VIDEO

I GOT A NEW VIDEO OF CONNOR TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I should really tell you the bizarre story behind this but I'm sooo tired and need to get to bed, but also here's the latest medical update on him as reported in the video... at 9 months, he's 18lbs, 8oz and 27" tall!!! Growing baby boy! He's sooo goofy in the video... he's always been a smiler, giggles, laughs... now he's making silly faces, scrunches up his little nose... awwwww!!! Sooooooo adorable!!!! He plays hide & seek with a toy, then laughs, makes faces... hehehe!!! He says Mama, Papa and bebe!! On camera, he said over & over again, Papa, Papa, Papa.. hehehe... and of course, the fostermom was saying to him (in Spanish), "No, say Mama, Mama, Mama.." HAHAHA!! Humor has no language barrier, right?? hehehehe... Mommies all want to hear their babies say Mama when all they babble is Papa, Papa! So yeah, this is what I have been enjoying this evening!!!! We're going to have a FUN FUN, crazyyyy time when he comes home, let me tell ya! HAHAHA!!

Guatemala Adoptions

To give you kind of a better idea of where exactly this adoption is right now... this picture is of the window in PGN (Procuradoria General del Nacion) -- basically the Attorney General's Office there in Guatemala. This is exactly where the attorneys bring all of the documents and paperwork to submit it to be processed. PGN is commonly referred to by adoptive families as "The Black Hole" of the process.. because you just do not know when things will get processed, so ... you WAIT.. the big "W" --- and PRAY HARD!!!

Up these stairs and to the right are the reviewers who actually handle the cases and.. well... review them

You may tbe wondering, "What's PGN like?" Well, once you get behind this guarded wall, it looks much like any other unassuming office building.

The picture here is one of the "famous" streets in Antigua, Guatemala. It's very beautiful!

Getting settled into the new house

Getting there in getting everything unpacked here at the new house. It's a big job, tiring... but worth it! My family has helped a TON on getting things unpacked, helping me feel more at home. It's just a matter of adjusting to the sounds, environment, etc... the quietness of the small town. It's nice, but even after only being away from it for a year and a half, it takes getting used to again.

Connor's room is coming along... I still need to finish taping off the stripes and get those painted so the blinds can go up. I'm so lazy sometimes... haha.. hey.. it's the truth! But I'm getting my butt in gear. GOOD THINGS to come... like getting my baby boy home!! Hopefully soon... we'll see!!!

Working on getting the house ready to move in

Every day is always one day closer to Connor!!!

As far as progress on the house, I've worked for the past 2 days so today is my first day off of 4!! YAY!! I have a 4 day weekend... today will be spent packing, packing, packing... my Dad & sister worked hard on getting the painting done for me while I was working, so the living room & bathroom are done! WooHooooo!! Next is the kitchen, which is no big deal really. Tomorrow morning is the day to pick up the truck and get a-movin'! It's a BIG job, but will be worth it. Tonight my Mom will go over to shampoo the carpets. I couldn't have done this without my family, seriously! They're such a blessing to me!! PRAY PRAY PRAY that everything works out with getting a truck rented for the move or movers to move it for me, if need be.

my wonderful Hannah!

Today was a day full of paint, paint, paint... My sister, Megan, helped me paint.. we got started on painting Connor's room in the new house, so as of now there are 2 walls completely done with 2 coats, looks GREAT and then the other 2 walls have one coat and need one more coat to be done, also need to paint the ceiling next. The whole room was PINK so I was like ICK, not for a boy! Although the closet in his room is also painted PINK but I figure there's so much painting to do as far as the yellow stripes on the walls in his room that the closet is the least of my worries.. haha... so the closet will stay pink for now and well.. that will come later.. he won't know at first... at the very least I can throw some white paint in there one day?! Anyhow... it was fun painting, alot of work but with a purpose. :) Hannah also helped out ALOT with the painting and she tapes off almost the entire room after I taped a little bit.. she's so awesome! Hannah is like my sister, really.. Gavin calls her Sissy Hannah :D So as we painted today, we talked all about Connor and she said, "I wonder what Connor will call me!?" I said he'll call her whatever he wants to call her ;) hehe! Attached is a picture of her & I in Disney World. Megan, my sister, also helped paint alot and we all worked hard to clean up everything, wiping down the kitchen, appliances, dusting everywhere... clearing out cobwebs... so we did get a lot accomplished. YAY! Just over a week before I move in, so alot to do yet. I'll be over there every day I have off work to paint and get little things moved over there. So there's the update from the house end of things... God bless!! Love you all!!

Moving!

So I got the call today (well one of "the calls") that I'm closing on my house this Thursday at 1:00 pm!!! YAY!!!! So Thursday morning & Friday I'll be there working on painting all of the rooms.. and a little break after lunch to go close on it!! YAY!!!!! It'll be officially mine very soon!! Then moving in by the end of the month... WoooHoooooo!!!

Responsibility for Children

PLEDGE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHILDREN

We accept responsibility for children who sneak popsicles before supper, who erase holes in math workbooks, who can never find their shoes.

And we accept responsibility for those who stare at the photographers from behind barbed wire, who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead, who never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world.

We accept responsibility for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money.

And we accept responsibility for those who never get dessert, and who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them die, who can't find any bread to steal, who don't have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, whose monsters are real.

We accept responsibility for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove their dirty laundry under their bed and never rinse out the tub, who get visits from the tooth fairy, who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool, whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry.

And we accept responsibility for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist, who aren't spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move, but have no being.

We accept responsibility for children who want to be carried and for those who must, for those we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance.

We accept responsibility for those we smother and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.