday gift for Maria.

Maria and Ella.......Best Buddies.

Maria desperately wanted to hold one of the cats but despite her coaxing, she couldn't get one of them to cooperate.

We have no adoption news. Our agency has asked us to give them a bit more time before we hire the agency to locate Nola. We're are holding tight for now, but I'm not sure how long I can wait. I really think our lawyer has had more than enough time to get us some information. We'll see what this week brings.

Please continue to pray.

Getting The Best Of Me

2009-02-20T16:58:00.000-08:00

That's exactly the way I feel about this adoption process. It's getting the best of me. Actually it's not the adoption process but the Guatemalan political machine that has hijacked the adoption process and left it dysfunctional. It is wearing me down. Much less than my best is left to deal with every day life. We didn't really find out anything from our lawyers assistant. She said that as far as they know, Nola is still in the hogar. We found out, from another source, that isn't true. I've contacted an individual at an agency who, in the time span of one day, confirmed that Nola is no longer in El Jardin. He is willing to find out where Nola has been moved and get us a copy of her latest social worker or medical report (for a fee of course); things our lawyer hasn't done or offered to do. Do you sense the disgust in my words? Hopefully soon we'll know where our sweet Nola is and possibly how much she's grown over the last almost five months since we've had any report on her.
In family news, last night was Mark's last night at work. Yes, he's getting laid off. At the meeting, they were told hopefully they would be called back "when the economy picks back up". We're not holding breath for that one. Not sure what's in store for us now. Unfortunately, there's no news of companies hiring around here. I'm hoping I can talk him into going back to school. I get some pretty funny looks when I mention it but I don't see many options for him without it so, we'll see.
If you're one of those who reads blogs with the sound turned off, then switch it on for just a moment. I've got a couple of my new favorites on. The Chris Rice one is old, but for some reason, new to me. I love Chris Rice and I don't know how I missed this one when it was new but thanks Nan for bringing it to my attention. Unfortunately, I listen to it and cry but I seem to be doing a lot of that lately. The Robby Seay Band's "A New Day" has been my theme song lately. I tell myself every morning, "This could be the day we get some news". The opening lyrics of the song:

I'm gonna sing this song,

to let you know that you're not alone,

And if you're like me,

You need hope, coffee and a melody.

Yep, he's singing to me. Now, I don't need the coffee. I'm a tea drinker myself, but I do need hope and a melody. I can't get through the day without music; definitely food for my soul.

I decided since my mind was on music, I would read in Psalms tonight. I was surprised to open to Psalms 143 and read in verse 8:

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."

There's some food for my soul!

We Have Royalty Among Us!

2009-02-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

What Fun!!! Friday was our High School's Homecoming. The School picks a Queen and King from the Senior class and a Prince and Princess from the underclassmen. Our Kelsey was voted Princess!! And what a pretty princess she was! Dress shopping was fun, even for me, the one who hates to shop. She had her nails and her hair done and looked absolutely beautiful!

Of course Maria had to get in the middle of the picture taking with Kelsey and her "sweetie"

Daddy with his Princess!

I also have to throw in a couple of snow photos. Especially since there was soooo much snow!

Mark and Maria had such a good time in the snow Friday. We had lots of snow left, but temps were in the 40's so it made for a great day to play in the snow. Maria didn't want to come in.

Now for adoption news. Nothin good comin from the Lane camp. We found out on Jan 31st, the PGN investigated the orphanage where Nola was. The orphanage is now being closed down due to conditions that are "unfit for children". The director will also not be able to care for children any more after all of the children have been moved out. I'm glad someone finally took the time to check out that facility but now we are in the dark again about where Nola is. We have been told there are only a handful of children left in the orphanage but we don't know if Nola is one of them. Our lawyer's assistant was supposed to meet with our Judge yesterday to see what she could find out but so far, we have heard nothing. It would be wonderful if the judge would just send Nola back with her foster family since all of the orphanages are overflowing already. We'll just wait and see.

We continue to pray and believe that God will make a way for Nola to come home to us. It is certainly not going to happen on our time schedule...............(no kidding!)..........but we are praying and believing it WILL happen! Please continue to pray with us.

We'll keep you posted.

YES.....WE'RE STILL ALIVE AND KICKIN'

2009-01-25T10:33:00.000-08:00

We've been without Internet services for over two weeks now. Talk about a struggle! That's rough for someone like me who is constantly searching the net for someone who has some good news to share about their adoption. After several days, I finally started believing I could survive without my blog fix, and it's true, I can! I just don't want to. We have a temporary fix in some very slow dial up so until something quicker comes along, I won't be posting. It takes an insane amount of time to wait for sites to load and I just don't have that kind of time to waste.
In family news, two weeks ago we moved my mother-in-law out of our house and into an assisted living apartment. PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!! (oops, did I seem a little too happy about that?)....................................(that's because I am!) I love my mother-in-law, but she is the most negative minded person I think I've ever been around in my life. You know, one of those people who always has something hurting, is constantly moaning about something or just generally negative. After a while, that begins to grate on a persons nerves. She lived with us for about two years and even though I felt kind of guilty when we left her in her new apartment, I am so glad to have my house (my home) back!
In adoption news, there's not much. Our judge is back in her office and we think she has received the report she asked for from the PGN. Our lawyer says he expects the judge to rule on our case "within the next several weeks". Knowing that time doesn't mean a lot to some people in Central American Countries, I'm sure not going to hold my breath for "the next several weeks" but at least we have something to hope and pray for. Tomorrow will be four months since Nola was taken from her foster family and we have had absolutely no word on her well being. Not knowing has been the hardest part of this whole situation. Please continue to pray that someone is loving and caring for Nola in the hogar. I'm praying the judge rules in our favor soon and allows Nola to go back to her foster family until the day she gets to come home to us.

Even though I'm dealing with some very slow dial-up, when we get some good news, believe me, I'll find the time to share!

Wow, Have I Been A Slacker Or What?

2009-01-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. I've actually started several posts and just haven't finished them. Such a busy time lately and when I wasn't busy, I just wasn't in a typing mood. The holidays were so hard with no news of Nola but there were lots of happenings in the Lane household.

We'll start off with Maria's Gotcha Day. December 5th was our four year anniversary. It's hard to believe four years have passed! We threw tradition out the window this year. No traditional Guatemalan food. Maria wanted pizza and pink cake with pink icing so her wish was granted..... and thoroughly enjoyed!

The next picture is of Mark and I just before we left for our first night of our church Christmas Concert. Our Choir worked on this Cantata since September and performed it on Friday and Sunday night the weekend before Christmas. There were several difficult pieces but everyone worked very hard and it turned out beautifully! Doesn't my hubby look handsome in his black suit? (don't know why I don't have any shoes on.............oh well)

Now on to a sweet yummy Saturday of fun, Christmas candy making day. Alison and I (and Maria, of course) made Christmas candy the Saturday before Christmas. It was a very full day that actually spilled over into the following afternoon. Everything turned out great with the exception of my toffee. It took three ruined batches before I finally got it right but the final product was really tasty!

What a bunch of candy!!!

There are more pictures of Christmas morning than anyone
wants to look at but here are a few.
The scene before the unwrapping began.

Kelsey and Maria patiently waiting for everyone else to get up
and me to get the video camera on.

Maria decided a couple of months ago she's going to be a farmer when she grows up. She assigned jobs to all of us but her main concern was having a "pink" tractor to drive. Santa took care of that problem for now.

No one can accuse the Lane family of being party poopers. New Years Eve was a "Rockin" time in our living room. Josh and Alison brought over their Guitar Hero and we all got in on the action. Talk about fun! The highlight of the evening might have been Kyle's lyrical rendition of "Jam And Toast"................"on the wheat bread" (you really had to be there).

We all had a blast!

Ok, I'm quitting for now. I've got you all pretty well caught up. Here's wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!

We're praying the new year brings good news for all of the children in Guatemala waiting to be united with their forever families! Please continue to pray with us.

It's Happened!

2008-12-10T17:54:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it................I'm a Granny!

The little guy made his debut Tuesday night at 9:53. He weighed in at 8lb, 1oz and he's 21" long. We finally learned his name. Anna and Tim decided to keep the name to themselves until he was born; Riley Kenneth B_ _ _ _ _ . His first name is one that they both loved and his second name is after his Great Papaw, my dad.

Mommy, Daddy and Baby are all doing well. I have learned a very important thing. It was much easier to go through labor myself than it was to watch my daughter go through labor. She did so, so great, but it was hard to watch, knowing exactly what she was feeling. That part of it is all behind her and she has a beautiful baby boy to show for all that hard work.

Of all the pictures, this is my very favorite one. It needs no explanation.

Little Riley, clearing out his lungs...................really well!

Proud Papa!

One happy family!

Aunt Kelsey and Papaw Mark checking out our newest family member.

Our family is praising God and thanking Him for a beautiful healthy baby boy!

Welcome to our world baby Riley!

The Holiday is over

2008-11-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

I'm kind of sad to see it gone. We had a great time with a house full of family. The only problem is............we need a bigger house! That's just something we're going to have to deal with, at least for now. I did my best to concentrate on the blessings in my life. I truly have been blessed beyond measure. My mind often wondered to Guatemala where our youngest blessing is still waiting for us. My heart ached to have her here with us, but not this Thanksgiving. I continue to pray that she is being cared for by an angel who has fallen in love with her spunky little personality and adorable smile.

This is almost a complete family picture. My brother was MIA on Thanksgiving. (way to go Jay, maybe we can photo shop you in) Trey and Katie had to leave early and Mark's mom was sleeping.............we didn't wake her.

Here are the three youngest family members. I'm just thrilled that Maria isn't the naked one for once! From left to right we have Laura, Jillian and Maria. They were having a fun play day at my sister's house the day after Thanksgiving. We had a great time at the Christmas parade and then chowed on left over dessert later.

Thank you God for my wonderful family!

Catching Up On Lots Of Stuff

2008-11-22T16:09:00.000-08:00

Just downloaded lots of pictures from my camera. So I'm sharing some of my favorite ones so you can see what all has gone around here that I've failed to blog about in the last couple of months.

Here's the guys in the kitchen on Joshua's Birthday. Josh is on the left making his own "hors d'oeuvres" and Tim is putting the icing on the cake (cause I needed some help).

Anna had her first shower in October. From left to right is my sister Geri, Anna, Alison and Kelsey. The girls had a beautiful party for Anna and her little one to come. We're counting down the days. Due date is Dec. 11th.

Here is the little Christmas rag quilt that I made for the baby. It turned out so cute! The picture doesn't really do it justice. Just take my word for it.............it's adorable!

Now for yesterday's fun. Lisa invited us, and Marty and her girls, for some cookie making fun. What a mess! But what FUN!!! The girls had a blast. Flour and dough were everywhere but that only added to the fun! Thanks so much Lisa! What a fun Friday!

Marty and her girls.

And in case you were wondering, there is no adoption news! It's been a long week worrying about little Nola. We're praying she's alright and that PGN gives the report to the judge soon.

I'm also praying there is a wonderful woman working in the hogar who has just fallen in love with Nola and is showering her with love and attention.

So Disappointed!

2008-11-10T16:14:00.000-08:00

****UPDATE****

HEARD BACK FROM THE AGENCY. THE JUDGE HANDLING OUR CASE HAS ASKED FOR A REPORT FROM THE PGN. NOT SURE WHY, BUT THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE NOTIFIED WHEN HE RECEIVES THE REPORT AND HOPEFULLY HE WILL RULE TO ALLOW NOLA TO GO BACK WITH HER FOSTER FAMILY.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR THE REPORT TO BE COMPLETED QUICKLY AND THE JUDGE TO RULE FAVORABLY.

**************

After waiting anxiously since Tuesday last week for some news on our case, I found out yesterday, there is none. Our agency sent a representative to Guatemala to meet with our lawyer and others to try to get some answers for all of us in this situation. The man came home with NOTHING for us. I am beyond disappointed. I'm disgusted and frustrated and feeling a total lack of respect for that particular agency representative. I was given a list of questions that our agency is trying to get answers to and I fully expected some of them to be answered. Out of desperation, I sent a message to the director of our agency letting him know how very disappointed I am in the agency; in the apparent lack of concern for Nola and our family and in the apparent disregard of the urgency of the situation as a whole. This morning I received a phone call from the director. He apologized and said someone would get back with me today with anything they find out. He couldn't promise anything other than he (or someone from the agency) would call our lawyer today, ask him some questions, and let us know what he said. That's all I can ask.
I'll post with any news we receive.

The past three Mondays I've dedicated to prayer and fasting. After a friend from church made that commitment, I decided to do the same until we receive good news about Nola. Well yesterday morning I just didn't feel the dedication I should have felt. After getting in the car to take Maria to dance class, I turned on the radio and Lincoln Brewster's "Today Is The Day" came on. I felt like it was the boost I needed to get my day going in the direction it should have been in all along.

Today is the day, You have made,
I will rejoice and be glad in it,
Today is the day, You have made,
I will rejoice and be glad in it,
And I won't worry about tomorrow
I'm trusting in what You say,
Today is the day.

This morning, after getting my stuff in the car to deliver to the Ortho office, I turned on the radio and guess what song came on first thing? You're right, Lincoln Brewster's Today Is The Day.
Love those subtle messages!

I Can't Believe It's November 1st

2008-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Where has this year gone? It's unbelievable to me that November is here already! We had an absolutely wonderful beginning to the month. This morning, I met with several others from our church who have committed to participating in a mini marathon in May (yea, that means I'm doing it too). You know, ........I should have warned you before I put that news out there. In case you weren't sitting down, you could have had a chance to do so. Then we could have avoided that hysterical laughter that leads to wobbly legs and subsequent falling. I'm sorry if I have caused any of you to injure yourselves in a fall.
Now, I didn't say I was running in a mini, only participating. We have six months to train and hopefully by then I'll be in good enough shape to walk some and run some................that's the plan anyway. We met at Shakamak State Park and walked a couple of miles. It was just beautiful out there! We came back to a fantastic breakfast (thanks Alice and Carol and everyone who was there). It was a great start to a hopefully successful training season.

Last night, we had "trunk-or-treat" in our church parking lot. What a fun time! It's the first year we've done it and it was a huge success. Maria had a good time passing out treats. She's not much into dressing up for trick-or-treating and we don't have many kids come to our house so it was a great alternative for us.

We have no news on Nola. I received a call from an organization I contacted hoping to send some support through them to the hogar. I was told, unfortunately, they no longer support the hogar where Nola is staying. The actions of the hogar director have caused them to withdraw their support. I was told the director takes the donations and sells them for her own gain. I had heard that from others but hoped it wasn't true. We're praying the judge rules soon and allows Nola to go back to her foster family.

Praise The Lord, We Got Some News!!!

2008-10-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

It's just a little bit of news, but news just the same. We received a message from our agency that our lawyer has petitioned the court to have Nola returned to her foster family as soon as possible. That means our case is before "a judge" and is in "a court". We don't know which judge or what type of court, but knowing something is so much better than knowing nothing. Our lawyer felt that the first item of business was to get Nola out of the hogar. He feels that he needs to be cautious about asking too much of the Judge so he is taking matters slowly right now. We're just so glad to hear there is a chance that Nola will be back with Ingrid and her family. Our agency gave me a list of questions they are trying to get our lawyer to answer. Hopefully we will know more soon.
For now I am praising God for giving us some much needed news!

Look What I Did!

2008-10-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

This blogging thing is just so fun! I can't believe I can change things like the complete look of the blog and it's so easy!!! Just in case you're wondering, the Gordon Mote video is at the bottom of the blog. It gives me easy access when I need an instant pick-me-up.
We have no news on Nola. The agency is going to stop accepting my calls I'm afraid and blocking my e-mails unless something happens quickly. I'm running out of patience and I've held back nothing in an effort to let them know. Friday will be four weeks since Nola was taken and we basically know nothing more than where she is. No one has been able to see her and no one even tried until yesterday. That's not acceptable in my book. Can you feel the steam coming out of my ears? I'm praying we have some news to share soon!
Anna had her first baby shower Saturday. Alison, Kelsey and Geri did a wonderful job throwing the shindig. It was lots of fun and we are now at seven weeks and counting down to Grannydom (I know it's not a word, but who cares.......not this Granny-to-be).
I'll post some pictures later.
Please continue to pray for all the children caught in this mess of adoptions in Guatemala. The children and the families are the ones who are suffering. I'm praying God will touch the hearts of all of those who are in charge of making the decisions that will have lifelong affects on these children.

2008-10-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

I've found myself, again, totally absorbed in sadness and desperation due to the unknowns of this adoption. My sister made me aware of this video (thanks Ger) and it reminded me there is life; a very beautiful life, outside this bubble of sadness I've been living in. It's wonderful how God reminds us every day how much we have to be thankful for.

Hope you enjoy!

Today Marks One Year......

2008-10-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

...one year since we received the call that we had a referral. I remember the day well. I was down in the lab mixing plaster in a stainless beaker with the beater lid on when the phone rang. I saw FTIA on the ID and all other thoughts went out the window. Ellie told me all of the specifics about our new little answered prayer; her birthday, her weight and information about her life up to that date. All the while, my plaster was setting up in the beaker. It wasn't until a couple of hours later that I realized the fate of my whip mix equipment. That cost me a few hundred dollars, but what a wonderful day!

Our sixth child was on her way. I always wanted six kids and now our family was going to be complete. We thought she would be joining us in about six months, eight months at the most. We never imagined that a year would pass and we would have no idea when our precious little one would be home with us.

It has been a very rough last couple of weeks with no news. We have no idea if anyone has been able to check on Nola or any news of what may happen to our case. Frustrating to say the least!

Our agency is sympathizing with us, but that seems to be about all. I'm thiiisss close to jumping on a plane to go down and see what I can find out for myself. Really wish I had retained more of those two years of High School Spanish.

For now we just wait...............and pray our lawyer has Nola's best interests at heart. We're praying he's doing all he can to have her reunited with her foster family until she can come home with us.

Nola then......

.......and now

We're praying you home baby!

Thank You All So Much!!!!

2008-09-30T13:34:00.001-07:00

First of all, I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who has posted, e-mailed and called to let us know you are praying for us and keeping us close to your hearts. These last few days have been nearly unbearable but your kindness has been very uplifting.

We have learned where Nola has been placed. She is in Casa El Jardin orphanage in Guatemala City. That, unfortunately, is all we know. We were first told that our lawyer would not be able to get her released from the orphanage and placed back with her foster family, but today we were told that it may be a judges call. There are just so many things up in the air. Our agency is trying to find out all they can and they are supposed to be in contact with our lawyers office daily. I have accepted the fact that information is going to come to us slowly.

I'll post updates as we receive them.

We've Had the Wind Taken Out of Our Sails

2008-09-26T15:02:00.001-07:00

I received a call from our agency today. Not the approval call I had hoped for. We were told that the PGN summoned our foster mother to appear before them with Nola. She, of course, appeared as they asked and they took Nola away. We know nothing more than that. Our attorney doesn't know where they took Nola or exactly why. We do know the PGN said they were placing her in an orphanage and that's it. There was also talk of it being a judicial case now. Our agency will find out all they can for us but not until next week since this is Friday. I can only imagine how afraid Nola must be.

What started out as such a beautiful day sure ended up in the toilet.

Please continue to pray for our little sweetheart!

Here's some raspberries from Nola ;)

Maybe she should have given those PGN officials some!

Back Home Again

2008-09-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

My, how quickly five days flew by. Maria and I are home again safe and sound. Our time with Nola was wonderful but of course too short. It seems like just about the time things start falling in to place, it's time to leave again. Nola has changed so much since just ten weeks ago when we saw her last. She has two teeth. She is not quite walking, but she is really a climber! Give her some steps, no matter how many, and she'll tackle them. She has also acquired a hefty little attitude! Wow! If she's not happy, everybody knows it! I think there may be something to that "Red Hot Latina Temper" I've heard tell of.

I'm so ready to bring her home and I think Maria may be ready to bring her home too. This visit went really well for the two of them together. Maria loved playing with Nola (as long as Nola wasn't playing with Maria's toys.) It was fun watching them interact. I only had to play referee a few times and I saw lots of hugs and kisses between the two of them.

Below are several pictures. I had planned to do a slide show, but I have tons of work to get caught up on and no time to try to figure out "how" to do a slide show.

One of the very few pics of the two of them.........smiling at the same time..........in the same place

Maria love helping to feed Nola

What a Happy Girl!!!

Our Foster Family with Nola on her birthday

Nola, not at all impressed with the birthday cake.

The birthday girl!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

We`re Here!

2008-09-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Just taking a very few minutes to say we are safe and sound and all is well. Not much time to be on the computer.
Tomorrows the big birthday. Weve got the cake ordered.........Tres Leches!
Probably wont post until we get back home.

Some Wonderful News To Share!

2008-09-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord, one of our four prayer babies is coming home! Alex's mommy and daddy got the call today. PGN has approved their case. This was cause for some happy tears at our house!
It was just the boost I needed to rejuvenate me and put my mind back in the positive thought mode. Congratulations Steve and Ginger, Alex is really coming home!!! Absolutely wonderful news!

Hold on Kinsey, Melany and Nola. Your days are coming!
Please continue to keep them in your prayers!

It's A New Week!

2008-09-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

The Birth Mother Interview deadline has come and gone and the world is still spinning. The sun is still shining, and our hopes are still high. We continue to pray for that miracle!

Today was "Picture Day". I'm sure you know by now, we love picture day! Our little sweetie has had an obvious haircut.............I don't think she sat too still! She is still looking very healthy and happy.

And, can it be..........she's walking????????

If not, I think she's getting close!

Mark got me an early anniversary present (29 years on the 7th....Wow!). He's sending me down in a couple of weeks to spend Nola's first birthday with her. I can't wait! I wish we could go together, but we're hoping he is working by then.

We continue to pray and believe our prayers will be answered.

Still No News

2008-08-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

Another week has gone by with no news. We're now two weeks away from the deadline. I've had a sick feeling all week and I'm afraid it's going to get worse. I've contacted an agency who does birth mother searches. All they want is $3,000 up front to assemble a team of; a Lawyer, a Social Worker, one or two investigators and a Psychologist. After assembling their team, they will decide on a plan of attack to search. After coming up with the plan, they would inform us of the plan, making sure we understand their intent and then they would begin the search. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't see all of that happening before the August 31st deadline with time left over to search. I respectfully declined the use of their services. We don't need a team of professionals. We just need a responsible Spanish speaking person who is willing to search. I may have a lead for someone to search through the woman who runs the front desk at the Hotel we stay in when we visit. I'll know more about that lead on Monday. Hopefully it will turn out to be something positive and affordable.

Mark is gone this weekend on his motorcycle. He and a friend have gone south to ride through the Smokey's and the surrounding areas. So far he's having a good time, enjoying good weather and he says he has lots of pictures I'll be impressed with when he gets home. I'm waiting for pictures of bears. He and I have taken several trips through the Smokey's and have yet to see a bear. I remember as a kid when we would take family trips down there, we would always see bears. For some reason, as an adult, I have not been so lucky. I hope he continues to have a safe trip and gets home soon. I miss him!

I'm praying the upcoming week brings lots of good news! We're still praying for that miracle.

WOW!!!

2008-08-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

And the saga continues...........This week has not been one of our better ones as far as adoption news goes. The CNA has issued a time limit for the completion of birth mother interviews. August 31st is the deadline....only 3 short weeks away. Our birth mother has still not been located. We're just not sure what that means for us. No one is sure what will happen after that date. It could mean the children with missing birth mothers will go into abandonment, but the statement by the CNA says "the cases will be turned over to a competent judge". To me, that's not a very clear statement. Our attorney is assuring us that he will complete our adoption. I guess our question is...............when?

Such an uncertain time! I don't like to put time restrictions in my prayers because then I'm working on my time schedule, not God's, but in this instance, I'm praying for a miracle before August 31st.

Nola, Kinsey, Alex and Melany.

Those are the names of the four little ones that we are particularly aware of whose lives will be affected by what happens in the next three weeks. Please keep them, and all of the little ones in the same situation, in your prayers.
We need God to work in a BIG way!

Today Is Picture Day!!!!!!

2008-08-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Even though my life if full of so many things to be thankful for, the fact remains that one of my children is still living in another country. She is still being cared for by someone other than me and is bonding to someone other than me. Even though I am grateful to Ingrid for caring for our little Nola, I want her home with me........with us. I'm her momma and I should be caring for her. We're her family and we should be tickling that little tummy and kissing those chubby cheeks. I have been really struggling this week with the uncertainty of our adoption situation. Legally she isn't mine. She isn't ours, but in my heart she has been since the day I first heard her name. She is a part of our family that is missing and I want her home.

Today, just like so many times in the past, we received new pictures and again my heart is brightened. Of course, I have to share so you can see how much she's growing and changing too.

What a doll baby! We have received no news about the birth mother being located. Our agency has now had three cases approved without a birth mother interview but our lawyer has not yet been so lucky. Please keep our little one, and all of those waiting to come home, in your prayers. I need to see that light at the end of our tunnel again.

In all of my blog reading lately, I have came across the same scripture reference many different times:

Philippians 4:6&7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. and the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.