I was able to download some more pictures from our most recent trip tonight. These were from Ambers camera. Thank you Amber...you took some very nice pics. Here are a few pictures of my angel and of her beautiful birth country.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo BooksOne of the distinctive aspects of the celebrations in Antigua is the celebration of sawdust carpets, made to welcome the Easter processions of Spanish colonial statues carried through the city streets. The carpets are made with sawdust dyed in a multitude of jewel-like colors, flowers and pine-needles. First, a layer of natural sawdust is put down on the cobblestones and sprinkled with water. Boards are laid across the work so the artist don't disturb their work. Next, designs are drawn on with colored sawdust sifted through stencils. Finally, a fine mist of water plays over the carpets to keep the sawdust in place. It takes all day to produce the beautiful and fragrant carpets upon which the corteges will walk. On Good Friday morning, the carpets create an explosion of color and texture throughout Antigua's old streets.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

We're Back!! No BC Rectification Needed!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank God!! Our attorney was able to take care of our previo within PGN and we don't have to go the rectification route. We were hopefully being resubmitted to PGN on February 21st!! Thank you guys for all of your prayers, I'm sure that's what did it!! I'm trying not to let myself get too excited as I don't know for certain they are going to allow us back in yet, but I'll take this for today!!

I haven't received confirmation that we are indeed back in PGN. In fact, I am a little scared to call, since the last 2 times have been just awful news. I haven't decided whether I will call next week to confirm or not. Oh, who am I kidding, you all know that I am a control freak and I need to know absolutely everything that is going on...of course I will call. Please pray for us and pray that this time when I call I get good news...or at least I don't get bad devestating news like I have in the recent past!!

Not Good News!!

I was so happy last week when I heard that we had been re-submitted to PGN. I guess by now, I should have learned not to get too excited. We were re-submitted to PGN on February 11th and we were issued another previo on February 14th. I'm just sick at the thought of how long it will take to get this discrepancy fixed. Here is what the email from our attorney said:

WE ARE OUT WITH ANOTHER PREVIO AND A DIFFICULT ONE. THE BIRTHCERTIFICATE HAS TO BE RECTIFIED AND THEY WANT (Attorney's Name Here) TO DO IT WITH THE LONG PROCEDURE. SHE IS GOING TO PGN TOMORROW TO SEE IF SOMETHING ELSE CAN BE DONE.
__________________


I swear this process just continues to get harder and harder. Each time I think there is a little ray of sunshine, the big black cloud that is following our case around decides to cast itself between us and the sun. I know I am being a bit dramatic, but crap...this just plain sucks. OK...I really wanted to say something other than crap, but I will try to keep it mostly clean. I have asked some friends and the general concensus is that it will take anywhere from 2 to 4 months to get this BC rectification...then we will start all over where we were on February 11th. Sucks to be us!! Worst case scenario...or should I say fairly realistic right now...with the information I have is that Flora will be home around August 1st...there goes our fun first summer together!! Oh, well...I guess there's always next year!!

WE ARE BACK FROM GUATEMALA AND WE ARE BACK IN PGN!!

Amber and I had a great time in Guatemala. We were able to see Flora for almost 5 days. She is just simply sweet!! We stayed the first night with Lidia. It is so nice to be able to spend time with Lidia and her family, they truely are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Flora is a happy, healthy baby and I attribute that completely to the care that she has been receiving. They could not take better care of her. She has some funny little quirks about her...she is the loudest, noisiest baby I have ever met...she makes these noises with her tongue and her mouth that you would swear are coming from an old man...they are seriously that loud!! She also eats just about anything you put in front of her...she is nine months old and eating almost all table food, eggs, black beans with onions, salsa with onions, guacamole with onions, tortilla's, bread...honestly, everything we ate, she ate...OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration, I didn't give her any of my steak, but other than that she was eating it!!

This was as well the hardest time I have had with giving Flora back to her Foster Family that I have had. It was very, very difficult. I usually don't cry or get emotional when I have to leave, but this time I did. I think probably because Maria was already home for close to 2 months at this point and to have to give Flora back and come home without knowing how long it would be before she comes home or before I see her again really hit me. I did however recieve a fantastic email as we were sitting in the Houston airport waiting for our flight to Minneapolis. We had been resubmitted to PGN. Thank Goodness!! This means that we will find out sometime within the next 8 weeks hopefully that we are approved. We could of course also be kicked out of PGN again for another document or more clarification, but I am choosing at this point to believe that they will approve us and we will be able to make travel plans to bring Flora home some time within the next 8 weeks. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we are going through the approval process again.

I have uploaded some photo's and some video's for your viewing pleasure...and mine!! Enjoy my sweet Flora!! She is a miracle!!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
The hotel we were staying at had a wedding reception the night I recorded this video. You can hear the fireworks in the background. After a little while, I had to turn off the video and Amber, Flora and I went outside to view the fireworks, they were great. I have to say that the display for this wedding rivaled many of the July 4th displays that I have seen in the US. It was great!!


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books




Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Leaving On A Jet Plane!!

I am leaving to go see my sweet Flora in less than 32 hours. I will be hugging, kissing, and loving on her at 2:18pm on Thursday. I simply cannot wait!! Amber and I will be spending the first night with Lidia and then we are going to Antigua. Antigua is a very touristy colonial town with lots of character and history. It was once the capitol of Guatemala. We are staying in a fantastic hotel that is an old monestary. We could spend an entire day just touring the hotel. It has a candle factory, museums, chapels, burial vaults...it's truely an archeological wonder. I hope that we can find a tour of the outskirts of Antigua or one of the live volcano's while we are there.

Daddy and Maria are on their own as of 5am Thursday morning. I know they are going fine. In fact, they have more than enough help. I'm not sure that Dave is even going to be able to spend one night alone with Maria, so many people want her to stay with them for a night or two. They will have fun while I'm away I'm sure. I'm also sure I'm going to miss them both terribly!!

I received new pictures of Flora today. Isn't that wonderful. Two sets of pictures within just a couple of weeks. My update said she is standing on her own and she misses me. I'm not sure about the miss me part, but I can tell by the pictures she is growing fast! Can't wait to get there to hug her...did I say that yet!!
Here she is sweet Flora Luisa.

I don't think I have posted that I am going to visit Flora on Thursday, February 7th. I couldn't be more excited. It seems like forever since I have seen her. I'm glad that I made plans to travel. When I first started contemplating visiting Dave and I talked about it and he was OK with me going, but he didn't think he could leave work right now and then travel to pick Flora up in a few more weeks. We obviously thought our paperwork would be approved and we would be picking her up in March. I asked my sister Amber if she wanted to go with me and she graciously accepted. I am so happy that she is going to be able to experience the beautiful country of Guatemala. I want so much for others to know what a lovely country my children come from, the culture, the people, the landscapes, the whole aura of Guatemala is wonderful. We will be leaving on Thursday and coming back on Monday, it's not a long time, but it's better than not going and I am soooo thankful to have the resources and the support to be able to go. Thank you to everyone who makes it possible for me to visit my sweet Flora.

I also have several photo's to share of Maria since I haven't posted in awhile. I don't have any new pictures of Flora, but of course when I am in Guatemala I will post loads of pics of Flora. Anyhoooo...here's some pictures of my princess Maria.



Daddy and Maria at the pool


Maria and the Headlee boys at the pool. She love's her cousins!!


My new cowboy hat!!


Daddy and Maria reading


Maria putting on her new pink hi-tops that Daddy bought


Maria's beautiful smile..plus a little bit of spaghetti sauce!!

Maria loves the song Wheels on the Bus. She makes me sing it and she does the hand gestures. OK...now no laughing at my singing..trust me I didn't want to put it on video anymore than you want to hear me sing on video. It's also recorded by the built in camera on my laptop so the quality isn't the best and the motion is slow, but Maria is cute!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books