Valentine......

.... 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

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!

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