The Queen B

Finally...An Update

Thanks to all of you who have emailed to ask about La P's adoption.

I wanted to post about it as soon as we returned last week, but I had to process for a few days.

And that is my only excuse for yesterday's post.

Basically, Guatemala is closed to all new adoptions.  That said, there are some going through.  

Which means they are really not closed.

You may recall that La P was born with a tumor in her face/sinus cavity/optical (orbital?) globe area.  It is alarmingly close to her optical nerve.  She has had 2 prior surgeries to remove the tumor.

Only it is still there.

We were able to obtain her medical records a few months ago.  Our interpretation (and that of a few doctors/nurses who have reviewed them) is that more surgeries are necessary.  There is a lot of debris floating around her optical nerve.  She has a lot of inflammation that is prone to infection.  

Not to mention she is a little girl with a significant growth on her face.

An adoption would be more likely if we could bring her here on a medical visa for treatment.  The only way that can happen is if a Guatemalan doctor will say that she needs treatment in the U.S.  

But the doctors there are saying that she is fine and it is only cosmetic.

Her records (and symptoms and examination by a doctor and nurse who traveled with us) totally indicate otherwise.

So.  We need to find a Guatemalan doctor who is willing to examine her and/or her records and will acknowledge that she needs treatment in the U.S.  

From that point, we have good information that things could begin happening pretty quickly.

If that doesn't happen, it will be years.  

If ever.

Our prayer is that God will lead us to a compassionate Guatemalan physician. 

On our way to visit La P, I really prayed that I would know for certain if she was ours or if we were just supposed to be her "sponsor" forever.

I kind of thought she might not remember me and then I'd know that it wasn't meant to be.

My heart was overflowing all week.  She knew us.  It was as if no time had passed.

She fits right in our family.  Her personality is so similar to that of The Princess.

She is funny and sweet.  She was so incredibly patient with us as we butchered the Spanish language.

(One time, after I'd said a word completely wrong, she rolled her eyes and said, "A, E, I, O, U" and gave us the proper pronunciation.)

She was sick on 2 different occasions while we were there.  She allowed me to care for her.  I held her and comforted her.  

I'm blown away by the depth of my love for her.

I was bending down to tie my shoe one afternoon and she walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek and said, "I love you, Mama".  

In English.

I melted.

One of the sweetest exchanges took place between her and my mother-in-law.  

For Christmas, we gave Nana a necklace with each of the grandkids' initial of their first name.  After we met La P, we got her another letter.  La P began checking out her necklace as soon as she saw Nana.  Nana showed her The Princess' letter and pointed to The Princess.  She showed her my nephew, Christopher's letter (he was with us on the trip) and pointed to him and then showed her the La P letter.  

(JJ's letter is on there, too.  He just wasn't on the trip.)

(If anyone that knows us was wondering.)

Something about that visual made it all click for La P.  I wish you could have seen her face when she realized what Nana meant.

I will never forget it.

Here are the 3 cousins...

La P loves her sister.

...and her sister loves her.

These photos were taken as we prepared to tell her goodbye.

Our time with her was fantastic.  Thank you for praying.

I know that there are many of you wearing your bracelets and praying for us.  

(Which reminds me, if you haven't gotten yours, let me know.  I think I deleted a few of the last emails of people who requested one.  Oh.  And if you live outside the U.S., I found your UNMAILED envelopes in my glove box the other day.  They are on their way.  Forgive?)

If you will, join us in praying specifically for a Guatemalan doctor.  There are so many details that will have to occur in the perfect order for us to bring her home.

When it happens, we will know without a doubt that it was orchestrated by God.

Adios.

We Are Home

I am still trying to decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing.
 

Good Things:

-It is great to be in my own bed.

The chicken wire with a 1/4 inch cushion was not conducive to my comfort.

I would love to show you the myriad of bruises that have formed on my hips from that "bed".  However, my stretch marks (not to mention the fact that it would be completely inappropriate) will keep those bruises hidden.

-There was great progress made on our house.  I'll have to share some pictures when I remember to take my camera.

-I really needed a Diet Mt. Dew.

-Flushing toilet paper.

-Having a reason to flush toilet paper. 
 

Bad Things:

-Leaving her.

That, my friends, was not easy.

Flying

Hey.

Remember me?

Really.  I never actually decided to take the summer off from blogging.  

Every day my intention is to get a post completed.

But then I decide that y'all are up to here with QB's posts about the house or the adoption.

And that is all I got.

So.  Because I miss you all (are any of you still there?) I thought I'd give a brief recap of what's been going on this week at The Palace...

Exciting stuff, isn't it?

Moving on...

So guess where I am headed today?

Yep.  The Palace is heading South.

Please pray for our trip today as we fly to Guatemala.  Though I'm much more excited than I was before our last journey, I am still a teensy bit afraid.

(I'm also a teensy bit medicated.)

I'm hoping to be able to post while there.  The internet is a bit sketchy...

I can't wait to share all the pictures and stories with you when we return!!!

Y'all rock.

Love Those Emails

The Carney's are spending the week at Casa and have already sent me a few pictures of La P.  

(I am running to my computer every time I hear the email noise.)

(Which sort of gives me that Christmas morning feeling.)

(Which is kind of fun.)

(Except for when it is junk mail.)

 

The Carney's oldest boy and youngest boy with La P and friends.

La P holding the package that we sent to her.

...opening...

...and showing off part of her loot.

The King was able to speak to her on the phone last night.  

I was happy for him.

Really.

I mean it.

Not jealous at all....

A Whole Lot Of Nothing

Hey.

Thanks for the prayers and advice last week.  I am following what many of you suggested...I'm just waiting.

Kind of taking the "no news is good news" approach.

We'll see how that works out.

***

Look at what my freaky cats are doing as I type.

Completely disturbing.

I'm imagining the worst. 

What could be in the fireplace?

A rat?  A bat?  A snake?  

They've been staring at the same spot for 20 minutes.

Weirdos.

***

Two of my friends just returned from Casa.

Wanna see some new pictures of La P?

It thrills me to see her sweet face!

My friend told La P "The Princess (her real name) is mi amiga" thinking that it would be a bonding moment.  

Instead, La P got a teensy bit possessive and said, "NO!  The Princess (her real name) is MI amiga!"

The Princess is thrilled.

33 days until we see her again!!!

***

The paint should finally happen this week.

Which is what I've said for the last 2 weeks.

***

My next housing dilemma is the mantle.  

I want a really cool mantle.  

But not a really expensive mantle.

My fireplace is antique red brick.

Any thoughts?

Gravity

You know how something that goes up must come down?

Well.

All the emotion of the last few months has come crashing.

I hesitate to blog about this, but I know that God wants me to share this story.  

And unfortunately, this is part of the story.

I cannot even explain how thrilled I am that The King has been able to travel to Guatemala to spend time with La Princesa.

I am so proud of him.  

He has given of himself for nothing in return.  Granted, he gets to see La P, but the majority of his time has been spent doing serious construction.

It won't make him money or grow his business.  He wins nothing by serving.

But he's gone and he's served.

I love him so very much.

However.

(Here's where I start to sound whiny.)

I'm totally and completely jealous.

With The Princess, I was able to spend the 9 months of pregnancy bonding with her.  Loving her.  Keeping her to myself.  

She was real to me from the moment I learned of her.

In a weird sort of way, The King has had that time with La P.

He knows what makes her laugh and what makes her cry.  He has shared meals with her and comforted her when her tummy hurt.

The Princess and I just exist on a picture.

The King has had her to himself.

The three of us will be traveling to see her in July.  Of course I am very excited. 

But will it be the same?

We'll be with a big group with several family members and friends who can't wait to see her.  

Will she be overwhelmed?

Will I be overwhelmed?

I think that my breakdown was fueled by news that The King brought home...the adoption is going to be way more complicated than we thought.

And we thought it was going to be seriously complicated.

I'm too wiped to get into the details, but it is in no way a "done deal".

I am definitely reminded that if we are able to bring her home, it will only be because that is God's will.

I am trying to rest in the fact that God brought us together.  I know that He sent us to Guatemala to find her.  But the what-ifs are trying to take over.

My natural reaction is to run.

To put up a barrier to protect my heart.

I am fighting the urge to not get any more emotionally involved than I am.  I cannot think of a time that I have ever put my heart in a place where the odds are good that it might be devastated.

It blows my mind that I could love this child so much.  I am amazed at how my little family of 3 immediately became a family of 4.

It feels so right.

Every trial that we go through means that God will receive that much more glory.  I know that.  I know it.

I just need to feel it.

I don't want to guard my heart.

I don't want to hold back.

I haven't looked at the dozens of pictures of her that The King brought home.  I am desperate to see them yet I can't bring myself to look at them.

I am a mess.

I'm certain this is just a phase.  It is probably normal.  I'll be on to some other emotion in no time.

But for now, if you actually read this far, thanks for letting me vent.

Working Our Fingers To The Bone

Ok.  Not really.  But the majority of the bracelets will be in the mail today.  The rest should go out tomorrow. 

If only the blisters will heal...

I'm totally kidding.

I'm so grateful to those that asked to receive one of The Princess' bracelets.  I'm equally grateful to those of you who are praying for La Princesa without a bracelet.

How could we complain about braiding 100 bracelets for her?

I mean, would you just look at this?

Melting.

Please pray for The King and the rest of the guys as they return home today.  

And especially pray for a little girl who is going to miss her daddy A LOT. (Though there is another girl who is very excited to see him!)

If you don't receive your bracelet by the end of the week, let me know.  It is very possible that I missed a few!  

Have a terrific Monday!

The Queen Is Green

Guess where The King is this week?

Yep.  

I'm totally and completely jealous.

Totally.

And.

Completely.

The King and his dad have gone back to Guatemala to help the Carney's finish up their home.

The King's dad hasn't been before.

I'd say he's hooked.

So that La Princesa doesn't forget that The Princess and I exist...ahem...I sent her a photo album filled with my our pictures. 

(I even included the pets.)

The King said she grabbed it and ran.

He said she immediately pointed to my picture and said, "Mi mama".

(Of course, she pointed to his and The Princess' pictures, too.)

(But this blog is about me.)

She cried when he had to go work on the construction stuff.  He said she just wanted him to hold her.  

Thankfully, they were able to end the day with smiles and hugs.

And now you have all of the information that I have.

Remember how The King was a bit stingy with The Tales Of La Princesa on his last trip?

DEJA VU.

Remember how you all had to gently persuade him to fill my cup to overflowing?

GET ON IT.

***

In all, there are 8 guys that are spending this week finishing the construction. Their move is fast approaching.

The Carney's had a garage sale last weekend and sold all of their worldly possessions.

All of them.

I don't know if I would have that much faith.

I would want to store my stuff.  You know, just in case it didn't work out like I'd hoped.

They sold it all.

The money that they made from the sale is what they'll start over with in Guatemala. 

Dishes.  Towels.  Spoons.  Sheets.  Clocks.  Spatulas.  

They can only take what fits in a few suitcases.  

(That would be, like, my beauty products and a few outfits.)

God has taught me so much through their example.

I encourage you to follow their journey.  

I know that I've turned The Journey To Guatemala into our story about La Princesa. I cannot forget the reason The King forced me there in the first place, though.  

It was to help our friends.

They are moving on June 20.  

They don't have their monthly financial needs covered.

They're still going.

Pray for them.  Their 4 boys are leaving all that is familiar.  They are leaving jobs and friends and family.

They are being obedient.

They are serving.

I am so excited to see what God has planned for them.

All Sorts Of Things

Hello.

Sorry I bailed on most of the blogging last week.

I cannot thank you enough for your sweet response to The Princess' La Princesa bracelets.

Guess how many we have to mail?

92.

For real.

Isn't that awesome?

92 people praying for La Princesa's adoption.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

The Princess is overwhelmed with string.

Seriously.  

But she's had such a sweet attitude about it.

I haven't heard her complain at all.

Not once.

I asked her if she regretted us mentioning the bracelets, and she immediately said no.  She is thrilled that people would be willing to pray for La Princesa.

Won't that be a cool thing to tell La Princesa when she's older?

So if you've requested a bracelet...please be patient.  We're hoping to get them all out by the end of the week.

Y'all rock.

***

Yesterday, I made the mistake of going to the grocery store while hungry.

The result?

Really?  

S'mores Ice Cream Sandwiches?

Yes.  Really.

When The King came home, I showed him my purchase.

He immediately tore into one and said, "That's weird.  I kind of taste marshmallow".

  

Really?

Yes.  Really.

***

Wanna see something sweet?

Last week, one of the missionaries at Casa sent us a new picture of La Princesa.

She pulled our picture from her pillow and showed it to him.

I know.  

Breaks my heart to pieces.

Off to braid more string...

We Love Summer

The Princess was filling out one of those All About Me books last night when she came upon the question, "List three words that describe you".

She read the question to me and said, "Well.  I think I might start with Intelligent".

Then, I kid you not, she asked, "How do you spell that?"

Summer is SO already here.

***

Several of you asked about The Princess' La Princesa bracelets.  

(Say THAT 3 times.)

The Princess and I decided that we need all the prayer we can get, so she agreed to send a bracelet to anyone that would like to wear one and pray for La Princesa's adoption. 

No pressure.  We totally understand if you were just saying it to be nice.

Each bracelet has a strand of light pink string mixed with several other colors.  

I'm not sure if I shared the story of La Princesa's favorite color with you...when we asked her what her favorite color was, she quickly replied, "Light pink.  NOT DARK PINK.  Light pink."

So we used light pink string.  NOT DARK PINK.  Light pink.

Just email me your info and we'll send one your way.

Really, though.  NO PRESSURE.

PRESSURE FREAKS ME OUT.