erickleeanne

We are thankful to be home!

2008-12-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

He doesn't know yet that dogs pee on these

The day after getting home we headed to a new park nearby. Erick loves steering wheels!

There were still a few leaves left for us to play in :)

Strolling around the neighborhood with Grandpa Glade after Thanksgiving dinner

It's GREAT to be together!!

I can't believe it's finally here. There is truly no place like home! We had such a nice welcome at the airport and it's seems like it's been a celebration ever since then. Even if it's just the three of us cuddled on the sofa reading books or watching cartoons, it's been a celebration.

Erick has jumped right in and hasn't seemed to have skipped a beat. He's met so many people at church, family at Thanksgiving, friends at work and holiday gatherings, and has given out hundreds of kisses and high-fives. We've decided he's going to be a politician.

Life at home has definitely been an adjustment for Pat and I both...still in a good way. Although I've been with Erick for the last 10 months, it's different having him in our house at my feet all day! I'm learning that it takes alot longer to accomplish any one thing around the house, much less several things. And I've started the clean-out process. I remember a few moms who fostered in Antigua returning to what seemed like a ridiculously jam-packed house. I'm feeling the same way. It's been hard to unpack suitcases of STUFF when all my closets and drawers are already packed with STUFF! So I'm going at it, hard core, these next few weeks. Our pastor always talks about the unhurried, simplified life. I want to get better at both of those.

I'll probably go back to work part-time in January. In order to take care of Erick, Pat and I have cut back on our schedule at work and will share a full-time schedule between us. It's really like him working full-time and me being home, but we'll each work part-time. On the days I work, Pat will be home with Erick, and vice versa. It's one of the fun things about sharing the same profession!

The Lord has blessed us tremendously with the experience of this whole adoption process and with little Erick. As long and hard of a journey as it has been, we wouldn't trade a second of it for having our own child. It's made our marraige even stronger and it's allowed us to share our story and struggles of infertility with other couples going through the same. We've learned so much about the joys of domestic and international adoption and will be huge proponents of adoption. Not to mention, we have one of the cutest darn little boys ever! Much cuter than the two of us could have produced :) Do I sound like a proud parent?

Several years ago I learned Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." We started trying to get pregnant in 2000 and just assumed our little "desire" would come quickly. God had a different path for us, but he kept his promise. He didn't answer our request for a family at the snap of our fingers, but asked us to be patient and faithful. Isaiah 55:8,9 talks about how God's ways are so much different than our ways. "As high as the heavens are from the earth, so are My ways higher than yours," says the Lord. Time after time we have personally seen Him deliver in our lives and the lives of friends and family. He has taken us on an amazing journey. We pray that He has been and will continue to be glorified through our lives and Erick's life.

As far as I know this is my last blog entry....at least for a long while. Thank you all who have followed our journey and have been supportive of us. Thank you for all of your prayers!! WE ARE HOME AND HAPPY!!!

Oh, and also...

2008-11-20T19:46:00.000-08:00

.....we have had a few requests as to our flight info. We will be flying in on Continental(out of Houston) at 3:20. We would love to see anyone who would like to welcome Erick but completely understand as it is in the middle of a workday.

We're outta here!!

2008-11-19T17:46:00.001-08:00

Aside from the runny nose and diaper shot, can you read the shirt? It says "I'm oouutta here!" Thought it was appropriate for today :)

This was the last time we'd have to skype daddy(last week)! It's great to have him here in real life and not on computer screen anymore!

Sorry we haven't posted updates this week(for those who are interested). Pat got here Sunday and we spent quality time with my mom before she left Tuesday. We had a great time together and celebrated her birthday at McDonald's...complete with a candle in the pancake breakfast. I was trying to post her birthday picture but the internet is extremely slow tonight and after an hour the pic still had not downloaded. Sorry mom. It was great to spend you birthday with you!

Then we had 36 hours of no electricity. Then we had to make two different trips to Guatemala City to the US Embassy and just today got our visa allowing us to go home! Nothing is expeditious in this country. We got everything done just in time as we are going to be able to fly out tomorrow!!!! We had booked our flights with some "buffer" and thank goodness we did.

It was VERY difficult saying goodbye to Maria(our babysitter) and Virginia(the house manager). They both loved our children very much and not only was it a sad farewell, but now Maria does not have a job. Jobs are hard to come by here. It was a real tear jerker.

It's getting late and we have to wake up at 3:30. Erick has been sick with a runny nose and has been a little cranky.

Thanks again and again for all of the prayers and support. We have a wonderful family, church family, friends, etc., etc. and feel VERY blessed to say the least!

SO, SEE YOU ALL VERY SOON!!!

God bless,

Lee Anne

Message from the Whitworth's

2008-11-17T15:20:00.000-08:00

Hi all, this is Emily reporting for the Whitworth's! In true Guatemalan style, the electricity is down in the house in Antigua until tomorrow, so Pat called and asked me to post a note for them.

Lee Anne talked to the embassy today and they assured her they are still holding a spot for her on Wednesday. This means that the Whitworth family comes home on Friday!! Pat said Lee Anne is so excited she couldn't even take a nap today!

I know I am only one of many who are so excited to see them HOME! Personally, I can't wait to squish Erick's cheeks. Out of all of the boys in the house, he has the best cheeks!

I think we have pink???

2008-11-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

Everyone talks about getting "pink." It's sad that I don't know what it exactly is, but I think it's a pink slip the embassy gives you at your final exit visa appointment. Or it's when they notify you of your appointment, something like that. Anyway, the embassy is reserving a visa appointment for us for next Wednesday, pending all of our paperwork being at the embassy today. And it was, although some just made it to the mailroom today and the embassy was actually closed. So, not really sure how that works, but I'm assuming we may be "PINK!" All of the adopting moms shriek at that word. I won't shriek quite yet.

It's good to be at this point, regardless of whether or not we make our flights on the 21st or not. The last few days were stressful, being told our paperwork wouldn't be there on time, or that we weren't going to get an appointment, etc. And most of the employees at the embassy speak in rapid Spanglish so conversations can be tough. So I've spent hours making calls to FedEx and the embassy trying to get things squared away. The big blessing is that my mom has been here this week and has given me great physical and moral support. She calmly set a coke on ice on my desk as I was having a fitful phone call with FedEx and several times I practically threw Erick at her as I dashed for the phone so as to not miss an important call. Moms truly are the best! Thanks, Mom! Not to mention, we've had some fun shopping.

Where I was going with that last paragraph is that the stress we often put ourselves through, usually just isn't worth the anguish. If we are here a few more days, it'll really be OK! That's that many more days of 80 degrees and sunny! It's good to be at the point of decisions being out of my hands. I've done what I can and the rest will be fine.

So...Pat gets here Sunday and that's the last time he'll have to leave Erick and me! It'll be a great week. Thank you, everyone, for your post, encouragement, and prayers. I can't wait to get home and hug everyone!

And then there was one....

2008-11-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

The "other" Whitworths left us on Nov. 2

Angie & Milo headed back to London on Nov. 3

Emily & Samuel left for KC yesterday and are back home now :)

and now it's just ME!

but I have a passport that says Erick Whitworth and I'll be home soon, too!

2008-11-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

flying kites in Santiago on "Day of the Dead"

Gretchen & Ana, Emily & Samuel, Angie & Milo, Shane & Marilyn Whitworth, Beth & Rachel Ann, Amy Whitworth & Noah (in front), LA & Erick. On our way to see the kites.

I'm VERY thankful...

2008-11-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

...my family will be home for Thanksgiving! And it looks like possibly the weekend before Thanksgiving! Darn the luck, I have to be in Guatemala no later than 10 days from now to be present for an Embassy appointment. Jimmy will laugh at me but I had no idea that I needed to be present at that appointment which will be(should be) the 17th, 18th, or 19th. Lee Anne informed me of that tonight. After that we can fly home two days after that Embassy appointment. Details to follow. Lee Anne and Erick had a rough couple of days traveling back and forth to Guatemala City, waiting, dealing with unbelievable beuracracy, unbelievable apathy on "those in power", and they are both very exhausted. Erick, to say the least, is 100 miles per hour all waking hours and it can take a toll. I'm sure most of you parents are just smiling right now. Anyway, they are coming home soon! We were just hoping before Christmas so we are very thankful it will be by Thanksgiving.

Tonight has been the best night I have had in a LONG time. I found out that news and 5 minutes later at my door was Ruthann, Craig, and Zac Robinson. Craig has been putting up a couple of walls in our basement and drywalling them so Erick has a great place to play with all of his new friends, and old friends(Samuel, Paulo, Otoniel, Cyndi(spelling?), and Caterin(spelling?). I know he will love chasing after Keegan and Keely Huff and many others. Anyway, while Craig was putting up walls, Ruthann, Zac and I got busy clearing out Erick's room to be painted. Aaron and Kari Connole have offered to paint the room and put up curtains(they're in our Life Group). Ruthann organized Erick's closet and Zac and I moved furniture. It was a GREAT night. For the first time I allowed my mind to imagine Erick running around the house, playing in the basement, and a home filled with fun and excitement. I couldn't allow my mind to go there prior to tonight as there have been so many unknowns this past year.

It has been a great night. Thank you to everyone who has offered to help in any way they can. Thank you Sallees, Courtneys, O'Connors, and Connoles for giving us clothes for Erick to wear. Thank you everyone who has offered to help in any way that you can(even if I haven't taken you up on it...yet). Thank you all for your prayers. Thank you Lord. Thanksgiving.

Almost to a passport

2008-10-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

view of Volcano Agua from our street

hospital where Erick was born in Tiquisate

countryside on the way to Tiquisate

fountain inside La Merced, the largest Catholic church in Antigua

La Merced

We got out of RENAP today, so will be picking up several copies of Erick's new birth certificate on Monday! It was a big surprise as this step took about 10 days, when sometimes it takes weeks. We should be able to work toward getting Erick's passport next week, then we are really on the home stretch. Pat's timeframe for getting that honey-do list done and the house cleaned up is getting shorter! Hopefully this means we will be home for Thanksgiving.

We have an exciting next few days: Saturday we are taking a van load of moms to a nearby town to a kite festival. It's an old Mayan tradition celebrating Day of the Dead where they fly huge, colorful kites. I guess the kites are sending up messages to the spirits or something crazy like that. It's a very photographed day. The weather has changed from rainy most days to clear, much windier, and cooler at night.

Monday morning Emily and the other Whitworth family both have their final Embassy appointments and will be leaving Guatemala later that week. Angie and Milo also leave Monday to head back to London after being here almost a year. It's interesting to see the pool of foster moms in Antigua quickly shrinking!

2008-10-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Jimmy was here for the weekend and made his final departure from Antigua today. Sad to see him leave, but Emily and Samuel will be right behind him in a week or two!

Maria, who helps watch our kids some during the week, and her family cooked and brought over a "farewell feast" last night. She has a wonderful family (all 13 came!) and has been a huge blessing to us. She is in the white blouse at the far end of the table.

me and the boys

I guess I'm now in the "moms with playdates" category. It's really not such a bad thing :)

Samuel and Erick have matching pj's. We thought it'd be cute to do a photoshoot. They weren't nearly as excited.

Another step closer

2008-10-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

We began the RENAP/birth certificate process yesterday. This starts with having to go to Erick's birth town, about 2 hours away, getting documents signed, and returning them to Guate City. Too much time in the car for Erick, so I left him with our sitter and made the journey to Tiquisate. There really aren't many tourist hot-spots in Guatemala, but the countryside is beautiful and lush. Tiquisate is lower in altitude and down toward the south coast, so has a definite warmer, humid climate. Not much there to see, but I got a peek at the hospital where Erick was born. It was inside a guarded gate and I snapped a few shots, then was asked to leave. I can't imagine that I looked too threatening, but it's probably not too common for whities to be in town taking pictures. I was on the lookout for his birth mother and secretly wishing I'd see her, she'd be pregnant with a little girl, and stop to ask me if Erick needed a little sister. Selfish thought, I know :) Didn't happen anyway.

I may be holding down this fort by myself soon. Angie, Emily, and the other Whitworth family are all at about the same spot in the process and probably leaving in 2-3 weeks. Yeah!! (not that I want them gone, just want them all home!) Erick will wonder where all of his playmates went! My mom is coming Nov 4-18 to keep us company for awhile. That's all for today!

More Whitworths

2008-10-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

Erick, his new cousin, Marilyn :), and Samuel

A new adoptive family of 4 from South Carolina moved into our house last weekend, which has added some excitement... and coziness! We have all met, had meals together, viewed many a Baby Einstein video together, but yesterday I about fell down the stairs when I overheard the mom on the phone, "hello, this is Mrs. Whitworth..." They're Whitworths, too! How random is that that they would be adopting here and living with us? There can't be too many baby Guatemalan Whitworths around. They're adopting 2 year-old Marilyn who is so incredibly sweet, calm, and quiet. Baby girls are SO different than boys!

We are officially out of PGN now. We said that two weeks ago, didn't we? There was a computer failure at PGN and they were finished w/ our case, but wouldn't allow any files to move in or out, so our file just sat there. Really? Is it rocket science to have an alternative method of logging files that come and go?? Could you just WRITE IT DOWN in the meantime and not keep people waiting unnecessarily? It was a hard last two weeks of waiting, not being able to comprehend a government agency being down that long. Living here, it's easy for fear to creep in and wonder if you are being told the truth or if you are being set up for a bribe, etc. Apparently it was the truth and lightening took out part of their computer system. They are slowly moving files through again. I have to remember I'm in a third world country.

Yesterday, before finding out we were released from PGN, I was feeling frustrated and "stuck" and talked to a good friend, Beth, who has been here over a year. She has a true servant's heart and alot of endurance. She reminded me that God's timing is perfect and not to focus on the end date of getting home, but to enjoy Christ daily in Antigua. It's things like this that I KNOW, but I drift away and get bogged down by the adoption process or being away from home. I'm trying!

A funny story--I share a bathroom upstairs with Angie and we've been fighting to keep our toilet unclogged for about two weeks now. I'm OH SO TIRED of walking outside and downstairs at 3am to use that bathroom! Today was the third time our plumber has been here and they finally unglued the toilet from the tile, set it outside, and got in there to do some really dirty work. A little yellow, plastic car was clogging it. Not sure if the culprit was Erick or Milo so we're splitting the plumber's bill :)

Emily had to go to Guat City this morning for some appointments and wasn't feeling well with a stomach bug. I went w/ her to help take care of Samuel and ended up getting sick, too, in a garage parking lot and then tonight at home. Our "new" toilet was fixed just in time! Amy, our new housemate, was feeling the same today. Must be a virus. Be glad you aren't a visitor here this week! Sorry if that's TMI...just part of our daily fun here in Antigua!

2008-10-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

Strolling in the rain

Erick and Paulo getting to know each other

Caterin and Cindy Embrey on Cindy's "out of PGN" day

bubble fun at our house

Go Royals!

We had a great week with Pat here. Hopefully his next visit will be our pick-up trip for Erick and me! I think Erick is starting to wonder why his dad is here sometimes and on the computer screen sometimes (we skype every morning on the computer).

Todd and Nicole Harris are here this week visiting Paulo so we are getting to hang out with them. It's a tough job being their Antigua tour guide and taking them to all the good places to eat :) They are just a little behind us in the whole process, so hopefully will be home around the same time we are. It's great to think about Samuel, Paulo, Otoneil, Cindy, Caterin, and Erick all being in KC together!

We have been out of PGN for a week, but now are waiting on their computer system to be up and running again to be officially released. They have been down for a week! So different than being at home where tech support would have had things going again within 30 minutes! It's OK, we are getting good at waiting....and waiting. Our next step after PGN will be RENAP where they draft a new birth certificate for Erick.

We are still looking at probably 8 weeks at the earliest to be home so Thanksgiving isn't looking so good. All's not so bad, though, as I've found a "flyin' Mayan burrito" here with sweet potatoes in it. I'll just pretend it's sweet potato casserole :)

Isaiah 40:31 ...but those who hope (or wait) upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint.

We're finally out of PGN!

2008-09-30T14:56:00.001-07:00

We had a great day yesterday as we are now "out" of PGN! So in the eyes of the Guatemalan government Erick is officially our son. Lee Anne and Erick should be coming home in the next 8-10 weeks! Hopefully sooner!

I'll put some pics on in the next few days. Gotta run now....

Bimonthly update :)

2008-09-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

pre-haircut: my punk rock baby

post-haircut: much more boring, but needed!

locals packing the streets for Independence Day parade

runners carrying the torch

It's been a little slow here the past few weeks so not much news to share. We did check out some parades for Guatemalan Independence Day last weekend. Mostly highschool bands playing and flags flying. The Guatemalans were out in full force! There were several groups of runners carrying a torch around town, kind of like the Olympic torch runners on a smaller scale. Needsless to say, many firecrackers during the day and night. It's amazing how our kids are used to that now and can sleep through the loudest fireworks, yet wake up at the creak of a door!

I'm excited to have outings this week: tomorrow I go back to PGN to find out where our case is and try to shed a tear or two in front of them, Thursday Emily and I go to Chichicastenengo to go back to the big outdoor market and to check out this mission/orphanage, and best of all Pat comes on Friday!!

The Embrey family, comes on Sunday for their pick-up trip for Cindy, who just turned 11. They are also adopting her sister Caterin, 8, and hope to plea their case while here to get Caterin home as soon as possible. PGN seems to be softening a bit and will hopefully see the need for the girls to be together.

Emily has been here 6 months and I've been here just shy of 8 months. We are so ready to come home to be with family and friends. I was listening to an old Chris Tomlin song yesterday with the lyric "time is in His hands." It's hard to be away, but our families have been blessed to have this time with the boys. We will look back on this journey and realize what a short time it really was.

2008-09-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

The 3 men in our house snacking on pineapple cores--a favorite

Hey everyone! Sometimes it seems there can be a fine line between wanting to sharing a story and sounding self-righteous. I certainly hope I didn't sound self-righteous in the last post like I was looking for a pat on the back or "way to go." I do think it's important to encourage one another by sharing how or when God moves us. Lisa commented on my blog that if we would all focus on helping one person for awhile instead of feeling overwhelmed with need that we see, what a difference we could each make in peoples' lives.

Emily had an idea to make "homeless bags" of like granola bars, fruit, and a few coins to keep in our strollers for when we are out and about. It will be fun to put those together.

It's another beautiful day in Antigua-- ~78 and sunny with a chance of rain this afternoon. That's the forecast for most months of the year!

2008-09-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

God has really laid someone on my heart these past few weeks. He's a homeless guy who I frequently see walking around town or sitting on a bench in one of the parks. I think he has cerebral palsy, he has a large scar across his face, and walks hunched over with a limp. He is someone who definitely be considered "the least of these" by many people.

A few weeks ago, Pat and I took some lunch and clothes to him and tried to ask a few questions. We got his shoe size and think he was saying his name is Rolando. We were wondering how often he gets called by his name or when the last time was. He took one of the shirts we brought out of the bag, took his shirt off, and walked over to the trash and threw it away. Our hearts just broke. He is physically challenged, but at least on some level, mentally alert. I am sure he was aware that he had been wearing a soiled, smelly shirt for quite some time with no means to wash or replace it. The pants he was wearing barely had a backside to them.

I found some leather boots in his size and took them to him last week. I had a feeling he would have trouble getting them on and he did. There was a moment of thinking, "ok, I'm being stared at by alot of Guatemalans now, but I can't just leave him to figure the shoes out." So I parked Erick in the stroller and helped Rolando get his filthy, sockless feet into the boots, praying the whole time that they would fit and be comfortable. I saw him again today and he still had the boots on. In our limited ability to converse, he said they were good.

Every day we see people in Antigua sitting on the sidewalks holding bowls out and asking for money. It's hard to know who to help, how much, how often. There are elderly Guatemalan women, men with physical handicaps, and several young women with a baby or child sitting beside them. The babies and children are so quiet and still. I imagine that's a learned behavior from unmet need, that if they cry they either get in trouble or get no response at all. That's how they grow up--sitting beside their mom on a sidewalk all day in the exhaust, dust, noise, and sun.

One of my prayers since I've been here is to find out where I can serve or who I can love on like Jesus would do. I think I'm being asked to spend time with Rolando for now and to continue to help others where I can. It's a good feeling to have that nod from the Lord and to be given a nudge from the holy spirit to MOVE.

On the adoption front, we had a kick-out from PGN for only about a week and a half for a numerical error on some paperwork. We are back in PGN now, and hopefully are all clear. We've been told we should exit PGN in the next week or so and be able to move on to getting Erick a new birth certificate. Timewise I'm still hopeful for Thanksgiving, but won't be surprised if we have to eat turkey in Antigua.

Have I mentioned how much I love Erick?? He's such a delight. He's learned to yell, "MA MA!" loudly and frequently. He gives the best smacking kisses on the cheek. And he's all boy. The other day he picked up a live bee, pulled it in half, and proudly brought it to me. We are having alot of fun and can't wait to be home with Dad!

Thanks again to all of you for your prayer and encouragement! Lee Anne

2008-08-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

Erick and the boys swam in make-shift pools at our babysitter's house
Tuckered out Samuel at the pool

Erick loved the outdoor showers at the beach!

Samuel's party with Emily's homemade Texas sheet cake

Just a cool building on the square

We have a previo or kick-out from PGN, but it should be a quick fix. It was a numerical error on some paperwork for the birthmom. Our US attorney says we should hopefully be out of PGN in a few weeks. After PGN, Erick's birth certificate has to go through an organization called RENAP (an acronym for something) that I think just basically delays the processing of all birth certificates for adoptions! This has been taking around 2-7 weeks. Lastly Erick has a final DNA test and we apply for his visa. If everything goes smoothly that puts us wrapping things up around Thanksgiving. Maybe. If I'm not home, y'all better be sending down some stuffin' and sweet potato casserole!

Erick's new word is "shoes," or really it's "sshhz." But he does point to shoes appropriately and tries to put them on his our my feet. And he's getting good at pointing to nose, mouth, eyes, etc. He's climbing on and over furniture. He's hooked on the neighbors' trampoline and we can't walk by now without him pointing and getting super excited to jump on it. There's the Erick update!

I looked at videos of him that we took when we first got down here and he has changed so much already! He's more of a toddler than a baby! Ok, this is sappy, but I was teary watching him babble and goo. He was so trusting of us as total strangers. Wow, time flies!

2008-08-25T21:31:00.001-07:00

Erick's first trip to a beach!
He was a little scared of the waves.
I thought this little girl looked a lot like Erick...what a cute couple!
Alice(Lee Anne's hilarious housemate) and her daughter Izzy(Isabella).
A picture of Lee Anne's "mother's day out". If anyone ever would like an incredible vacation at very cheap prices...Antigua Guatemala is the place to go(other than airfare now being around $800). Once you get there it is very cheap with some of the best restaurants I have ever been to. Oh, and the weather is always perfect outside of rainy season(June, July, and September).

Hope to get more pics on later...

2008-08-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

Above is a picture of Erick's birthmom and his (assumed) 1/2 brother.
Erick sporting his Croc's that the Bunde's gave him. He loves wearing them.
All the kids from the house wearing their denim.
Pretty Izzy who has a VERY sweet disposition.
Samuel telling everybody that he is 1 year old!

More pics to come...

2008-08-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

...we will post more pics hopefully by tomorrow night. For those of you who still come to check out our site...thanks. Again, the Armstrong's keep up on theirs regularly and Lee Anne and Erick are experiencing the exact same story. Thanks Emily for letting us point our friends and family to your blog!

By the way, this is Pat writing. I have been in Antigua for 7 days now and needless to say, I am having a blast. Erick and I bond more and more each time I come down here. Yesterday was a GREAT day with Erick. We sent Lee Anne to a bed/breakfast for the night so she could sleep in and have a massage for her birthday. This will be boring to most but it was one of the best days of my life -- a few highlights/firsts:

1) Lee Anne, Erick, and I all brushed our teeth together at the same time.

2) Erick and I played catch with a ball..he's right-handed and does a pretty decent job of throwing for a 18 month old.

3) We played soccor...he's very good at kicking..Lee Anne must be kicking the ball around with him, I'll have to ask her.

4) We played on a neighbor's trampoline together and did front somersaults and wrestled while laughing our heads off. We gave a high five as we walked away from the trampoline recognizing we had a great time.

5) Milo's walker broke and Erick and I each grabbed a screwdriver and fixed it together. We gave a high five after a job well done.

6) We took our first bath/shower together...let's just say it brought back memories of the guy's locker room at Blue Springs High School..lots of laughing and pointing.

7) After our bath I set him on the bed to dry him off and he pee'd a puddle on the bed.

A great day to say the least.

Also, yesterday was Samuel's 1st birthday. We had a great time with a "family" birthday party for those in the house and today we're having a fiesta for him with all of his other friends in Antigua. Happy Birthday Samuel!

Gotta run now...more pics tomorrow(hopefully).

Pat

Birth mother interview

2008-08-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

We got news last Wednesday that our birth mother interview was to be the next day at 2pm, much sooner than I had anticipated--a good thing! I was expecting to have to drop Erick off with our facilitator and wait 3 or 4 hours for it to be finished; however our attorney said I could go with them to the PGN building where the interview would be conducted. Several moms have run into the birth moms in the parking lot, so I was hopeful of that. Amazingly, I saw her on the way into the interview and got to talk to her and take photos afterward! It was awesome to be able to meet her. She seemed happy/content to meet us, but not overly emotional one way or the other toward Erick or me. She is 28, brought her 10 year-old son with her, and has 7 and 4 year-old girls at home. Pat and I would still like to meet her again when the adoption is final to ask more personal questions, if she would be willing.

This interview was the birth mom, Alba's, last chance to either ask for Erick back or sign off for good. Earlier this summer there were a few children actually taken back from the adoptive families and returned to the orphanage or birth mom. There was an enormous amount of press regarding these interviews, as there was apparently harassment, coersion, and just alot of negativity toward the birth moms in general. You can see why we've all been anxious about this interview. Thankfully, the hype and harassment has calmed down alot and I feel like they are finally just trying to wrap up the remaining adoptions.

For us, the day was a good experience all around. My prayer and praise was Philippians 4:4 and you probably may know it, but I just want to write it.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.

I'm getting a bike!

2008-08-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

I feel giddy like a little kid at Christmas getting a new toy. A good friend of ours "knows a family who knows a guy" who can hook me up with a cheap, used mountain bike. Thursday morning Erick and I are meeting them to jump on a chicken bus and go to some little nearby town to get it. For those of you who haven't seen or read about them, the chicken buses are the main form of local transportation here. They're brightly painted school buses that carry the Guatemalans, their chickens, I guess, and whatever else they need to transport. I've been wanting to ride on one. Anyway, it'll be so freeing to be able to zip up to the store to get milk or just zip across town!

Last week Emily and I spent a day "behind the scenes" in Guatemala City with a team from Texas, Oklahoma, and California. It was a group of people from different churches, all connected in some way to our friend, Melissa Scott, also an adopting mom here. The purpose was to bring awareness to different areas of need in Guatemala, with the hope that people would return home and possibly connect with these needs in some way. I just started to write about our experience, but decided to give you the link to Emily's blog :) She has some great statistics, pictures, and descriptions of our day. Really, I'm not trying to get out of sharing the story, she just already has a good account of the trip! www.armstrongfamilyadventure.blogspot.com Click on it!

Erick is great. He was obviously ready for his nighttime bottle the other night and brought me his can of formula. Such a smart kid. :) He's getting more into playing with cars and trucks--getting down and crawling around on the floor with them. He has a pretty good throwing arm, too...ugh, makes me selfishly fast-forward to sitting at 82,000 blistering hot summer baseball games. Ha! No offense, nephews.

July 24

2008-07-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence of text in the last blog. I labeled each picture, but somehow didn't get it published completely. The pictures were of our trip to Chichicastenengo last weekend and an outing at the zoo with some of the moms here. Chichi is known for their large outdoor market. It was shoulder-to-shoulder packed so watching my backpack, holding Erick, and trying not to step on little Guatemalan women made the shopping experience a little different!

PGN is the Guatemalan governmental body that (I think) oversees all social services, not just adoptions. Our file will be nit-picked by two reviewers in PGN and that process can take a month to several months. We've been hearing that cases are moving more quickly recently so maybe ours will as well. I am still estimating late October to November to be home. That's just a guess.

Next week Emily and I are tagging along with a friend, Melissa Scott, and a team of church leadership people on a kind of "see and do" ministry week. She is having them come to the area to work and also visit several different areas of future ministry/mission opportunity for their churches. We are excited to get to help and meet the team coming!

The bad news of my blog tonight is that I'm pretty sure my computer died. It's on the way back to KC now with Emily's dad to be either treated or buried. I can use my housemates' computers but can't do much with pictures as easily. If you don't see a blog for awhile, that's why.

A few more random things--we try to put toilet paper in the trash, not the toilet, as the plumbing here is poor. Erick is fascinated with the wastebasket, which really annoys me, so I hung it on the wall! Isn't that brilliant?? The wastebasket has slits in it so I can take it down easily to empty it. Doesn't seem so out of place to have a trash can on the wall here!! And my "mom" idea of the day, as I'm trying to teach Erick to use a fork, was to roll up small balls of playdo and let him poke them with a fork and put them in bowls. OK...can you tell we get a little bored around here on rainy days?!

Thank you all for your prayers and very encouraging comments. It really does help us feel connected!

We're in PGN!!

2008-07-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

Great week with Dad!

2008-07-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

the stars of our 4th of July party

Jimmy came for a surprise visit...it worked!

Lake Atitlan

our boat dodging a rainstorm

Erick was thrilled to have Pat here to carry him around his shoulders all week! I was pretty psyched, too. Our 13th anniversary is July 8, so it was great for us to be able to be together this week. We had our first overnight outing with Erick at Lake Atitlan, about a 2 hour curvy drive from here. I can tell vacations are going to look different from now on! We spent most of the first day tag-teaming on taking naps (my close friends will be shocked) and watching Erick. The "r & r" just isn't quite the same! Definitely more tiring, but loved every minute...other than Erick throwing my cell phone into the toilet as soon as we got there.

I think this trip was a little harder on Pat and me both. Harder on Pat as he's watching Erick grow and learn new things and not be here for all of it, and harder on me because it makes me homesick for us all to be in KC together. That was part of our decision, though, in choosing to be apart from each other to foster down here. I'm super blessed to be in a great marraige and to have a husband who would let his wife be away like this. It's definitely worth it to have this kick start on being with Erick. We'll be home in a few months.

Our friends, Beth and Kimberly, hosted a 4th of July gathering for our fostering circle of moms and dads. We were craving American fare so I made baked beans and Emily made a delicious apple cobbler. It fit in amazingly well with the guacamole! Emily's mom sent down little USA tshirts for the kids, who wore them proudly. Thanks, Kyle! We also saw nice fireworks from our balcony. It doesn't seem like fireworks, or firecrackers anyway, are as special to the Guatemalans as they can be heard going off at ALL times of the day and night. We've heard the Guatemalans shoot them off at birthday celebrations--not sure if that's true. If so, do they really need to celebrate at 11pm or 6am?

Four foster moms moved in around the corner this past week. It's been great getting to know them and having other kids for ours to play with. They're mostly from the south--funny to hear that southern girl twang! :)

Yeah for visitors!

2008-06-20T06:29:00.001-07:00

June has been great with all of our visitors! We've had Emily's family, the Harris family here visiting Paulo, and Felicia Huff and Bonnie here visiting Otoniel. Jodi Bales is here on a medical mission trip and I hope to see her this afternoon. We've celebrated 3 birthday parties in the last few weeks--Paulo turned 1, Otoniel turned 4, and Emma turned 7.

That's a whole other praise, too, that Paula and Emma are flying HOME TO THE U.S. today for good!! Paula has been in Guatemala for seven years on missions, five of which were for her adoption process of Emma. It's been great getting to know them and, although they will probably settle down in the south, we definitely plan to see each other in KC sometime.

We have 2 new housemates, Alice and little Isabella, and in July will have 3 foster moms across the street with their little kiddos. So, lots of activity here! Best of all, Pat is coming in one week :)

We have heard good news on the adoption homefront as it sounds like cases are moving and being released more quickly. One article said 800 have been released in the last month. We want to believe this, but still have to be cautiously optomistic. Our good friend, Kimberly with her Aeson, got out of PGN last week which is wonderful and means progress! It seems like one of the hurdles lately has been the birth mother interview which we still need. Some birth mothers have been difficult to find and a few (very few) have changed their minds due to coersion from the interviewers. I am not too worried about this, though, and feel our interview will be fine. I absolutely feel Erick is the little boy God has given us to care for and am confident this will be allowed.

With the rains starting in the afternoon and evenings, our internet is often spotty at night. I check it once and if I don't have a connection at that time, I usually don't attempt it again so my blogging has drastically slacked off! I'll admit it's a freeing feeling, though, not to be on the computer and to read or do something else at night! I'll have to try to blog in the mornings....

Rainy days are here

2008-06-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

We kept wondering when the rainy season would hit. It has! The past 3 days have been solid rain. Not always hard, just steady. The picture of town is of a rainy outing with Erick. It just started here, so isn't a true representation of the rain, but you get the picture. I finally got to RUN with my jogging stroller as we headed home! The other is just Erick playing in the puddle in our courtyard.

I took the close-up of Erick trying to show his face and ear. He got tagged by a mosquito over nignt several times on his face and ear and had a swollen Dumbo ear for most of the day. I try to keep Skin-So-Soft on him as repellent and keep our bedroom door closed, but the mosquitos still get inside.

Angie, our housemate, insisted we have a futbol match with the boys. Erick is the only one who can walk, so it kind of looked like a foosball game with us all swinging little babies back and forth trying to get them to kick a ball. Lasted all of 2 minutes then the crying began.

Our adoption process continues to be slow but we're trying not to complain. We've known girls who have had their babies taken back to orphanages or foster care, at least temporarily while this government mess is going on. One girl needs to have a birth mother interview and they cannot located the birth mom.

I truly can't imagine going through this without having huge faith in our sovereign God. What would you put your hope in? A positive attitude to get through this? Yourself? The government?

This month my passage has been Psalm 121 that says the Lord is my maker and helper, He does not sleep, He watches over me day and night and always will. This adoption may take longer than expected, cost more than expected, cause grief and anxiety, but if it pulls us closer to the Lord, and it will, "it's gonna be worth it all...and I believe this!"

Title: I can't think of one!

2008-05-24T10:19:00.000-07:00

I guess I've been in a little of a funk lately. Katie, who fostered in Antigua before described it as like in the movie Groundhog Day were everyday was the same. I've gotten to that point. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to have this opportunity and trying to be open to how I can serve while down here. I'm just missing home, family, and friends. Thank you Lord, though, for the friends I have here and for Emily and I being able to live together! That part has been great (the girl speaks amazing Spanish, too--not that we would use her for that :).

And Erick is wonderful. I love pulling him out of his packnplay in the mornings and plopping him on the bed to squirm around and play. He's very curious and loves to touch my face and feel my closed eyes. Not always such a good thing, though, as that translates into wanting to poke all the other kids in the eyes! He is very loving, too, and comes at the other babies with hugs of good intention, but barrels into them, knocking them over. He's turning into the kid who comes into the room and all the moms get on guard.

The two pics are of our trip to the macacamia nut farm. The tour guide is showing us a sheller that drops the nuts down, the wheel turns and crushes the soft outer shell and spits out the nut back into a pile to let the hard inner shell dry and later be cracked. Such a simple piece of equipment and they are teaching farmers to make these even out of bicycle tires. There's your nut tip for the day. We are trying to plan weekly outings like this to help stay sane! :0)

May 13

2008-05-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

Had a great day. Emily and I met up with two super-cool fostering moms, Melissa and Kim, who have been here quite awhile for their adoption processes. Melissa has volunteered alot at Hermano Pedro, a local hospital and care facility, that houses mostly(?) cerebral palsy residents. We all took our kids and went to the children's wing to hang out with them. I wasn't sure about Erick, if I'd have to really watch him or carry him alot, but he had a ball and wasn't a problem at all.

The gut-wrenching part was seeing the kids in the condition they are in and, like at many institutions and orphanages, the lack of staff. They had mosquito nets draped over kids to keep flies, etc away as the kids have a lack of mobility with their limbs. One boy was sitting in his wheelchair with his face in the hot sun, not being able to move. The staff rotates the kids around as they can get to them, but sometimes it takes awhile. It was great just to be able to be there and love on them. You can tell they so long for someone to hold their hand or give them a hug. We plan to make this a regular visit.

Yesterday Emily mentioned reading something in Psalms so when I had a few minutes I went there, too. It was SO uplifting. I was going to jot a few verses down to look at over the week and just kept writing and writing. With some adoption process news being shaky lately, it's been easy to get a little down here and long to be home. I've had to make myself "snap out of it" and to get back to reading God's word and to get out and serve!

Lastly, if I had to be honest, I'd say that I'm really not a blogger at heart. I'm just not organized or energized enough to get this together at the end of the day! I want to keep everyone updated with news and pictures, though, and will shoot for blogging weekly. The good news is that Emily has a great blog! The address is http://www.armstrongfamilyadventure.blogspot.com/ So, if you get tired of waiting to hear from me, check out her site! :-) Please know that I greatly appreciate all of your prayers and comments! Lee Anne

1st Mother's Day

2008-05-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, I was wondering if this day would ever come come! Had a nice but bittersweet Mother's Day as several moms here got together for brunch and a day of swimming and being on the playground with the kids. The downside was that Pat, his parents, and Emily's husband, Jimmy, all left this morning. Emily and I were both so badly wanting to fly home with them! We're ready to come home!!

Had a great week with Ann and Glade being here. Erick took to them right away and had so much fun. Yesterday we took a tour of the city that explained about many of the ruins and churches in Antigua. Most of the ruins here are left as they are from earthquake damage over the years. Our tour ended in a jade factory (jade is the national stone of Guatemala). Yesterday was Mother's Day in Guatemala so Ann and I were each treated to a piece of jade jewelry by our best-husbands-ever. :-)

I'm still working on getting pictures downloaded and organized. Will post some later in the week.

This is the day that the Lord has made!

2008-04-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day in Antigua! If you have to be somewhere for several months, Antigua isn't a bad choice. Tomorrow I will have been here 3 months. I admit, some days get a little long and I'm starting to miss home more, but I'm thrilled to be able to be here! Each day is truly a gift from God.

We had an earthquake tremor over a week ago. I would have guessed it lasted about 15 seconds, but the official report was around 40 seconds. It woke us all up, we grabbed the babies, and ran outside. Very eery rolling sensation. It wasn't one of the more fun gifts from God, but part of life, huh? It was difficult to get back to sleep as we all waiting for an aftershock. The quake was a 6.1 and off the coast of Guatemala (we're ~2 hours from the coast). Apparently tremors are not uncommon here. The US Geological Society has a fascinating website that posts every earthquake around the world for the past week.

Erick's new "fun things to do" are banging on tables and other babies' heads, testing out his big set of lungs, and spitting out green vegetables that I try to give him. He's happiest playing in the dirt outside with a rock in one hand and a stick in the other. I guess that's what boys do!!

Pictures: Lake Atitlan outing, Guatemalan man in traditional Mayan dress, Erick and Samuel (Armstrong), "our kids" of the house and friends (try getting 8 toddlers to sit AND smile!), Uncle Jay tossing Erick.

Family Visit

2008-04-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

My mom and brother were here this past week and we had a great time. Erick really clung to his Uncle Jay and mom finally got to spend time with her first grandchild!

Jay and I hiked up Volcano Pacaya one afternoon. Not completely to the top crater, but close enough to the flowing lava! This is a calm volcano that just oozes, and is a 1 or 2 on a scale of 5. Mt. St. Helen is a 5. We roasted marshmallows over the hot spots. The volcano in the sunset picture isn't the one we went up, just in our view. To it's left is a smaller volcano "poofing."

The last picture is of Erick and Kylee playing in the garden and eating dirt. Kylee is quite the ring-leader and Erick is eager to follow! Kylee's family, Heather and Grady are finished with their adoption process and heading back to Colorado with little Eli in the morning. We will miss them!

As far as our process, we just got pre-approval into PGN which is the next big step. PGN's adoption department consists of 3 reviewers who go over our case in extreme detail and can give a "kick-out" for the most insignificant thing. If I had to guess, I'd say we have 2 1/2 to 3 months left in our process. Really, just a guess though.

Things are moving!!

2008-04-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Heather and Grady's process is almost complete and she could go home April 19!! She will be the second of our housemates to leave since I've been here. Angie is with the 3rd and last reviewer in PGN, the body that governs adoptions in Guatemala. Once a person has cleared PGN they should have 5-6 weeks left. So, we have not yet made it to PGN, but are moving in that direction as well. It's very exciting for Heather! She and her biological daughter, little blonde Kylee, and soon-to-be son, Elijah, have been here since August. We will miss them, but how wonderful that they are almost home!

Speaking of moving, we had a little earthquake tremor last week. It really jolted my bed and I saw the curtains swaying. Only lasted about 2 seconds, but it was memorable. The earthquake was like a 4.5 and was 70 miles SW of Guat City (not too far from us!).The US Geological Society has a website that gives a daily listing of every earthquake all over the world and info about it. Pretty interesting.

It's fun to watch the kids in our house interact with each other. They are each in awe of the ones older than themselves and they try to love on the younger ones. Erick thinks Kylee is pretty cool as she can ride the tricycle and pull heavy toys off the toyshelves. He is slowly learning to be gentle with younger Eli and Milo instead of giving a friendly whacks in the face.

This hasn't been my best time of reading or study as most waking moments are spent with Erick around my leg or waist, so I've at least tried to work on scripture memory. Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" has been on my mind alot the past few weeks. It's been a long process, but God has truly blessed us. I so look forward to Pat being able to be around Erick more.

Mom and my brother, Jay, will be here tomorrow for the week! Yeah!

2008-04-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the sideways pictures again. Proof that I shouldn't do anything after 9pm! The pics are of Erick finally getting a plastic Easter egg open and chomping the peep before I could get to it, a lady cruising through the streets with a box on her head (it's normal to see the large fabric bundle on their head, but a box takes more talent!), the produce market, 8th bday party for Katerin (sister Cindy with short hair--both being adopted by the Embrey family from KC), and lastly, Milo with a carefully crafted cup on his hand. He reached into a scalding bowl of tomato soup served at a restaurant and got a second degree burn. The cup is to let it dry without bumping into things. Would have been a lawsuit at home for sure!! The cup reminded me of the cone that the Harris's cat had to wear around it's head in order not to lick itself. :-)

First haircut

2008-03-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

Erick and Samuel had their first haircuts (with us, anyway) at the Kinky Afro. They even used an electric razor to even the back and sides! On a one year old!

It's getting warmer here--probably in the mid-80's today. I know, rough, huh? It's sometimes easier on Mom for Erick to play in his bathtub outside than to fill the blow-up pool. And going to the real pool is nice, but also a different experience now! Loading the swim diapers, sunscreen, towels, water wings, food, towels, clothes, and kitchen sink into the stroller only to be there for an hour isn't quite the same as hitting the pool to sunbathe as my pre-kid status. Seriously though, I'm not complaining. Loving every minute of it!

Other pictures are lent processions and float. Again, just interesting to be a spectator.

New Erick things (not to bore everyone, but my family always asks!) --wanting to hold the spoon to feed himself. I scoop and he takes it to the mouth. Appropriate "hola" and simultaneous waves to people. He crawls well up stairs but wants to walk up with no hands. Not a good idea yet on our concrete!

Sorry...

2008-03-24T02:42:00.000-07:00

...we can't figure out adding photos to the blog right now. Will work on it more this week. BUT, we had a GREAT first Easter with Erick. He is enjoying getting to know his new friends -- Samuel, Emily, Kyle, Rusty, Amanda, Bryce, Scott, and Lauren. We went up to the top of a hill on the North end of Antigua on Easter morning and had a spectacular view from the cross that sits atop the hill. It was the beginning of a fantastic day. We'll post more when we get the pics figured out.

2008-03-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

I've been blessed with great roommates already and have another one coming this week. Emily Armstrong will be here Thursday the 19th with her mom and little Samuel. It will be great to have them here!

Things in the adoption world are at least moving a little. One of our roommates, Leslie, left last week, and Heather found out she'll be leaving in 5-6 weeks. Heather and her 2 year old daughter, Kylee, have been here with little Elijah since mid-October. Timewise, all of our cases are different as it all depends on when they started, how their agency and attorney is, etc. It's hard to compare one person's case to anothers in terms of time taken on the adoption. We do have an appointment next week for Erick and the birthmom's DNA test. They do two of these at different times during our process. Hopefully we can meet with our Guatemalan attorney also, just to say hello. We may even get to meet the birthmom!

Again, no pictures. Still haven't gotten some kinks out. That's what husbands are for right? He'll be here Friday to help me!

Sea of purple

2008-03-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

We had rooftop seats for one of the processions Sunday morning. Lots of incense and purple! It's such a huge deal here. Every week they publish maps of the upcoming procession route through town. They may start the parade at 7am from a church and not end up there again until midnight! The men trade off carrying the floats (some are all women-carried floats, too) every so often. I can't say that I know all of the Catholic history and tradition, but it's interesting to watch.

Went out to a small community with a local missionary couple today. They help families with water systems and cook-stoves. The traditional stoves are very low to the ground, fill the eyes and house with smoke. These are larger, safer, have a chimney, etc. I plan to go back with them.

Saturday I went to Guatemala City and met Todd and Nicole Harris, good friends who are adopting little Paolo. The boys had fun hanging out. They'll be buddies back in KC one day!

Ericks new things: babbling alot! it's the cutest! He can close the clasp that buckles him in on his stroller and he's understanding "no" better in a gentler voice. He can climb up the kitchen chair onto the table. Great. And he can pull a chair off of the table (it was on top as the floor was being cleaned). Great.

OK, so sorry. I have some great pictures but am having Adobe photoshop difficulties. Will post pics when I get it "sorted" as my English housemate, Angie would say. Later--

Birthday fun

2008-03-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our friend, Beth's, birthday. We had a grand pizza and cake party with the kids, Heather's (our housemate) parents and in-laws, and even some new fostering friends.

Sunday, March 2

2008-03-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

Our internet hasn't been consistent the past few days, so I haven't been on the computer much.

The one photo is Andrea with her mom's shoes on but it didn't turn out so well in the picture. The man and boy in purple are leaving a lent procession. I haven't seen a procession yet, may try to next Sunday. I found out more about the "carpets" that are made in the streets. They are made in the morning, the procession goes down the street over the carpets and then they get driven over, washed away, whatever, and make new ones the next Sunday. All that hard work to get driven over!

Erick is doing well. He's learning to kiss things--animals in books, pictures of Dad, etc. Pretty cute. Had his first busted lip last week. I had his hand but he was pulling forward, wanting his freedom, and I guess I gave it by letting go at the wrong time! He cried for a few minutes and was ready to go again.

Friday, Feb 29

2008-02-29T10:06:00.000-08:00

I'll try to put pictures on tonight--

Had a pancake breakfast this morning w/ new friends, Paula and Emma. Paula came almost 5 years ago on a mission trip and has stayed as she is in process of adopting Emma. She has a very difficult case (Emma has been classified as abandoned which is a whole different ballgame) and currently lives at childrens' home outside Antigua with several hundred other children and some staff. I met Paula through another friend, Paula Voss, from Lakeland Church in Lee's Summit. I am meeting them again this afternoon to play and learn more about their situation. With the recent surge of Guatemalan adoptions in our church and area, I think it could be great opportunity for us to do a mission trip here in the future.

On a very different note, the daily conversation change I've had has been interesting. A month ago it was eye fatigue/pain/blur... where we discuss frequency, onset, relief, duration, location, etc. Now, living w/ 3 moms and 5 kids it's poop frequency, onset, relief, duration, consistency, composition, etc!! What a change a month can make! :-)

March will be busy--yeah!!--as Todd and Nicole Harris are coming to visit their little Paolo, Emily Armstrong is moving down to foster Samuel and be our new housemate :-) Pat and friends are coming down and we're taking a roadtrip :-), and the Embrey's are coming the 1st of April to see their girls and celebrate a birthday!

Most importantly we get to be part of celebrating our Risen Christ! God is so good!

A Day's Work

2008-02-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

Pics: playing with house friends in the sea of toys, Erick praying to the plant that he could eat some of the dirt in the pot, Sunday stroll with friends, Beth and Angie.

Some of you have been asking what I do all day now that I don't have a job and I'm in a lovely, warm city. Well, I don't sunbathe and eat chocolates all day! OK, maybe a little here and there. We did get into a kiddy pool for a few minutes yesterday. He loved it!

Erick wakes up now at ~6-6:30, we stroll in to make breakfast, play in the playroom with the other kids, skype/videocall Daddy at 8:00, get dressed and climb the stairs for awhile and burn some energy, and then usually get into the stroller and head in to town to explore, run errands, stroll him to sleep, etc. We're back for lunch, I chase him around some more, try to get him down for a nap around 3, chop fruits and veggies for the next few days or do laundry, dinner at 5, play, read, call Daddy again, bottle, bed around 8. And I'm pooped! He's at a pretty clingy stage, so there's no alone time. It's a stretch to get the bathroom door closed for 2 minutes! Again, I know, all you parents have "been there done that" and it's nothing new to you!

I'm learning those fine-tuning skills like just the right moment to transfer a sleeping baby from arms to crib w/o waking him, the wonders of cheerios in the bib pouch to keep him occupied for a few minutes, and how to cut nails!! I wait til he's really tired and asleep, lean over his crib to trim and file with a petzel on my head (my brother's mini headlamp--he'd be so proud of my innovative use!)

Our adoption process is moving along at a normal speed as far as we know. We haven't heard of any glitches yet. Pat and I will likely meet w/ our Guat attorney at the end of March when he comes here. I haven't posted a timeline as I really don't know what the details are and I'm trying to focus on getting to know Erick right now. I trust and am very appreciative of our agency and know they are working hard on our cases. Yes, it will still take several months. That's my timeline.

About Pat coming--he's coming March 21 and care packages with homemade sweets would be very appreciated!! He can make room!

Settling in

2008-02-19T19:30:00.000-08:00

Sunday we went to a bilingual, non-denominational church service. I was missing Gateway but it was a good worship time. Singing a familiar praise song is such comforting feeling when you're in an unfamiliar place! Erick did great, slept half and quietly ate Cheerios the other half. After church we strolled through town where they are beginning the Lent season celebrations. Not sure what they are called, but businesses and families make intricately patterned and colored sawdust murals in the streets. It's a festive time for the locals and tourists.

I also found Casa Santa Domingo, a romantic, historic hotel. The landscaping and gardens are amazing! Hmm, maybe Pat needs to take me there??

This week I am going to check into Spanish lessons. It's ridiculously cheap to have a teacher come to your house--like $5/hour! I am getting around OK on what little I know, but it's definitely frustrating not to be able to speak the language well. I feel like it's just a common courtesty, too, that if you're going to be in a country for awhile, learn their language.

It's still a process of trying to slow my U.S. pace of life and settle in and just BE here. There's a potent mold smell under my bathroom sink that needs attention, I want to get going on Spanish lessons, figure out this whole adoption timeline, learn to be blogger-efficient, journal more, learn about the childrens' homes in the area, take some local cooking lessons.....then I sit back and think, 'OK, God's given me a unique opportunity here to pour a whole bunch of love into this little guy named Erick and be a mom for awhile. We've waited for this and He has answered. Just sit with Erick and enjoy his fingernails digging into the dirt, and not think about washing them or the clothes. Spanish lessons will come and the mold under my sink isn't in any hurry to leave.'

So, I'm working on it.

just more pics

2008-02-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

New Friends

2008-02-16T18:39:00.000-08:00

A new friend in Overland Park, Sarah, who also fostered in Antigua, hooked us up with a Guatemalan gal here, Mayra, who runs a tour company in Antigua. Mayra's family does airport shuttles, tours of the area, and trips around Guatemala, and is just all around very helpful. They also run a feeding program that feeds between 40 and 50 kids for lunch every Saturday. Mayra said they use some of the money from her tour company and the rest her family just pitches in. Erick and I had the chance to go with them today to help. Her dad, Jose, picked us up along the route through a few other communities picking up the kids. When we got to Mayra's house, her mother, Melinda, and two other ladies were busy making hamburger patties, rice w/ veggies, pico, tortillas, and koolaid. Jose had a mini "Sunday school" type talk then the kids ate and went to play while we cleaned up. Delicious food!

Erick's new things are stopping at the door to jiggle the doorknobs, flicking the light switches, picking up rocks and trying to eat them, and he loves to go up and down steps. Out in the street I'll stand in one spot pivot as he twirls me in a circle--on the curb, off the curb, on the curb, off...gets me dizzy! He took his first eyebrow to the pavement this morning as he got a little carried away and let go of my hand. Nothing a bottle and a rocking chair couldn't fix. My next projects are getting nails trimmed and hair rinsed without a major screamfest. All in a mom's day's work!

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T14:04:00.000-08:00

I spent the day with my new valentine today. As cute as he is, he doesn't replace the original, though! We went to the market this morning. They have a huge outdoor consignment shop that was fun to browse through and I picked up a cute top and skirt. No romantic dinner with Pat, so I at least deserved to shop a little! The market has a great varienty of fresh, inexpensive fruits and veggies, in addition to just about anything you'd need. The girls I live with are all health nuts, so I'm guilted into eating healthy, too, which isn't all that bad. Erick usually has oatmeal or rice cereal with fruit for breakfast, and the rest of the day he has some combo of chicken, broccoli, carrots, avocado, cheese, eggs, bananas, mangos, strawberries, or yogurt. We haven't had a food yet that he doesn't like, other than some Gerber green peas or beans I brought. Seems pretty healthy to me, coming off of Chipotle and Popeye's in KC!

Every Friday a group of fostering parents in Antigua get together for lunch with their kids just to socialize and be of support to each other. Looking forward to that.

Well, being Valentine's day, the girls and I are popping in a movie (Perfume??) and digging into some chocolate....

Hola from Antigua

2008-02-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

Pictures: doctor visit, "tuk-tuk"cab ride to doctor (oversized go-cart), Erick learning to climb steps and victorious at the top (yes, I hover over him so he doesn't faceplant), the street we live on with Volcano Agua in the background--inactive, and 3 of the other kids we live with.

I don't want to rub it in, but it's warm and sunny here and I'm pretty sure it's cold wherever you are!

Erick is a mover so I'm definitely getting my exercise chasing him. It's hard because there's a grassy courtyard area in the middle of our house that he really wants to roll around in but there's also a water basin there which attracts mosquitos. He's super sensitive to bug bites and must have the skin type that attracts mosquitos, etc. If he gets bitten he scratches at night keeping him uncomfortable. I do let him dig in the flower pots. And that's where our first lesson on "no" has been--not eating the rocks in the pots. He's doing pretty well at that and will repeat, in a surly pout and headshake, "no, no, no, no, no." It's hilarious.

I wanted to try out a church here Sunday morning, but I'm learning that kids often dictate your schedule. If' he's kept me up at night and back asleep at 10am, let him sleep! He's been waking up at 5 which is a little early for me yet, but I'm getting there. Yes, all you parents, go ahead and laugh. You knew Pat and Lee Anne had it coming to them sometime!

I'll get more consistent in writing once I get this schedule down better. Still trying to figure it out, but it's all good!

HAPPY birthday boy!

2008-02-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

Erick must have been the happiest kid I have ever seen on the day of his/her birthday. We had a great party with all of his new friends and their parents-- Kylie, Andrea, Elijah(Eli), and Milo. We had a GREAT party complete with hats, balloons, BUBBLES, cake, ice cream, presents, and sugar-hyped kids running everywhere! We had a total blast!

Erick's first birthday present was a big box of blocks from his new friends. He loves his blocks and especially likes to bang them on the table! The kid did not quit smiling for 2 hours!

Thank you Angie, Heather, Lesley, and Brett for helping put on an absolutely wonderful first birthday for Erick. We will never forget it. We're very lucky to be spending this chapter of our lives with such wonderful caring people who make us feel like family already.

I failed to thank...

2008-02-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

...a few people on our journey down here. Thank you so much Tony and Claudia Meyer for your generous gift in connecting us with Jeff Timmons. You don't know how much that meant. And Jeff, thank you for your generosity in the Buddy Passes...words can't describe how thankful we are. And Todd and Jerry, thank you for all that you did to help get us down here. I'm not kidding you, the SECOND best moment of my life(outside of walking down the aisle with Lee Anne) was climbing aboard our flight to Guatemala from Atlanta in seats 1A and 1B! THAT's RIGHT FOLKS, seats 1A and 1B! For those of you who don't know, that's FIRST CLASS! We have never flown first class before and now we were in 1A and 1B flying down to get our son in just a few hours!

Well that WAS the second best moment of my life, now it's the third. I didn't mention(in the previous blog) on day one what was the second best moment. When we finally went downstairs to see if Erick and his foster family had left(they went out of view from where we were looking down from the ninth floor), the elevator doors opened and there he was, sound asleep in his foster mother's arms. She looked up at me and recognized me from November 9th(when we first met Erick in Guatemala) and smiled a big smile and handed him to me. OK, I will never hear the end of this from the guys(calling me sappy, Mr. Kleenex, etc.), but man I couldn't hold back the tears when that kid was put into my arms. Unbelievable feeling. Indescribable. Thank you God for such a wonderful gift.

OK, now, enough sap for now. Knowing me you'll probably get a little more later. But guys, come on, you gotta admit, I bet you all got choked when your son or daughter was born. Plus, I don't want to have to tell this story over and over a thousand times when I get home because it will be hard enough as it is.

Well, we've had a great start to Erick's birthday today! We went to town and ate brunch at one of the best cafes in town, Cafe Condesa. Then we went and bought some wall pics to put on Erick's walls in his bedroom in KC. Then we went and got him birthday balloons and cake for his party at three. I'll get pics of his party to you tomorrow.

Oh, I almost forgot, thank you Sara and Katie for spending time with Lee Anne on preparing us for her trip here and life here. Sara and Katie and their families have both gone on this same journey and now have their children home. If you would like to see a VERY well written account of life here in Antigua(with pics) you can visit http://www.katiemohr.blogspot.com/. Katie and her son Elliot lived here in the same house that Lee Anne and Erick are in. Sorry Sara, I'm not sure whether you had a blog or not...I'll have to check that out. Oh, and thanks DJ Lee for connecting us with Katie and Russ. Reading their blog was a huge blessing to us prior to coming here.

Gotta run now, but thank you to everyone for your prayers and all that you have done to be a part of our journey. I know we're forgetting to single out others we need to thank but know that we are very appreciative to everyone. Take care, gotta get ready for my son's one year birthday party!

Diaper again?

2008-02-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, this whole mommy thing is alot of work! :) I don't know what I'll do when Pat leaves! We've both had the Montezuma sickness already--me a couple of days ago and Pat for the last two. Guess it's good to "get it out of our system" early (sorry if that's TMI!). I hear you aren't quite as sensitive after the first time or two.

We're loving being with Erick. I won't always go on and on about him, but the sweetest thing is to hold him, kiss his head, whisper in his ear, and have those big brown eyes look up and smile. That, and when he reaches up for us or when he lays on our stomach and giggles; he's particularly fond of Pat's bellybutton. And he's such a photo cheeseball. You can just aim the camera at him and he instantly gets this big, cheesy, bottom-toothed grin. He was definitely raised around a camera! Ok, enough gooing about our kid.

Tomorrow is his first birthday so we'll have cake, ice cream and party hats. Thanks Emily and Kari for sending the hats!

...a few picks...

2008-02-05T07:03:00.000-08:00

Our first blog...

2008-02-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

.....never thought we would have a blog. This is Pat writing right now--most of the time it will be Lee Anne. We have set this up so friends/family can see pictures and read about what life is like for Lee Anne and Erick while they are here in Antigua, Guatemala. Also, this is for Erick, for when he is older and wants to read about his life when he was about to turn one. Speaking of, Erick will celebrate his one year birthday on February 7.

Quick summary of the past few days: We arrived Wed., Jan. 30 to Guatemala City. We stayed at the Grand Tikal Futura Hotel(which I highly recommend). Erick and his foster parents arrived on time at 7:00 but the social worker wouldn't arrive for another 1 1/2 hours(typical in Guatemala). We watched Erick's foster parents interact with Erick for about an hour and a half from the ninth floor veranda waiting for the social worker. That hour and a half seemed like 10 hours. We could hardly wait to get him into our arms. Erick was VERY well taken care of by his foster parents. To them we will forever be grateful. When the social worker arrived at approximately 8:30 we talked with them for about an hour asking them our long list of questions of things to know about Erick(foods he eats, sleep schedule, etc.). When they left Erick cried for about an hour but then went to sleep with a bottle. He only woke up once, looked around, noticed he was sleeping with strangers, cried, got another bottle, and went back to sleep.

He woke up the next day happy as a lark and very playful. He didn't cry all day and we played and laughed and just got to know each other better. This still feels like a dream. I can't describe what this feels like after so many years of wanting children.

On Friday we were picked up at the hotel and left for Antigua. On the way we made our first trip to Hyper Pais(owned by Wal-Mart). Let's just say I felt like we were on Candid Camera....exploding diapers, juggling active kid while picking up numerous items, trying to talk to someone who knows no English about which Pack and Play is the sturdiest, etc. etc. only to get to the checkout and have our credit card rejected(after an hour of shopping). Well, long-story short, we got our merchandise and headed to Antigua.

Antigua....not joking must be one of the most beautiful cities/towns in the world. Pictures on the internet don't do it justice.

Casa Bella...this is where Lee Anne and Erick will be living. You can see photos of this beautiful home on the internet at www.casabella112.com.

There are three other women living here with their children waiting to bring their children home. Heather, from Colorado has been here 5 months, Leslie from California 3 months, and Angie from London has been here a little over two months. We couldn't have ordered three better roommates for Lee Anne and Erick.

Well, that's it for now. This first blog has been long enough. I'll get pictues on here hopefully today or tomorrow.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support. We are very blessed to have so many friends and family that love and care for us so much.