You know that you're an adoptive parent if:

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has ever made you lose sleep.
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.
4. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
5. It drives you crazy when people ask you about your adopted child's "real"parents.
6. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth (2 years!)
7. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway knowing where God calls you He will provide.
8. You have ever taken an airplane ride half way around the world with a child you just met.
9. You believe God's heart is for adoption.
10. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.
11. You know what the word Dossier means and you can actually pronounce it!
12. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.
13. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have them in your life.

Miss Personality

God is so good! Yesterday I was thinking to myself, "I have not seen Flor in SIX MONTHS!! I wish I at least had a recent picture of her." I checked my email yesterday and guess what I had attached to one... well just look above. It's from Christmas. It has to be the cutest picture I've ever seen!! She is getting so big and I am missing so much of it!! It breaks my heart, even though I do love watching her grow! I can't wait to hug and kiss her again!! She looks like she's just begging to be tickled in this picture!! I love her so much!!

For those who have been asking...

The newly engaged couple at feeding the ducks at the park

... and my ring (that has been getting resized for almost 2 weeks now)
I picked it out myself!!

New beginnings

Well, the beginning of this year has started off amazingly. I want to get Flor here ASAP and that is my priority right now. I know that God is in control of all the details and so I try not to let the news about the laws and changing in Guatemala get to me. It's hard, but these are worldly things and I serve the most HIGH God, who created the heavens and earth. Nothing is too big for him to handle.

I dreamed about Flor again last night. It was such a great dream because I remembered so much of her personality and humor. It was just a dream of how our life may be. It was so precious to me. I didn't want to wake up!!

God is so good and this year has started out so well... I look forward to it getting even better!!!

Happy 2008!!

2007 was like any other year in the way that it was so unlike any other year.

I've gained a daughter in my heart, but not in my arms. I moved from a country I love to another country that I love. I went from jobless to loving my new job and I went from being on my own to homeless to living on my own again.

Ok, so I wasn't really homeless.

It was a great, hard, exciting, testing, long, short, wonderful, exhausting, thrilling, change my life sort of year.

But at the end of the day, I can say that I am truly blessed and so happy!! That is good. I am thankful for it all! Thank you all for your support and prayers in 2007, just like in 2006 and 2005... keep them coming in 2008!!!

I am excited for all the things that God will do in this year!! It is the year of new beginnings!!

Flor's first Christmas

Flor got her first Christmas presents Monday night! I was passing out presents at my cousin's house and I looked down and saw Flor's name on one of them!! I was so surprised! In a good way. It was so thoughtful of my aunt to get her presents!! I asked her if I could open them... HAHA! She got the cutest little baby doll, a Jasmine doll (from Aladin), and some cute little fairy looking things. I left them in the box at least.. I haven't started playing with them yet!! LOL...

Merry Christmas!!

I fell at work over the weekend. I was mopping and slipped on the wet tile... ouch! Of course, I fell on my behind, but I hit my head on the tile as well. Talk about a headache!! Luckily I work for a headache specialist, huh?!? LOL. But seriously, it hurt pretty bad and I had the worst headache that night (Saturday), but last night and today I'm feeling it in other places. My stomach muscles are so sore, like I've done a thousand crunches. My neck is sore, like whiplash or something, and my backside feels bruised, even though it's not. I'm just thankful I wasn't really hurt and plus, my dad and Jami came to stay with me, just in case. I had Christmas with my mom's side of the family last night. Tonight I'm going to my favorite tradition of cheese dip Christmas Eve! Since moma passed away, Connie and I have been continuing the tradition and going to my aunt Debbie's and having Christmas with her family. It's usually a lot of fun. Oh, and Daddy and Jami are coming to spend the night with me AGAIN and we're doing the "grandparent thing" tomorrow and going to see all of my nephews and their presents, etc. I wanted to take this chance (since I'm at Connie's using her internet) and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and may the joy of Jesus fill your hearts and your family as we celebrate the greatest gift of all!!! Where would we be without Jesus?!? May we never know!

God is good!

Well, after the disapointment I experienced last week, not being able to finish my homestudy, I was given another glimpse of hope this week as God graciously paved the way for me to sign over power of attorney for Flor to the lawyer who will be handling our case in Guatemala. She will hopefully be able to get it registered and we will be considered "in process" and "grandfathered in" under the old law. There are no guarantees. There are no promises, except the promise from God that Flor is my daughter. That's what I hold onto every night when I go to bed and what I thank God for every morning when I wake up. You never know what God can do when you open up the way for him. He doesn't follow our rules, you know. He doesn't necessarily follow any country's law either. He doesn't always do things the way WE think they are going to be done. Sometimes that doesn't mean exactly what we think it means either. So, no matter what happens God is STILL good!

Another bump in the road...

It's been a pretty hard week for me, I have to admit. More than anything it frustrates me that it is so easy to forget Who is really in control of every detail.

I'll try to make a long story a little shorter:

The Ortega Law was passed on Tuesday and basically stated that all adoptions that are submitted for review at PGN (in Guatemala) will be "grandfathered in" and continued as normal.

I was supposed to have finished my home study today. But when this news was passed on Tuesday, I got a call from my social worker. She didn't sound too concerned at first, but then asked me about my apartment. She had told me that moving into a one bedroom wouldn't affect my homestudy at all. I've been in my apartment for 2 weeks. But with this passing of the law, apparently this will make a big difference in the timing. I would have to do a home study update later on (after I would move into the 2 bedroom... which I didn't know I would have to do).

So, I talked to my landlord and found out there will be a 2 bedroom available the end of January, and after renovations I will be able to move in around the middle of February. My social worker will be writing my home study in the meantime and will actually send me a copy when she gets far enough along. She says that the day I move in she will be available to do the home tour and finish up the report to send it off immediately to DHR.

I feel so far behind and a little scared that I've somehow messed things up. It's easy to point fingers and say "what if this" and "if only that", but when it really comes down to it, I have to believe that God is in control of all of this. I know that it is true and if I didn't know that I think I'd be driving myself insane trying to figure this all out. But my hope is in God and I trust His Word. He cannot lie and He WILL get the glory.

So basically, the home study is put off until February, I will be getting my dossier finished by then, and hopefully Guatemala will be accepting paperwork on adoptions by then so I can just keep rolling with this.

sigh.

I was able to send a small Christmas present to Flor with another family who is going to pick up their new baby sometime in the next week. I sent her a nightgown, a little blanket, and a picture album with 6 pictures of her new family. I hope she enjoys it.

Please pray for me and Flor if you think about us. It's been a pretty hard few days, but I am so thankful for my God who is my strength. God bless.

borrowing my sister's internet

Well, I've lived for a week now in my new apartment and I am enjoying it so much!! I do miss seeing my sister almost everyday, but I had to grow up sometime, didn't I? I'm slowly but surely getting everything in it's place. But mark my words, by this time next week everything will be pretty much perfect for my LAST home study!! FINALLY!! I'm praying that the ball will roll after that!! All in God's timing, of course!!

I just wanted to touch base with everyone and let you know I was still here!! It's been a crazy... well, couple of months really. Hopefully I'll have internet soon, so I can better keep in touch with you all!!

Take care and Merry CHRISTMAS!!!