HAPPY 8TH ANNIVERSARY TO US!

8 YEARS AGO, WE GOT MARRIED.

WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE FUTURE WOULD HOLD FOR US...

WE HAD NO IDEA HOW STRONG OUR RELATIONSHIP WOULD BECOME...

HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES OF PICTURES...

PGN DAY # 70

Well, everyone...yes, we are still in PGN. I am very saddened to report this news!!!

Tonight our agency is having a conference call where they speak with us and MANY other families at the same time. I believe our coordinator will talk awhile and then we can ask questions. We cannot ask questions about our individual cases, however. This is because over 80 families might be on the phone at the same time. They want to talk about the delay in timeframes and managing expectations.
I will post anything new we find out.



On the up and up news...George and I will be married 8 years tomorrow:) I want to share pictures, but in 1998, there were no digital cameras at our wedding...and guess what??? We did not have our registry online!!!! That will give you an idea of how things have changed since we said "I do".



Back to the downside...I am back to work this week. The strike is over at the hospital! I will be working Thursday. I know it will be good for me...8-12 hours away from it all, only thinking of my patients...but it is still hard after being off one month!!

This is BRYAN, playing on his Guatemalan drum. He was given this by Maya's foster family. THANK YOU DEBBIE and RENE!!!!

PGN DAY # 66 and Maya's friend, Gia should be home!!!

Hello everyone. We know that a lot of people check our blog and are dissappointed to see that nothing is happening right now. We have been in PGN 66 days so far, which is over 9 weeks. The number 6 has always been my favorite number, so COME ON!!! As usual, we hope not to count one more day in the PGN hole.

We are hoping, praying and dreaming of the phone call telling us that we are "out". Anyone who has time to say a prayer, please do. Thank you!

When we hear that we are "out", we will still have to wait about 2-3 weeks or so, but we are ready to begin that wait...that will be the last WAIT!

That being said, we will share some good news. Maya's little girlfriend, Gia got on a plane with her Mommy and Daddy yesterday and entered the USA!!! Gia and her Mommy and Daddy(Holly and Lorenzo("Zo")) live 5 minutes away from us. I actually just passed by the area coming home from Target/Petsmart. Holly fostered Gia in Guatemala. They spent the whole summer together. Check out her blog if you have time.

This is Maya on our last visit trip, ready to open the MINI-BAR

CUTE PHOTOS

BRYAN GETS A KICK OUT OF THINKING HE IS THE THE MIDDLE OF A THOMAS MOVIE

ANYONE EVER TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE GORGEOUS EYES?

BRYAN TOOK A "CAT NAP" WITH ROCKY CAT WHILE WE WERE WITH BABY SISTER

THIS IS MY FAVORITE...POPPY AND BRYAN NAPPING

RILEY DOG LOVES WHEN THE STICKS FALL DOWN OFF THE TREES, AND IT IS EVEN BETTER IF HE CAN GET US ADULTS OUTSIDE TO PLAY WITH HIM. RILEY WAS OUR BABY UNTIL JANUARY 27TH, 2004. SORRY, RILEY. WE STILL LOVE YOU AND YOUR CAT SIBLINGS.

PGN DAY # 59

Well, we probably will not hear anything this week. Tomorrow is a Guatemalan holiday. It's Independence Day!!!
On September 15, 1821 Guatemala gained its Independence from Spain. This Independence Day is shared with all the other Central American countries except for Panama and Belize.

On the day preceding Independence Day the national anthem is sung with gusto in schools. The Schools, and even the school buses, are decorated with patriotic motifs in celebration. Traditionally the army of Guatemala celebrates with a protocol act and air acrobatics, usually for the audience of the President. As the day comes to a close children and adults can be seen waving small plastic Guatemalan flags in the streets and the stores are decked out in Blue and White decorations. On our visit trip, these flags were beeing sold on the streets for the upcoming celebration.
While Guatemala is celebrating so are the other countries of Central America. Since they all achieved independence together they also have ways of celebrating together, though many celebrate on both the 14th and the 15th. A torch, which begins in Guatemala on the 14th, travels by relay race down the Pan American Highway to Costa Rica where it arrives on the 15th. Along the route people decorate homes and schools. Children dress up in their finest school uniforms and cheer along with the adults as the runners and the torch goes by. It is a great honor to be chosen to be a runner of the Independence Day torch. As runners cross between countries borders there are cultural ceremonies with dignitaries of all the Central American countries there to honor Independence Day.

I got this information from www.guatadopt.com and found it interesting.

Adopting is teaching us a lot about culture.

Aside from our wait in PGN, Today starts the 3rd week of our nurse strike at RWJ. Nothing about it is pretty. That is all I will say on that.

Let's hope that next week brings some joy to our lives!

PGN DAY # 56 AND I AM STILL ON STRIKE

I DECIDED TO POST SOME PICTURES OF OUR OTHER BABY, BIG BROTHER, BRYAN. HE TOO WAS A BABY NOT THAT LONG AGO. LOOKING AT THESE PHOTOS MAKES US REALIZE HOW FAST THE TIME GOES BY. YOU HAVE TO CHERISH EVERY STAGE.

BRYAN SEPTEMBER 2004

SEPT 04- DROOL PICTURE(ALWAYS GOTTA GET A DROOL PIC!)

AUGUST 2004-BRYAN WAS ADORABLE. HE ALWAYS SMILED AND LOVED EVERYONE. HE HAD NO FEAR. HE SLEPT SO WELL. HE HAS CHANGED IN SOME ASPECTS SINCE THEN. SOME OF YOU KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT! BUT, HE IS STILL GREAT! JUST MORE CHALLENGING! THIS STRIKE HAS GIVEN ME TIME WITH HIM THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET.

AUG 04-BRYAN BEARING WEIGHT ON HIS LITTLE LEGS

AUG 04- BIB COMPLIMENTS OF UNCLE MIKE

AUG 04- HE COULD HARDLY SIT UP. (THIS IS THE STAGE THAT MAYA IS AT RIGHT NOW. FUNNY, NOW IN SEPT 06, HE CAN HARDLY SIT DOWN.

AUG 04- HE WAS THE CUTEST LITTLE BOY AT 7 MOS OLD

JULY 04- BRYAN HAS ALWAYS TAKEN TO OUR ANIMALS. RILEY LOVES THE EXTRA ATTENTION.

JULY 04- THIS IS NOW AN EXTREMELY RARE OCCURANCE!

JULY 31ST, 2004 (THANKS BETH AND ASHLEY, THIS WAS MY FIRST POOL PARTY)

Bryan at 2.5 yrs old

Mommy took Bryan on the tilt o'whirl

Bryan in Sesame Place Pool

This is Derek, Bryan and Derek's cousins(Megan and Nicholas(Nicholas is all the way to the left..cut off a bit, sorry!)

That is Daddy and Bryan coming down a BIG SLIDE!!

Bryan playing hopscotch on Sesame Street

53 DAYS IN PGN AND MISSING MAYA MORE THAN ANYONE CAN IMAGINE

Well, I think I got all the great pictures of Maya onto the blog in the last two days. The pictures don't even do her justice. She has so much life in her. We hope that all the people supporting us will be able to see what we mean really soon.

As our friend Holly said on her blog, when Maya comes home she will be coming home to the whole family, not just us.

Speaking of which, Holly will be bringing Gia home soon. Her hubby Zo will be flying out soon to help bring Gia home. It will be so wonderful for them. This is their first child. They went through a lot of what we went through to have a baby. They come from big families and are they are so excited to finally have their own baby. She is beautiful.

On this visit, Maya interacted with us so much. She was so great and that makes the wait that much harder. But we would not trade that visit for anything. We were there for her first 2 teeth!!

We do thank God everyday for our little miracle, Bryan. He is keeping us busy . He started potty training and is doing rather well. He just received Lightning McQueen socks for going to the potty 5 times. He was so happy:)

Bryan and I were playing in the sandbox in our yard yesterday and we said a prayer that baby sister come home really soon. He repeated everything I said and he did the sign of the cross. It was so cute. He is ready to be a big brother! We have been prepping him for a baby sister since June of last year. That is longer than a pregnancy...he knows he will be a big brother:)

Maya is all packed up and ready to come to the USA. Doesn't anyone in PGN get that???

Mommy bought this outfit for Maya. I loved it and I love it on her. I gave her back to the fostermom in it. Unfortunately I did not get a great pic in it. She was fussy with pics right before we had to give her back. Maybe she knew we were leaving.

OOH...THIS FEELS GOOD

Mommy and Daddy tried to make Maya look like Pebbles from THE FLINSTONES....How cute is she??

I can touch my toes

GOT MILK????

Gia is 2 weeks older than Maya. Gia will not eat. Maya will not stop eating. How about that irony??

Holly had emailed me similar pictures of us girls that I posted Monday night. From left to right, this is: Holly and Gia, Ann and Elianna, Me and Maya

Elianna and Maya share the same birthday.

Ann was very lucky that she is taking Elianna home with her on this trip!

Gia will be coming home on or about September 20th.

Gia and Maya in matching outfits: Friends Forever

Just Chillin'

This Holly and Gia. Holly lives 5 minutes away from me, in Somerset. I met Holly's husband in March right after receiving Maya's referral. Normally, I would be fired for violating HIPPA laws, but Holly and hubby Zo tell me it is okay...I was one of the pre-op nurses the day Holly gave her kidney to Zo. I saw them both showing off Gia's pictures before Holly went into surgery. I had to run around and admit all my patients before I could get to them. By the time I did, they had already whisked Holly into the OR. I introduced myself to Zo and told him we were adopting too!!! They had just visited Gia and had wonderful pictures. I had just gotten my referral a few days prior, and was trying not to tell co-workers. After talking with Zo, I was on Cloud 9 thinking of Maya. I got my Maya pics and showed everyone!!!

Maya likes to "stand"

Maya is checking Gia for cavities

Say "ahh" Gia, I know you have been hitting Cinnabon a lot lately

Holly, look closely at Maya. Gia has her using the finger.

This picture is probably my personal FAVORITE. This is what she looks like. This is her. We know you all want to meet her, but for now, look at this picture. It captures her personality.

Watch out Daddy, this is MY REMOTE!!!