Our Fears Are Taking a Back Seat!

We arrived in Guatemala without a hitch..............almost. We packed two suitcases but only one arrived. There's a problem. Kelsey has no clothes with exception of what she has on. She's not a happy camper. Maria has nothing and Mark and I have t-shirts. Soooooooooo, things didn't start out too well, but when we arrived at the hotel, Ingrid was waiting with our little sweetie. What a difference a little brown eyed girl can make. Somehow the fact we didn't have deodorant, toothpaste...........underwear........you know, things like that, just seemed to fade in the background. Nola is just beautiful! So much more smiley than before and she's crawling....so cute! She has two teeth just breaking through and she waves bye-bye. I can't believe how much she has changed since the first part of May.


We had a meeting with our lawyers assistant yesterday. She assured us that our lawyer won't stop until he finds our birth mother. He believes he knows what city she is in now, it's just a matter of finding her..........he thinks. They asked us to try and be patient and trust them. I feel somewhat better, but I'm afraid it's because we have Nola in our arms right now. I know when we have to go home and leave her, I'll be a basket case again, but lets not think about that now.


Maria is taking to her new little sister pretty well, and Kelsey is adoring her! Maria wants to do everything for Nola but is a little annoyed that Nola poops in her diaper instead of on the toilet. In Maria's words, "that's nasty". Other than that, Maria is adjusting much better than I had anticipated

Maria and I, all strapped in and ready to fly!!!!!

Kels isn't amused with the obsessive picture taking

Kels with Nola on our first day

Our two little Guatemalan cuties!

Got a little bit of wild hair going on, but what a doll baby!

Sorry this post has been such a long time coming. It's just not been as easy to find time to write this trip. Since I first started this post, our luggage has arrived.....Woo Hoo, and I have been getting very well acquainted with the bathroom.....Yuck, but today seems to be a better day. I won't promise to write again before we get home because I know I probably won't have time, but we have lots of pictures to post later.

Today is our last full day with Nola and we're going to soak it all in. Please keep her in your prayers. I'm afraid we may have a long wait ahead of us but I am trusting we will get through it.

Remember the Reyher's too. Little Kinsey is such a doll. She and Nola will get to be good buddies as they grow.

Bye for now

Preparing For Travel

Well it looks as though we will be able to meet with our lawyer while we are in Guatemala. Our agency is ironing out the details, but it looks like Friday will be the day. We're hoping to find out what has been done up to this point to locate Nola's birth mother and what more will be done. Please pray that I won't be a blubbering mess. I don't think that would make a very good impression, but I have been quite the faucet face the last few days.

On a lighter note, our son Kyle has added to his "body art". He got his first tattoo when he was old enough to get it without our consent and recently added a new one. He has honored his Guatemalan born sister and sister to be on his right shoulder.

The Guatemalan flag with two stars added

to represent each one of the girls

Kyle and Maria

I'll keep you all posted on all of happenings in Guatemala.

Friday will mark our 6 month anniversary in PGN....WOW!

Today's uplifting scripture from "Hugs from Heaven".....

Don't get discouraged. I'm close to the brokenhearted,

and I specialize in rescuing you when you're crushed in spirit.

Your weakness is the perfect opportunity for my power to shine.

Meanwhile, I give you my all-sufficient grace.

from Psalm 34:18; 2 Corinthians 12:9

Side note, after our recent news, I have lifted my self imposed ban from the Internet (obviously). I'm not on much, and I'm staying away from the forums but I just don't feel comfortable distancing myself from the one connection I have with Guatemala right now. Go ahead and say it Mark.............I'm weak!

Not The News We Wanted!

This post will be short and sweet. We received word today that our Birth Mother has been given three different interview times: 5/20, 5/30 and 6/9. Our lawyer has been unable to locate her.
As of now, he still doesn't know her where abouts. Our agency is unsure how many missed appointments will be tolerated before the case goes into abandonment. If that happens, Nola will be taken from her foster family and placed into an orphanage. The case would then be entered into another court system and could drag on for a year and maybe more.
Please join us in praying our lawyer has the time and resources to invest in finding our Birth Mother. I know my God is bigger than all of this, but I am having a hard time feeling hopeful right now.
We aren't the only family receiving this news today. Please also keep Danny and Brittney and their little Kinsey in your prayers. http://babygirlreyher.blogspot.com/ Their Birth Mother has also had three interviews scheduled and has not been located.
I've said before, this process is extremely difficult in the best of times, and these are far from the best of times.

NO NEWS!

This has been a very long stretch with no adoption news. The wait is really getting to me (as it is everyone else who is waiting). I've decided to take a break from the computer for a while. It has become my obsession to try and find some good news, some timeline that is similar to ours, something I can compare our case with, and in reality it does absolutely no good. There is no way to possibly figure out PGN and the reasoning behind their actions so I've got to stop trying. I (and my family) will be much better off if I just take a break from it all. Yes, that means I'm cutting myself off............"cold turkey". I'll probably have the sweaty shakes and hallucinations from the withdrawal but I'm tough, I'll get through it.


So this is my last post until we get some good news or until we get down to Guatemala in two weeks. I'm going to miss reading everyone else's blogs and posts of good news, but I'll get caught up in time I'm sure. I have to make an attempt to save what's left of my sanity, if that's at all possible.


I'll continue to pray for all of us and I hope you do too!

Kisses baby, Momma will see you soon!

Here is some scripture that helped me this morning.

I think it should have been addressed "Hey Pam",

I see you struggling and I know the anguish of your soul.

I know it seems as if I've forgotten you,

but your troubles are only temporary.

After you have suffered for a while, I'll personally restore you

and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. You'll be amazed by

the brilliance of my eternal glory that will be revealed in you.

Your God of All Grace

from Psalm 22:24, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Peter 5:10

Will It Ever Stop?

Unbelievable! That's the only word to describe this weather lately! We had another 7" of rain yesterday and last night! We look like we live on an island right now (always thought it would be neat to live on an island.............but I had a more tropical location in mind.) I figure we will be begging for rain later this summer and wont get a drop.

This is the west edge of our yard. The water was up beyond the trees. What's behind isn't a lake, it's a hay field.........disguised as a lake ;)


There's no news on the adoption front. We received word from our coordinator, who was in Guatemala this week, that our Birth mother interview has not been scheduled. That was a bit discouraging. I was hoping it had happened and our attorney had just not passed along the news yet. There is no estimate as to how much longer we may wait. Right now it seems to be the luck of the draw determining who goes next. The JCICS released a statement that 230 cases were released from PGN yesterday. That's fantastic news! There is no word yet on how many of those were approvals and how many were previos. That news should be coming a bit later. So for now...............again, we wait.

Nola's reaction on hearing we seem to be stuck in PGN.

My sentiments exactly baby!

Momma and Daddy love and miss you!

Please keep the prayers coming!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Wow! Anyone else out there thinkin' somebody should be building an ark? We've had over 4" of rain in the last two days! Things are a little soggy to say the least. But it makes for some fun afternoons..........if you have some rubber boots ;)

Maria has thoroughly been enjoying this!

Oh, not quite enough splash :(

Now....That's more like it!

Notice she only has on boots and panties.

The child is always naked!

This is my Dad's driveway.

It runs right beside the edge of our yard.

We've had enough rain already!

NEWS!!! NEWS!!! NEWS!!!

Not Adoption News.....

Not Mark's Employment News.....

So what; you may ask, is worthy of such a

post on my blog???

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I'm gonna be a GRANNY!!!!!!!!!

Our oldest daughter Anna and her husband Tim are

expecting in December. Actually the little peanut is

due on Tim's birthday, December 11th.

This hasn't been a quick, easy process for them,

but this little one has come along in God's perfect timing.

There's no more perfect timing than a winter birth for a farmer,

And they will hopefully be in their new house by then.

What wonderful wonderful news!!!!!

I'm so excited! I really can't wait to hear someone call Mark Papaw!

Such excitement! Please keep this little one in your prayers.

We're praying for a happy healthy little boy or girl.

In your prayers you can also add Joshua and Alison (our oldest

son and his wife) They are also struggling with fertility issues.

Please pray that God will also provide in the same perfect timing.

That's all for now,

Granny Pam ;)