We're Back

Hi folks! We’re back. It’s 12:40 am and we’re in the car coming home from DC. Our internet access got a little slow at the hotel and we just weren’t able to keep sharing/updating. So, I’ll work on another snapfish album and then send that out soon.

As far as the rest of the trip, simply put, it was amazing. Spending all of this undivided attention with them, really gave Gary and I had chance to see their difference and their personalities. Although Austin in bigger (by a pound), Logan shovels the food in! We think he’ll catch up and maybe even beat Austin in the size department.

Austin loves being thrown in the air and tossed on to the pillows, he peels with delight! His favorite activity is being pulled across the incredibly soft hotel sheets from one end of the king bed to the other. It is a game Mommy tires of because he does not. Now, toss Logan onto the pillow and he won’t cry, but he will look at you like you have offended him. “Boo” is his favorite game, the louder, the scarier, the better. He just squeals and squeels if we sneak up on him and and scare him.

We're exhuasted. It's obviously been the worst day of our lives - handing over the babies. But the Foster Family was incredilbe, we know they are being loved and WELL-cared for. Feliz Navidad! Again, thank you for your love and prayers as Gary and I travel this journey, your support really means the world to us! Love ya!! .

Santa came! And he brought us our stockings filled with gifts from everybody back home!

Christmas starts with the Nativity story. Logan is awake, just very relaxed!

So many things to touch and feel in this book - we love it!

Time for presents!

Hmm - these bells are really neat!

Yea! We like Christmas!

Logan wearing Grammy T's Christmas gift! And wearing shoes for the first time!

Mommy and Logan...Logan looking quite the Little Man in his outfit!

This one of Mommy's favorite pictures!

Austin and Logan loved to sit in front of the large mirror and "watch" themselves.

Merry Christmas!

We love our new Arby toys! They're just the right size for us and feel so good onour gums!!

Oh so precious!

Daddy and his boys!

Daddy and Austin...

Mommy and Logan...

Good-bye hotel! Good-bye Austin and Logan, we'll be back soon and we'll be missing and praying for you every minute of every hour of every day until we see you again....Love, Mommy and Daddy

Buenas Dias!

I tried to send out pictures last night, but Logan was playing on my computer and locked it up. I just now had time to fix it!

Last night, we went to the mall’s food court for dinner. Everyone here is SO nice. The hotel staff is incredible, all of the Guatemalan’s in the mall are friendly, make eye contact and say “hi” to us.
We feel so welcomed!

When we got back to the room, it was an evening of giggles. Gary and I were successful in getting both boys to break out in rounds of the most musical giggles we’ve ever heard! They liked being tossed in the air or playing peek-a-boo. Logan likes his feet tickled and raspberried and Austin like the belly tickle and being “scared!”

Our wonderful night, we all got some sleep, was followed by a utopian morning – the boys woke up, came in to bed with us and played roly-poly for over an hour. They both like to just roll around making figure eights and all sorts of things!

Of course, none of this was caught on video tape, the moment we pull it out, they stop “performing” and start the tear ducts. But we’ll keep trying!

We slept in today and didn’t go down to breakfast until 10am! Then we went and hung out by the pool and walked around the mall again.

Both boys are really teething and the Baby Tylenol we brought really seems to be helping.

Well, they’re down for naps and Gary and I are going to join them!

Signing off from heaven, Gary and Donna

Daddy and Logan when we took a trip to the mall for dinner on Tuesday night.

Austin in his new wheels!

Night - night! (Austin on the left, Logan on the right)

Hey - these PJ's that Grandma sent have cool little toys on their feet-zies! How cool!

Daddy and Austin hanging out at the pool.

The best feeling in the world!!

Austin standing up and blowing bubbles - he's very good at blowing bubbles!

Mommy and Logan at the pool!

Logan having some fun, too!

Logan loves cartoons - especially ones with songs!!

My toesis are just so cute!!

Daddy has such a big, comfy chest to sleep on!

Merry christmas!

 Merry Christmas, everyone!

For those that don’t know Gary and I are in Guatemala right now visiting Austin and Logan. No, we don’t get to bring them home, but we are at least spending “Christmas” with them.

We did not arrive until about 7pm last night. We met the wonderful foster family who were waiting in the lobby for us. We didn’t bring the boys up to the room until 8:30 or 9ish. We had to run around and get their food and some other items. We brought a lot, but still needed more things. Ya know how that is.

The first 6 hours were a little rough, obviously they were a little offended being handed over to strangers. ;-) They are on a wonderful schedule and we pretty much held to it all night.

At times, it seems like the last 24 hours have felt more like 3 days, and at other times, it feels like 5 minutes. We’re washing bottles in the sink, changing outfits and diapers every 10 minutes, well maybe ever 12, bouncing, swaying and cooing in between feedings and diaper changes. Just like their pictures and video, Austin and Logan are true troopers. They’re very patient with us as we try and learn what they need/want.

Needless to say, we are more in love than ever before.

Oh, when we picked them up they were wearing the exact same outfits that they were in for their last photo shoot – it really seemed surreal to see the pictures come to life!
Their foster mother thinks that they are identical. We’ve done really well keeping them apart. Austin’s cheeks are the key each time!

I know some are wondering – so yes, I’ve balled like an idiot, several times, meeting them, saying good-bye to their foster mother (because I know she hasn’t been without them since Day1), when they cried because they were so upset at being left behind, when they fell asleep because they were so beautiful, when we snuggled together in the middle of a peaceful moment at night,, when we woke up this morning and they seemed okay to realize we were still around, at breakfast today because Austin reached out to me to pick him up, during bath time (her schedule is an 11am bath) because Logan purely delighted in the water, and just now because I was singing Silent Night to put Austin back to sleep and the words to the song just broke my heart.

So, I’ve included a few shots, we’ll see how it progresses – I’m not promising much because I’m not in charge of my life anymore! ;-)

So, God Bless everyone for your prayers and love and lifting us up to get us here. We feel your strength and love!

Meeting Austin and Logan - Monday Night, Dec 18th. We were so surprised to see them in the same outfits as their last photo shoot. It's like we just plucked 'em out of the photograph like we've been wanting to do!

The girl in the pink is their 11-year old Foster Sister and next to her is the Foster Mother's sister. They all seemed very invovled in the boy's lives and we're so glad we got to meet them all!

This is our frist night in the hotel. Both boys were very tired and had missed a feeding. This is Logan.

Another one of Logan....

Bathtime! We think it may have been their first full bath-tub experience. They seemed to be taking it all in. Once they got used to it, they just splashed and splashed!

Austin eating away at his toes!

Austin asleep with Mommy - pure heaven!

12/01/06

Wow – December, it just came so quickly. So, really no chance of Austin and Logan being here by Christmas. I again find myself in the same spot with God as I was with Evan and Mason. I know that HE can do it all, it’s not according to my time line, but I again must trust in His knowledge.


So, we’re going to go visit them. Austin and Logan. Dec 18th is the plan. On Wednesday (today is Friday). Mason crashed again. This time, I was scared. Did we mess up, wait too long, should we have blew the bells and whistles long before. At any rate, after spending the day with here and wondering what are we dealing with and how serious is this. And Lisa calling me in between, and planning the WNS at church. I drove to Kroger to get Mason some cranberries (all that he was craving) and as I pulled up and went to reach for the ignition key. I lost it, I just finally let loose and bawled. My heart was breaking.

Mom and I had fought the day before as Gary and I. I can’t “console” them with their misery for not having info or for not knowing why there is a hold up. They are both angry. No matter what news I tell them, they both vent. Well, needless to say – I am in no mood to take other people’s venting. It’s justifiable, but they need to let loose on others around them. Not me.

Anyway, waves of Gary, Mom, Mason and our upcoming trip just overwhelmed me. I again thought back to the day in the car when I cried out to God to take over Mason and Evan and deliver them to us.

I am so scared. After twenty years of searching, a child will be placed in my arms. Two children. Two incredible little children. How do you not ball at that? I only have 17 days left. Before I meet them. OMG! I feel like I will start crying for days before we leave, the minute we board the plane, the minute we land, waiting in the hotel.. I feel like I will be sick with nausea waiting for them. I feel like tears will overwhelm me when I finally see them, when I hold them, when I meet the foster mother. Where will this super human strength come from? Who is made this thick? What will Gary do? Will he be able to maintain and get through this? Will he be able to help me? Help me pull it together or will he be a lost blob of emotion, too?

The days of having them, changing my first diapers, bathing, smiling, laughing, playing. With my own children. 17 days away.

And then. And then, how do I go there? How do I envision and plan for the departure? How do I give them up again? How do I say goodbye? How do I breathe again?

We will fly back the day before Christmas Eve (the 23rd). Will I survive Christmas? Will I ruin it for everyone? Will I be happy with new pictures and stories and happy memories?