Happy 4th Birthday Nola!

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!!

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

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???

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!

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...

...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!

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.