Not much to report

Sorry I haven't posted much lately, to be honest I have been very frustrated with this whole adoption process. Last year on Christmas Day we announced to our families we were adopting a little girl from Guatemala. When we started the process we thought for sure she would be home in time to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with us and that didn't happen. We are more than ready to have our little girl home. Her first Christmas has now come and gone and I am dreading missing her first birthday. This process is getting harder and harder each day.

Effective January 1, 2008 the new law goes in to effect.A central Authority still has to be created in the first 15 days of the new year then 3500+ cases have to be registered with them. This will be a huge task and I expect that this task and the new law will probably create some delay in our file. Techinically we are suppose to be grandfathered in under the old law however Guatemala has yet to establish what is considered "in process."

Now to update you on our file. As of December 27th we are still with the second reviewer and should be for another 2-3 weeks. Mike and I have different feelings about being with the second reviewer. Most cases get kicked out of PGN at least once if not twice and I would rather it be sooner rather than later. Mike looks at it as a blessing we haven't been kicked out and we may squeak through without a kickout (plus I don't like to worry about it either-MM). I ask that you please pray that God protects our file from a kickout in PGN. We really need your prayers as I am aware of one maybe two reasons they can kick our file out. When you enter PGN all dates must be current and no expirations of notary's or licenses. I tell you this because our social worker's license expired 15 days before we entered PGN. She has since renewed her license but even if it is a quick fix we go back to the beginning of the line in PGN and our 8 week wait starts over.

I have posted some pictures that reminded us of Ella this holiday even though she couldn't be with us.

Merry Christmas

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

No news

As of Friday we are still on the second reviewer's desk. Tuesday will mark 3 weeks in PGN which is the average time before getting the first kickout. So please pray we can make it the next 5 weeks without a kickout.

There is a short slide show on the website with pictures from our visit trip

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

New Adoption Law Approved

Below you can read the associate press article just released. This sounds like good news. However we are still 3-4 months from getting Ella home. PGN will be closed 12/20-1/2 so that just added 2 weeks to our wait. We are now praying Ella will be home before Mike's birthday April 2nd.

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New Guatemala Adoption Law Approved
By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA – 27 minutes ago

GUATEMALA (AP) — Guatemalan legislators approved a new law Tuesday to tighten adoptions, while allowing pending adoptions — mostly to U.S. couples — to go through without meeting the stricter requirements.

The legislation had upset thousands of would-be parents who had invested their savings to adopt a child from Guatemala, which is second only to China in sending adoptive children to the United States. Many feared thousands of children would be left in limbo.

However, the law approved by Congress stipulates that pending adoptions, some 3,700 children already matched with prospective parents, will be allowed to move forward without being subject to the new rules.

The law, aimed at cleaning up an adoption process that critics say allows birth mothers to sell their babies, will take effect next year. It requires the signature of President Oscar Berger.

"Starting Dec. 31, the business of adoptions is over," said lawmaker Rolando Morales, one of the measure's biggest supporters.

Adoptions in Guatemala are now handled exclusively by notaries who work with birth mothers, determine if babies were surrendered willingly, hire foster mothers and handle all the paperwork.

Notaries charge an average of $30,000 for children delivered in about nine months — record time for international adoptions. The process is so quick that one in every 100 Guatemalan children now grow up as an adopted American; Guatemala sent 4,135 children to the U.S. last year.

1 down 2 to go

I just called PGN and found out we made it past the first reviewer and are currently with the 2nd reviewer. We should be with the 2nd reviewer about 4-6 weeks. After the 2nd reviewer we go to the 3rd reviewer (Barrio's) who will have our file 1-2 weeks. Please continue to pray we have no errors and can move through PGN in a timely manner despite the holidays. Right now it looks like Ella will be home shortly after her 1st birthday (February 20th) hopefully before my 30th birthday (March 12th).

I also ask that you pray for Gabi's (Ella's foster sister's) file. They are still fixing their previous error so they can be resubmitted back to PGN. This is their 3rd kick out from PGN and no family should have to go through 3 separate kick outs.

Next Tuesday Guatemala is holding special sessions to vote on the amendments for the new adoption law. I will keep you posted.

We are in PGN and it has been confirmed

Praise the Lord! We were submitted on November 27 and we have a case number. Please pray we have no errors in our file and that we can get through PGN quickly

Bummer for our friends

Our friends Amanda, Ed & Gabi we spent last week with found out they were kicked out of PGN for the 3rd time. Unfortunately they do not know how long it will take to fix the misspelling. Please pray for this family during this difficult time. Everyone really thought the timing was right for their file to be approved. When you receive a kick out from PGN you have to have the error corrected then you are resubmitted and your file starts over at the beginning.

We Made It Home

We arrived home last night around 10:30. Our flight home was delayed but customs and immigration in Charlote were a breeze. (Sorry Gwen I think we will have to go through Charlotte when we actually pick Ella up instead of Atlanta).

Ella was picked up yesterday at 12:00 by her foster mom.I thought this time would be easier leaving her since I had already been through it once but no it was just as hard. We were met by our attorney and translator as well and received an update on our case. Our file was released from family court on Wednesday (8 days that has to be a record). The attorney has reviewed our file and found the US Embassy misspelled on of Ella's last names on a document so he will have that fixed on Monday and then can submit us to PGN on Tuesday. He tried really hard to have us in PGN while we were there but being as the US Embassy was closed Thursday and Friday it is in our best intrest to have the error corrected before going into PGN. Your prayers are working for our file so keep them coming.

Mike and I enjoyed reading all the emails and comments from you all while we were in Guatemala. One day we will share them with Ella.

Our last full day with our baby girl

This morning started off rough and it wasn't until about 2:00 till Ella started feeling better. Unfortunately we had to miss dinner last night b/c the doctor didn't get to our room until 6:45. Ella was given a shot of an antibotic and a fever reducer. See her get the shot made made me cry and I wasn't prepared to hear her scream like she did. I know I will have many more moments like this so maybe next time I will be better prepared.

This afternoon we spent a few hours at the pool today with Gabi and her family. We feel very fortunate to have met this family. They found out today they are on the 3rd reviewer's desk in PGN and should be signed off and out in about a week. This is very exicting news and we pray the final steps go smoothly for them.

This probably will be the last post. When we get back from dinner we will pack and spend as much time as possible with Ella. She will be picked up at 12:00 tommorrow. I am not looking forward to this. She is a great baby and we are greatful to have been able to spend this week with her. Hopefully we will be back very soon to pick her up.

If you checked the site earlier and their were no pictures I am sorry we were having technical difficutlies with the camera.

Enjoy the new photos.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sorry I haven't posted much in the past 2 days Ella isn't feeling too good. We actually are waiting right now for the hotel doctor to come see her. She has had a fever since yesterday and gradually has stopped eating and drinking as the day has gone by. She also is sleeping alot and very fussy. Posted you will see some pictures when she was feeling okay. You can see her cheeks are rosy in most of them.

We are hoping to have Thanksgiving dinner with some other adoptive families tonight if Ella is up to it. Also we hope to take our Christmas pictures as well. Unfortunately we will have to wait and see.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Wednesday Pictures

Today we went to the local handicraft market with Ella's foster sisters family (Ed, Amanda and Gabi). I hope to have more pictures later. We didn't take to many today because Ella hasn't been her happy self. I think she may be getting ready to cut teeth.

Another Video a little long

She Can Crawl

Log on to see a short video of Ella crawling. Don't worry we have throughly sanitized the remote.

Tuesday PM Pictures

Today we spent the afternoon at the pool with Ella's foster sister and their family.I have included a couple pictures of Gabi as well so you can see how beautiful she is.
I hope you enjoy the photos.

Happy 9 Months Baby Girl!

Ella is 9 months today. This is a big deal to us since we miss out on so much.
Yesterday we hung out around the hotel. We also had the pleasure of meeting Ella's foster sister Gabi and her family. Gabi is such a doll.

Ella is getting more and more comfortable with us. Last night was 10 times better than the night before. She slept through the night and wasn't nearly as fussy going to sleep.
Ella is talking and says dada. It seemed like the flood gates opened yesterday in the talking department. Not a word on Sunday then all of the sudden yesterday she started babling and she does say dada for sure. I am working on mama.

Please check out the next entry it has video of Ella and Mike talking to each other.

Shirt Video

Here is a short video of Ella talking with Mike. We are trying to get more video uploaded but we are having trouble.

First Morning

Ella is a morning baby for sure. Last night was a little rough. I think she misses her foster mom.

We Made it!

We made it and she an absolute doll. She is so easy going and curious! She has no teeth yet but she is crawling. We are so excited to be here with our sweet girl!

Ella was delivered to us by the attorney, translator and foster mom. We did find out there is a good chance our file will be released from family court this week. Our file was submitted on November 13th and the social worker has already interviewed the birthmother and the foster mom. So we pray that she will type the report and release it this week.

I have attached a few pictures. Please log on to see them under the journal page. Enjoy!

Lots Going On

Today our file was being submitted to a new family court. We are repeating this step since the last social worker would not sign off on our file. This step usually takes 4-6 weeks but we hope it takes us less since we are repeating. The next step after the social worker signs off and types a report is PGN. PGN is the final hurdle in this process which usually takes about 8 weeks. After we get out of PGN we will have her birth certificate issued in our name, the 2nd DNA is ordered and her passport is done...then we travel for her visa appointment. In this trip we bring Ella home. As is stands now we estimate bringing Ella home in February or March.

Guatemala still has not voted on a new law yet that will grandfather cases. There has been a lot of talk lately about it but no real action. We feel very confident that our case will be grandfathered however we are adopting internationally and there are no guarantees.

In less than a week we leave for Guatemala. Ella will stay with Mike and I from Sunday to Saturday. We are anxious to see how much she's grown and changed. I am dying to see if she is getting teeth. We are also excited to meet Ella's foster sister, Gabi, and her parents while there.
We will be posting up to 2 posts a day with lots of pictures. If you are on the email list and wish to be removed to avoid receiving numerous emails a day please log on to the site and unsubscribe under the journal tab.

I have posted a picture of Ella's Christmas dress and another dress I got from Pottery Barn. The Pottery Barn dress is size 12-18 months so you will not see her in it on this trip but maybe on the pickup trip. You have to log on to see pictures and they are attached to this post under the journal section.

New Pictures

She is getting so big. Ella is 16 pounds 13 ounces. We can't wait to hug and kiss on her. Only 2 weeks to go.

All Saints Day in Santiago Sacatepéquez

The Day of the Dead Kite Festival
The town of Santiago Sacatepequez in Guatemala, in Central America, celebrates the All Saints Day on the first of November every year. The day is known locally as the Day of the Dead. It is a three-thousand-year-old custom developed from a mixture of local religious practices and Christianity. On this day, local residents dress up in traditional bright-colored clothing and go to the graveyards to fly kites in the hope that they can communicate with the departed.
These are not normal kites. While they are constructed simply out of bamboo, cloth, paper and wire, they are amazingly durable even in strong winds. These kites are designed in a circular shape and usually with a religious or folkloric theme. They are also gigantic -- most of them are with a diameter of 24 to 30 meters. The biggest ones are with a diameter of 36 meters!
These tremendous kites fly effortlessly into the wind, their strong purple, yellow, orange and red colors standing out clearly against the blue sky and white clouds. Local residents fly these kites to establish links with the dead. However, families, community groups and religious communities often try to compete with each other and see which one's kite is more colorful and flies higher. There is a prize for the best design.

While the All Saints Day is dedicated to the dead, for the living it is a happy festival. In addition to flying kites, local residents gather together at home to eat, sing and dance. Those who have picnics at the graveyards paint the graves blue, pink or green, then decorate them with beautiful flowers. Finally, various delicious traditional foods are prepared for both the dead and the living. One of such foods is a dish called "Fiambre", which is made only once a year, for lunch. It is a mixture of cheese, meat and vegetables cured in vinegar.

This information came from this website.
http://www.taiwan.com.au/Club/GlobalVillage/20050923.htm

I saw an Ella Phant

Wednesday night I prayed for a sign if Ella would be home this year. I specifically asked God to show me an elephant on Thursday. We keep Fox news on all day at work so I thought I may see a baby elephant born at a zoo or something. My sister asked me why I picked an elephant as a sign and the only reason I can come up with is b/c the MasterCard commercial with the elephant named Ella Phant. I went the whole day at work on Thursday without seeing an elephant. That night I met my sister at the mall to pick up a birthday present for my mom and I thought for sure this is where I would see my elephant. At the beginning of the trip I wasn't looking for the elephant but by the end I have to admit I was looking for it. Needless to say I left with out seeing a single elephant at the mall. Build-a-Bear doesn't even have one. Surprised me.

Mike had soccer so afterwards we went to the grocery store. We arrived a Bi-lo and there was a Bloodmobile and before we knew there was a lady asking us to donate blood. I can't give blood and Mike Murphy HATES giving blood they have to poke him 50 times to find a vein. Without any hesitation he said yes this time later he told me since we got news on our case he was in a good mood. I was so proud of him. Now I was on my own for grocery shopping. Guess what I saw at the end of the 3rd isle in Bi-Lo that is right a stuffed elephant.

From here on out I have to believe that the good Lord is going to get my little girl home this year. I know he still has the right to change his mind but he is capable of getting her home this year.

Right now our case is still in family court I estimate another 2-3 weeks. Then PGN should be 8 weeks. After PGN if we have no kickouts then we have 6 weeks. We are looking at about 17 weeks before we get Ella home. However this adoption is in God's hands so seeing as we only have about 9 weeks left in the year only he can get her home.

UPDATE

I don't know where to start with this update so I will dive right in. We were told on October 1st that our file was picked up from family court and we were submitted to PGN on October 5th. None of that happened. Mike and I have known this for a few weeks but we just learned tonight what has been taking place.
Our file just recently has been picked up from family court. The social worker assigned to our case has been trying to persuade Ella's birthmother to take her back since June. Our attorney kept this from us because he did not want us to worry. It is disturbing but he has confirmed with Ella's birthmother that she still wants this adoption to proceed, which is WONDERFUL news. Our attorney has also moved our file to another family court and unfortunately we have to start the family court process again. The bigger picture is that Ella's birthmother has been tormented by this social worker for 5 months and she stood her ground. I have to praise God for giving her the strength to endure this process. I can’t even imagine what she has been put through over the past few months. It makes me cry every time I think about it.

Our prayer is for mercy on our file with the next social worker and that we can get submitted to PGN by the end of the year. Our prayer is for Ella’s birthmother to continue to have peace and strength through the rest of this process.

Mike and I are looking forward to spending plenty of quality time with our baby girl as we visit during the entire week of Thanksgiving.

Thank you again for your support and prayers…keep them coming.

Guatemalan president says he's not trying to stop U.S. families from adopting babies

AP Article
October 16, 2007
GUATEMALA CITY: Guatemalan President Oscar Berger said Tuesday that his government is simply working to make adoptions more secure and not trying to interfere with U.S. families already in the process of adopting some 3,700 children from the Central American nation.

Guatemalan lawmakers are debating how to fulfill their promise to comply by Jan. 1, 2008, with the Hague Convention, the international standard for legal adoptions. A key requirement is the creation of a centralized adoption-monitoring agency.

Would-be parents — many of whom spend US$30,000 (€21,000) or more to adopt Guatemalan babies — are on edge, worrying that adoptions already in process will be blocked by the impending legislation. But Berger denied that.

"I have never said that I want to stop the adoptions," Berger told The Associated Press. "All my government wants is for the adoptions law that is about to pass to be respected and for Guatemala to comply with the Hague Convention."

U.S. families adopted 4,135 Guatemalan children last year, making the Central American nation second only to China as a source of babies for American couples. One in every 100 Guatemalan babies born annually is adopted by U.S. families, thanks to a speedy private adoption system in which notaries handle the entire process, from scouting for pregnant women to filing all the paperwork.

Today in AmericasU.S. Southeast reaches most severe category of droughtGlobal warming starts to divide Republican contendersLifers as teenagers, now seeking second chanceThe Hague Convention requires that a government agency control the process, not independent notaries.
It remains unclear exactly what parents who are already adopting Guatemalan babies will have to do to comply with the new rules. But Rep. Rolando Morales, one of the main backers of the adoption bill in Congress, also said adoptions under way won't be blocked.

"All we ask for is an investigation to make sure that the woman giving the baby up is the biological mother and that the infant was not obtained under coercion or, worse, stolen," Morales said.

"We don't believe an adoption should cost more than US$7,000 (€5,000)," he added. "The difference is the profit the lawyer makes."

UNICEF's Guatemala office also wants cases already in process to be re-examined to ensure that babies were not stolen or obtained under duress. And the U.S. State Department has warned U.S. families not to adopt from Guatemala until the U.S. Embassy can examine each case more thoroughly. The embassy recently began requiring DNA tests at the beginning and the end of each adoption to verify the child's identity.

In response, a notaries' lobbying group has run radio ads praising adoption as a way to get children out of orphanages and help those living on the street. Meanwhile, adoptive parents have deluged U.S. government offices with calls and e-mails calling for Guatemalan adoptions to continue.

Guatemalan lawmakers are determined to pass the bill before the nation's presidential elections on Nov. 4.

We have Decided to Visit Ella Again

Mike and I have decided to go visit Ella again. We will spend November 18 - 24 in Guatemala with our little girl. She will be 9 months old and we feel we are missing out on too much. Can you blame us for wanting to love on our little girl?

Ella foster sister Gabriella's family will be there so we will have some company.

Please continue to pray for all the families in process adopting from Guatemala. See the previous post for some updates.

PGN

We received the news we have been submitted to PGN. This is a huge step considering were we have been. Please pray our file is error free and we get through quickly.

Below are some other updates regarding Guatemala Adoptions.
1.) JCICS is reporting that the Hague permanent bureau is supporting allowing in-process to continue. This is excellent news for in-process families!

2.) The Guatemalan papers are reporting about amendments being offered to the bill and that the executive branch is not happy that the bill will undergo so many changes. The UNE party seems to be the one most supporting significant changes, or at least they are the ones saying that the bill in its current form has many issues.

3.) It does not appear as though the amendments will be voted on before the Nov 4th election. We are hearing it will be on Nov 14th. All parties in Guatemala seem to be agreeing that they must not allow the adoption law to become a campaign issue.

We Need Prayers Please

Since last Thursday Mike and I learned that our case is still in family court. We learned this after being told that our case had moved on to the judicial process and then PGN, all of which were not true. It turns out we have been stuck in family court since MAY 17. The social worker on our case would not release it. Family court usually takes a normal case 35 days to complete and our case has been in there 4 1/2 months. After discussing this new information with our agency we have since been released and are now waiting to be submitted to PGN. This is scheduled to happen either Friday or next Monday, but Mike will travel to meet with our agency on Thursday to find out why it can’t be submitted any sooner. I can assure you as soon as I hear we are submitted I will be calling PGN myself to verify.

Please understand this recent development is not something Mike and I wish to discuss. Right now we have to focus on getting Ella's case out of PGN and her birth certificate issued before December 31st. Time is currently working against our case and Mike and I are trying to be positive in a very negative situation. Please pray for our case to move through PGN quickly and for her new birth certificate to be issued quickly as well.

Today Guatemala Congress passed the Ortega Law which currently will not honor pending adoptions. Next Tuesday they will discuss adding a grandfather amendment for pending cases to this law. Please pray they add this amendment to honor pending cases.

New Pictures

New pictures are on the website. Ella is 7 months and 9 days old. She is 16 lbs and 4 ozs.
I think she is a little sleepy. What do you think?

She absolutely adorable!

Today I had a Wonderful Baby Shower

Today I had a wonderful baby shower given by Shawn, Carri, Angie and Sara. They all did an awesome job planning the whole thing. Thank you girls.

Thank you to all of the ladies who attended. I know some of you drove from as far away as Atlanta and Asheville.It meant alot to have all of you there. Mike and I are very fortunate to have each of you as a part of our life.

We received a lot of good stuff today. Attached you see some of the goodies we received. Now the only thing missing is Ella.

PGN Like it or Not

I wanted to give everyone an update on our case. Apparently, international adoptions have been all over the newspapers in Guatemala. The newspapers there tend to read like the Enquirer here. Our attorney has decided to put all cases back in PGN. It continues to be legal to get Judicial Approval, however, because the judges are getting so much harrassment from everyone including the press they are afraid to issue approvals. Our attorney said that everyone can rest well that our case went back to PGN on Sept 14th (Last Friday) that had been sent for Judicial Approval.

Please pray for all of the families that are going from the judical process now to PGN with us. Now our file has made no prgress in the last 4 weeks because of this change so please pray that we can get in and out of PGN quickly.

Right now the average time in PGN is about 8 weeks so I will start a counter on the home page.

Prayer Requests

Just wanted to give an update. Our case should be going before the judge next week for approval. I ask that you pray this does take place next week and that the judge does approve our case.
At this point our agency is still hopeful that we can bring Ella home this year. However, even the slightest delay could mean early 2008.

Please keep our the following adopting families in your prayers as well:
The Gower Family is waiting for travel approval to pick up Reagan. (Should be traveling in the next couple of weeks)
The Austin Family is waiting for judicial approval for Gabriella (This is Ella's foster sister)
The Gosney Family is also waiting for judicial approval for Jeremiah.
The Brinkman Family who wait for a referral from China.
The Starr Family who is waiting for family court approval for Madalynn.

Video

I have posted a video so please log on to our website to view. I have been meaning to post this for a while now. This was right before the first diaper change on our visit trip to Guatemala. Please make sure your volume is on. I hope you enjoy!

On to our next hurdle

We were told Tuesday night we were submitted last week to PGN. So yesterday I decided to call PGN and just check on our file. I have an idea of how long each of the 3 reviewers will have the file on their desk. So I called and spoke with a very nice lady who speaks great english and she searches under Marleny (Ells'a birth given first name)and doesn't find us then by Cucul (her birth last name). Long story short they have no record of us.

Tonight I finally got confirmation that our file was submitted for judicial approval. This is instead of going through PGN like most cases. A judge will review and rule on our case. The case is then presented to PGN in which they have an opportunity to nullify the case only but for good reason within 3 days. From what I understand this process is taking about 7 weeks.

Please pray this is a smooth and quick process. Our agency has not experienced many cases taking this route but we all trust our attorney and the decision he made for our case.

Here are pictures from Ella 6 month check up. She is 14 lbs 10 ozs and 24.41 inches long.
Her foster mom did email us yesterday to let us know Ella is doing great. It was nice to hear from her since we did not get her 5 month update.

What is in the world is up with her hair?

We have PreApproval!!!

After 62 long days we now have approval from the US Embassy to adopt Ella. Now our attorney will pick up the pre-approval from the US Embassy and submit us to the final step which is the PGN hopefully in the next week or so. PGN is very unpredictable and yourfile can be kicked out for any reason. This step can be as quick as 10 days or as long as several months.

Please continue to pray for our adoption that our stay in PGN is a short one and for Ella.

Our first Baby Shower

Last night our bible study gave us a couple’s baby shower. Check out Mike's Daddy Diaper Tool belt. We also played a Guatemala Trivia Game and Baby Pictionary. Unfortunately Mary our good friend adopting from China who did a good bit of the planning was visiting a sick uncle and was unable to attend. Her husband DeWayne did a great job in her absence. Greshen, Melissa, Janae and Michelle also helped and all their hard work is much appreciated. It was a great time and we were joined by great company. Mike and I are very fortunate to be part of a great bible study. Thank you!

We need your prayers!

I have to post the good and bad. I just got and update that The US Embassy is now going to require an additional DNA test to be done. This change goes in to effect on August 1, 2007. Fortunately they will only be testing Ella and not the birthmother. This test will be performed after we have been issued a pink slip but before we travel to pick her up. It is too early to tell if this adds time on to our adoption.

We have also learned that Mariela no longer works for our attorney in Guatemala. She does all the leg work for our adoption in Guatemala. We met her this past weekend and she is a wonderful person. Please pray for her and her family as she makes this transition.

Also Missy who handles our adoption at our agency in Spartanburg has decided to go back to teaching and will be handling the adoptions at night and on a part-time basis. I know this was a hard decision for her.

We did have chance to meet the foster mom taking care of Ella and we can tell she is doing a great job with Ella. This past weekend we also learned about another family whose little girl is also in the same foster home as Ella. The family spoke very highly of the foster mom.

Mike and I had a wonderful weekend with Ella and these changes are hard for us. Right now we are unsure if any of these changes will lengthen our wait but we ask that you pray for our adoption and Ella. It is hard to believe that we have already waited 7 months for this little girl. After meeting her we will wait as long as we have to. We both know this adoption is in God’s hands and she will come home when his timing is right.

A few Favorites

We got home at 12:30 pm Sunday night. Sunday was a very long day. Giving Ella back was the hardest thing I have ever done. I would love to visit again but I don't know if I could give her back again.

Our Last Full Day With Ella

Today was bittersweet knowing tomorrow we have to give Ella back. I knew this day would come it just came to quick. We are both head over heels for this little girl.

We started our day off with breakfast at McDonald's. Then we were picked up by our tour guide Diane who took us to Antigua. In Antigua we toured a jade factory and an old monastery which is now a hotel. Then we did a little shopping in the market. We finished the trip with a late lunch and headed back to Guatemala.

Hope you enjoy the pictures attached. Please remember you have to log on to the website to view the pictures.

Our Last Full Day With Ella

Today was bittersweet knowing tomorrow we have to give Ella back. I knew this day would come it just came to quick. We are both head over heels for this little girl.

We started our day off with breakfast at McDonald's. Then we were picked up by our tour guide Diane who took us to Antigua. In Antigua we toured a jade factory and an old monastery which is now a hotel. Then we did a little shopping in the market. We finished the trip with a late lunch and headed back to Guatemala.

Hope you enjoy the pictures attached. Please remember you have to log on to the website to view the pictures.

Another Day in Guatemala

We have a wonderful baby! She loves to laugh or smile and is just fascinated with her surroundings. I guess good things come to those who wait. Our morning started at 6:30 but it was actually 8:30 to us since we are 2 hours behind here. Last night Ella went to bed at 10:00 and slept till 6:30. She wakes herself up during the night but she falls right back asleep.

We had a breakfast buffet in the hotel this morning and saw several other families adopting. I knew there would be allot of families but not this many. Around 11:00 we went to an outdoor market and bought some treasures.

Right now everyone is catching up on their beauty sleep. Will post more later.
Attached you will find a few more pictures from our trip so far. I hope you enjoy!

We made it to Guatemala!

We arrrived about 12:00 and Ella was delivered at 2:30. She is absolutely a doll and a wonderful baby. Our first meeting couldn't have been better. We have attached a few pictures for your enjoyment. They will not come through in the email so please go to the website to see them. We will update tommorrow. Right now we have to go hunt for a spoon and more bottles.

Another Step Completed

We are finally out of family court. It took a little longer because they had to overnight the DNA results to be translated then delivered to family court.

In doing other paperwork we found out we left a name off Mike's name affidavit so we had to have a new one notarized, verified and then authenticated. Right now we are waiting for agency to receive that and send it down to be translated and meet up with the rest of our dossier. We still need pre-approval from the US Embassy and hope to have that within the next 3-4 weeks.
Mike, Jane, Gwen and I will be leaving a week from tomorrow to go visit Ella. Please keep all of us on your prayer list for safe trip. Also please pray our file continue to move forward.

Hopefully I will have new pictures in the next few days to send out.

Camp Kaleidescope

This past weekend Mike and I and DeWayne and Mary (friends of ours adopting from China through the same agency) attended our agencies annual Camp Kaleidoscope. Friday night consisted of a pizza and pool party at Westside Athletic Club in Spartanburg. This was an opportunity for meet and greet.

Then Saturday was held at Happy Trails Farm just over the North Carolina border. Actives were planned to represent different countries. First we made a family tree with our hand prints. Next we wrote a wish on a strip of cloth and tied it to the wishing tree. This tree was represented by Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. Then we got Moroccan henna tattoos on our hands that represent the team we would later compete with. Mike and I were on team China. This was humorous to us b/c DeWayne and Mary were on team Guatemala.

We were fed sandwiches from Schlotzsky's and then the team competitions began. We competed in different relays representing different countries. Our final event as a team was to build a Mayan Ruin representing Guatemala out of 15 boxes.

The weekend was a great opportunity for us to meet other families that either had brought their kids home or were still in the process. It is an event we look forward to attending for years to come.

Mike is going to Guatemala with us!!!

Certain things fell into place to allow Mike to go to Guatemala with us. We both will get to hold our baby in 2 weeks and counting.

Ella will have a doctor's appointment next week so I should have new pictures to post next week. I can assure you there will be plenty of pictures after our visit trip.

An update on our adoption:
We have slowed down yet again. As of last Friday our agency had to overnight our DNA results to the Family Court in Guatemala. Family Court should have only taken a week and a half to three weeks and now we have been there almost 2 months. Hopefully we will exit family court tomorrow or early next week. I think now it will be October probably November before we will get to bring Ella home.

Please pray our adoption picks up speed so we can bring Ella home this year.

Guatemala Here we come

Jane (Mike's mom), Gwen (Mike's oldest sister) and I are going to go visit Ella July 26-29. I can't even explain how happy I am right now. In just a few weeks I will get to hold my little girl and count her fingers and toes. Unfortunately Mike can't go this time but we pray she will be home before we know it. For the past month I have had a strong urge to go visit and the Lord has worked in this adoption yet again. We are at the lake for the 4th so I will update with more details later. Have a safe 4th of July!

Thank you Jane and Gwen for making the trip with me.

Thank you Deidra for my diaper bag that I will get to use now on my trip. Perfect timing.

New Pictures

As much as I love getting the pictures it is getting harder and harder not being able to hold her. Right now we are thinking we will get to pick her up sometime late September or October. However that could get pushed back very easily depending on the results of the PGN.
Mike and I are just grateful for the opportunity the Lord has given us to adopt this little girl. Even though this adoption process is long and stressful at times I would do it again in second.

DNA a Match

Today we received the packet in the mail from the lab with the DNA results. Also with that packet included a picture of Ella's birth mother. I can't even begin to explain the emotions I felt when I saw her. She gave us a gift like no other and we will always be grateful.

Another step is completed.:-)

We now will wait for pre-approval from the US Embassy which is taking about 60 days and then to enter the PGN.

DNA Done

Just got an email from Missy @ Worldwide and everyone showed up for the family court appointment and the DNA. Now we wait for the results and finish up with family court. We should receive the results in the next few weeks along with some medical / family history on Ella's birthmother and a photo of her birthmother holding her.

Next step is to get pre-approval from the US Embassy (which is taking about 60 days) and enter the PGN. We can enter the PGN without pre-approval but if our file is reviewed without pre-approval we will get kicked out and will have to be resubmitted when we have it.

Please continue to pray that our adoption keeps moving forward with out anymore delays and for Ella's health and safety.

DNA rescheduled

Just got a call and they were unable to get an appointment today and it has been set for Monday June 11 @ 9:00. They will do the family court appointment in the morning and DNA in the afternoon. Please continue to pray this step in the process goes smoothly without anymore delays so that we can move on to the next step.

Big Week

This past week we made some progress on our adoption at home and in Guatemala. This past Monday we ordered our crib furniture and bedding and today Mike is starting to paint the bedroom trim and closet. Also on Monday we went over to another family's home who is adopting from Guatemala through our agency as well. They are about 2 months ahead of us right now but we learned about things to come for us which was nice.Then Friday receiving DNA authorization was icing on the cake.

Next week will be a big week as well getting through the DNA and family court. Please pray both go smooth and as planned

DNA Authorization

We received the phone call today that we are approved to process the DNA. Hopefully that will be processed next Wednesday as planned. We are not out of the woods yet but we are seeing progress. Please keep us and Ella on your prayer lists. Thank you all.

DNA

DNA was not ordered today. I am told they are still waiting on one document and it should be ordered next week. Mike and I are staying positive. Right now it seems like we have been waiting on DNA forever and we are not getting very far in the process. We are told once we are through with DNA things start moving a little quicker. Got to go pack for the lake. Have a great weekend.

How Our Journey to Adoption Began

We have been wanting a child for a couple of years now but were running into one obstacle after another. Thus, adoption became an option we began to explore.

It was the end of summer 2006 when we started requesting information from several agencies looking into adopting from Thailand and El Salvador. Adoption is very expensive and we were unsure how we could afford it but felt God was leading us with sign after sign pointing us towards adoption. At this point, we put the thought in the back of our minds.

In Decemeber 2006 our pastor was preaching on a sermon that was asking "What was God asking you to do in your life that you think is impossible" and to take that leap of faith. During that same month our bible study leader asked David Dodd to come give his testimony to our bible study group regarding his adoption journey to Guatemala and to Liberia. It turns out that Mike went to high school with David's wife and approached him with questions. We had never seriously considered Guatemala due to the fact that most adoptive agencies were showing a cost between $32,000 and $36,000, which was out of our price range. Soon after David's testimony, he and Stephanie invited us over for dinner which gave us great insight into the adoption agency and the process. That night we went home and crunched some numbers and only knew how to pay for two thirds. Later that night I told Mike that I wanted to do it and was ready to start. He asked me to let him pray about it overnight which he prayed for one more sign from God just to show that we are making the right decision. The next morning I asked Mike if he was ready to mail in our application but he informed me that he had prayed to receive one more sign that day from God just to be sure. He did sign the application and I took it to work, yet I was reluctant to put it in the mail. Later that morning I got an email from Mike that was simply titled, "Why worry God's in control." During his drive to Anderson for the day, he passed a car that had a bumper sticker that read "Why worry God's in control." This was the sign he had prayed for the night before. He told me without a doubt to mail in our application. We were ready to take that leap of faith, trusting in God that he would bring us a healthy little girl and that the financials of the adoption would all fall into place. We mailed our application to the agency on December 21, 2006 and made the announcement to our families on Christmas Day.

In January 2007 we completed several packets of paperwork, 3 homestudies and began the process of gathering documents. Our entire paperwork packet was completed by the end of January with the only thing holding us back being immigration approval. During this time we completed our fingerprint appointment on February 9, 2007. Also in February we received DSS approval and on February 27th we finally recieved immigration approval. It was at this point that meant we could now be matched with a child and we learned this as Mike was going out of town for 3 days. During my drive to work on February 28th I prayed to God to bring us a little girl today and later that day he delivered.This was the first time I had asked for her my prayer had always been for a healthy little girl when it was in his timing. I received a call from our agency around 11:00am indicating there was a beautiful little girl for consideration. Later that day I received Ella's first pictures and forwarded them to Mike in Atlanta. This was an extremely difficult time for Mike and I as we were geographically separated during this, the most exciting time in our lives. We both came to one conclusion and that was that this little picture of a girl...was our little Ella.

On March 17th we were given another blessing from God when we learned that a donation had been made to our agency in the amount of $5000 to help with our adoption costs.
Mike and I wanted to share this with you as a testimony to God's work in our life and our adoption. Please take a leap of faith if you feel it on your heart to adopt.