GUATADOPT.COM
News about Guatemalan Adoptions: for parents, professionals and adoption advocates.
"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." ~Anonymous
All of us who have been blessed through intercountry adoption have so much to give thanks for this day. We all know that somehow our children were destined to join our families and can't imagine a life without them.
For my family Thanksgiving takes on a second extra special meaning as it is the anniversary of the day we found out we were out of PGN! We will never forget the drive to our friends' home for dinner that day, bursting with the exuberance of a stressful process near completion. (And for those of you about to get out of PGN, we did bring our daughter home before Christmas!)
Beyond thanks for our children we have so much more to be thankful about. For the fact remains that if we had the means to be able to adopt internationally, then we are the fortunate ones who do not have to endure the pains of extreme poverty on a daily basis. Maslow's hierarchy of needs does hold much truth to it, and no matter what struggles we go through, there is something to be said for knowing that you will have a roof over your head, food on your table, and shoes on your feet. This is not to say that those living in poverty are miserable or unable to do things like raise a family. But it is to say that we in the wealthy world don't always appreciate the things we have. Those without material comforts better learn to appreciate what they do have, like family. And they certainly appreciate any help they receive with the things we consider a given, like food and shelter.
So on this day of thanks, let?s always try to remember not only to be thankful for what we have, but also to our obligation to give to those less fortunate. We all, myself included, have the ability to do more to help those in need - especially those who live without family or material comforts. Project Happiness is one such way to do so. Donating directly to Hands of Hope or countless other direct aid groups is another. It is one thing to be thankful for what we have, but it is a far better thing to give others reason to give thanks.
OK, we are just about ready to take orders for the 2005 Celebration of Guatemalan Adoptions Calendar. I want to thank everyone who has contributed their wonderful photos to the calendar. I attemped to make sure that every photo was used in this calendar which was NOT easy. However, the result is a wonderfully colorful calendar!
This year, the calendar contains Guatemalan holidays, adoption/culture related events (at least the ones with set dates) and spanish phrases about children and family. I hope everyone will enjoy it.
FOA is also offering a free calendar with FOA membership!
You can view the list of children and where they appear on the calendar. There are approximately 120 pictures in just this single calendar, but all are large enough to enjoy!
A preview of the calendar (thumbnail view) is available HERE.
ORDERING:
Please remember that the proceeds from calendar sales will go to Focus On Adoption. FOA is also giving away a calendar with membership enrollment!!
In order to make it possible for calendars to be delivered by Christmas, we are doing the first run in batch mode (around Dec. 10th). If you have your orders in by December 8th, they should be delivered before Christmas within the Continental US and Canada. We will have calendars available for ordering after December 8th, but we cannot commit to having these orders delivered by Christmas.
If you would like to place an order internationally, please contact us at calendars@guatadopt.com so that we can locate an appropriate shipping method/rate.
Please note that a portion of your purchase will be tax deductible!!
Posted by Kelly, webmaster and founder at 09:29 PM|Permalink
November 11, 2004
The Blessing of Foster Families
The option of foster care is one of the wonderful things that sets Guatemalan adoptions apart from the other popular countries like Russia and China. While there are isolated problems with less-than-adequate foster care, the overwhelming majority of foster families are wonderful, caring people.
We were fortunate enough to have spent a lot of time with our foster family. When we visited during the process, we would rent a multi-bedroom casita in La Antigua and have our foster mom come stay with us (and our daughter of course). That experience was one that we will forever cherish and to this day we remain very close with the entire foster family.
I learned so many things from our experience, primary of which was how to care for a small baby. But I also learned about Guatemalan culture and what it is like for these wonderful women. Our foster mom told me about how her whole family cries for weeks every time a child leaves. And she told me about how the one thing we wished for more than anything else is to have the opportunity to meet all the families. This is not only because then she is not sending children she loves into the arms of strangers. Her reasoning was more so that she could have the chance to tell the parents all about their child – likes, dislikes, nicknames, favorite games and foods, sleep patterns and all the other things that make transitioning easier on the child and adoptive parents.
I know that these things certainly helped us out in those first weeks after homecoming. And I also believe firmly that giving our daughter the opportunity to become comfortable with us while her caregiver was still close by helped our daughter immensely. I know there are those who don’t agree with what I will now write, and they may as always feel free to comment. But I have to issue a call to all those agencies, attorneys, and adoptive parents out there to do everything possible to create the connection between adoptive parents and foster families. It not only helps in the short term, it also creates lifelong ties as our Isabel will always have her abuelita in her life. And we love you Betty!
Below is something that appeared a month or so ago on the Big List, written by Salome LeMarche of Families Thru International Adoption about what she learned after meeting with a group of foster moms. It provides some great insight and answers the in-process age old question of “what should we send down”. It is of course posted with her permission…
From Salome....
I recently had an opportunity to meet with a panel of foster mothers in Guatemala. I learned some things that I would like to share with the group. I was there to facilitate foster mother training with our foster mothers. What I would like to share with you is what I learned from the foster mothers regarding the types of packages that adoptive families send to their children during the process. If you would like to know more about the Foster Mother training in general you can follow this link: www.ftia.org/guatemala/foster.html.
First of all I learned that we have a wonderful group of women caring for our children. The thoughtfulness that they shared was overwhelming. They truly have the best interest of the children at heart. I also learned that these women have a great sense of humor. I certainly enjoyed my time with them. They shared their joys, their concerns, and their tears. They referred to each child as "my baby" and cherish any bit of information they can obtain about how they are doing with their forever family.
The foster mothers freely offered their concerns, obstacles and advice. They shared some things that I think will be of interest to adoptive families. As I mentioned earlier, they are truly dedicated to the children. They shared that they just hate it when they have to go for a month or two between foster children. They feel as if a part of them is missing. They also shared some of their hopes and concerns regarding contact with adoptive families. They do love to hear from the families during the adoption process. When they receive a package from the family for the baby there are few things that seem to be most helpful for the babies. The ideal package would include:
*Some sleepers and undershirts of various sizes so the baby can grow into them
*Pictures of the adoptive family (4x6 close up of each person with their name and relation written on the back)
*A micro-cassette recorder with the adoptive parent(s) reading and singing to the baby.
*A small blanket or stuffed toy that the parent(s) have slept with for a week or so (and not washed)
*A couple of disposable cameras so the child will have photos to cherish as he or she grows.
They stated that if a family can send nothing else, they should send these items. The reason they like to receive the clothing is because many foster mothers wash clothes by hand, which causes them to wear out quickly. They assured me that when families send pictures, they do show them to the babies. They also assured me that they do play the tapes each night for the children.
Each of the women on the panel has cared for children for 4 years or more. They stated that they have noticed that children who have heard their parent's voices on tape, have seen their parent's faces in photos, and have smelled their parents’ scent (via a blanket or stuffed animal) seem to have a better adjustment to the families when they meet them for the first time. I must say I was extremely impressed upon hearing these ideas from them. The fact that they brought these issues up with me (and I did not make these suggestions) certainly left me feeling very confident in their ability, their commitment, and their desire to help the children have a smooth transition.
They also shared that when you send clothing for the child and ask that it be returned when you come to receive the baby, they are not likely to actually put the clothing on the baby. The reason is that they do not want to return worn or damaged items and the process of washing by hand is very rough on clothing.
I hope you have found this helpful. I did get to spend some time with 45 foster mothers over a period of three days. I found the foster mothers to be very competent and intelligent. I also found them to have a great sense of humor and a big heart. The Foster Mothers may disagree with the big heart part. Many of them made the comment that their heart gets smaller each time they say goodbye to a foster child because that child takes a piece of their heart with them.
Project Happiness is affiliated with Gregory & Anita Giagnocavo and their crew at Hands of Hope in Guatemala. The goal of Project Happiness is to provide needy Guatemalan children with Holiday/Christmas gift bags that contain appropriate toys and gifts. To achieve this goal, they would like to hand out 5,000 gift bags. In order to do this, Project Happiness needs our help. A donation of only $9.85 will provide one Gift Bag to a child (of course, you can purchase as many gift bags as you want). Payment is easy on the website: just use a credit card or a PayPal account. A tax deductible receipt will be issued by Hands of Hope, which is a registered 501(c)3 charity.
Each child will receive a quality Gift Bag based on gender (check out the link to see what is in each bag). The Project Happiness team worked hard to choose appropriate gifts that fill each bag. The children who will receive the bags are those in a number of orphanages as well as the kids that Hands of Hope assists. Again, check out the www.ProjectHappiness.org web page for more info.
Instead of giving the usual gift to your friends and relatives this year, why not give those whose lives have been touched by our Guatemalan angels (you know who they are … Grandma, Grandpa, etc.)? A gift that they will be proud of… a gift that gives back to the less fortunate kids in Guatemala. Give a donation to Project Happiness in their name(s).
Please spread the word about Project Happiness. From their website, you can download and print promotional flyers and posters promoting this worthwhile project. Maybe you could post the website link to the various adoption lists that you belong to. There is also a web ad that you can download and place on your website.
We hope to update you on the success of Project Happiness in future posts.
Happy Holidays!
note: Special Thanks to Jen V. for spearheading this initiative for Guatadopt
Thanks to the FOA Board and a designated tie-breaker, we have the winners of the 2005 Feature Photo Spots. This was beyond difficult. One judge offered to have a voluntary root-canal rather than pick only 12 pictures!!! The rest of the judges managed to spread their vote across the board. The tie-breaker finally decided to flip a coin! So, without further delay....here they are in no particular order (except they seemed to fit the month chosen):
Feature Photo Winners
January
1430 Carter (Marietta, GA)
February
1600 Daniela (North Atlanta, GA)
March
1422 Alexander (Floral Park, NY)
April
1412 Brooke (Morris, IL)
May
1298 Noah (Breaux Bridge, LA)
June
1600 Kahleah (Canada)
July
1513 Mateo (San Jose, CA)
August
1335 Zane (Pittsburgh, PA)
September
1410 Isabel (Bay Area)
October
1249 Andrea (St. Louis, MO)
November
1271 Danny
December
1545 Kaitlyn (Wildwood, MO)
Posted by Kelly, webmaster and founder at 09:03 PM|Permalink
A Gotcha Trip Tale
The “Gotcha” trip is undoubtedly one of the most special times in the adoption process. It is also an experience that often times shows us the wonderful culture of the people in Guatemala and why it is that we stayed so closely tied to the country long after our children are home. Here is the Gotcha Trip story of the Wisconsin family of Richard Stollberg, his wife Judy, daughter Glendy (also from Guatemala), and new son Rony written in their words.
Make sure you have a tissue handy, because it’s a great one!
Being a Journey in Five Acts
Dedicated to the people of Guatemala who have filled our hearts and minds with such wonderful, lifetime memories.
Act 1
*****
It is 10:00PM at the airport in Guatemala City. We have arrived for our 2-1/2-year-old son's homecoming journey. Our hotels' shuttle is nowhere in sight. Panic. The driver for another hotel says that he left a few minutes ago but will be back in ten minutes. We wait. No shuttle. I have no coins for the phone. More panic. I turn to a woman who is apparently a tour guide, speaking to two European-looking tourists. "Do you speak English?" I say. "Oui, I mean yes!" (she is tri-lingual and the tourists are from France). I explain the situation and she graciously offers to call the hotel from her cell phone. No answer. More panic. "Wait," she says, "It's Sunday night and there is no one at the main desk. I will call a tour guide friend of mine and she will call the night number." A few minutes later, her cell phone rings again, and she relays a message to us: "The shuttle will be here in 15 minutes." Relief.
While we wait, the woman asks us why we are in Guatemala. We pull out a photo of our boy and tell her. Her face lights up and she tells us how lucky for the child to be able to find another life. When the shuttle arrives, we thank her profusely. She congratulates us and gives my wife a warm hug. What a welcome! Thank you mystery woman, whoever you are.
Act 2
*****
Our son is kicking pine cones around the hotel courtyard (amazing coordination for a 2-year-old). A senior hotel manager brings out a real ball for him to play with. When he is done, we try to give it back to the manager, but he tells us to keep it. Another item for his homecoming treasure box.
Act 3
*****
Our last night. We are having dinner with our 6-year-old daughter's foster mom, her two daughters, and her new grandson. We have kept in contact with her over the years, and we both treasure the continuing relationship. Our son gets fidgety - he is tired. One daughter, the new mom, comes over and entertains him for an hour. She performs a "hormiguita" nursery rhyme which ends in tickling. He laughs and laughs. She is such a natural, effortless mother. They are such a close, loving, tactile, mutually-nuturing family. We are awestruck.
Act 4
*****
The bellmen at the hotel have gotten used to our son and his daily habits (he knows where the potty is, and has a favorite restaurant table). They greet him every morning. It is amazing to watch their faces soften as they see him and speak to him. On the last day, they all say good-bye. At the airport, the shuttle driver unloads our luggage then kneels down and gives our son a hug and a kiss. He tells him (from what I understand of Spanish) that he is going on a plane with his new mommy and daddy, and to respect us. He listens intently, and this seems to reassure him. I look at my wife, and we are blown away by this simple, loving act.
Act 5
*****
We are *finally* at the "Special Registration" Immigration office in Houston - after a grueling hour in line. There is nothing to keep a 2-year-old occupied. But wait . . . there's a swivel chair with wheels . . . and a drinking fountain! Aha! He plays with them happily for nearly an hour. At one point, an airport employee comes to fill her water bottle at the drinking fountain. She is nice enough to let our son "help" her. She speaks to him in Spanish - they are kind words of welcome. She pulls a "City of Houston" pin off her uniform and pins it to our son's shirt, saying "This is for your album." As she walks away, she says "Is he cute!"
Epilogue
********
It is 9:00PM and we are flying home at last. He is asleep - his head is on my lap, his sweet face is illuminated by the full moon shining into the darkened plane. You will, no doubt, have your days of anger and confusion and sorrow, but for now, sweet dreams, mijo nuevo, mijo valiente.
Yes, we are still working on the calendars. As usual, I am behind getting everything put together. There will be two announcements coming soon. In the next couple of days, I will post a list by tracking number of the winners of the feature photo contest and those pictures that will be included in the calendar.
We are also working on coordinating the production with the printer. I like to have the draft up on the site before families order (I figure most would like to have a clue as to how they will look :-)
The second announcement will be about the ordering process.
Thanks to all the parents who have submitted those wonderful pictures of your children. They are all so adorable!!!!
Posted by Kelly, webmaster and founder at 08:53 PM|Permalink
Guatemala Adoption Information and News
GUATADOPT.COM News about Guatemalan Adoptions: for parents, professionals and adoption advocates. "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." ~Anonymous
« October 2004 | Main | December 2004 »
November 25, 2004
GIVING Thanks
All of us who have been blessed through intercountry adoption have so much to give thanks for this day. We all know that somehow our children were destined to join our families and can't imagine a life without them.
For my family Thanksgiving takes on a second extra special meaning as it is the anniversary of the day we found out we were out of PGN! We will never forget the drive to our friends' home for dinner that day, bursting with the exuberance of a stressful process near completion. (And for those of you about to get out of PGN, we did bring our daughter home before Christmas!)
Beyond thanks for our children we have so much more to be thankful about. For the fact remains that if we had the means to be able to adopt internationally, then we are the fortunate ones who do not have to endure the pains of extreme poverty on a daily basis. Maslow's hierarchy of needs does hold much truth to it, and no matter what struggles we go through, there is something to be said for knowing that you will have a roof over your head, food on your table, and shoes on your feet. This is not to say that those living in poverty are miserable or unable to do things like raise a family. But it is to say that we in the wealthy world don't always appreciate the things we have. Those without material comforts better learn to appreciate what they do have, like family. And they certainly appreciate any help they receive with the things we consider a given, like food and shelter.
So on this day of thanks, let?s always try to remember not only to be thankful for what we have, but also to our obligation to give to those less fortunate. We all, myself included, have the ability to do more to help those in need - especially those who live without family or material comforts. Project Happiness is one such way to do so. Donating directly to Hands of Hope or countless other direct aid groups is another. It is one thing to be thankful for what we have, but it is a far better thing to give others reason to give thanks.
Posted by Kevin at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (45)
November 18, 2004
2005 Calendars - Ordering
OK, we are just about ready to take orders for the 2005 Celebration of Guatemalan Adoptions Calendar. I want to thank everyone who has contributed their wonderful photos to the calendar. I attemped to make sure that every photo was used in this calendar which was NOT easy. However, the result is a wonderfully colorful calendar!
This year, the calendar contains Guatemalan holidays, adoption/culture related events (at least the ones with set dates) and spanish phrases about children and family. I hope everyone will enjoy it.
FOA is also offering a free calendar with FOA membership!
You can view the list of children and where they appear on the calendar. There are approximately 120 pictures in just this single calendar, but all are large enough to enjoy!
A preview of the calendar (thumbnail view) is available HERE.
ORDERING:
Please remember that the proceeds from calendar sales will go to Focus On Adoption. FOA is also giving away a calendar with membership enrollment!!
In order to make it possible for calendars to be delivered by Christmas, we are doing the first run in batch mode (around Dec. 10th). If you have your orders in by December 8th, they should be delivered before Christmas within the Continental US and Canada. We will have calendars available for ordering after December 8th, but we cannot commit to having these orders delivered by Christmas.
If you would like to place an order internationally, please contact us at calendars@guatadopt.com so that we can locate an appropriate shipping method/rate.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR CALENDARS (Available November 20th)
Please note that a portion of your purchase will be tax deductible!!
Posted by Kelly, webmaster and founder at 09:29 PM | Permalink
November 11, 2004
The Blessing of Foster Families
The option of foster care is one of the wonderful things that sets Guatemalan adoptions apart from the other popular countries like Russia and China. While there are isolated problems with less-than-adequate foster care, the overwhelming majority of foster families are wonderful, caring people.
We were fortunate enough to have spent a lot of time with our foster family. When we visited during the process, we would rent a multi-bedroom casita in La Antigua and have our foster mom come stay with us (and our daughter of course). That experience was one that we will forever cherish and to this day we remain very close with the entire foster family.
I learned so many things from our experience, primary of which was how to care for a small baby. But I also learned about Guatemalan culture and what it is like for these wonderful women. Our foster mom told me about how her whole family cries for weeks every time a child leaves. And she told me about how the one thing we wished for more than anything else is to have the opportunity to meet all the families. This is not only because then she is not sending children she loves into the arms of strangers. Her reasoning was more so that she could have the chance to tell the parents all about their child – likes, dislikes, nicknames, favorite games and foods, sleep patterns and all the other things that make transitioning easier on the child and adoptive parents.
I know that these things certainly helped us out in those first weeks after homecoming. And I also believe firmly that giving our daughter the opportunity to become comfortable with us while her caregiver was still close by helped our daughter immensely. I know there are those who don’t agree with what I will now write, and they may as always feel free to comment. But I have to issue a call to all those agencies, attorneys, and adoptive parents out there to do everything possible to create the connection between adoptive parents and foster families. It not only helps in the short term, it also creates lifelong ties as our Isabel will always have her abuelita in her life. And we love you Betty!
Below is something that appeared a month or so ago on the Big List, written by Salome LeMarche of Families Thru International Adoption about what she learned after meeting with a group of foster moms. It provides some great insight and answers the in-process age old question of “what should we send down”. It is of course posted with her permission…
From Salome....
I recently had an opportunity to meet with a panel of foster mothers in Guatemala. I learned some things that I would like to share with the group. I was there to facilitate foster mother training with our foster mothers. What I would like to share with you is what I learned from the foster mothers regarding the types of packages that adoptive families send to their children during the process. If you would like to know more about the Foster Mother training in general you can follow this link: www.ftia.org/guatemala/foster.html.
First of all I learned that we have a wonderful group of women caring for our children. The thoughtfulness that they shared was overwhelming. They truly have the best interest of the children at heart. I also learned that these women have a great sense of humor. I certainly enjoyed my time with them. They shared their joys, their concerns, and their tears. They referred to each child as "my baby" and cherish any bit of information they can obtain about how they are doing with their forever family.
The foster mothers freely offered their concerns, obstacles and advice. They shared some things that I think will be of interest to adoptive families. As I mentioned earlier, they are truly dedicated to the children. They shared that they just hate it when they have to go for a month or two between foster children. They feel as if a part of them is missing. They also shared some of their hopes and concerns regarding contact with adoptive families. They do love to hear from the families during the adoption process. When they receive a package from the family for the baby there are few things that seem to be most helpful for the babies. The ideal package would include:
*Some sleepers and undershirts of various sizes so the baby can grow into them
*Pictures of the adoptive family (4x6 close up of each person with their name and relation written on the back)
*A micro-cassette recorder with the adoptive parent(s) reading and singing to the baby.
*A small blanket or stuffed toy that the parent(s) have slept with for a week or so (and not washed)
*A couple of disposable cameras so the child will have photos to cherish as he or she grows.
They stated that if a family can send nothing else, they should send these items. The reason they like to receive the clothing is because many foster mothers wash clothes by hand, which causes them to wear out quickly. They assured me that when families send pictures, they do show them to the babies. They also assured me that they do play the tapes each night for the children.
Each of the women on the panel has cared for children for 4 years or more. They stated that they have noticed that children who have heard their parent's voices on tape, have seen their parent's faces in photos, and have smelled their parents’ scent (via a blanket or stuffed animal) seem to have a better adjustment to the families when they meet them for the first time. I must say I was extremely impressed upon hearing these ideas from them. The fact that they brought these issues up with me (and I did not make these suggestions) certainly left me feeling very confident in their ability, their commitment, and their desire to help the children have a smooth transition.
They also shared that when you send clothing for the child and ask that it be returned when you come to receive the baby, they are not likely to actually put the clothing on the baby. The reason is that they do not want to return worn or damaged items and the process of washing by hand is very rough on clothing.
I hope you have found this helpful. I did get to spend some time with 45 foster mothers over a period of three days. I found the foster mothers to be very competent and intelligent. I also found them to have a great sense of humor and a big heart. The Foster Mothers may disagree with the big heart part. Many of them made the comment that their heart gets smaller each time they say goodbye to a foster child because that child takes a piece of their heart with them.
Thanks for letting me share,
Salome LaMarche
Guatemala Coordinator
Families Thru International Adoption
Posted by Kevin at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
November 08, 2004
PROJECT HAPPINESS
Hey… want to do something really great for the kids of
Guatemala this holiday season?
Looking for The Perfect Way to Share Joy with
Needy Guatemalan Children?
Check out this link: www.ProjectHappiness.org
Project Happiness is affiliated with Gregory & Anita Giagnocavo and their crew at Hands of Hope in Guatemala. The goal of Project Happiness is to provide needy Guatemalan children with Holiday/Christmas gift bags that contain appropriate toys and gifts. To achieve this goal, they would like to hand out 5,000 gift bags. In order to do this, Project Happiness needs our help. A donation of only $9.85 will provide one Gift Bag to a child (of course, you can purchase as many gift bags as you want). Payment is easy on the website: just use a credit card or a PayPal account. A tax deductible receipt will be issued by Hands of Hope, which is a registered 501(c)3 charity.
Each child will receive a quality Gift Bag based on gender (check out the link to see what is in each bag). The Project Happiness team worked hard to choose appropriate gifts that fill each bag. The children who will receive the bags are those in a number of orphanages as well as the kids that Hands of Hope assists. Again, check out the www.ProjectHappiness.org web page for more info.
Instead of giving the usual gift to your friends and relatives this year, why not give those whose lives have been touched by our Guatemalan angels (you know who they are … Grandma, Grandpa, etc.)? A gift that they will be proud of… a gift that gives back to the less fortunate kids in Guatemala. Give a donation to Project Happiness in their name(s).
Please spread the word about Project Happiness. From their website, you can download and print promotional flyers and posters promoting this worthwhile project. Maybe you could post the website link to the various adoption lists that you belong to. There is also a web ad that you can download and place on your website.
We hope to update you on the success of Project Happiness in future posts.
Happy Holidays!
note: Special Thanks to Jen V. for spearheading this initiative for Guatadopt
Posted by Kevin at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
November 04, 2004
2005 Feature Photo Winners!
Thanks to the FOA Board and a designated tie-breaker, we have the winners of the 2005 Feature Photo Spots. This was beyond difficult. One judge offered to have a voluntary root-canal rather than pick only 12 pictures!!! The rest of the judges managed to spread their vote across the board. The tie-breaker finally decided to flip a coin! So, without further delay....here they are in no particular order (except they seemed to fit the month chosen):
Feature Photo Winners
January
1430 Carter (Marietta, GA)
February
1600 Daniela (North Atlanta, GA)
March
1422 Alexander (Floral Park, NY)
April
1412 Brooke (Morris, IL)
May
1298 Noah (Breaux Bridge, LA)
June
1600 Kahleah (Canada)
July
1513 Mateo (San Jose, CA)
August
1335 Zane (Pittsburgh, PA)
September
1410 Isabel (Bay Area)
October
1249 Andrea (St. Louis, MO)
November
1271 Danny
December
1545 Kaitlyn (Wildwood, MO)
Posted by Kelly, webmaster and founder at 09:03 PM | Permalink
A Gotcha Trip Tale
The “Gotcha” trip is undoubtedly one of the most special times in the adoption process. It is also an experience that often times shows us the wonderful culture of the people in Guatemala and why it is that we stayed so closely tied to the country long after our children are home. Here is the Gotcha Trip story of the Wisconsin family of Richard Stollberg, his wife Judy, daughter Glendy (also from Guatemala), and new son Rony written in their words.
Make sure you have a tissue handy, because it’s a great one!
Being a Journey in Five Acts
Dedicated to the people of Guatemala who have filled our hearts and minds with such wonderful, lifetime memories.
Act 1
*****
It is 10:00PM at the airport in Guatemala City. We have arrived for our 2-1/2-year-old son's homecoming journey. Our hotels' shuttle is nowhere in sight. Panic. The driver for another hotel says that he left a few minutes ago but will be back in ten minutes. We wait. No shuttle. I have no coins for the phone. More panic. I turn to a woman who is apparently a tour guide, speaking to two European-looking tourists. "Do you speak English?" I say. "Oui, I mean yes!" (she is tri-lingual and the tourists are from France). I explain the situation and she graciously offers to call the hotel from her cell phone. No answer. More panic. "Wait," she says, "It's Sunday night and there is no one at the main desk. I will call a tour guide friend of mine and she will call the night number." A few minutes later, her cell phone rings again, and she relays a message to us: "The shuttle will be here in 15 minutes." Relief.
While we wait, the woman asks us why we are in Guatemala. We pull out a photo of our boy and tell her. Her face lights up and she tells us how lucky for the child to be able to find another life. When the shuttle arrives, we thank her profusely. She congratulates us and gives my wife a warm hug. What a welcome! Thank you mystery woman, whoever you are.
Act 2
*****
Our son is kicking pine cones around the hotel courtyard (amazing coordination for a 2-year-old). A senior hotel manager brings out a real ball for him to play with. When he is done, we try to give it back to the manager, but he tells us to keep it. Another item for his homecoming treasure box.
Act 3
*****
Our last night. We are having dinner with our 6-year-old daughter's foster mom, her two daughters, and her new grandson. We have kept in contact with her over the years, and we both treasure the continuing relationship. Our son gets fidgety - he is tired. One daughter, the new mom, comes over and entertains him for an hour. She performs a "hormiguita" nursery rhyme which ends in tickling. He laughs and laughs. She is such a natural, effortless mother. They are such a close, loving, tactile, mutually-nuturing family. We are awestruck.
Act 4
*****
The bellmen at the hotel have gotten used to our son and his daily habits (he knows where the potty is, and has a favorite restaurant table). They greet him every morning. It is amazing to watch their faces soften as they see him and speak to him. On the last day, they all say good-bye. At the airport, the shuttle driver unloads our luggage then kneels down and gives our son a hug and a kiss. He tells him (from what I understand of Spanish) that he is going on a plane with his new mommy and daddy, and to respect us. He listens intently, and this seems to reassure him. I look at my wife, and we are blown away by this simple, loving act.
Act 5
*****
We are *finally* at the "Special Registration" Immigration office in Houston - after a grueling hour in line. There is nothing to keep a 2-year-old occupied. But wait . . . there's a swivel chair with wheels . . . and a drinking fountain! Aha! He plays with them happily for nearly an hour. At one point, an airport employee comes to fill her water bottle at the drinking fountain. She is nice enough to let our son "help" her. She speaks to him in Spanish - they are kind words of welcome. She pulls a "City of Houston" pin off her uniform and pins it to our son's shirt, saying "This is for your album." As she walks away, she says "Is he cute!"
Epilogue
********
It is 9:00PM and we are flying home at last. He is asleep - his head is on my lap, his sweet face is illuminated by the full moon shining into the darkened plane. You will, no doubt, have your days of anger and confusion and sorrow, but for now, sweet dreams, mijo nuevo, mijo valiente.
Posted by Kevin at 11:26 AM | Permalink
November 03, 2004
2005 Calendar
Yes, we are still working on the calendars. As usual, I am behind getting everything put together. There will be two announcements coming soon. In the next couple of days, I will post a list by tracking number of the winners of the feature photo contest and those pictures that will be included in the calendar.
We are also working on coordinating the production with the printer. I like to have the draft up on the site before families order (I figure most would like to have a clue as to how they will look :-)
The second announcement will be about the ordering process.
Thanks to all the parents who have submitted those wonderful pictures of your children. They are all so adorable!!!!
Posted by Kelly, webmaster and founder at 08:53 PM | Permalink