Hello,

Today Jim and I have begun  getting everything together for our VISAs. The Visa process is really difficult here in Houston. We have to have 3 things notarized and one thing notarized and apostilled. Apostilling takes about 10 days. We need to write a letter to the consulate in Spanish telling them about the adoption, we need to copy and notarize the letter the casita sent us. We need to copy and notarize another form - have not idea what that one is right now.

We also have to get forms together for our trip. The agency is sending various items to us, that we sent to them and we have to hand deliver them. They are coming fedex tomorrow. We still need to get plane tickets. Not going to even look at them until our date is definite. We also need to pack and buy a few more things for the kids. Our adoption agency gave us a list of things that we should buy.

One funny thing happened last night we found our travel packet and realized that we actually had two. One packet said do not bring presents for the staff at the orphanage and one said you must bring presents. Jim and I were like OK- what do we do. Today I called our casemanager and she said do not bring presents. We can however buy some stuff for the orphans when we get there. I think that when we take our kids shopping for clothes and shoes it might be nice to have them pick out some things for the orphans. We will ask the orphanage what they need and have the kids pick them out. I think this make help them feel like they are making a contribution.

Also we intend to have the kids help out with Brittany’s Hope fundraisers. Brittany’s Hope is an organization that helped contribute to our children’s adoption and we in turn have pledged to help them raise money for other orphans. We are going to work on several projects but the one that I think is most significant is the one for orphans who have never gotten adopted. We are going to create little carry bags to help them with some essentials. Shampoo, comb, brush, those kinds of things. Once we get the kids and settle into life with them we will write more about it. For more info go to www.Brittanyshope.org Be careful those there are lots of very adorable kids who need home and you might just decide to adopt one or two of them. I am speaking of personal experience here.

God Bless,

Gina

Hi,

I am sure this is going to ramblebut anyway here it is we have a travel date. They would like us in Colombia the 16th but we may leave the week later due to the Colombian holiday. I am so amazed I can’t even finish readting the email that she sent.

Whoppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Good Night and God Bless,

Gina

Hi,

Today we received a copy of the adoption agency’s license which we need to submit with the application for our Visa. We still however have no travel date so we can’t get the Visa. Our casemanager seems to think we will hear something in the next few days. That would really be nice. The last several weeks waiting and trying to understand why there has been a delay has been really hard on me. I am happy that other people have gotten to go to Colombia for their children but sad because we don’t have a travel date and have started this process such a long time ago. We started researching about 2-3 years ago. It feels like it is time.

In the past few months a lot has gone on in addition to the adoption. Jim was offered two jobs that he turned down. Neither job was exactly right for us right now but still - they were hard decisions especially because they would have brought us closer to family and friends. With the addition of children the idea of being so separated from family is really hard. I had so much family growing up so did Jim. I credit my family with making me into the person I am today. I want our kids to have that to, to have the safety and security a large loving family can give. Also I have really great friends out there - I want my children to have the benefit of having them in their lives. Although I know they are only a phone call away it is more difficult for children.

I know that we are all part of a bigger plan- that God has a reason for why we are not together but sometimes it is just plain HARD you know.

Anyway on a super positive note, I made bunuelos last night and they were awesome, very cheesey very doughy very tasty! Also my Spanish is getting better. A friend gave me her more advanced Spanish DVDs and I am giving her some of the ones that I have “outgrown”. I am going to miss them they were a lot of fun.

Love,

Gina

Hi,

We are of course still waiting for our letter which is supposed be here any time now. They have our second letter stating that we still want the kids. At the rate we are going it is starting to look like we won’t be going until the end of june beginning of July. I really hope this is not true but it is not in our hands. We know that. We just can’t wait to go.

The hardest thing is not knowing if they have told the kids or not. It is very important to me that they know, that they start to process this information. I imagine it will be quite scary. Please pray for them, that they are able to come to terms for this. I know I ask it a lot it just seems really really important.

Tonight we went to Kroger, (it’s like Acme for East Coasters) there was an entire Colombian section. We just bought buneulos. These are very popular donuts. I am going to try to prepare them over the weekend. I want to have at least a few Colombian dishes under my belt before we come home. Also, I would like to go to a Colombian restaurant this weekend. I want to see some dishes before I make them.

I called the daycare for Jorge and one worker said we could come anytime next week so Jim and I are thinking Wednesday. We both should be free at lunch then. Wish us luck. I think we will like it.

Ps Congratulations to my sister Maria who as of yesterday has her Master’s Degree. Go Ria!!!!!!!!!!!! I am very proud of you.

Good night and God bless.

Love,

G

Hi

Donde esta nuestra carta? Where is our letter? You know the one telling us to come to Colombia and get our kids.  We were told today that we should be getting it in a few days. They are requiring however that we send another letter accepting the children. We already did this two months ago. On March 21st we wrote the orphanage a letter saying that we would be very happy to adopt Jorge and Yamile.

Well, apparently they want us to write another one. Don’tcha just love Bureaucracy. Jim and I both worked late so we did not get the email to this effect until tonight. We pretty much sent the same letter again. We hope that that is going to be OK.  Wish us luck and pray for us.

Goodnight,

Gina

Hola,

Our first Colombian dinner was a huge success. The grilled steak turned out very well as the did the guiso del caribe or hagao del caribe. I am not big on sauces on steaks but it was really tastey. Jim liked it so much that he suggested we try it on chicken. Chicken breast is Jim’s favorite food. It MUST however be deboned. This sauce may help us give new life to chicken. There are only so many ways I can cook chicken breast. I stir fry it, Marsala, Picante, grilled, fried, chicken cutlets, chicken and rice casserole. You name it I cook it. The hagao del caribe may be quite nice on chicken.   

 We also liked the rice but personally, I think that really needed less chicken stock and salt than is suggested by the cook book.

So far the foods seems pretty easy to prepare. Many of them sound very yummy. Some of the meats however that they eat in Colombia are not our cup of tea. I am going to pass on the guinea pig, tripe and ants. I just can’t go there! 

Still no word on when we will be going to Colombia. If we hear this week we will probably be going around the 20th which is perfect. Whenever we will go it will be the perfect time- all in God’s timing : )

Good Night,

Gina 

Hi,

Today I am cooking my first Colombian meal. We just bought the “Secrets of Colombian Cooking”, a book suggested by my listserve. I am making Arroz con Cebolla de Nanda (this is a great tasting rice dish with a little onion and chicken broth). It tastes really good I finished making it about an hour ago. Smells good and looks good too. Right now, I am marinating the beef for Bistec a la Criolla. This is finely sliced beef. (I cut it about as thick as cheese steak meat for my East Coast friends). The beef is marinating in Olive Oil, garlic, mustard seed, cumin, cilantro, and bay leaves. Thank goodness I am Italian American because I did not even have to go out and buy anything special. I had it all in my kitchen already.

It has to marinate for several hours. Then I will grill it to perfection. I am making a sauce to go on top called Hagao del Caribe. It is a tomato based sauce. I am using fresh Marinara or gravy, whichever name you prefer instead of fresh tomatos b/c I don’t have any. In addition to marinara, I put some worcestershire, red wine vinegar, more garlic, sweet green pepper, and bay leaves. It smells good we have to see how it tastes though.

 I decided to start learning how to cook a few dishes so that when the kids come home. They will be able to have some comfort food right away. I still have to go out and buy some corn meal and corn flour for arepas,  a traditional biscuit or pancake like food that is a staple of the Colombian diet and heart. I can’t wait to make them they sound good. They can be either stuffed or topped with cheese. Yum!!!!!

Another excellent bit of news we received our check from Brittany’s Hope. www.Brittanyshope.org It is for $4,000 dollars between this and the two grand we have saved we only need about $1,500 more for the trip. I hope ti have this saved up by the time we go. Jim and have spent so much already but luckily this adoption is costing us about $16,000 dollars not $20,000-23,000 thanks to Brittany’s Hope. Brittany was a young woman who was adopted as a preteen and died much too early in life. Her family started the organization to help older and special needs children get adopted. Our kids are both older and special needs. Another reason we feel blessed. We have lots of reasons.

This weekend I also bought a new Spanish book one that focuses on verb tenses since I am kind of stuck in my learning until I master additional tenses. Right now I can still pretty much only use present tense. I need future and past!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have not started it yet though because I have been reading my cook book.

Still no word on when we are going to Colombia. Keep us in your prayers, especially our kids who we hope will be able to adjust to life in America with ease. Maybe ease isn’t the right word, I know they will miss Colombia but hopefully our love will help them. Also pray for the other waiting families, some have recently gotten travel dates, some are waiting for referrals.

Take Care and God Bless

Love,

G

Hi,

We have not heard anything about when we will be leaving for Colombia but today I went on our adoption agency’s website and looked under their waiting children list. This is a list I check frequently. It shows the first names and a little bit of information about the children from a particular country that are up for adoption.

Today for the first time in over a year Jorge and Yamile’s names were NOT that list. I told Jim that I would be overjoyed when this happened, thank you, God. It felt a like a sign from the Lord. I have been feeling a little antsy lately. When we will get the notification of travel, when will we go? Well this bit of news today was great, especially because we were told that adoption in Colombia is on hold based upon the private adoption houses and infant adoption. We our social worker said that this will not affect us and that everything is going smoothly and then I go on the website and their names have been removed. It felt glorious. 

 I can’t wait to go get to be their mom or mami which ever they prefer. I am not picky. In the time that we have to wait. Jim and I are trying to see lots of movied who knows when we will get to go again. We are also going to go to Jorge’s pre- school. I have not had a chance to visit during my lunch hour. Hopefully, we will go next week. Also I am practicing Spanish a lot.

Yo estudio much pero no aprendo mucho. Tengo estudiar mas y acabo aprender el preterito del indicativo de los verbos regulares. (Yes I do know there needs to accents but I can’t figure out how to do that on my keyboard.If you know how please leave a comment explaining this to me).

May God give hope to all families who are thinking about adoption and may he soon send all of the great families I have met along the way to Colombia to get their precious children.

Love,

Gina     

Happy Mother’s Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi,

It feels like we have been waiting forever. I feel like the Lord is teaching me a lesson in patience and I am trying to learn it. We will get the call or letter to come and get the kids when the time is right. I feel strongly that there is definitely a plan for each of us. I was talking to my firend/co worker Heather about this at lunch. God had a reason for sending me to Houston. I believe that it was to meet Jim. God had plan in my not being able to biologically have children. We were meant to parent Jorge and Yamile. God has a plan now in making us wait. I know this and just have to remember it sometimes : ) 

People who have been waiting literally YEARS for a referral from Colombia. It must be heartbreaking for them and their families. I pray that they receive their children soon. That they receive the joy that they should have. that there families find completeness.  

When Jim and I thought we were not going be able to adopt Jorge and Yamile. It hurt like the ache of losing a family member. I felt certain that God had meant those children for us. It was so amazing hearing that we would be able to adopt them. I don’t know how the familes who have lost referrals do it. They began for have feelings for a child or children and then lost them. They find the courage to start over again and think about loving other children. The courage to carry on. To not let anything defeat you.

On a different note, I heard some really good things about the preschool we are thinking of putting Jorge in. An administrator at Yamile’s school said that parents have really been pleased with Jorge’s potential daycare and the afterschool program we could put Yamile in. Both Yamile’s school and Jorge’s is in a Hispanic neighborhood and both schools are really small and homey. We thought about placing the kids in schools near our home. They are good schools and very ethnically diverse but we thought schools in a Hispanic neighborhood may help the children transition to the US better and feel less disruptive. Also both schools are near Jim’s job and mine, that obviously is a plus. If they need anything we can be there in about 10-15minutes max. I can’t say enough good things about Yamile’s school. The people are very warm, friendly and caring. I really like there special events and how everyone at the school knows everyone else and how parents are encouraged to visit and help out.   I think we really lucky to get her in there.