Lilypie 2nd Birthday Ticker

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Love Those Target Bargains!

This morning I went to Wal-Mart and then to Target to see what toys they had on sale that we could use in our daycare. I did find some good stuff but the best thing I found is something for Johanna. It was just over $50 off. See it below.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Happy 5 Months!

Johanna Faith,
Today your are five months old. Even though I have never met you, I miss you so very much. I took your latest pictures to church with me this morning and everyone I showed them to is excited to me you. Many people are praying for you and that you will get to come home soon. You are going to be so loved by so many people here.
I love you very much already.
Mommy

Friday, December 21, 2007

I'm A Christmas Tree

I got this from a friends blog.
I am a traditional Christmas tree.
I like that!!
You Are a Traditional Christmas Tree

For a good Christmas, you don't have to re-invent the wheel.
You already have traditions, foods, and special things you bring out every year.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Pray for Foster Sister

Yesterday I found the family that has the other baby in Johanna's foster home. Johanna's foster sister is about 9 months old. I was thrilled to find them.
Today they got bad news. They got a kickout of PGN. This is not an easy fix either. Apparently the birth mother has two birth certificates. The attorney has to have one of them cancelled. This has to be done by a judge and the family was told it usually takes several months. Once this is done it's back to PGN. PRAY FOR A MIRACLE!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!

Monday, December 17, 2007

New Pictures!! Update!!!! IN PGN!!!!!!!!

I got updated medical and photos today. I knew they were coming today. I got a sign from God yesterday when my Pastor accidentally said our Christmas program was going to be on July 23 instead of December 23. Johanna's birthday is July 23.

Johanna weighs just over 14 pounds!! I emailed my coordinator and asked "What are they doing to my baby? She is a chub!" She gained 5 pounds in 2 months. The attorneys said she is the happiest baby they have ever worked with. I like that!!

Another great thing is that WE ARE IN PGN!!!!

Below are the new pictures of Johanna with her Christmas package.

Taking a look at her Christmas loot


Getting dressed in her Christmas dress


Look at those chubby cheeks!!


In her Christmas dress with her new toy


I got all of this for Christmas???


Eating the foot of one of her Christmas Outfits

Sunday, December 16, 2007

A Screaming Merry Christmas

Do you want to know how to have a "Screaming Merry Christmas" at your house? I am selling these adorable Monkey, Pig and Frog slingshots and they DO SCREAM!! I actually have one of each in my daycare playroom and the kiddos love them. I am selling them for $5 each. Shipping is $2 for the first one and then $.75 for each additional one. If you are interested, please email me. If you have a Paypal account you can pay through my Chipin and then let me know what you want.




Saturday, December 15, 2007

Could Be Good News

The following is from the JCICS site from Friday, December 14. It would be great if the Guatemalan congress adopts this. Even greater if I get into PGN next week.

During the week of December 3rd, Joint Council strongly advocated with key stakeholders for a positive resolution to the grandfather clause (Article 56 of Decree 77-2007). As part of our call to both the Guatemalan administration and Congress to clearly define a ‘grandfathered case’, Joint Council submitted a definition to the Guatemalan Congress, the Berger administration and the U.S. Department of State. In addition, we educated members of the U.S. Congress on this critical issue.

As part of our advocacy, Joint Council fully supports the following definition and process.

A case would be eligible for the grandfather status provided that by December 31st 2007 the case had:
a Power of Attorney (POA),
the POA was registered with the Supreme Court,
the Acta de Requerimiento had been issued
The case would be officially grandfathered upon its registration with the Central Authority during a 30 day period beginning December 31, 2007. The 30 day period represents 30 business days.
Cases already “in” PGN (cases where an Aviso has been issued) would be considered to be automatically registered with the Central Authority thereby negating the need for a separate and additional act of registration.
Recognizing that PGN is registered with The Hague as a competent authority, all eligible cases would be registered with the Central Authority via the PGN.
Through our ongoing dialogue with the Guatemalan government and the U.S. Department of State (DOS), it is our understanding that the key stakeholders including DOS are not moving towards a definition that would limit the grandfathered cases to only those cases that are “in” PGN by December 30, 2007 (a full and complete file submitted to PGN for review). There appears to be a growing agreement, including a draft legal opinion by PGN, with the definition outlined by Joint Council. While Joint Council is cautiously optimistic that this type of a grandfather definition will be officially sanctioned, we also believe that we must remain diligent in our review, assessment and advocacy.

Joint Council does remain concerned that the recent elections have left a void in leadership within the Guatemalan government. As a result, obtaining a clear ruling from a competent authority is increasingly difficult. We also have concerns as to the registering of cases with the Central Authority, given that no such authority will exist until sometime in mid-January, at the earliest.

Please know that Joint Council, as previously stated, will remain diligent in its pursuit of every child’s right to a permanent, safe and loving family. We are intimately involved in the process in Guatemala and are committed to ensuring that all children who have been referred to a family will be able to have their adoption completed. As we see the Guatemala 5000 through to a successful completion, Joint Council will continue its engagement with a goal of seeing the functional implementation of the new adoption law.

Friday, December 14, 2007

The Job I Applied For

POSITION :
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to w ork variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.

Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5 . Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.

Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, and an embarrassment the next.

Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.

Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.

Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :

None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :

Get this! You pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that
college will help them become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy
it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Meeting Butterscotch

I had to get Johanna's big horse out of the garage. To get the car in the garage the box had to be moved and was sitting on top of the freezer. I couldn't get into the freezer. I decided to move the box downstais but wanted to see what the horse was like first. My mom thought we should put it together and let the daycare kiddos see it. Caleb and Reagan were upstairs to help.


You say there is a horse in the huge box?


Where is the head?


My mom and my niece Rachel trying to wire the head in.
Reagan is holding out her finger and saying the horse bit her.


The huge box is a lot of fun!!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Johanna's Special Onsie

My niece Brooklen goes to a very nice school about 10 miles south of town. Each year they do the best fundraiser. Each child draws and colors a picture. The child then takes the picture home along with an order form. They sell their artwork to family and friends on items such as shirts, mousepads, mugs, bookbags, etc.
This year I bought a long-sleeved shirt with Brooklen's picture on it. I also bought two luggage tags with the picture on them. They are bright yellow and will be very easy to spot when I finally travel to and from Guatemala to get my baby girl.

My favorite thing I bought is pictured below. It is a onsie for Johanna. I had the words "Mommy's Sunshine" put under the picture. I just love it!!!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Just Waiting

And waiting is something I am really tired of. I wouldn't mind it so much if I were waiting while something is going on. But nothing happens. I got PA Dec. 2 and am waiting to get into PGN. Haven't heard anything from my attorney. Waiting over two months for updated photos and medical information on my daughter. That is the waiting I am most tired of.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Merry TossMass!!

www.citizenlink.org/Stoplight/A000005834.cfm

You will have to copy paste.

Monday, December 3, 2007

One Year Later

Last year December 3 was on a Sunday. It was during praise and worship time at church that I heard God speaking to me. He was telling me that in a year I would have my own baby girl.
Here it is, one year later. I have my baby girl!! She is still in Guatemala but God is faithful. My baby will be home soon. I can hardly wait until I can actually hold her in church during praise and worship time and teach her to praise God who brought her to me.
Yesterday one of the songs we sang in church really spoke to me about this journey I have been on. Here are the words . . .

Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom
Or the strong man boast in his strength
Let not the rich man boast in his riches
But let the humble come and give thanks
To the One who made us, the One who saved us


Chorus:
I will boast in the Lord my God
I will boast in the One Who's worthy
I will boast in the Lord my God
I will boast in the One Who's worthy, He's worthy

Bridge:
I will make my boast in Christ alone
I will make my boast in Christ alone
(Repeat twice)

©2006 Integrity's Hosanna! Music
All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
CCLI song #4662350

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Celebrating PA?

This morning I was thinking about the pre-approval process and what it means. I was wondering, "Is it really something to celebrate?" This is the process where the U.S. Embassy looks over all the papers to decide if the child to be adopted qualifies as an orphan. So yesterday I got the pre-approval from the embassy that says, "Yes, the baby you want is an orphan." I was kind of sad about it this morning. Sure it is a great milestone in the process but being an orphan is not really a good thing. Then this afternoon I visited my friend Tami's blog and she had this video on there. It is "Orphans of God" by Avalon. I guess it is okay to be an orphan on the earth. There are no orphans of God.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Pre-Approval!!!!

Day 45 since dna got to the embassy.
I just checked my email and pre-approval was there.
I was told I could go into PGN almost right away!!
I am soooooooooo excited!!