FFF

So this week for FFF I decided to show off some artwork. We sponsor a 5 yr old girl through Mayan Families and just recently we received 2 drawings she drew for us! So I thought I would share her beautiful pictures that came all the way from Lake Atitlan Guatemala. With the help of 2 other families that sponsors some of Blanca's siblings we have been able to do a lot for this wonderful family. They have 8 children and I think 6 of them are in school, which is a rare thing in Guatemala especially for the girls. The father, mother and 2 older children work, but were 5 yrs behind on their water and electric bill, barely had enough food, and they had to forage for wood to cook with. With the other families we have bought them a stove, chickens, food, paid their back utilities, and we always send a basket when Mayan Families does their baskets. My family is hoping to get them a bed (maybe 2) and a table. I really hope when we go back to Guatemala to meet them and bring them more things. If I won the lottery I would give A LOT of it to Mayan Families they are amazing!

Is is Blanca with her mother and brother. This is the basket we gave for Mother's day. Isn't she BEAUTIFUL! What a darling little girl!



Here is the first picture we got from her. It says thank you!



This is the one we got today!

Water Fun!

This weekend we had some really good weather and on Monday it was in the high 70's. We put Mia in her bathing suit and water in her water table. She had so much fun! She just loves to play in water - or maybe drink it!

We let Jenny sleep in and went to Walmart(s) and got some things for fruit salad and some other yummy stuff. This is another purchase from Matilda Jane.....

the back view and Mia helping me make the fruit salad.

this is a girl who LOVES her water table.

see how much I love it

it makes me scream

because I can play in the water

and it's fun!

Some New Clothes Fun!

As you all know who read my little blog (all 6 of you) I am a little obsessed with Mia's clothes. Let me start off saying that I really am not materialistic, well most of the time. I would not hesitate to spend $50 for a dress for her, but for myself I would probably would not. Don't know why this is, but it is. Lately I buy our clothes at Target, Walmart, and Old Navy. Nothing too fancy. If I feel fancy I may get something at American Eagle, I know I am fancy and I still think I am 16!

Well Mia's Matilda Janes clothes came today and OH MY, they are the cutest thing I have ever seen. The leggings were on back order, but I should get them soon. Onto some Mia cuteness - we had a little fashion show!

Check me out!



I bet you can't catch me....



Never mind I am done.



and I am cute.



Look at all my teeth!

Tomorrow we are going with my 90 yr old Grandpa to the cemetary to plant flowers. This will be the first time Mia will "meet" my Mom and my Grandma.

FFF

This is my FFF just because it is funny! Check out those chubby legs!

Oh no, don't look, but there is a bear behind you!

Hmm where's the kangaroos?

By now Mia is just tired. Notice anything.....Jenny didn't like her face in this pic so she changed it a bit. She thinks she is hilarious and maybe I do too!

We went to the zoo today! It was fun, but I felt so bad for the animals. Their enclosures seemed so small compared to them. I guess I am just a tree hugger and love animals a little too much!

Mia Dancing

So I finally caught Mia dancing on the camera! She wasn't pulling out all the stops, like her usual butt wiggling, but she is still dancing. I am an idiot and didn't realize that if I turned the camera on the side then I couldn't rotate it. So you have to turn your head. Anyway enjoy!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

FFF

This is my FFF. My baby girl giving her mama some love.



So I make Jenny mow the lawn AND carry the kid on her back!

Do you want to play ball?

Where's Mia?

Here she is!

I see you

Peek a boo

Random Post...

First off I want to thank everyone for your well wishes : ) It really means a lot and we don't get a long (if any) support from our family so it is very special from all our "friends".

I really don't have anything else exciting to report. Just some pictures to share.

While Jenny was mowing the lawn this weekend Mia and I played outside and went for a walk. She is so independent now and hates to not be able to walk.

I wanted to capture how cute she was in this outfit, but she wouldn't stop watching tv.

Ok I finally just turned the tv off and she finally stayed still long enough for me to get a pic.

She is obsessed with dandelions. She picks them all day long and blows them. Look at her cute little lips blowing the dandelion.



still blowing....



still.....



This is after lunch and she had water, milk, and her smoothie.



She reminds me of Stingy on Lazy Town. MINE, MINE, MINE



MINE



Throw the sand.



This is funny!



Here you do it.



Crawling up the stairs.



I'm SO cute.

Some Exciting News!

So we have some exciting news! It is another child related....in another words another adoption!

We have been going back and forth on what to do because Guatemala is closed. Should we wait? Should we go for another country? Should we do a domestic for an African American child? What to do?

ddAfter much thought and talking we have decided to go for Panama! The program is much more lenghty, but it is a stable program. The steps are pretty much set in stone and we can adopt an infant girl! We are hoping to have the money to start towards the end of the year. We are not telling our family or (some) friends until we are going for our pick up trip. I know (or hope) you guys will be much more supportive than our families and some friends will be.

Here are the steps:

The normal stuff like homestudies, 171 H, assemble the dossier and all that other stuff

Wait for referral is 9-11 months for an infant girl. We will be referred a girl over 12 months.

The process starts and we will travel about 6-11 months later and pick her up. We will have to stay about a week in country.

Then we come home for 4 months and we have to go back to Panama to finalize the adoption! Isn't that strange?!? We stay about a week. Then she is officailly ours!

As you can tell the process is MUCH longer, but it is a lot less expensive too. If Guatemala reopens then we will just have to adopt from there too!

I am pretty excited and can't wait to get started! We will keep you updated on when we get started.

FFF

Our first Christmas picture in Jan of 07. We were looking at pics a while ago and we laughed SO hard at this picture because we thought she was the most beautiful baby EVER and she looks like a little sumo wrestler. Of course she is still cute, but I think we may have had our love goggles on!



Christmas Dec 07



On our pick up trip, June 07



Pick up trip again.



One of the first real smiles we ever captured on camera.



Right after we got home in July.



First birthday.



First birthday again.



Just relaxing.



Just loving Mia.




We can't forget Mia's foster mother, Maria! Look how happy she looks. It still breaks my heart, it took SO long for her to look that happy with us. We can never thank Maria for everything she did for Mia and how much she loved her.

We also can't forget Mia's, birth mother. I can't put into words what Mia means to us and I can't put into words what a great loss if must be for you to not have your precious daughter in your life. For you to not know how she is, whether or not she is happy and cared for. It must weigh on your mind more than I can ever imagine. I vow that this will be the year you will know how much we love your precious daughter, because we will find you.

Happy Mother's day everyone!