Eliot's learning numbers!

Today is brought to you by the letters: H O M E and by the number: 10.

That's right! Start the countdown! We have plane tickets!! If you'd like to come see us arrive at the airport, shoot Russ or me an email and we'll give you the details!

oh, no big deal...

Just wanted to let you know that we're officially coming home on Monday July 9th. That's just 12 silly little days away. Thanks to Senator Bond our Visa appointment was moved up to this next week! We are welcoming anyone who can and would like to, to meet us at the airport to offer a welcome to a new American citizen!


and just another quirky timing: Russ and I met Eliot for the first time last summer during this same week in July that we're coming home. It boggles the mind...

We have PINK!!!

We did get our PINK slip yesterday!! Hurray!!! This is our ticket home!! The appointment is set for Monday, July 9th which would bring me home two days later, Wednesday July 11th. We are trying to get the appointment moved up to next week so that I can come home on the 9th instead of the 11th. We'll keep you posted! Woo-hoo!!!!!! Bottom line: Eliot is actually coming home.

Still waiting.

Sorry, everybody. We didn't get any news today. Pray that this doesn't mean bad news. I'll update as we know anything.

Waiting.

This afternoon/evening we should find out when I get to book my flight home. I will blog as soon as I hear something! Pray that the appointment is set for Wednesday morning!


Here's a pic of Eliot's new smile. It's a fake/nervous smile that he's been giving people he doesn't know. It's kinda funny.

My Abba

If you read my blog entry on Father's Day you saw that my dad and I hiked up an active volcano on Saturday together. It was a great time for the two of us. I can't remember the last time I had some good daddy/daughter time, let alone doing something so unique together. I've had the opportunity to climb it any time I wanted to in the last 7 months but never really was interested until I thought about making the trip with my Dad. We haven't really done anything like that before, but it just sounded good to me. Climbing a volcano with my Dad. Love it.



Anyway, needless to say, anytime you're climbing a mountain, it's tough. Climbing an active volcano presents different challenges. There's the heat, first of all. My pants were wide-leg at the bottom and I kept getting warm air shooting up into them as I passed over each crack in the dried lava. Secondly, there's the dried lava to contend with. It's unstable to walk on and if you attempt to steady yourself with your hand, it's likely that you'll cut yourself as lava dries in to sharp edges. The higher you get, the hotter and sketchier it is. However, the higher you get the cooler the experience. As we went up through the trails, taking many breaks to catch our breath in the high altitude, we got more and more tired. Breaks happened more frequently and lasted longer. Our water bottles were getting emptier with each stop. Why did we keep going? Why would anyone keep going? Because the view from the top was worth it. Once we got up there and were just feet from the active lava, we hardly noticed how short of breath we were. We forgot how thirsty we'd gotten as we shouted over the hissing from the crater on top. We had done it. Through the heat and the height, we had climbed a freakin' volcano.

For me, this is directly correlated to this whole building-a-family process. It has been messy and hard and we've taken breaks. We've tried to encourage each other to keep going even when the peak wasn't even in sight and somehow, that has gotten us to now. We're not quite to the top yet but it's in sight, I can hear it, smell it and taste it. We are just weeks away. Instead of forgetting how hard it was to get here, through all the infertility world, all the paperwork to get an adoption started, and the ups and downs of being separated and living in a foreign country for 7 months, instead of forgetting that, it makes the peak that much richer. Does that make sense? If my Dad and I had taken a car up the mountain, it wouldn't have been nearly as amazing to reach the top but we got there through our own sweat and endurance, together.

I once read a book that said that God isn't as interested in your happiness as he is in your character. I wasn't super excited to read that at the time, being American I have a right to pursue happiness, right? But I think I'm coming around on that one. On this side, I can say that as he's built my character through this craziness, happiness that I've never known has been the result. God knew my heart could experience something so much better through this experience than if I'd had my own way 6 years ago when we started all this. I feel like he's the guide on the top shouting down to the stragglers trying to make it, "Get up here, you gotta see this!" At this point in the process, I can look around at my surroundings and say, "I climbed a freakin' volcano with my Dad, my abba, and the view from the top IS WORTH IT!"

"The Others"

No, this isn't about season 3 of LOST, but that is on my list of things to do when I get home. This is about those that have been a part of my Antigua life for the last few months. First, a congratulations and goodbye to two ladies who got to go home with their babies last week! Neither of them had a flawless adoption but regardless, they are now home with their children! Congrats Lisa and Maria and enjoy a Target visit for me!


Now comes the second half. There's 5 women that will still be here when I'm enjoying a slurpee and playing with my dogs. It takes some of the fun out of those moments as each of them wants to be home dearly and they don't know when that will happen. While my name was finally called to leave the 'waiting room', I can't help but look back and see each of them patiently waiting to hear their own name called. Each of them would be included in the "troubled adoption" category. Their children are all around the same age as Eliot and each of them are doing this on their own with an occasional visit from family. Please pray for them daily. These women are brave, ridiculously self-sacrificing, and have made the commitment to fight for their children NO MATTER WHAT. This hasn't been easy for any of them and they covet your prayers.

As good fostering moms, each of them has a blog that is linked to mine. Please take a few minutes to encourage them. Melissa, Sharon, Emily, Cheri and Rebecca are their names. I'll let their blogs tell you each of their stories.

Eliot's life of crime

Well, it's over. Eliot got fingerprinted today at the passport office. He will now have to cease his incessant life of crime he's been living behind the scenes. But seriously, could there be anything cuter than 1. Eliot's passport picture or 2. Eliot's little fingerprints? I mean, it's ridiculous!

Okay, so what now? Our file will be submitted at the U.S. Embassy tomorrow and we will wait until Monday to hear when our final Visa appointment is. The appointment will probably be about 2 weeks later. We're trying to get it moved up but don't know what will happen. Sometimes they are very flexible but other times not. Pray that our case finds favor with whoever answers the phone!

It's fun to think that I'll be driving Eliot to the St. Louis Zoo in a few weeks after a quick stop at Bread Co.! Unreal!

Happy Father's Day!

Dear Da Da Da Da,
I miss you but mom says I get to come see you very soon. She says that you're going to get up early with me each morning and play for hours! I can't wait! I really liked your pancakes you made for me last time you were here. Maybe next Father's Day I can make some for you. I have been listening to you sing on our computer and can't wait to come to one of your shows, is it okay if I bring my drum along? Thanks for playing catch with me and I can't wait to show you how I can kick the ball now and even catch it with my feet. Don't worry, that might come in handy with baseball, too, not just soccer. I miss you Da Da Da Da, and can't wait to see you! Happy first Father's Day!


Te Amo,
El-man













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Yesterday I took my Dad hiking up an active volcano! We rode on an old school bus for an hour and a half and got to the base of Volcano Pacaya. Then hiked straight up for the next 2 hours until we got to the dried lava. And they just kept going up so we got to be a few feet from active lava streams as the volcano hissed at us!! It was a great experience for us to have together while he's here for a visit! A tad different from any other father's day we've had together! Yeah, that's right, my dad and I hiked an active volcano yesterday...


























P.S. I don't want to ignore the fact that Russ got to do that with our friend Peter last time he was here, too, so here's a picture of him on the same volcano!

Fun times with the Abuelos!!

Eliot is loving the time spent with my mom and dad so far!! We've been all around town and had some great hang out time together!! This time has been such a blessing for each of us!

We also heard that Eliot's new birth Certificate was issued today!! We have an appointment Monday to get his passport before my parents head back home! That means that our case will be submitted for PINK on Tuesday!! The list is getting checked off, friends!!!! AUGHAHGAHGHGHGHGHGHG!!!!!