Christmas Morning

In our house, Christmas isn't just Christmas... It is Grandmas Birthday too! So the first present that is opened is Grandmas birthday present. Once grandma is done we start Christmas... Well, little Miss Angelena felt the need to stand on top of Grandmas present and clap as grandma opened the rest....

Now that she is up there, even though is is only a few inches of the floor, she can't seem to figure out how to get down!

Little miss TIDY, opens her presents SO Slow... and hands me every piece of paper as she pulls it off.

She moves on to the Ball... Question to everyone... How are you suppose to wrap a ball?

Won't put that ball down, still has more open... She became a pro at opening presents 1 handed... But the neatness started to fade!

Now, mommy is on the floor trying to put together the new Dora Big Wheel... And of course, Little Miss Angelena is all into helping! I still can't figure out where she came up with an extra part!

More to go, but not till the rest of the family get here... Baby Cages come in handy when you don't want little hands opening present that don't belong to them, and talking all the little balls of the tree and throughing them! And, a side note... Santa is a good babysitter... He has a motion senser, so if you get to close he will start to dance and sign... Needless to say... Angelena tries to stay FAR away... HEHEHE...Cheap Babysitting!

TADA! Big Wheel Motor Cycle Mamma can't even reach the pedals... But she loves all the little lights and noises it makes!

After an exhausting morning of opening presents, I put her in her High Chair with a bottle as I fixed her something to eat... She never made it to the food... I put a blanket over her and she sleeped for 2 hours... Enough time for me to get the Turkey and Ham into the over!

And then a little Shower and Shine, and we have little RED RIDING HOOD, with her PINK basket Ball!

Thats all for now...

We had a wonderful Christmas, and I keep telling Angelena, enjoy it now little girl, cause this is the last one you will be the only child! Next year Bo Bo will be here!

HUGS and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ellie

A midnight Letter to Angelo

Angelo,

As I sit here a write this, I wonder what you are doing... Who is holding you, loving you, whispering in your ear, telling you all about us. I always thought you would be with us by now, and spending your first Christmas with your Forever family... But things didn't happen the way they were supposed to... So, last night, I sat wrapping presents, getting food ready for Christmas day and decided to write you a little note.

My Angel in waiting... I have held you in my heart from before you were even born. The brief encounter we had when you were only 7 weeks old felt like a dream. I loved you from the moment the thought of you had entered my mind... I cherished you the moment I met you. I never realized just how big my heart was until I looked into that little face that laid in my arms and asked you... "If you want to be with us, be a strong little man, and you will come home." My heart broke when I had to hand you back. I was afriad that I would never see you again. All I could do was Pray... Wonder... Hope... Dream... I needed you with us so you would have the best possible care. I dream of the day that I will hold you forever in my hands... I dream of the day we are reunited again... I dream of the day your Big Sister will finally meet you.. I wish I could just swope down hold you and run home. Someone, somewhere had a plan for us. We are seeing it through, and will be together forever! So, my little Angel in waiting... On this day, you will be in our hearts and on our minds all day... Knowing that in just a few weeks, we will all be together again, FOREVER.... I know your are with a very loving family that only wants the best for you... They will truely miss you, as I do now. We love you so very much little man.

Merry Christmas -

Love your Forever Mommy

FFF = FAVORITE FRIDAY FOTO

ENOUGH SAID!!!

GUESS WHAT!!!!!

Here I am being GOOFY~ Cause this is the last time anyone is going to have to come to Guatemala and get updated pictures...

DO YOU KNOW WHY?????

Because the next time you see me, I will be in my mommy arms forever...

YEP... THATS RIGHT! WE ARE OUT OF PGN...

I will be coming home!~

FFF

Little Miss America in her Christmas Digs, and she will not let me put her hair up to get it out of her eyes... - ON THE RUN!

AND THE NEW MR. AMERICA... Looks like he is on the run too! Do you all think that because these two look so much alike, that they are Telapathic and Angelena is telling him to be just like her???? Lordy save me...

He don't look like anything is going to stop him!~

SUPRISE!!!!

Well Lookie here... My Big Little Man... Angelena's Look A Like, with Side Burns, and Attitude... Yep... They SURE are Brother and Sister!

Angelo Edward 7 months old... Ok, now... I HAVE TO GO TO GUATEMALA... I need to squeeze those little chubby cheeks. - And, shall I mention that hair!

I can't wait to get home today to show Gramma and Angelena... We have been waiting for over week, cause we knew we would be getting them. Every morning... Did you get an email today... Well this morning, I got 39 Pictures!

He is getting so big, and he looks VERY healthy...

HUGS

ELLIE

The Long Awaited Down Load from Camara!

This is Angelena's Best Cousin, sharing her food... Note: they are only 2 months in age different

This was taken on the day we went had her Photo shot with the Photographer with Celebrating Adoption... This poor child was so tired when it was over with... Yes the balloon is tied to her dress...

Here she is just cheesen for the Camara

This was 2 night ago, this dog barks and sings jingle bells... Mind you she will hug him, dance with him, but the minute he starts moving, she RUNS... Big CHickeN!

This was last night, she was playing with her Santa Hat... See her nakedness... Guess why.... CHICKEN POX! That sure was a suprise last night... So far she has 5 big pus spots - under her arm, chest, back and side flank... I am praying this is just a small spot of it. She was vaccinated for Chicken Pox, so I really don't understand why she has them.

This is her Halloween Custom.... See how late I am!

Here, even later... THis was when she was Baptized 10/27/07... Look at my little princess.... She did SOOOOOOOOOO Good, I am so proud of her... This is my Brother and Sister, her offical, Nina, and Nino...




And last for today... Her sleeping in her Toddler Bed...

That's enough for now!

More later... On Friday... I may have a VERY SPECIAL SUPRISE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS....

Keep checking!

HUGS

OK.. OK.. OK...

We have some news to share...

1) I recieved an email from the Orphan Office in Oklahoma City yesterday, saying that my EXPIRED 171H has been extended, and I should be recieving it in the mail in about 10 days..... (Note: these are basically saying I can adopt from Guatemela, and when I adopted Angelena I was approved for 2 kids... Remember my posting way back... They are only good for 18 months... well my just expired 11/18, so I had to have it extended for another 18 months..) Here is the kicker... Remember when I was doing it way back... My moms finger prints are not readable... Guess what... AGAIN... We have a criminal in the house... HAHAHA Just kidding... Well anyway, we had to get Clearances from City, County, and States for where she lived in the last 10 years AGAIN... Boy that was fun... I recuited friends, and got all the paper work, and presto.... DONE!~ It only took.... 4 months... Imagine that!

and on to some better news...

I recieved an Email from my Agency yesterday... My case is going back into PGN on monday... YA... Everything has been cleared up, and things are starting to look on the bright side again...

FFF

This week I thought I would go back to the very first time I meet Angelena. It was a visit trip to Guatemala 8/06.

This was my little miss america sleeping by the pool at the Westin in Guatemala City.

My next photo is of 2 of the MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN MY LIFE... Everytime I look at this photo, I think... Look at these two faces... I unknown was about to unfold, and these 2 life's have fallen madly in love with each other... Out of all the pictures I have... This is the picture I carry around in my wallet... In fact, it is the only picture in my wallet...

Then you have me and Angelena... Here is something I haven't told anyone before... When I was first handed Angelena, I was so afraid to kiss her. I know that if I did, I worried about rejection. I was afriad, I would fall more madly in love with her, and then have to hand her back... Then as we were sitting by the pool, my cousin wanted to get a couple of pictures of us together, and we started to pose, and then bam... She put her little arm up around my neck, and I just couldn't stand it anymore, and smuggled into the side of her face and kissed her... And it was caught on tape... I LOVE THIS PICTURE. The inoccents of love.

AND then, last but not least... My friend Ginger had planned a trip to Guatemala to see her first referral. Then about 2 weeks before the trip, she lost her refferal, but she still decided to go. Even if it was just to see the country. Well, I know how heart breaking it was for Ginger to see me accept Angelena for the visit, and her have no baby to hold. So later that day, Ginger came to our room, and I handed her Angelena, and said, "Here Angelena, this is Aunttie Gin..." I know in my heart that it was VERY hard for Ginger to hold Angelena. But at that moment, there was no stopping the bond these to hold for each other. And the look on thier faces in this picture is priceless..To this day, when I talk to Ginger on the phone, I will put the phone on speaker phone and she will talk to Angelena. And yes, Angelena get excited when she here Ginger Voice.

So this will conclude my Favorite Foto Friday this week...

THis is TOO FUNNY...

About a year and a half ago, I seen a person very similar to the people on this video, actually... I seen 2... And they were both women... one of these women was my cousin that went with us to Visit Angelena for the first time...

My My how 18 months can change things so quickly...

Ginger, Allen, Wendy... I know you all know who the other person is~!

ENJOY!

Info and OUR HERO

Info and OUR HERO

First I would like to give you all an update to Angelo's Case...

We still have not been resumbitted into PGN, apparently there is yet another piece of the puzzle missing. Something from the Birthmothers village where she was born. I am not really sure what, but I am thinking it may be her Birth Certificate, cause that is what I was originally told why I got Kicked Out...

I really don't know at this point... THis is what was said... "IT IS NOT BACK IN PGN YET.. THIS IS MY CONVERSATION WITH THE LAWYER.. HE SAYS... I NEED A DOCUMENT FROM QUICHE.. AND THE MAYOR IS IN ECUADOR AND ONLY HE CAN GIVE THE DOCUMENTO.. HE RETURNS THURSDAY. MY SONS GODFATHER IS ON CONGRESSMAN IN THAT AREA.. AND HE IS HELPING ME GET THE DOCUMENT"

So in Guatemala time, that means 6 months... HAHAHA... Just kidding, but you know what I mean. This is oh so very fusterating...

Now on to another special story...

In the blog world, I have meet many people, and we have been communicating with some for well over 2 years... We have grown to love some of these family as if they are right next door, even if they are thousands miles away, or even in different countries (do you here me Kate)... Well, this one family, has done a wondeful slide show for everyone... She is always thinking of others... When I read her blog last night, it brought tears to my eyes, as I watch it, I seen many family in there that I have come to known very well... On to top this off, this person did this slide show, and called it a Gift to my Hero's... Little does she know... She is Our Hero...

Take a look...

A Christmas Present For You- My Hero

My hero is not a star in Hollywood. My hero is not a politician or a member of the royal family. Many of you reading this today are my heroes. You are world changers. You see what you want the world to be and you decide to BE the change. You aren't content to close your eyes to it. I am so deeply grateful to be a part of such a dynamic group of people. Today I have a Christmas gift for you. This is especially dedicated to all the mommas out there opening their hearts and homes to little ones who have no greater wish than to have a family. It WILL be a merry Christmas for so many little ones this year because of you. YOU are my hero.

If you would like to follow her journey, and watch how beautiful she and her family is, growing every year ;), here name is Angel... Kind of fitting don't you think!

Here is her blog: http://thevoiceofadventure.blogspot.com/

Thank you Angel~

HUGS
Ellie