Zoo Pictures

Spring Showers

Spring showers bring May flowers......

I've heard this a million times. But this year, it has a totally different meaning for me. My baby bug has blossomed under the warm May sun. This past week my whole family went on vacation and it was great for all of us. Especially great for bonding with Ben. It just seemed to have clicked for him this past week. Almost like overnight he decided this was his family and he knows he belongs with us.

My name has now been replaced from "Momma Yina" to "Mommy". AND I LOVE IT!!! God has blessed me with my child and when he looks up at me with his most handsome eyes, I can't help but give thanks. I pray I never forget just how blessed we are. Enough of the teary stuff...on to the antics.

Ben has a personality that just gets better everyday. He loves to play Dinosaur, Action Fingers, Snake and just about everything else that is "all boy". He kept most of us rolling this past week. Oh, and one great thing that needs to be mentioned...I believe he has just about beaten his motion sickness. Can I get a "Halelujah"? Now the lil' bug can go everywhere with us. And his sleeping pattern seems to be smoothing into just that...a pattern. Overall he just seems more at peace and comfortable. I am so glad to see him easing into being part of our family. I have so many hopes for him. Now I feel he has a chance at conquering the whole world!

Amazing.....says it all

Please make sure your speakers are on. These are pictures of Ben's Journey Home. It expands over two and a half years. Thank God he is finally home and we are starting our lives together!

God bless!!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

DNA received

Just a quick update...
The embassy received our DNA this past Thursday at 3:40 in the afternoon. I am sitting on pins and needles!!! We are soooo close, but still so far. Pray for a date this coming week, please.
Paz a todos,
Gayle

Three Simple Letters

Three Simple Letters means so much....DNA. We received authorization for DNA today!!! Yeah, WaHoo, Yippee! Little Benjamin will have his swabbing tomorrow, they will send the "stick" back to the lab and then they will mail the results to the embassy. The lady at Orchid Genescreen was so nice today. When she intitially pulled up my paperwork, she said, "Oh my! This has been a long time coming." She also offered to keep me informed every step of the way. (I just love it when people are sincerely happy for you.)

I expect that we will know something next week. I hope the days go by fast. If they do not, I surely will be tied up in knots by the time we get any information. We are so close...but yet so far. Thank you God for getting us here!

Paz a todo,
Gayle

Proud Papa

My Funny Man! This is proud Papa letting off a little steam with some comic relief. Do you think Ben will want to grow up to be just like his father?

Gayle

Our world has been righted

Whew....I think we dodged another bullet. (well, more like letting the bullet ricochet off us) Leslie from Senator Burr's office was very efficient in helping us with our embassy problem. She called me back, bright and early the next day with an answer. She said that the embassy had closed our case because our I600A had expired, even though we had an approved and valid I171H sitting there. The reason being that they are so overloaded right now with all the PAP's trying to get their children home that they are trying to clear the clutter. Now, why couldn't they have told me that instead of that very sterile and nonemotional response of, "your file is administratively closed". I bet that whole little incident took at least 2 years off my life. Anyway, apparantley the fix is simple. I scanned a copy of our approval to the Senator's office. They in turn are forwarding it to the embassy. We hope this will be enough. If not, I think they said we can just open the case back up when we get there with the physical document. WooHoo!

AND.....we have more good news! We have the passport in hand! Yeah, one step closer. Next we apply to the embassy for DNA authorization, get results and then submit for visa appointment. I love the color PINK! (for those that don't know, the visa appt. is referred to as having PINK, because it used to be issued on a pink slip, now they just email it.)

AND...one last thing. Ilse was talking with one of the old facilitator's assistant the other day and she told her of Ben coming home. The reply was that she couldn't believe it, she thought that boy would never be able to come home and that they all thought his case was a lost cause. Well, due to the grace of God, power of a lot of prayer, (and just as much money) and much help from many friends, we may have our miracle soon! The way I see it. We are looking at picking Ben up in the middle to late February. Somebody, please pinch me! We might actually be able to get off this rickety 'ol rollercoaster soon!!!

Paz a todo!
Gayle

At Every Turn

New Dilemma....emailed the US Embassy in Guatemala today to find out if we have been submitted to receive DNA authorization. Boy, was I in for a shock. The reply simply stated that they had administratively closed our case as of July 2007. W-H-A-T! What does that mean? How do I fix it? Who has to fix it? When can it be done? How long will this take? These are just a few of the questions I had and no one to ask. You see, you can't just call the Embassy and ask them a casual question. Your congressman has to do that. Just another link in the long chain. ( And who ever heard of a US Embassy that wasn't open to US citizens?)

Anyway, I emailed AS. They suggested to me, not just once, but twice, to get my congressman involved as soon as possible. They have never heard of a case being administratively closed. (Hmmm, imagine that.)

So, I did just that. First I contacted my female congress person's office. I chose her, thinking that they would be a little more sympathetic, being she's a mother herself. Wrong. I received the same 'ol run of the mill reply, first you have to submit a consent form, then follow it with an explanation of what the problem is, blah, blah, blah. Dead end. Couldn't they hear the hysterical tone to my voice? Don't they know how hard we have fought to this point?

So I did what every squeaky wheel does...I whined a little louder at the next stop. I called Richard Burr's office and much to my surprise, they were sympathetic and understanding and helpful and concerned. Whew, relief. Someone that actually sees this as the same emergency I see. They were truly genuine people. They admitted to not knowing what administratively closed meant. But they committed to finding out. (What a nice change of pace - honesty). I am still a little freaked at this last development. But I feel much better at our chances of getting this resolved since speaking with Ms. L.A. at Burr's office. She had me email her our timeline and all the info. on Ben, myself and my husband. She said she would email them and then follow up with a phone call. I have hope that she will be able to give me some sort of answer tomorrow. If not, I will have to wait out the weekend. (And we all know how excruciating that can be).

You know, I have to say that I have been taught a lesson about myself through this process. I could be labeled an obsessive person. When something has gone wrong in our process, (and much has). I find myself fixating to it. All I want to do is work on it, or think about it or talk to someone about it. I would have never thought of myself as having this gene. But I can't help myself. Today, when all of this was going on...in my mind, I kept thinking, "Don't you people know what is happening here? Don't you understand what kind of problem this is? How could you possibly want me to do something as trivial as work when I have such a HUGE emergency on my hands!" Of course, I haven't totally lost all my marbles, (just yet). So I can still tell myself there is a time and place for everything. And the middle of my office, packed with clients, is not the time nor the place to have a frenzied meltdown. So I continue the charade and smile warmly as I greet the next client at my desk. But on the inside, the war continues.

God, please put the right people in place to correct this latest dilemma. And also, please clear the way for us to bring home our son with no further "bumps". And give me the strength to stand tall and behave as my mother would be proud. I am weary. But with you, I know all is possible. Amen.
Gayle

Cup not always half full

Confession......On days when I am a little tired, I find that I am not as grateful as I should be. Today, I was reading some posts and there was one that caught my eye. The person was posting that they received DNA results today. I posted a reply and congratulated her, (after all, isn't that what our mothers have taught us, to be gracious?) Then I read the rest of her post and timeline. She was in PGN with no KO's, and she was approved from PGN AFTER us. She will be bringing home her child at a whoppin' 5 months old. This is wonderful news and I am glad for her, (diplomatic answer). But sometimes I want to revert back to 4 and whine, "Why not me" Don't get me wrong...I am tickled that our son is finally coming home and I love him to the moon and back. But, I guess, sometimes I get a little sad at how much we have missed. And you know...the fact that we continue to hit "bumps" in the road at every turn is a little tiring. I'm weary of the bumpy road, I would like smooth sailing for a little bit. Is that too much to ask? (Now I do sound like I'm whining) WHERE ARE MY ROSE-COLORED GLASSES!?! FOR GOD SAKE, PLEASE FIND MY GLASSES!!!

Paul, PAUL, P-A-U-LLL....Where did you put my glasses this time!?!

Right baby...Wrong name

WOOHOO!!! Just received a copy of Ben's new BC. You know,...the one I was so excited would have George as his last name. WRONG!!! Can't believe it, but they even messed this up. They got the new BC with my husband's last name. And on all the paperwork we filed with the embassy, I am the petitioner and Paul is the spouse. We purposely did this because we intended for Ben to have my last name. Oh well. If anything were to run smooth in this adoption I would think the sky was getting ready to fall.......just ain't gonna' happn'! But, provided this last little slip doesn't cause us problems at the embassy, at least we do have it confirmed that he is really our child! WOOHOO!!! Now that is a reason to celebrate!
God bless,
Gayle, aka Ben's Mom

Can't stand it!

Good news...Good news...Good news! I was waiting until I received the actual document in my hot little hand, but....I can't stand it anymore! I have to tell someone. I was told that we received the new birth certificate for my lil' monster last week!!! That means his BC actually says "Melvin Ordonez George". WOOHOO...he finally is a George!

Whew...do I feel better. My plan is to still wait until I get a copy of it before I tell my family. My husband doesn't even know (snicker) I think it will be a nice surprise if I can just lay it down on the desk in front of him. Do you think he'll figure out what it is?

Hope to hear even better news next week. They told us that we should have the passport on Tuesday or Wednesday of this coming week. That means that in no time at all we can submit for authorization of the second DNA. (They have to wait for a trivial thing to occur first...something about the inauguration of the new President - no big deal).

Anyway...hope to post again soon! Hope everyone has a great weekend. Hug yourself today!!!

Gayle

Insanity Reincarnate

Whew....do things ever get better? Lately, there have been developments where PGN has posted they will not accept any new cases until the "Central Authority" is created.
H-E-L-L-O...when will that happen? As of today, there is no real plan in place. They are working on it. So, what does everyone do in the mean time? Wait? Wait for the 30 day deadline to expire?

And this brings me to another "soapbox". What about the press and all the true-journalistic reporting they have been doing. While they are trying to create enough noise to sell their treasured works of writing, sometimes they become part of the problem. They have, of late, leaned towards a tendency to only relay part of the story. Now, part of that I may understand. They don't always have enough room in their allotted space to fully explain the piece they are reporting. Well, if this be the case....either keep your pen dry or explain that in your article. Simple solution, right? Wrong. I guess that they are just like the rest of us and never like to acknowledge the fact that they don't know everything. Hard pill to swallow. But wouldn't it be better rather than misguide some and create unnecessary panic and confusion? I don't get it. Maybe that's why I am not a journalist. The truth, be it crystal and sparkling clear, seem important and much more preferable to a well spun story.

Back to my original intent... I feel sooooo bad for the people that are stuck in the process that doesn't know what to do with itself. My heart is extremely heavy for you. I know the added stress this is causing. Even though, the general consensus is that it will all get ironed out and everything will be just fine....the not knowing can be maddening. That again is a direct result of how people in power forget about the people they are making laws for. They sometimes forget that behind every file is a family waiting anxiously for their child. The wait is worse than any pregnancy. And until someone has been through it, you just never truly know how hard it is.

So, before lawmakers bend to the will of others, they should first consider who they are affecting. If you do not have a true plan, wait until you do. "Winging it" just isn't acceptable. Leaving people in limbo is a piss-poor, sloppy job.

I will continue to pray for the strength, patience and endurance of waiting families. And I'll pray that the lawmakers get their act together and have their new system up and running quickly. It is my hope that they DO NOT leave these families hanging on the edge any longer. As it looks, January 01, 2008 ushered in a sad day for Guatemalan adoptions and the children stuck in between.

God bless,
Gayle

Infant Colic Treatment and Causes

Information for Ilse, her daughter and grandchild. I hope this helps!!! Just follow the link...
Love,
Gayle

Infant Colic Treatment and Causes

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Happy New Year everyone!!!

I pray this will be a joyous year for all of us.

I pray for continued health of the one's dear to me.

I pray my adoption family finishes their processes in the coming year, resulting with their beloved children at home, safe and sound. (Fe nunca floja!)

And somehow, I pray for peace. That the world puts down their swords and the killing stopped. I pray someday our nations can find a peaceful way for resolution.

And last but not least, I pray for my second country, Guatemala. I pray God will guide the people making decisions for so many...... that they leave no child behind.

Espero que el ano que viene le traiga todo lo que usted desea.

Paz a todos,
Gayle

From Cloudy to Clear

OK. Well, I guess it's time I explain how we got to this point. If you remember correctly, our agency was shut down for unethical practices. Around the same time, the facilitator that was the go between for our agency and the facilitator in Guatemala, was arrested for harbouring illegal aliens. (Yeah, I know. The pot just thickens.) Round about this time, I was starting to give up hope. It was just a mess. Come to find out, some of the hopeful parents really didn't have referrals at all. They were being lied to and the sweet children they said "yes" to were never up for adoption. The children actually had a family and it was sort of a system of rent-a-kid. Whenever the families would go over for visits, the agency would pay the true family money to allow them to use their children for a while. It was a nightmare. And I could go on and on about the things that came to the surface. But that is old news and no good will come of hashing up such negative stories. So, let's press on......

We, of course, were very concerned that our process was also fraudulent. We contacted several people that are "in the know" and they agreed to check it out for us. One was a popular Guatemala site, the other was a trusted adoption agency and then the last was the Adoption Supervisors, ( I call them the survival guide for Guat adoptions). They all conferred. We had a legit case! Ok, that's good. So, what's next?

Trying to set up communication with our team. Ben's birthday is in July. This past birthday he turned two. My husband and I decided to go over and spend it with him. This was our "do or die" mission.. During this trip we were connected back to a dear friend that we have used as a translator while in country. We had lost contact with her b/c our agency had forbidden us to use her services anymore. Instead, they had another translator that worked "more" closely with the agency, (Yeah, I bet). She was also later detained and banned with the embassy. ( Go figure) At any rate, the translator was horrified when I contacted her and told her our story. She said she would help us and would set up appointments while we were in country, so we could get to the bottom of what was going on. And that she did. First we spoke with one of the original attorneys on the case. She explained exactly what had taken place and where we needed to go from there. She also agreed to work with us in any way she could. That was a big deal. She could have refused and I would still be crying the blues today.

Next, we move on to a new attorney. One that is ethical, (w/ clients), and a go-getter. Upon our first appointment, I was impressed. He showed up with all of our file in hand and he had already done his homework. He knew exactly where we stood and what needed to be done. Great! We settled on a fee and he was hired. Now, keep in mind, this type of thing is not normal. It is not "politically" correct to bypass your main team and contract outside help. It is a little risky. But we were at the end of our rope and it was "do or die" time, remember?

My husband and I came back home, full of hope. We finally had a ray of sun on our faces and the warmth of the hope felt good. "E', the new attorney ran into many more difficulties than originally expected. (In my opinion, the only thing to be expected in our case, is that, you get what you don't expect). To make the story short, he had to keep going back to Pto Barrios, over and over. I have a feeling that the staff at the civil registry and Judge were still so upset with our case and all the extra work caused by our original attorney, that they just kept toying with "E". On his maiden voyage, he found our file was sent to the abandoned file. They had given up that anyone would come back to finish this case. (Hacheemama!) And when he finally got everything straight, except for the signature of the Judge, the good Judge took his frustrations out on "E". He would tell him to come back next week and he would sign the paper for him. So "E" would travel over the mountains and through the hills once again, just to have the good Judge tell him he was too busy, come back next week. Well, after many trips and a brief stay in the hospital, (from a little green present he picked up while in Pto. Barrios), he FINALLY got the signature. YEAH!!! We had what we needed to move forward. While the ink was still wet on the papers, he moved quickly to the next office and received the new birth certificate. God is good. Through this little Sherman Tank of a man, we had our documents correct.

Next, move back to the black hole of PGN. That building is like the roach motel. Files go in, but never go out. (Just kidding). But while you are in there, it feels that way. "E" kept an eye on our file the whole time it was there. When it came down to the wire and we were finally with the last reviewer. He would sit at PGN and pester them for news on our file. He took people out to eat and stayed in the building day after day. His tenacity paid off. We have our file approved! As of December 13th, 2007. That was a joyful day!!!

Now the file is back with our main team and they are doing their part. We still have a few steps left, but they are all requirements of the US. It is just a matter of time now. The guesswork is over. Our little son, WILL BE OUR LITTLE SON! No doubt about it! Thank you God. And now, please let me take the time to thank the people that are true players in our case.

First, God. Thank you for keeping me from going crazy, (and those little pink pills). You knew I would be a mother one day and your lesson in patience has paid off. I may be a slow student, but I am no dummy. I have learned what you taught loud and clear.

Next, Ilse. You are a beacon of light. Thank you so much for your continued support and friendship. Without you, we would not have our son coming home. God put you back in our path as a catalyst. You are the one that got the ball rolling again. Others may not be able to see it, but I can. Your halo is luminous and wings, strong and beautiful. Thank you for carrying us this far.

And to "E". You are our Ever-Ready Bunny and Weebles-Wobbles all in one. You kept going at them, never faltered and never gave up. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, for your tenacity. I know it was a job you were hired for, but I will never be convinced that you saw it as just another job. You had to have had your heart and soul in this one to get as far as you did. You too, are an angel.

And begrudgingly, I need to thank my main team. Even though it has been a long road and you brought us to it, you are redeeming yourself now. You have been efficient in the last steps. Thank you. And thank you for your part in bringing my son home.

And last but certainly not least. Family and Friends. Thank you for the continued patience and support. I know it was a long haul, but we made it, (WITH RELATIONSHIPS AND MINDS IN TACT). Our reward...Ben.

I have met so many amazing people on this journey. Some taught me how not to behave and others are a ray of hope. I love and cherish every one. And to the rest of the Long Road Home'rs. You know who you are. Thank you for your friendships and circle of support. I pray every last one of us will be able to take part in the celebration of our children's homecoming. What was it "W" put so well...Now that the holidays are over, it is time for the "Mama Bears" to come out of hibernation. Let's kick some butt and get those children home!

My Baby Boy is Coming Home!

Ain't he cute? This has been the most wonderful Christmas holiday ever! On December 13 we got the news that we FINALLY received Approval of our case. WE ARE OUT! WE ARE OUT! WE ARE OUT!

Oh, you have no idea how good it is to be able to say those words. We have waited two and a half years. This has been a process from Hell and at times, I doubted we would ever get this far. But God has been good to us....in more ways than one.

We also found out, the day after Christmas, that Ben's birth mother signed her final document. He is REALLY and FINALLY OURS! Can you believe it? Now we just have to wait for a few more documents from the US side and we will be on our way.

I am going to make this a short post. Just wanted to post the good news and to apologize, (of sorts), for being so inactive for the past year. But all I had was bad news and plenty of it. It was getting to be a little redundant. And if I hadn't of lived it myself, I would have thought the story to be some horrible "B" rated flick. But now...we are on to greener pastures and it's time to put the rose-colored glasses back on!!!

So for now, please join us in the celebration. And for my friends still waiting for their good news, please say a prayer for them. Take care.

My Baby Boy in His Bus

Premature in the Nursery

Well....I guess we were a little premature in fixing up the nursery. We were informed today that we were KO'd for the birth certificate, again. We were also told that we are no longer dealing with a "simple" rectification. (I don't see what has been so simple about it) Now that our braniac facilitator has resubmitted with the decreto posing as the rectification that was required, we have to correct the damage that has been done. This means that first, we have to get a court order to obtain a "inscription" that cancels the decreto. Once this is obtained we can proceed with a reposition. If I am correct the latter can be gotten by the notarial way. Which normally takes about two months. The first step, no one has been able to give us a clue as to how long it may take. If you remember, our facilitator was trying to get the rectification originally by way of a court order. He tried for over 4 months and was still empty handed. In all, it boils down to, we are now looking well into 2007 before being able to bring Ben home. What a mess.

Gayle

Update

Hello all! Haven't posted in a few weeks. I've just been waiting to get some news. But so far, that 'ol adage applies, no news is good news. I did find out on Tuesday of this week that our file has been passed on from the reviewer to the director's desk. He apparently has many of the cases trying to use this same decreto sitting there. From what I can gather, he has yet to approve any of them and is trying to decide what to do. So please, say your prayers that he will approve all of them. I have been praying non stop and sleeping with my four leaf clover, rubbing my rabbit's foot, patting Buddha on the belly, keeping my fingers crossed and anything else I can think of that may be in our favor. God bless. I will post as soon as I get any tidbits. Thank you for being here!

Gayle

REALITIES...

I went into the local pottery store, full of anticipation and renewed hope. The change of seasons does that for me. The crisp feeling in the air reminds me that life is ever changing. This fact in itself cultivates a sense of a better tomorrow. I enjoy the change in color schemes and the decorating that goes along with it.

I was engrossed in the rich hues of reds, orange and yellows, and planning my house's ensemble for the season, when the next isle over, reality hit me,..smack in the face...CHRISTMAS decorations. This, I was not ready for...the thought of Christmas. A reality that I was not yet prepared to think about was the fact that we may very well have to weather another Holiday Season without Ben home. I felt like running from the store screaming to the top of my lungs with grief. "How can we do this again?", was what kept going through my mind.

Last year I was gracious and kept telling myself that it was OK for Ben's fostermother to share his first Christmas. Afterall, he wouldn't remember it and we would have every one after that. But now, I no longer feel that way. I am selfish and I want my son home. I am tired of someone else telling me about his holidays and sending me pictures. This nightmare no longer seems real and it just gets worse!