The greatest experience, the one which shakes a soul with hopes and fears, the results of which are never ending, and incidentally, the one which pays the biggest dividends, is to be found in the adoption of children.
--Anonymous

Lilypie Waiting to Adopt tickers

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Look at that Smile!



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.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

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!

Gordon Mote - Don't Miss the Glory