Very FUNNY and yet, humiliating!

Okay, so my dear friend, Becky is in Guatemala this week. I sent a package down to the fostermom because she said she was nearly out of cameras (YIKES!), batteries, and would like some Aveeno bath stuff. So, Tim and I go shopping for some goodies and Becky volunteered to deliver it for us. Well...Becky's husband called this afternoon saying that she is having difficulty with the phone lines and can't get through to the FM. What does she want me to do with the package?

Now, I think I know Spanish, so I decide to call the FM to speak to her. HOWEVER, my spanish isn't so hot! I spend 6 frustrating minutes with her husband trying to get him to speak English and he's trying to get me to speak Spanish. I understand the language much better than I speak it, but NOT TODAY! Tonight, I managed to frustrate us both!

I call my friend, Aneth, who is the spanish teacher at our school, for help. She tells me how to say that "I have a package at the Marriott for you and so on..." What happens if he starts asking me questions, I say. "Don't worry because you've said 'hablo muy poco espanol.'" Well, evidently, I sounded pretty convincing because he starts speaking 90 miles a minute! I just kept saying "pardone and no comprehende". SO....who knows if he'll give the FM the message and if she'll get the package! Oh, well...so much for my future in teaching Caroline to speak Spanish! LOL!!!

Oh yeah, I also told him that we would like for him, his wife, and daughter to come eat dinner wtih us at the Marriott in November. However, I "think" that I told him that I wanted all his money!!! Oops! He started laughing and said yes, yes! Do you think he understood??? :)

Just a funny moment in the life and journey of our adoption of our little Carolina!!!

Happy 6 month Birthday!

Lord,

Thank you so much for giving us our little girl. We love her so much and feel so honored that You chose us to be her parents. You have given us an amazing responsibility! We are so excited to be able to tell her of You and Your awesomeness! Lord, we pray that You protect our little girl and keep a close watch on her. We pray that she continues to be healthy and happy and most importantly, loved by her foster family. Lord, we know that Your plans are perfect and You will deliver Caroline to us when Your time is right. Lord, You also said to ask and let You know our desires of our hearts. Our desire, Lord, is that You bring Caroline home before the holidays. Lord, we ask that You lay a pressing desire on each of the reviewer's hearts and minds. We ask that each reviewer be drawn to our file, as if a flashing light and alarm is going off. Lord, please continue to give our hearts peace and take away the anxiousness that we are feeling. Lord, we trust You and love You and give You all the praise and glory.

Amen.

An uplifting moment that turned sad

On Friday night, I broke down and called our foster mom in Guatemala. I've been feeling really sad and missing her so much, that I decided to call her. We have a good friend who is fluent in Spanish so he came over to be my mouth! For the first few minutes, I was strong and happy and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was talking to the person who is raising my child for me right now. How messed up is that???

Caroline is very happy and healthy. The doctor in Guatemala reports that Caroline does not have a hernia and what we saw was just fat. What??? I know what I saw and I know the American doctor that looked at it was not wrong! However, this turned out to be a blessing because I was very worried that the doctors would do surgery on her without my permission. God is protecting her and calming my fears by giving the doctors blinders to the hernia!

She loves the jumparoo and still enjoys the bouncer seat. She eats about every 3 hours and is always smiling. The FM also said that when she plays the casssette tape (Tim and I reading our favorite books to her), she smiles a huge smile! I pray each night that her foster family will love her and take good care of her. My prayers are being answered as the FM said that they love her very much. I also feel that she is in excellent care.

After I hung up the phone, I totally lost it. I started crying (more like sobbing) and it made me miss her so much more! I don't know if I'll be able to call her again! Tim thinks that I've been more emotional lately due to the fact that I can't do anything. I'm still a slave to my cast and crutches and I have lots of time on my hands for my mind to wander to Guatemala. I just didn't realize that the last part would be so difficult! I describe us as running a race and we are running downhill with the finish line in sight. Now, I'm not a runner, but who knew that running downhill could be so hard! When is this race going to be over? When is our family going to be complete? When will my heart stop aching? When...when...when...?????

Monogrammed Caroline--For Lou!!!

Hey Lou!! You suggested that I get Caroline some monogrammed clothes, is this what you were talking about? I also have the monogrammed pillowcase dress that my mom makes. Wait until you see the stuff I have for her at home! We definitely need to get these two southern belles together!

Also, if anyone sees anything they like, I am making and selling custom made burp cloths, bibs, onsies, and pillowcase dresses. If you want to see ribbon choices, just send me an email and I can hook you up! bethany.rose@eagleslanding.org

More Pics to Brighten Up the Day

I thought I would post some new pics of Caroline to brighten my day. I'm having a sad day and feeling a bit down. I'm sad because I miss her SO much. I'm also sad because of the weather. The weather you ask??? Yes, the weather. It's an incredible fall day outside and I would love to have Caroline home so that we could take her to the park. Of course, I couldn't walk with her, but Tim could push both of us in our chairs/stroller and we could just enjoy being with her. Fall is quickly approaching and this just means that's one more season we don't have with her. Please continue to pray that we can bring Caroline home as soon as possible. We need her home, our home, our lives, and most importantly, our hearts are missing a piece!

Aren't these the most adorable slippers? Caroline loved wearing them!
Hey Daddy! Come see me soon!
Please don't make me wear this! I look horrible in orange!!!! (I bleed blue!)
Mommy and Me
What is on my feet?????

Entering PGN

Today, we have good news! We entered PGN!!! YEA!! PGN is the last step in the Guatemalan system that separates us from Caroline. It's basically the attorney general's desk. It consists of three reviewers and then gets the final sign off from the director. Supposedly, they are pushing cases through to get families out before the holidays. Keep your fingers crossed, but more importantly say your prayers! Please be in prayer for a speedy PGN process so we can bring Caroline home around Thanksgiving. We would love to have her home before the holidays so we can show her off to our families! The Lord has blessed us with Caroline and we know that His hands are guiding our process. Again, please continue to say your prayers for a quick homecoming and to continue to keep Caroline safe and healthy.

Ava and Caroline

We met this wonderful family in July when we were visiting Guatemala. Caroline and Ava instantly took to each other and became best friends!

Hey Ava! Did you check out my penguin??
Oh, Caroline...I love your new manicure!
The Proud Mommies!
The Proud Grandmothers!
Thanks for inviting me over to play! I'll see you soon!!!

The Perfect Embassy Outfit?? NOT!

Over Labor Day weekend, I purchased the most beautiful dress for Caroline. I bought a "big" size, so that she would be able to wear it later. This dress was going to be the most perfect dress...the one to go to the US Embassy. For some reason, I was a little worried that it might not fit her, so I put it in my carry-on bag and took it with me to Guatemala. I was completely right to be worried...I tried it on and it fit her! There's no way that she's going to have enough room to grow into it! So...I'm going to put it on Ebay to sell. I guess that means I get to go shopping!!! I'm sure Tim's going to love that! Enjoy the pics!

The dress is perfect!
I know...I look adorable!
What do you mean I can't keep it??????
I think I'm going to cry!
A new dress?? YEA!!!

Stuck on the Couch!

Okay...now this is not directly related to Caroline, but it deals with me. On the Sunday after I flew home from Guatemala, I was playing in a tennis match. As I jumped off the ground (yes...2 feet off the ground!), I came down wrong on my right ankle. I ended up in the ER with a "severe" sprain, crutches, an "aircast", and pain pills. Now, if memory serves me right, my ankle should be healing nicely and I should be able to play tennis sometime soon.

NO!!!!! Now a week later, I still can't put pressure on my foot and it's still swollen. I finally broke down and called the foot doctor. Well, it turns out that I do have a severe sprain, but with at least 3 torn ligaments! I go Friday to get an MRI done to see how bad the damage is! I now have an official aircast and a 300 pound boot on my foot! I am back on the couch with my foot propped up and can't work for another week! I never imagined this was how I was going to spend some of my "maternity" leave! I am also have a hard time turning loose of the control in my classroom. I am a person who rarely gets sick and NEVER misses school!

Please pray for my ankle to quickly heal as I am now looking at 4-6 weeks of being in a real cast with rehab to follow! This also is cutting very close to our potential pick-up trip for Caroline. Again, please pray for a quick recovery!!!! Thanks!!!!