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.