Christmas with a sick baby...

We had a TON of Christmas festivities planned, but only made it to Christmas Eve at Joe's brothers house before we realized that Tessa was SICK with rotovirus. :(

Christmas day was spent at home...sleepless, changing lots of poopy diapers, cleaning up many messes, but LOVING every minute of having our whole family TOGETHER FOREVER!!!!

Here are some pictures to show the fun we did have!!!

Can't promise I'll have time to post again soon. Three kids 4 and under is a bit CRAZY!!! :)

Day 5

Our last day in Guatemala was bittersweet...it was so good to be going home...I missed the rest of my family, but I also had to leave a country that I LOVE very much!!! We will be back soon...no doubt about it!!!

HOME!!!!!

Day 4

Wow...Friday was an AMAZING day in Guatemala.

I was able to meet our daughters birthmom to tell her thank you and let her know how much we love her girls. It was an unbelievable experience. She is a wonderful woman with an amazing heart. The sacrifice she made to give her girls a better life is just so hard to imagine. I told her that we think of her and pray for her often. She was very grateful for that. I was also able to take pictures with her to share with our girls someday. We hope to be able to go back when the girls are a little older. I was also able to give her a photo album of the girls that she will share with the rest of her family.

Another really neat thing that happened was we were invited to Hannah's foster families house for dinner. We weren't sure what to expect and were a little nervous about it, but it turned out to be an amazing evening. We went to their home, paraded the streets of Guatemala carrying a nativity scene, lanterns, banging instruments, singing Christmas carols....which is a tradition that the Catholic church there does for 8 nights before Christmas....reinacting Mary and Joseph trying to find a place to give birth to Jesus and had dinner at their house. It was a very surreal experience. The food was amazing and PRAISE GOD we didn't get sick!!!!! We were so worried, but I just kept praying the whole time! I didn't want to decline the offer of going to their home just because I was worried about getting sick and I'm so glad we didn't!!!

Day 3

YIKES we had to get up early for our Embassy appt.!!! It was uneventful which was great. All went well!!!

After the appt. we went back for breakfast and mostly just hung out for the day. We had luch by the pool again and just enjoyed a relaxing day.

For dinner, we met a bunch of forum friends at the Westin. It was so good to see Candy and her ADORABLE son Jagger again!!! We had a great time!!!

After dinner we got to see Santa at the hotel. He was too funny!!!

Then...it was off to bed!

Day 2

Today was the day...Tessa was placed in my arms forever!!!!!

Her foster family was so sweet. It was a bittersweet reunion. The only thing that made me feel better is that they were very excited about the gifts I brought. I know they loved Tessa with all of their hearts. I can't even imagine their pain. They know that we will keep in touch always.

After a LONG nap and lunch by the pool...we ventured to the zoo and the Artisan Market by the airport. It was such a beautiful day. The zoo is very lush and green....much different than our zoo here!!! We had a nice time there and then headed over to do some shopping. What a nice market!!! They weren't high pressured sales people there either... so it was a nice change!!!

After dinner we just hung out at the hotel and got ready for the next day...our Embassy appt.

Our Trip to Guatemala... Day 1

What an amazing trip we had!!! On Tuesday, we left bright and early for Guatemala and got there around 1pm. When we got to our hotel, we found out they weren't going to drop Tessa off until the next morning. I was SO bummed!!!!! I figured since it was out last opportunity to go out without a baby...we should go do something fun.

We decided to take a taxi to the big mall...did some shopping...finally found the jersey Joe has wanted since our first trip...had a churro...saw Santa...took in the sights and sounds of Guatemala.

After the mall, we had dinner at the top of a mountain overlooking Guatemala city at night. (El Porta del Angel) The food was not the greatest, but the view was spectacular!!! Too bad I was too sick to take pictures and by the time I felt better the fog rolled in! You'll just have to picture it in your mind!!!
After dinner, it was back to the hotel to get ready for the next morning!!!

Last Post Today, I Promise!!! SANTA

Waiting patiently to see Santa...




Hmm...who is that big guy in the red suit??? I'm not too sure about him!

Hannah...it's Santa...he's cool!!!

Yeah, well...I'm NOT sitting on his lap!!!

WHEW...glad to be back in the car!!!

PINK!!!!!

I forgot to blog our EXCITING NEWS!!!!!

Tessa will be home for CHRISTMAS!!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!

We have our Embassy Appt. next Thursday the 20th. My dad and I are going on Tuesday and will be home Saturday with our newest addition!!!! Tessa will be in my arms forever on Tuesday afternoon!!! I can't WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Naughty or Nice???

Dear Santa...

I know you've been watching to see if I have been bad or good. I just want to let you know that I have been SO good. I know, I know...you saw this the other night.

My parents said they were doing it because I'm a stinker, but really, it's just because sissy is coming home soon and they know she will get into everything. Not me...really...I'm an angel. :)

Love,

The best big sissy in the world, Hannah

UGH!!!

I hate to be a complainer...but this week just stinks.

My husband is out of town on business, so I'm a single mom, which I'm definitely not used to...

I had my purse stolen yesterday...got it back, minus our brand new digital camera and the pictures from our mini vacation this past weekend...

Lab Corp is STILL testing our DNA...they've had it since last Monday and now it is in further testing...our hopes of having Tessa home for Christmas are diminishing by the minute...

Other than that...things are fine! THANKS for listening!!! I know it could be MUCH worse...I'm just having one of those days/weeks!!!

On the up side...we had a great time at Splash Village on our mini vacation last weekend. Wish I had pictures to share...but you'll just have to imagine... Two of the most adorable kids in the world...having an AWESOME time!!!!

A Range of Emotions

Wow...it has been a few weeks full of so many different emotions! When we got the call that we were out of PGN it was a feeling of relief. To me that is the most difficult part of the entire adoption process because of the fact that it is all a big unknown. Some people get out in 2 weeks and others it takes 2 years. We were blessed to get out in 6 weeks.

After the relief came excitement. How exciting it is to know that we will hold OUR baby girl in our arms in a few weeks!!! I can't wait to go to Guatemala...to see the sights, the sounds, the smells, the people. I can't wait to see friends that we have made on prior trips. I can't wait to eat the YUMMY tortilla soup at the Marriott. But, most of all, I can't wait to have Tessa in my arms forever!!!

Our lives will never be the same. We are blessed beyond anything we could ever imagine. Although I am so excited to end this journey, at times I become very nervous. How will I ever handle 3 kids??? Life with 2 is crazy enough! Will I be the best mommy I can be for all 3 of my sweet children? I know that God has placed each one of them in my life for a reason and that He gave them to me because He knows best. I just have to continue to place them in His hands.

Here are the newest pictures of Tessa...she is 6 months old. If all goes smoothly we should have this sweet girl in our arms in about 3 weeks!

So much news...I'm WAY behind!!!

HALLOWEEN PICTURES

First, I've had people ask what Benjamin and Hannah were for Halloween and indeed I forgot to post actually pictures of them in their costumes. Benjamin was a "Knight in Shinning Armor" as he called himself and Hannah was the princess he rescued. It was his idea, so how could I say no??? On Halloween night it was too windy for him to wear his Knight costume, so he wore a ghost costume that I already had. He looked cute in both of them!

DADDY'S BIG "40" PARTY

Yes, my hubby is 40, can you believe it??? We surprised him at his sister's house on Saturday with singing and we had a surprise party on his actual b-day for him at a restaurant by our house. It was FUN, but boy are surprises hard to keep!!! Benjamin was so funny, he kept telling everyone that his dad was old!!! His daddy is "OLD", but we still love him anyway!!! :)

Cousins having fun!Aren't they so cute???
I think I might like Grandma, what do you think???

Cuties after the big party...Hannah looks like she partied HARD!!!

Next BIG news...HANNAH IS WALKING!!!!!

Actually, she only walks across the living room and isn't officially walking everywhere yet...but we're getting there and we are so excited!!! We have been working with a PT for about 6 weeks and all of her hard work is paying off! She looks silly in these pictures because my hubby is making her do her fish lip face. What goofballs!!!

And our last BIG news, but certainly not least...

We are OUT of PGN!!! Yes, you read that correctly...we got out of PGN in 6 weeks!!!!!!!!! We can't believe it, but are so excited!!! God is so good!!!!!!!!!!!

Reality continues to sink it...I have tons to do, Christmas is coming and the idea of 3 kids 4 and under overwhelms me, but I'm ready for the chaos!

Hopefully this sweet baby girl will be home for Christmas!!!

Hang on Tessa Carmen...we'll be there soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry I don't have updated photos, but she had an ear infection last week when she was supposed to go to the Dr., so she didn't go...new pictures will be next week.

Twas the Night Before Halloween...

Each year our family (my hubby, kiddos, dad, bro., wife and niece) come to our house for a mini pumpkin carving party. Usually it's the adults carving really creative pumpkins, but this year...there were just too many little ones running around to have time to do anything creative, but we all had a GREAT time anyway!!!

My decorator before the party...

Benjamin, Hannah and cousin Morgan

Kiddos attempt #1

Kiddos attempt #2

Kiddos attempt #3...it will have to do!

Goofy boy

Sweet boy

This big orange thing is cool!

What, I'm not suppossed to eat this???

Carving fun

Our finished products...