Hope, Faith, and Healing - A Reflection on Family and the Way We Came Together

Francisco is officially 4 years old today and it has me reflecting on how he came to be part of our family.  I don't normally share his story; it's his and he doesn't know it.  As his mother it breaks my heart to think about it, but I feel it's a story of hope and of faith and of perseverance in the face of uncertainty.  I hope that as he comes to understand his story he appreciates the sacrifices that were made so that he can be who he is today.  I cannot imagine being in her situation and having to decide to walk away.  It was the right decision and while I used to get angry when I thought about the person she was now I can only hope that she knows her son is loved and that he has a bright future.  His future looked so dim when he was born.  This is what we were told... no prenatal care, potential hydrocephalus, in utero stroke, suffering from hypothermia when he arrived at the hospital not to mention many other things about the condition of his mother.  He suffered many delays in his first year.  He was labeled as special needs and would have a harder time finding a family.

I received our monthly update from the agency we were using to help us with our adoption.  At the end of the email there was a picture of an 15 month old little boy.  My heart melted.  I had seen so many pictures of waiting children and while they were all cute none of them made me feel that I had to pick up the phone.  Francisco was different.  I saw him and he was already my son.  I knew nothing about his potential conditions but something told me he was healthy and happy.  We were not approved for a special needs child.  It never crossed my mind that it would be the path I was lead down.  I called the agency and they told me that they had offered him to another family. They would send me information on him if the other family chose not to adopt him.  I waited and contemplated the possibility that the child in the picture, that I knew in my heart was my son may go to another family.  A few days later I received the call that the family had too many reservations and that they had chosen not to adopt him.  My heart raced.  What do I do????  We called a couple of our Doctor friends and discussed his symptoms and they put our minds at ease.  "It doesn't sound like hydrocephalus".  I was happy to hear it.  We had two neurologists in Colombia check him out....  Confirmed no medical needs!!!  Game on!  A few months later I was in Colombia completing my family.  I like to think that giving Franc a family for his birthday was the best gift he could receive, but honestly it is THE BEST GIFT I COULD RECEIVE.  I am not a religious person by any means but I do believe in fate.  Francisco was meant to be ours.  I cannot imagine if Chris and I had decided not to move forward with the adoption, if our gut instinct hadn't kicked in to tell us that it would all work out.  These are things that I don't think of on a regular basis, but when I see him now with the world at his finger tips I am amazed.  He has no delays and a bright future with a family who adores him and that is when I realize things are as they should be. 

I often forget how my children were brought into this world.  Neither of them were born in a hospital with proper care.  Their mothers were either financially or mentally unable to care for them: unable to read and write.  I have done much soul searching over the last few years and this is what I have come to appreciate and I hope that I can instill it in my children...  While we are not always born into the family we are meant to be with we must appreciate the sacrifices our birth families have made for us.  If Gage's mom didn't recognize the fact that she could not raise him the way she would want to he wouldn't be mine.  If Franc's mom hadn't walked away we wouldn't be the same.  My family is very special and unique yet very common in so many ways.  With that I thank both Gage's and Franc's birth mothers for the gifts they have given us.  Your children do know the love you gave them and the sacrifices you made for their future.  I hope you find peace with the decisions you've made and please know that your boys are very well loved.

Today I found out that our court date is on the 14th. if all goes well i could be Bogota sometime next week. If all does not go well I will give everyone my address down here so you can send me all my Christmas gifts...:)

This was todays rain storm, it was not as great as the one last night.

Suzie and Gage are back in Wisconsin, and i was just informed from our translator we have been submitted into Court #10. It is a very good court from what the lawyer says. We will just have to sit back and see how good it really is while i await the next phone call.

Last night we had a great rain storm. lightning was all around us and it rained so much the road we are living on was like a river. The water was rushing down it and when it got to the bottom by the drains it arched into the air about 2 feet. All the cars that were coming up the hill were spinning their tires to get traction. It was a sight to behold indeed

We've Just Been Relaxing Around the Hotel

I haven't posted in almost a week! Yikes. We've just been hanging out around the hotel the last few days, nothing really exciting. Everything down here has been closed since Thursday for Holy Week. I leave tomorow for home and Chris will be staying down here until the process is complete. Francisco and Gage are doing well. It seems like they have known each other forever. We have been getting a lot of use out of the time out chair too. It does seem to work with Franci, and Gage is starting to finally grasp that it's not good to be in time out.... I don't know why that has taken so long;) That's all for now. Chris will be in charge of the blog while I am at home....

Meeting With ICBF

We met with ICBF (kind of like social services) today and spoke with the psychologist. Everything went well and he confirmed that we were bonding well with Francisco. One more step done. Next they will supply our documents to the courts here in Cali and we will wait for our sentencia (adoption approval). Things are progressing really well and the boys act like they have been brothers forever rivalry and all....

El Parque del Gato

We finally had a chance to go to the pool today and then we went to the Cat Park. It was really interesting.

Cali Zoo

We had a private driver pick us up so we could go to the zoo today. The boys had a great time and have been sleeping since we got back about two hours ag0. Below are some pics.
Tomorow we want to go to the higher end mall and do some shopping. There is one about two blocks from us, but it isn't all that great....

Some Pics;)

Coloring on the floor by the kitchen...

Out on the balcony with Daddy...

Sleeping...

First day and Francisco was sick. You can see it in his eyes. Poor little guy. He is feeling much better today.

45 Minutes and Counting

We get Francisco in 45 minutes... Chris and I went to the market today and bought a cake and some ice cream to celebrate his birthday. Will post video and pics later. Right now I am way too excited to sit still.

Here is our view from our hotel. Sunny and almost 80 degrees... its a good thing we all brought shorts

This is the "small" hill on the way up to our hotel.

In Cali

Chris, Gage and I landed in Cali about an hour ago. It was pretty uneventful. Last night however was not so fun.... Let's see where do we start:
1. Gage's pasport is a little torn and we almost had to leave him with Bonnie.... Though she doesn't know it. We some how got them to let us through.
2. Chris got ripped off in the New Jersey airport. We only got 1/2 the Colombian Pesos we were supposed to.
3. Bad turbulance on the plane... Not fun it almost made me not want to get on the flight today.
4. We had to circle Bogota a few times before we could land so it made us late to the bed and breakfast. As a result our contact at the B&B was sleeping and wouldn't wake up for anything. We had to wait for someone else to come let us in. Needless to say we didn't get a good nights sleep.
5. Well technically this was this morning, but when Chris tried to take a shower the shower head fell off.... We had to wait until we got to Cali to shower.


Today however is much different. We are staying at a hotel that is very much like an apartment. It's a two bedroom, two and a half bath, with a kitchen, dinning room, and living room for about $110 a night. Not bad. And to top it off Chris is enjoying watching tw in Spanish and laughing! More later.

This One is for you Mom

I am in Bogota, heading to Cali will post when we get checked in:)

And We Are Off!

We are getting ready to leave for the airport. I am a bit nervous, but at least Chris is a rock. I wish I had his optimism at this point. We arrive in Bogota tonight around 10:30 and leave for Cali tomorrow. It's not long now until we get to meet our Franci (pronouced Frankie)!!! Maybe Gage will stop asking about it:) I am curious as to how he will react when the likes and dislikes he has chosen for Franci aren't accurate!!! Will post again when we get there.

On Our Way!!!!!

I realize that I have not posted to this in about a year, but it's time to get started again!!! We leave for Colombia to pick up our son next Sunday!!!! Stay tuned for lots of pics!!!

Maya Nuts!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/04/16/cnnheroes.erika.vohman/index.html

When I come across article mentioning Guatemala I am always interested...

Marshmellows???

Interesting video of Antigua Guatemala...

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-240279

Updates...

Well it's been a long time since I have posted anything on this blog.... That is because this year has had a rough start. My dad had a massive bleeding stroke on January1st. We thought we were going to loose him. He survived the incident only to be admitted to the ER 2 more times due to sepsis (an infection in the blood). He miraculously pulled through and is now doing well. He has regained his ability to talk, eat and sit up. He is now working on his ability to walk and remains in a rehab center. The good news to this is that they expect that he will recover most of his functions. Our family is very fortunate to have him and we all feel very blessed.

My sister is pregnant with a little girl!!! This was another part of the rough beginning. She has had a very difficult time staying pregnant and has had many miscarriages over the last few years so we were all understandably concerned when she became pregnant again especially since it was right before my dad's stroke. At one point she was told that she would miscarry again by her OB because her levels were not where they should be. Apparently the labs were false and she was actually pregnant the entire time... She only found out when she made an appointment to find out why she hadn't miscarried. As a precaution they decided to do an ultrasound and surprise there was a heart beat!!!

Needless to say the adoption drama has had plenty of competition keeping me occupied so I don't obsess too much about the wait! We have already been approved and on the list for over a year!

Guess What Gage Was for Halloween? OHIO!!!

That's right he was an OHIO State fan:)

Call to Action!!!

***ATTENTION*** THIS HAS PASSED!!!*** THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!***


This topic is one that is very important to me and my family and therefore I am asking for your assistance in signing this petition. The petition is in relation to international adoption and the 1660A form which allows us to bring our child home. There is much reform happening in the adoption world which will make it much harder for families like mine to provide a loving home to children who desperately need it. By singing this petition you will be helping families that are already in the process of adopting a child under the current laws in the United States to be unaffected by the current reform. Please if you would like further information I am happy to pass on what I know. I am asking that you forward this on to those who you feel will participate.



http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/adoption-for-all.html

On a lighter note... These pictures may be older (from July), but they show the two cutest boys in the world Gage and my nephew Chase!!!

Family Day!!!

Today marks TWO years since Gage was placed in our arms forever! It's hard to imagine that he hasn't always been here with us. Gage and I looked through his photo album last night and were able to talk about Guatemala and his loving family that he still has there and how his daddy and I are so lucky to have him in our lives. It's funny the things even young children pick up on. He was talking about the pictures and noticed some toys that he still has in them and got all excited. He wanted to play with them right away...

I am going to post pictures soon. I know I've been slacking, but I do have an excuse... We just moved again:) Into a house this time. We couldn't handle apartment living and it was causing too much stress when we are already in a difficult situation to begin with.

Warm Water in Guatemala

Below is an article published on solar water heaters being installed in Guatemala. It is great to see progress being made here. There are so many things we take for granted and seeing something like this happening in Guatemala makes me happy to see progress, but sad to see that there are so many things people are still living without.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/08/04/solar.heat.houses/index.html

Proud Mommy Moment

I am sitting here looking at Gage's picture from our pick up trip and it is hard for me to think about the fact that he hasn't lived with us his whole life. He is so ingrained in everything we do. I can't make a decision without thinking how it will affect him; and I can't imagine that I could ever have made a decision without putting him first. I guess you could say I am having a proud Mommy moment. He is really starting to grow up. He talks in full sentences now... Just the other day we were watching a show with ducks and he told me "Mommy the chickens are funny." Okay, so maybe he said chickens instead of ducks, but when I told him they were ducks he said, "Mommy the duckies are funny." I can't believe my little man is starting to become a big boy!!! Now if I could get him to commit to potty training that would be great. When we moved it took him a little off course.

We've been here for a month! YIKES!!!!

Well, I have been here (Wisconsin) for a month. Chris and Gage have been here for a couple weeks. We are settling into the boxes in our apartment and are cautiously optimistic that our house won't take a year or more to sell... It's been on the market for about a month and we have had 6 couples come through. So given the crap that keeps hitting the news about the housing market I would say that is not too bad.

Gage has his first school field trip tomorrow. They are going to a farm. I am sure he will have a blast. Chris started work last week. He really likes the company he is working for and different departments are vying for him already. I am so happy for him!!! He fits in perfectly with his background from the Fire Department and search and rescue teams. That's all for now. I just felt like I hadn't updated for a while:)