Home for the Holidays!

Matthew 1:22-23(NIV) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). God has been so faithful...ALWAYS with us! We have been home for over a week. So grateful for God's grace and provision the past two weeks. I have been suffering from shingles, probably from the stress of finishing the adoption and transitioning back to the United States. The children have started school; Jennifer is in 5th grade, Jefferson in 4th grade and Cristofer in 3rd grade. I love all of their teachers. We have a lot of work to do, but the kids seem to be adjusting well. We bought the children bicycles and the boys only used their training wheels for 3 days. They are all doing great with their bikes, with no serious falls. Their helmets are SO cute and we try to ride bikes every day. Our first day at church was wonderful, though our church has been mourning the death of a dear brother in Christ, Mando Moreno. Hermano, I thank you for your prayers! You will be so missed! I want to live like you did...loving and living a Christ-like life! Well done, Brother Mando!!! Brother Rene, Chef and owner of Azuca, prepared a wonderful meal after church of Paella and salad, for our Angel tree ministry. The kids LOVE salad!!! And Rene's salad was spring mix, but the kids ate every bite. I am looking forward to Christmas vacation...Aunt Kristy and Cousins Daniel and Brandon will be spending time with us; making cookies, going to the San Antonio riverwalk, miniature golf, bowling, etc. We will also be seeing Mariana and meeting Karla's new baby in Galveston over New Year's. Please continue to pray for us...each day has new challenges, but I am trying to focus on the many blessings that come from each adversity! Feliz Navidad...Dios les bendiga en 2013!

Precious Last Days in Honduras

We have been in such a whirlwind since my last post! Tuesday, November 27th, was such a difficult day. After waiting 5 hours for our doctor's appointment...the kids went through an AWFUL medical exam (I did not like our doctor at all...) and 8 injections EACH! DREADFUL!!! On Wednesday, November 28th, I was so down in the dumps! All of my anxieties regarding this adoption were heightened! We had not heard from the Embassy regarding the Visas...I couldn't understand what was taking so long. The biological parents and maternal grandmother had been interviewed the previous Wednesday (November 21st) and I was just ready for ANY decision! We knew that we would now have to wait until Monday, December 3rd for our earliest Embassy interview and we were just TIRED! On Thursday morning, at 7:15 am, the phone rang and it was our attorney. Reyes answered the phone and within seconds, I knew...we were APPROVED! Our whole lives had just changed! I wrote an email to the Embassy...it was 7:15...maybe they could get us in today (No embassy interviews on Friday). We received an email 30 minutes later...no, you are scheduled for Monday (GRATEFUL it was Monday actually, so decided to live with it). There was an attached packet of information...more forms...more lists of things to do. But the forms were confusing and I had questions, so I decided to take everything and head to the Embassy for clarification. I remembered that Americans could go to the Embassy for questions/issues Mon-Thurs at 10:00. CAVEAT...you must arrive by 9:30 and get on a list. Fortunately, they let me in...I got there at 9:40. Got my questions answered, saw what the process Monday would likely look like, asked again if we could be seen today...NO! And, went back to the hotel! You are not supposed to buy tickets until you have the Visa in your possession! Everyone knows this...anything could go wrong...a typo, a computer malfunction, etc. But with the holidays approaching, I kept looking at prices and decided to take a risk. Plane tickets for Saturday, December 8th were $150 one way (up from $89 one way two weeks ago...believe it or not)! I figured, the interview is Monday...given almost every possible scenario, I should have the Visa by Thursday and we can make the plane on Saturday. Within 6 hours of buying the plane tickets, the prices had gone up to $288. Friday was Reyes' birthday...he was not in a very celebratory mood so we just hung out. I called my benefits resource center (not easy to do, as I only had a 1-800 number and you cannot make those from Honduras---Thank you, Shaun, for coming to the rescue). I was able to use email to communicate with my Human Resources department and they wanted copies of the birth certificates and adoption decree. Could NOT find a fax machine within a mile and a half of the Humuya Inn. Fortunately, we were able to scan the documents at the hotel and email them to Houston. We had made plans to have lunch Saturday with our attorneys, Marta and Karla. We went up to the terrace a lot and played...tag, hide and seek and other games. The weather was BEAUTIFUL while we were in Tegucigalpa. No rain at all! On Saturday, we had to move to another apartment. It was very different from our first apartment...older, different style...more typical Honduran...but it was a change of scenery and kinda helped us with our transitions. Monday...the BIG day...we woke up at 4:00. We had to be at the Embassy by 6:30...pickup at 6:00. Noone was hungry and I assured Reyes that there were vending machines in the waiting room at the Embassy (with POPTARTS!!! Thanks AAFES). Don Julio, our AMAZING taxi driver...phone number 9930-1802...courteous, safe, protective and knows TEGUCIGALPA...we had an account with him and did not use anyone else...we saved so much money...picked us up at 6:00 and he was so happy for us! After waiting in line for 40 minutes, we were told that we were in the wrong line. (Line up on the right, not the left under the canopy) However, we were in the Embassy by 7:30 and labeled priority---adoptions are priority. From there on...everything is blurry...we were getting very hungry...having gotten up so early...but the vending machines were broken! We hadn't considered a back up plan and had no other food with us...You can bring your own snacks...but we did not. We were called up and told that once we paid the cashier ($230 each...13,662 lempiras total), we would immediately have our interview...this was at 10:15. Well, the cashier was closed...I complained...but was told that there was an emergency (an emergency! The cashier can just close and not have a backup cashier available). The cashier remained closed for over an HOUR! INSANITY! Finally, we paid the cashier...were called for our interview...recited an oath, in Spanish, to tell the truth, etc. Honestly, they were most interested in my HUSBAND'S immigration status than anything...which I found interesting, since he has been a permanent legal resident for over 10 years. (I know, I know...I have to make him study for his citizenship test...But, I heard him tell Don Julio that he plans to do that ...Yippee!!!) Within, 5 minutes, we had our final approval and I was given a pink slip to return at 2:45 to pick up the passports and visa packets. The Visas were BEAUTIFUL!!! Such a long, hard road, but I was so thrilled to be at the end!!! The children seemed to grasp the significance and decided that play time on the terrace that night...to say goodbye to Tegucigalpa...would be entirely in English! PROUD MAMA moment! They are learning it!!! We paid all of our bills...and were pretty much broke...on Tuesday morning, we headed to Cristina Transport to take the bus down the mountain. We got home to San Pedro Sula without incident. It was great to see the finished house (and the puppies). The new patio was my favorite part and I enjoyed sitting outside and just resting! It is time to say our goodbyes and pack to go home....I am ready to drive again...so many new experiences for all of us! Looking forward to every one of them...One more restless night in San Pedro Sula (Reyes killed a scorpion in the bathroom last night) and we are OFF!!!

Waiting for Approval

Monday update...no Embassy approval yet... Would freak out, but Thursday was Thanksgiving and Friday was likely a dud day, so hopefully tomorrow brings good news. We have our doctor's appt scheduled for tomorrow at 8:30. I was going to cancel it, but I decided to be bold and call Immigration Visa Services during their Monday & Weds 2-3:30 telephone hours and ask for our case number. She said, "We haven't received your approval, but I have your case number for BABY Bonilla". I said, "I'll take that!". So, I thought, I might as well be REALLY bold and ask all my questions....1) Can we get a vaccination exemption and get our vaccines in Texas? (I.e., use our insurance and save $1000)...answer: if yes, proof of vaccination has to be within 30 days of returning to the US and she will call the doctor and discuss our options with him.  2) Once we have an approval, when can we get a Visa appt?  She said "Use this special  email and it will be next day, as long as it is not a Friday...no Friday appts." Also, we Skyped with my best friend, Kelly, and her family! Love you, Kel...stay strong!   So, overall, a good day!

Great Week!

This week was much better than last week...We are finally in our huge apartment (two large bedrooms, big family room, great kitchen, awesome bathroom and a balcony)! We have prepared most meals at home and the kids have been very helpful in the kitchen. The kids like my cooking (except the hash browns...I think they just didn't understand what they were...very little exposure to potatoes). So, Sunday, Carrie and Chris came to the Humuya to visit. We decided to take them to the restaurant by the bowling alley, but everything was closed, due to election day. We just kept walking (such a beautiful day) and we ended up at the Mall Cascadas where we ate at TGIFriday's...this was the first sit down American restaurant the kids had eaten at besides Pizza Hut. It was very nice to visit with Christian friends who understand our Honduran adoption struggles, as they are also going through the same process. We were able to pick up some groceries at Walmart and have our taxi driver, Don Julio, take us back home and we moved into our apartment! Monday, we went to the Embassy. It was very chilly and the kids were freezing. After about an hour in line, our attorney helped us gain entry and we were ready to turn in our packet. We knew we were covered in prayer, as we went to the Immigration counter and met with an English speaking woman. Everything was in order, except we did not have a copy of our I171H. Marta arranged to have a copy emailed to her. Our pictures were the right sizes and she didn't need the little ones (though we found out we need two little ones for the doctor's office). I had left the questions blank about the children's orphan status, so I was asked to explain the whole story of the children's upbringing. We were told we would hear something soon. Marta was elated with how well things went with Melissa...I was in shock and asked her three times, "That was Melissa?". Melissa is the adoption investigator, not just an immigration officer. I had no idea and Marta said she had decided not to tell me, so I wouldn't be nervous...Good call, Marta! Within two hours, Marta received a call from Melissa that she needed to interview the biological parents and the children's grandmother on Wednesday at 1:00. This would not be easy to arrange, so Reyes decided to go home immediately to work on the details. He was out the door in 20 minutes! That left me alone with the children for the first time...we had fun! We played Monopoly, cooked together, went for walks and played on the terrace. We turned the bed sideways, against the wall, and slept side by side. This might work great for short people and little ones, but I am 5'8" so this was not very comfortable :) but the kids were scared, so it worked! Tuesday was our doctor's appt and TB test. I learned that the kids will need a lot of vaccines and I was not happy, nor were they. Cristofer became very upset during the TB test and that was heart breaking for me. Poor little guy! I also learned their height and weight...Jennifer is 55 inches and 59 pounds, Jefferson is 54 inches and 55 pounds and Cristofer is 50 inches and 48 pounds. As far as I know, Wednesday went well for our family members at the Embassy. We are still waiting to hear something. I canceled our dr appt and vaccines, since we still don't have a case number. My mother in law decided to stay with us for Thanksgiving. We made reservations for the Clarion. After watching the Macy's Parade, we headed to the Clarion. The food was good and the service was excellent . The Apple pie was amazing...the stuffing was very strange and the turkey was delicious. Today, we went to the Chiminike Children's Museum...it is $3.00 to enter...it is very nice and clean with great exhibits. We had a BLAST and the kids want to go back. We probably will at that price! No plans for tomorrow yet...hoping for an even better week next week!

Surviving...

Difficulties blogging from my IPad, so here is a brief update...we finally have all passports and birth certificates, after our atty made three trips from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula. Special privilege is only given to children under 2 at the passport office...waits are awful! But the brand new, really nice City Mall is half a block away! We have an Infopass appt for 9:00 Monday at the Embassy to turn in packet with I600! Tuesday AM is our labwork and TB test, Friday morning is dr visit and reading of the tb test. Our new favorite activity is walking to the bowling alley and playing for 1-2 hours for $15-25 ...bonus that it doesn't involve a $10-20 taxi ride...and there are three decent restaurants in the plaza. We move from our refrigerator-less room to our apartment today...tough week, but we survived...getting closer...Jer. 29:11

Honduran Adoption Ups and Downs!

Hi everyone!  Wanted to share an update...to prepare everyone for what to expect in Honduras....Our atty came to San Pedro Sula last evening, from Tegucigalpa, to secure our new birth certificates for our children (one born in San Pedro Sula and the twins were born in El Progreso---so we had to visit two registrar's offices).  She was sure we would be able to get them today.  This was exciting for me, because I have heard stories that didn't match with that!  In SPS, we were in and out in 5 minutes and the registrar said that everything in our packet (final adoption registered with the govt, two newspaper articles listing us as the children's new parents, copies of our identification, certified copy of the IHFNA placement, certified copy of the adoption decree and certified copy of the children's original birth certificate) looked good and that it should be ready around noon.  We then went to El Progreso and were told that the registrar would need to review it and locate the original registration and that she wasn't there yet (8:45 AM).  She FINALLY arrived at 11:25...five minutes before the lunch break (11:30-1:00).  After pleading, we were allowed to stay in the building...they removed everyone else and locked the doors.  At 12:25, they started talking to us....and gave us a copy of Jennifer's birth certificate...it was very emotional for us!!!  HOWEVER, when I looked it over, my passport number was wrong.  They fixed it and when they went to print...CRASH...the system went down!!!  We asked how long it might take to come back up and she said 1-2 hours - one month!!!  No JOKE!  Well, we called SPS and they said the system was down there, too.  We decided, at 1:30, that we had a friend in the worker at Progreso, so we'd better head to SPS to see if we could be there to get Cristofer's birth certificate when the computers came back online, because we were almost done in Progreso and we had her number to be in touch as we headed back!  It's FRIDAY...and of course, NO BIRTH CERTIFICATES...The computers never came back up...so, we took our atty back to the bus station to return to Teguc.  We hadn't eaten or used the restroom all day...we were exhausted, drained and stressed and it was raining CATS and DOGS all day.  So, we will leave for Teguc tomorrow.  The WORST part is that our atty will have to return on Monday, because she will have to be there to finalize the birth certificates.  Another day delayed...Trying to stay positive, but it was TOUGH!  Thanks for reading and praying!  We love you!!!

WE ARE PARENTS!!!

GOD IS FAITHFUL!!!  DIOS ES FIEL!!!  We are officially PARENTS!!!  After being in Honduras for 26 days, we were finally able to sign the adoption decree.  On Thursday, we spoke with our attorney, Marta, and she said the adoption decree was ready and that she would send it, via bus, to San Pedro Sula to be signed and fingerprinted and returned to her, via bus, to Tegucigalpa.  On Friday, she called and said it was on the way and that we and the birth parents would have to sign.  This would be a slightly complicated situation as we are not always able to make contact with the biological father.  Nothing about this process has been easy!  

We took the boys with us to pick up the adoption decree while Jennifer was at practice for praise dance at church.  We stopped at Baleadas Express and had dinner...YUM!  When we arrived at the bus terminal (a rather scary place), the document was not there.  It was at the City Center bus terminal, in a part of San Pedro Sula that we were unwilling to travel to at night.  So, Reyes woke up early on Saturday and took a bus and a taxi to the other bus terminal and returned with the envelope!  It was exciting to read all 14 pages!!!  We then waited ALL DAY and into the late evening to sign the documents with the biological parents.   On Sunday morning, Reyes again woke up  very early to take the documents to make a copy before putting them on the first bus back to Tegucigalpa.  On Monday, our attorney presented the documents to the registrar's office.  We are waiting to hear from her today to determine if she will be coming to San Pedro Sula tomorrow to begin the process of obtaining the children's new birth certificates and passports.  After that is completed, we will go to Tegucigalpa and file our I600 at the U.S. Embassy.  We will have to take the children for medical exams and vaccines, then wait for our interview with the embassy to obtain Visas.  Though it will likely take a miracle, we are still hoping to be home for Thanksgiving.  I am at peace with the idea that we will not make it home until later in November; however, it is still a strong hope! =)  

The children are very excited to make the trip to Tegucigalpa and home to the United States.  They have their suitcases packed and ready to go!!!  I have found some cute YouTube videos of rhymes to teach English.  They are about 10 minutes long, so I am using these videos as an incentive for computer play time...watch the video...play on the computer for 15 minutes =)  I cannot wait to see how immersion goes when we get home...being at my mother in law's house has not allowed for much English immersion. 

Please keep us in your prayers as we are in the final stretch to returning home...there are still so many uncertainties and unknowns!  Enjoying the adventure and accepting the sacrifices!

Every need...

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Life during Construction!

Today is Monday...two of our children are in school and one in bed with a cough and fever.  We are hoping to hear from our atty this week as to when we will travel to Tegucigalpa.  To recap, we received information on September 28th that our papers were ready to be sent to the court and we would likely have our court date Friday, Oct 12th or the Monday, October, 15th.  We were grateful to have a date and made reservations, as we would fly into San Pedro Sula, pack the children and travel, by bus, to Tegucigalpa for the court date.  After making plane reservations and planning our departure, we heard rumblings of another strike, through news reports and our fellow Honduran adoption friends, but our attorney did not believe that this strike would effect us, because it was contained within specific IHNFA centers/orphanages and not impacting adoptions.  We arrived at 1:30 AM, Monday, October 8th and by 8:00 AM Monday, the strike had evolved into a GRAND event, including a blockade of the IHNFA building which lasted more than two weeks.  Unfortunately, our documents had not made it out of the building to court before the work shutdown, so we were stuck in limbo.  As of last Wednesday, we are "officially" out of IHNFA.  The courts are aware that we have been in country for 3 weeks, so we are hoping to receive word that we are signing this week.  Our atty is devising ways to expedite our processes that occur after we sign our final adoption decrees.

Example of Poor Construction

So, the past three weeks have been full of drama, activity, fun and concern.  Due to a significant increase in crime in the area, we have stayed close to home.  This has given us a new perspective on "real life" in my mother-in-law's home.  To be honest, my mother-in-law is a hoarder...a hoarder of useful and not so useful trash.  She saves cereal boxes, milk, yogurt and every kind of plastic or metal containers, bread bags, twine, etc.  Because the house is across from a field, it is ever dusty, dirty and full of creepy crawlies and spider webs.  Yesterday, an iguana fell from the roof into the bathroom.  We have killed tarantulas on the walls.  Every night, 25 or more geckos roam the ceilings and walls.  We have monsterous ants and little ones, too.  And, mosquitoes find ways to torture me inside, as well!  

Hermano Omar

Hermano Carlo

My mother-in-law has been taken advantage of on numerous occasions in attempts to fix up her home.  The house is in serious disrepair and in various stages of construction.  Reyes contacted a contractor to get a quote on finishing the work, started years ago but never completed.  This has created a haven for pests, rodents and slimy things.  The quote was very reasonable ($3000, including materials).  We are now in day 6 of the project.  I will be posting pictures later today.   It is messier and more unhealthy than I could have imagined.  Moving large pieces of furniture have uncovered years of dust and mold.  Concrete block construction is very dirty and smelly work.  And we are living and sleeping here during this construction...but Reyes has been keeping a close eye on finances, safety risks and construction progress and planning.  

(Across from the field)-Iron Fence and Window Covers Painted!

I will be so happy to see this finished...it truly has been a dream for 8 years, but one that we thought would be unattainable, especially with the enormous expenses associated with our adoption.  Only by God's grace and mercy could we complete this project; leaving my mother-in-law with a clean and safe environment and making new friends to monitor the home in the future.  We know that trips to Honduras, with 5 people, will be difficult when we return home.  This past weekend, I began to get overwhelmed with the events of the past three weeks, but as of today, I am staying positive as we start a new week in Honduras!

Roof completed!

Bedroom Floors completed!

Dirty Work!

Kitchen Sink to be plumbed today!

Kitchen floor to be completed today!

Plumbing for Kitchen Sink

Los Dias Pasan...

The days go by...and we wait!  Our attorney spent the day at IHNFA Friday, but the employees were never paid.  The seals remain locked in the building and unable to be accessed by the employees, so our documents are still being held hostage.  This has been VERY frustrating...but would be more so if we were in the U.S.   We have kept busy, preparing for our trip to Tegucigalpa and to leave my mother in law here alone.  Reyes has been fixing "Carro Amarillo" --the 1977 yellow Toyota Corolla--and we take it to go visit friends, pick up medicine for my mother-in-law and go grocery shopping.  We have been invited to attend church with friends this evening and we will take "Carro Amarillo".  Fortunately, it is only about 3.5 miles from home.


Once again, there is no school tomorrow, so we will stay at home and work on math and English, primarily.  We tried to go to the movies on Thursday, but everything was rated R...scary movies for Halloween.  My mosquitoes bites have gotten better...now, I have new ones =(  The Aloe Vera does help the most of all the treatments I have tried!


Hoping tomorrow yields new information!  Keep us in prayer...heading to the grocery store =)

Little Children

Matthew 19:14 Jesus said "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

We have been in Honduras for almost a week.  It has been wonderful to be with our family and friends, but this week has not been without it's sorrows and challenges.  There have been two murders, within a half mile from our home, of friends well-known in our community.  On Wednesday, at 11:45 AM, the long-time tortilla vendor was robbed and shot 13 times on the road 4 houses away.  On Friday, at 5:30 pm, a neighbor was travelling to his job as a security guard and passed two men beating another man, he slowed down, and was shot dead by the criminals, likely because he was in uniform and trained to identify them.  Because of this crime wave, we have stayed very close to home.  Though we have gone to the grocery store twice and Reyes took the boys to get their hair cut yesterday, we do not have reliable transportation or funds to travel too far (yes, the beach sounds very nice right now).  Our 1977 yellow Toyota Corolla is running...after a new battery.  But, it is far from safe!  Three times, the passenger door flew open driving down the road and one time the driver's door flew open....LOCO!!!

The children have a three day weekend...no school Monday because it is a holiday.  I just asked the kids what the holiday is on Monday and they don't know.   Jennifer says, "Huelga" or strike.  Possibly! She explains that this year they are in school through December, instead of November, due to all the missed school days, due to strikes.  AND, IHNFA remains on strike and according to our attorney, this strike is serious and may last a while.  Our documents are complete and ready for signing, but the people striking have blocked entrance to the building, including the Director of IHNFA.  We are not sure what options we might have, but Reyes is planning to call our attorney on Tuesday and his god-mother, the mayor of a Honduran city, this weekend.  More importantly, we are praying for a just and rapid end to the strike.  

The children have been enjoying the IPAD, IPOD and Cell Phones...we lost an Ipod and then found it!  Ants got into all of the food that I brought for our trip to Tegucigalpa =(  And we now have two sick munchkins who are not responding to our OTC medications.  I may learn all about the health care system here in Honduras.

But, the best moments have been watching PRAISE videos on YouTube, singing alabanzas acapella in the courtyard, praying together and reading and studying scripture.  PRICELESS memories which will have an eternal impact!!!

Day by Day

We woke up to a sick, lil' munchkin today...Cristofer has an earache, sore throat and a cough.  He will be home with us today and is feeling a little better after some Children's Tylenol.  He is currently reading Another Monster at the End of this Book on the IPAD!  I love that APP!   Another favorite is Mathopolis where the child pretends to be a firefighter and has to answer math problems to save the building and put out the fire...We are really enjoying that one, too!

So, we sent the twins off for what may be their last week of school in Honduras.  They will be home by noon...school is only half-day in Honduras.  Here is the BEAUTIFUL sampler that Jennifer made and will be turning into her teacher today.  I want to encourage her to continue with these skills and will look for thread and fabric in Honduras to take home with us.  Jennifer loves to draw beautiful pictures and I think she could do beautiful embroidery.  These would make great gifts for our family and her teachers!

Today is our friend, Michelle's, birthday...hoping to get together with her this evening for a little party.  Jennifer learned how to play, "Happy Birthday," on a piano app on the IPAD.  She was so excited!  Definitely must look into piano lessons when we get home!  The boys want to learn to play the drums and they are enjoying my drum set IPAD applications.  I am hoping my friend, Felix, will help me teach the boys to play the drums!!!  He is AWESOME!

I am so proud of Jefferson!  He is learning English very quickly and he is also drawing...using You Tube to learn to draw all of the Angry Birds!

The future is so very bright for our children!!!

The Journey Becomes an Adventure!

JEREMIAH 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future!

Well, October 8th, 2012 is the day that marks when our adoption journey FINALLY becomes an adventure!  Reyes and I have arrived in San Pedro Sula...and we will return as a family of 5...we may not know when, but we are trusting in the Lord's timing and perfect plan.

Everything about this trip has been different than our previous trips to Honduras.  First, we always stay for 10 days...exactly 10 day!  Since we will be here indefinitely, and we will stay in the Humuya Inn apartments for the Tegucigalpa part of our trip (4-6 weeks), we had to pack more clothes and toiletries.  And, we brought food with us, which is fairly atypical.  I don't know what we will find as we begin shopping at Walmart Tegucigalpa, but the prices at the grocery store in San Pedro Sula, La Antorcha, are REALLY high.  And since there are five of us...I have all of our hygeine products, extra socks and underwear, OTC medications, bug spray, sun screen, packets of food/mixes (onion & vegetable soup, chili seasonings, sloppy joe, gravy,  tuna, oatmeal, popcorn, gelatin, tea bags, kool aid, crystal light drink, cookies, mashed potatoes, stuffing, coconut, nuts, etc.---mostly light-weight foods that I need for recipes that I know how to cook, but that I wasn't sure would be available at Walmart...I will keep you posted on whether this was necessary), jelly, peanut butter, raisins, muffin tin and cupcake liners, cookie sheet, whisk, cooking spoon, measuring spoons, spatula, playing cards and rules to about 10 easy/children's games, crayons, markers, coloring books/books/flashcards, Ipod/Ipad/Smart phones (filled with educational apps....FILLED) and more that I will talk about later as we start unpacking the suitcases.  We will have a kitchen and a waffle maker, toaster and crockpot.  Kid Friendly RECIPES APPRECIATED!!!

So, a recap of the last week...We are assuming that we will be here for up to 2 months...after transitioning our work to our peers/colleagues...the next step was to prepare our household.  I decided to have my sister-in-law pick up our mail twice a week to monitor for bills I might have forgotten about rather than to put it on hold.  She will also check on the house and be available to call a repairman, etc. if something needs fixing.  We asked our neighbor, Joe, to cut our front yard when he does his yard, but we are hoping that the backyard can go 1-2 months while we are gone without turning into a jungle.  This time of year is very temperate in Texas, so we completely turned off the air/heat.  We turned off the water in the kitchen, because it has been giving us fits.  We left the outdoor light on, locked the deadbolts, turned on several curly bulbs around the house, and said a prayer over the house, because it is uncomfortable leaving it for so long.  All I can think about is SQUATTERS coming to live in it!!!   I also put our DISH on hold ($5 a month vs. $100), cancelled our Time Warner house phone/internet (never liked it anyway...will research new internet when I get home-$70 monthly savings) and put our Sprint cellphones on hold ($8 per phone...vs. $200).

Mariana's daughter, Karla, offered to watch our fur son, Osito (Little Bear), while we are gone.  However, Karla lives in Galveston...300 miles away!  When you are going to be gone up to two months, this savings is HUGE!  And, Osito will be happier staying with friends...I hope they give him back =)  Had to remember to buy a big bag of dog food for him...the little Tupperware container we use for 10 days is wholly insufficient.  After a last minute grooming disaster (our groomer's grandmother died and I had to find a replacement...on a Friday) and  instructions for what to do in an emergency, we had Osito squared away.

In planning our flight, we looked around the state for the best deal, as we are flying one way and will be returning last minute with 5 tickets to purchase.  We found Spirit Airlines, a discount airline that flies to "The Americas".  They only fly out of Dallas Ft Worth (DFW) and only into San Pedro Sula, but that works well for us.  Our one way tickets were $ 118 (plus baggage fees), via Ft. Lauderdale, for a 6 hour trip.  This is more than a 75% savings.  My SUPER AWESOME cousin, Amy, allowed us to park our mini-van at her house (15 minutes from DFW) and my WONDERFUL Honduran adoption friend, Emily, took us to the airport (my cousin was out of town over the weekend).  SMOOTH SAILING!!!  So GRATEFUL!!!

So, we are here...safe and sound...and ready for the ADVENTURE part to begin...Jefferson just woke up and is already having fun with the IPAD!!!  I don't know what our future holds...but so glad I know who holds our future!  One day at a time!!!

11 years ago today!

Happy Birthday, Jefferson and Jennifer!!!  I can't believe 11 years have passed so quickly!  We are so very, very proud of you!!!  I can remember hearing of your birth...I can remember being so worried about you both.  You entered this world so early, under 3 pounds and 2 1/2 months before your due date...in a third world country with limited resources to care for you.  But, you had the Lord to protect you and the help of your precious grandma who nurtured you like the many kittens and puppies she has rescued through the years.

Just weeks before 9/11, an event you do not remember, but which shook your new little world, you made your entrance and we have loved you ever since.  So many precious memories...I cherish each and every one...At times, I wish there had been the opportunity for more time together to bond and enjoy,  but I am trusting in God's perfect plan for our lives.  Keep studying, keep praying and doing His will...we will be together very soon!!!  

With Love,

Mami Kristin y Papi Reyes

Con Esperanza

The last several days have been a whirlwind! It is so nice to be back in San Pedro Sula with our family...the children were so happy to see us again and today we leave for 3 days at the beach. I want to thank everyone for your prayers while we traveled to and from Tegucigalpa and during our meetings with IHNFA and the court. A little recap from the last several days: In preparation for our meetings at IHNFA, to say that I was nervous would be an understatement. It has taken so long to get to this point, so for 3.5 years, I had dreamed of this exact moment in time. But, I never imagined how kind and compassionate everyone would be. My husband decided to hire a translator for me and he convinced me that it would insure that I was able to understand every question and answer with complete clarity. My translator's name was Liz Navas and she was wonderful. A 28 year old, mother of two young daughters, she was born and educated in California and now teaches 4th grade in a bilingual school in Tegucigalpa and translates for adoptive parents from the U.S. I felt like we were long lost friends. I was completely comfortable with her and I explained that I had never used a translator, but was so happy to have her there with me. In the first meeting with Frances, the social worker, I understood and answered in Spanish with minor assistance from Liz. Frances was AMAZING! She held my hand when I answered questions about my infertility and hysterectomy. She offered me tissues when I cried explaining that we bought our 4 bedroom house 10 years ago to fill with children and the bedrooms have just sat empty. She was an angel! The questions were no more difficult than during our home study in the U.S and we laughed a lot, which made me very comfortable. I was completely MYSELF!!! Next, we met with ELVIS...the psychologist. He was a very nice man and I chose to use Liz in a different way with him. The questions asked were completely open ended...Tell me about your childhood, adolescence, marriage, etc. I had Liz recap certain parts from the social work interview (to give my mind a rest). Overall, the interviews took about 3 hours...1.5 hours with the social worker and the psychologist. Where I really needed Liz was after the interviews. We sat in the waiting room at IHNFA and spoke with our attorney, Marta Montoya. This was my first time to meet Marta in person and she was lovely! Thank you, Lord, for putting this woman in our lives. Marta explained the process that we will experience from this point. I asked Liz to take notes for me in English. What a HUGE help!!! So, yesterday...we went back to IHNFA and took the original 1967 version of the MMPI. It was VERY different from the MMPI 2 which we took in the U.S. as part of our original psychological evalutation. But it still had the 566 questions...UGH! Then, I was asked to draw pictures of two people, a woman and a man, and answer questions about the woman...NOT FUN!!! Finally, I had to write a biography about my life...also, somewhat trying. I was done in 1.5 hours, but my poor husband took 3 hours to complete the exams. Pobrecito...I think those 37 year old eyes may need glasses! I am making an appointment when we get home. Presenting our papers to the courts took 15 minutes and basically, we signed papers, gave Marta our passports and she took everything in to give to the clerk. After that, we headed for our bus and our 4 hour trip down the mountain. Very enjoyable and uneventful this time (going up the mountain our bus broke down and we spent 2 hours on the side of the road). Getting ready, now, to go rent our BIG van and head to the beach! We are going to have a blast and Cristofer is already awake and playing on the IPAD with Papi! Just so happy!!!

Feliz cumpleanos, Cristofer!

Happy Birthday, my sweet little boy! I can hardly believe you turned 9 today!!! What a wonderful gift to learn that your Papi and I will be coming to see you in 11 days! We were so happy telling the three of you and Mami Domi over the computer tonight. So much to do between now and then....I can hardly wait to hold you again! Not long now, sweetheart! This trip has come at just the right time. Aunt Melissa passed away last Tuesday and your Papi and I, along with Aunt Kristy, Uncle Darren and your cousins, Brandon and Daniel have been in agony. Your hugs and kisses are what we need right now! While we are visiting, we will have to travel to Tegucigalpa to meet with the nice ladies who visited with you in March...we will be strong and tell the truth, just like you, Jefferson and Jennifer! We could not be more proud of the three of you! Good night for now...we miss you so very much! Feel better soon, Honey....lots to do while we are there!

Happy 100th Birthday, Grandpa!

Today was such a bittersweet day...I missed mi Corazon, Reyes and the kids so much! My brother and his family and I have travelled to Indiana for my grandpa's 100th birthday. As a result of the many delays in our adoption process, I have been unable to travel to Indiana since 2009. I had so hoped that the children would be here for this special event and family reunion. I had not seen some family members since my mother's funeral in 1999. There were so many children the same ages of ours. Though I have seen pictures on facebook, I had not met many of my cousin's children. Being a military kid puts a huge strain on family relations. It was wonderful to honor my grandpa today...for me, it was a last minute decision to come here. Per our attorney, we received our assignment a little over two weeks ago, May 25th; however, we have not received a travel date (they have 18 days to give us a date). With our first travel date imminent, it was determined that Reyes stay home and work/take care of the dog. Please continue to pray for our family to be together again soon!

Reflecting with Gratitude!

Today is Memorial Day...a time when many enjoy fun in the sun...We are spending the 3 day weekend at the lake, relaxing and spending quality time with friends and family. However, for many Americans, this is a day of unbelievable sadness. As an Air Force brat, I knew the days, months and years of being separated from my father. When my brother was born, my dad was in Korea (during the Vietnam War). My brother was 8 months old when my father first met his son! We have audio tapes from those times...I was a confused little girl, asking the tape recorder, "What are you doing in there? I miss you...I sure wish you'd come home!" My daddy came home, just like my grandpa came home to his little girl (after World War II, following 3 1/2 years in battle with German soldiers). But, little boys and girls never saw their daddies (and mommies) again! I am a grateful American! Freedom was won with the blood of our courageous men and women! I look forward to teaching my children about these heroes whom we honor this and every day! But, today is not a holiday in Honduras, so I am hoping to hear from our attorney. The committee did not meet two weeks ago, but they did meet last Friday. School ends this week...and starts again August 27th. I would so love to have the children home by then...13 weeks...praying specifically!

Tomorrow...

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

Tomorrow will likely be the committee meeting in Honduras which paves the way for our first court date...but maybe not.  It is not that I am not hopeful...it is just that I have learned to wait patiently, because there is no certainty to this adoption process.  I want to plan so many things...but we continue to live in limbo...our reality for over 3 years.  I know that this is not only troublesome for us, but for everyone we engage with on a daily basis.  People like to make plans and I can't blame them...I do, too.  But, everything hangs in the balance as we await the outcome of this meeting! 

I dream of travelling to Honduras again, hugging the children, singing and playing and reading, memorizing scripture together, laughing and cuddling...getting passports, going to the Embassy, getting Visas, making plane reservations, saying Goodbye to Honduras and Hello to Houston, visiting family and friends, birthday parties, soccer games, piano lessons, Sunday school, new friends, swimming, enrolling in school, school shopping, girly girl shopping, scrapbooking, cooking, time with cousin, Daniel, Disney World, the Grand Canyon, learning the states, singing in the children's choir, morning routines, school lunches, night-time routines, evening prayers, family altar, Skyping with grandma, learning English, trips to Indiana, California, Illinois, Tennessee, Galveston, Dallas, South Padre Island, Washington, D.C., Alaska, family dinners, making tamales for Christmas, making tortillas together, relaxing at the lake....molding our children's character and teaching them life lessons, values and watching them grow in Christ.  So many dreams...so I wait another day...and another...and another...knowing that God's ways are not my ways, nor his thoughts, my thoughts (Isaiah 55:8).  Four Simple Words...."I trust you, Lord!"

Thank God for...SKYPE!

Romans 8:26

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

 

 

 

 

This week has been absolutely the most emotional of my life...many ups and downs, but mostly downs!  I know these storms in life will come...so grateful God is protecting me during this TSUNAMI!  Fortunately, we have recently learned to use Skype...from the desktop, from the laptop, from the IPAD, from our cell phones =)  We are CONNECTED!   It has been amazing to cry with those I cherish the most over Skype...to see the tears, the anguish, the pain...If there were some way to touch, to hold, to hug...That will have to wait!  Until then, we SKYPE!  Thank you, Lord, that I am living in this era of technology!!!

Be Still

So hold on to My hand
And rest in My arms and,
Hear the still small voice saying "You can make it"
I've never let you down so...

Be still and know, just be still and know
I will never leave your side

I love gospel music and this song, Be Still, by Yolanda Adams has really blessed me and touched my heart.  We have learned that IHNFA is back on strike and we do not know how this will effect the recent progress that we have been making with the adoption.   This new situation has been causing me many restless nights (nightmares, difficulty sleeping, tooth grinding, headaches, etc.).

However, I do believe that it is as simple as holding on to His hand and resting in His arms.  I need to listen for the still small voice...WE can make it!

One image that also brings me great comfort and joy is Jennifer singing praises along with my Ipod...English/Spanish...it didn't matter.  She wanted to learn every worship song I had.  I know she has been using YouTube to watch worship videos and I am so excited that they have the computer for that!

Being still this evening and praying for a restful weekend!

Time Slows Down

Ecclesiastes 3: A Time for Everything

 ¹ There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:  ² a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

Time can be my biggest enemy if I fail to cherish each moment!  Since returning from Honduras, I have found that time is passing so painfully slowly.  I anxiously await our special time on Skype with our family....last night I was able to introduce my brother's family to my Honduran family for the first time.  The language barrier made it slightly awkward, but it was such a blessing to use the technology in this way.  I am so grateful that my mother -in - law is embracing Skype, because I truly believe it is going to really help everyone with the children's transition to the U.S.

We spoke with our attorney Thursday evening.  Though not much will happen in Honduras over the next two weeks, due to the Holy Week holidays, we definitely feel very positive that we are making significant progress!  Hoping that we are back in Honduras for Mother's Day!!!  Mi Corazon, Reyes was in Honduras for Mother's Day in 2010...and I was back in Texas...It would be wonderful to be together in Honduras for Mother's Day in 2012!!!

Time will tell...

Recovery

We made it home late Sunday night from Honduras. My brother and nephew picked us up at the airport at 7:30 pm, but we had a major blow out on the freeway (at a very dangerous intersection) and had to call 911 because it got dark and we were unable to safely change the tire ourselves. WELCOME HOME! After picking up our dog, Osito (Spanish for little bear), at our friend's house ---thanks, Yvette---we got to the house at 11:15. Starving, mi corazon, Reyes, starts unpacking and warming up Honduran goodies. I guess I don't have the stomach of steel that my husband has because I got food poisoning. Nearly 48 hours later, my tummy is still rumbly and food sounds wretched. Back to work Monday and we are in another world. Today is our 11th anniversary. I am uploading pictures from Honduras while my exhausted hubby snores on the coach. We are still in recovery mode....Skyping has been great, but the sound doesn't always work. Having difficulty troubleshooting from here with our family, but we are trying the instant message (IM) feature when we can't hear each other. LOVING the sweet faces and the "I love you" in ASL (American Sign Language) from the kids on the video, though. It has been really hot there and they may be setting up the Intex inflatable pool really soon!!!

Beyond Blessed

We have been in Honduras for over a week...Mi Corazon, Reyes is exhausted, staying up way too late visiting, but I have been going to bed with the children at 9:30 to get up at 5:45 and help them get ready for school. We have had a great time and are trying not to be sad that we are returning to the U.S. on Sunday.

Quick Recap:
ARRIVAL: Thursday---Warm welcome (and yes, it is HOT here...93 and humid) at the airport and off to the house. Had fun introducing the children to the IPAD....they LOVE it! We realized that Reyes had left his cell phone on the airplane...lost forever =( But refused to let that upset us. Enjoyed candy and new clothes...but the IPAD was the BEST!

Friday---Discovered that the children have lice ...a HUGE problem in Honduras! Fortunately I was prepared with lice shampoos and lice combs. I even brought lice repellent shampoo for me. UGH! Practiced braiding in an effort to minimize access for the lice. We rented a vehicle because I told mi corazon, Reyes that I felt unsafe in the 1972 Toyota Corolla that we purchased for my mother-in-law last fall. I tried a new fruit called MaMe (not sure how to spell it...it is the size of a coconut/cantaloupe and grows on trees)...it was awesome! Tasted like a mix between a pineapple and a mango! YUM!

Saturday---Had a barbeque at our house! The box arrived from the U.S. with the computer that we sent to allow us to use SKYPE with our family!!!

Having a BLAST!

L

Sunday---We went to the beach in OMOA and had a wonderful time!!! It was absolutely gorgeous...warm, breezy and sunny! I had grilled lobster at the beachside cabana restaurant...fun day! (Saw boys selling iguanas for their meat along the side of the road and got a picture of it...will post sometime)

Reyes and His Mom with the New Refrigerator (Amor Mio)

Monday---Bought a refrigerator for my mother-in-law and a computer desk. I took the kids to the movies, by myself, and we saw John Carter (in English, with subtitles...weird movie!) Stopped at Pizza Hut on the way home and bought pizza--very yummy, actually!

Tuesday---Went to order cable internet...got cable in three rooms and cable internet (1 megabyte per second speed) for $40 a month! Not too bad!!! Had waffles for breakfast with nutella, pastelitos (little beef pies) for lunch and baleadas (bean and white cheese with sour cream tacos) for supper. Visited with many friends and had a great day.

Wednesday---not a good day! My mother in law passed out in the courtyard and was very sick all day. Internet installed and took kids to play video games in the mall...bought shoes for Jennifer.

Heading to School

Campo Casenave School

Thursday---WE HAD OUR HOME STUDY!!! Everything went very well....LONG DAY!!!

So, today is Friday...the kids wore casual clothes to school for gym...no uniforms and we made waffles again for breakfast. We are planning to go to the lake after school to fish and swim!

It has been an amazing trip! The kids are learning so much English and we have had so much fun packed into such a short period of time! Not looking forward to Sunday...AT ALL!!!


Thank you for your continued prayers....Dios les bendiga siempre!

Esperanza!

(Jesus said...) I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you! Matthew 17:20

Mateo 17: 20 Porque de cierto os digo, que si tuviereis fe como un grano de mostaza, direis a este monte: Pasate de aqui alla, y se pasara; y nada os sera imposible.

We have HOPE!!! Last year, over Spring Break, I traveled to Honduras, alone, to visit the children. On an outing to the mall, I met an American woman in the arcade. She had two beautiful Honduran children with her and I asked if she was adopting. As it turns out, they had been in the process of adopting for over 3 years and were using the same attorney that we are using. We had a wonderful time sharing our experiences and we had so much in common, even our birthday was the same---March 23rd! I truly felt the Lord sent me this blessing to encourage me that I am not alone on this journey...someone out there is on the same emotional roller coaster, but we both have our Father holding onto us with all of His might!

On Thursday, March 1st---after learning Wednesday that IHNFA was on strike again---our friends finalized the adoption of their son...more than four years in the process!!! The joy was overwhelming!!! God moved a MOUNTAIN...he made a way, where there seemed to be NO way! And, through her, I learned that this strike has ended. We have HOPE!

This Thursday, March 8th, mi Corazon, Reyes and I will travel to Honduras. It has been over three years since we visited together...we usually send one of us 1-2 times a year. There is still so much to do, but we are gradually marking through the list! I absolutely CAN NOT wait!!!

6 semanas mas....6 more weeks

We have had a busy month...not much news on the adoption front, but the potential for progress is on the horizon. In the meantime, we are completing our home study update for an extension at immigration. We have purchased our tickets to go to Honduras for Spring Break. We will be sending another box in three weeks, which means lots of shopping (not my favorite thing to do) and sorting.

The kids are doing well...they had a wonderful Christmas and they are enjoying their school break, which is like a U.S. Summer break...they are off Nov, Dec and Jan. They may resume in February, but the teachers are on strike....nothing new!

I am amazed how joyful mi corazon, Reyes and I have been...so anxious to get down to the kids! Fortunately, time is flying!

Thank you for your many prayers...te quiero mucho...we love you very much!