Catch-up on Christmas Pictures

Hi everyone,

We hope you are enjoying the Holidays as much as we are! Izzie, Jaimie, and I are really having a great time being together. Jaimie will be here for more than a week this visit, which gives us a chance to relax and have lots of family time.

Here are some great pictures to catch you up on the last few days.

Look at all the presents Santa left!

Even Mommies can fit in my Dora tent!I couldn't wait to try these art supplies from Oma!

Daddy and I had so much fun trying out the art supplies yesterday. The smock was a great idea, Oma!Mommy, wash my hands! Our happy family:
Thanks for "stopping by" our blog! We are hoping to be able to post some great news soon. Please keep the prayers coming!

Love,

Kathy

Merry Christmas Eve from Guatemala!

Tonight, we spent our first Christmas Eve together with Izzie. We made a big presentation out of preparing the cookies and milk for Santa, and Izzie seemed to understand the concept surprisingly well. (She knows Santa both from videos and from two parties they had here at the orphanage.) We can't wait to see her face tomorrow morning when she wakes up to her presents under the tree! Enjoy the photos!


Izzie was allowed to unwrap a couple of presents today. She needed a warm-up, after all!

Izzie is wearing the fun light-up Santa hat that Nana sent us:

Izzie snuggling with Daddy:

Izzie arranged Santa's cookies very carefully:

Our favorite picture of the day:

Santa left quite a few things for our "Iz." It's not your imagination if you're sensing a Dora theme!

We hope that you all have a blessed Christmas!

Love,

Kathy and Jaimie

All I want for Christmas.....2008

Christmas Cutie Pie

Merry Christmas, Everybody! Love, Izzie

Decorating for Christmas

Hi everyone!

Since Christmas is next week, I finally got around to decorating our apartment at the orphanage. Today, Izzie got to hang her first ornament and to taste candy cane for the first time. It was a really fun afternoon, but it would have been better had it taken place in Texas and/or with Jaimie here! Oh well, next year, right? (Please, God!)

Izzie caught on immediately to the concept of hanging the ornaments:

A view of our fireplace area:

A view of our first floor. Maybe Santa will bring furniture!

Izzie would have to turn in her toddler card if she didn't do this:

Here is Izzie checking out the stockings I bought at the artisan market today:

No news on anything else. I hope you are all enjoying a beautiful holiday season so far!

Love,

Kathy

Interview Complete

Hi Everyone,

Well, the interview at the MP did take place as scheduled this morning, and the midwife is probably almost home by now. The investigator was very mum about how the interview went and whether this means we can have our release letter now. It has been about a month since the MP released the first three Semillas cases, and the other 48 are STILL waiting. I hope somebody over there catches some kind of Christmas spririt or something!

Thanks for the prayers! At least this scary and unexpected hurdle should now be out of the way.
I'll let you know if we get any other news!

Kathy

She is in the Car...

Well, the midwife is in the car and on her way to Guatemala City. Thank you, God!! Now, we just need to pray that her interview with the MP goes well tomorrow morning. If all goes well, Bernardo and Lissette should be able to really jump start the progress of our case and get us home soon. ("Soon" meaning possibly in February.)

Thanks for the continued prayers! Please think about us tomorrow at 8 a.m. when her interview begins.

Love,
Kathy, Jaimie, and Izzie

More Good News

I don't have a lot of time to post, but the midwife has now officially agreed to be picked up Sunday to come to the city for her interview. I will feel even better once she is in the car, but this is definitely great news!

Sounds promising...

Hi everyone,

We have some promising news - not exactly the 100% definite good news we have been waiting for, but we're getting there...

Today, we sent someone out to the midwife's house to try to get her to come to the ministerio publico's office in Guatemala City. She was not at home, but her adult son was. He said that he can't speak for his mother, but that he thinks she'll be willing to come to give her testimony. He wanted assurances that he could make the six-hour journey with her, since they have a cousin who was abducted and murdered by someone who lured him into a car. His fears are totally understandable -after all, who among us would ever get into a car with a stranger who showed up at our door?

Anyway, the son is going to call Lissette later today to say whether his mom is willing to come in. If so, we will have a driver pick them both up on Sunday and they will have an appointment first thing Monday morning at the MP.

Please pray that our midwife has the courage and compassion to make this journey for us. I will post as soon as we have any more news.

Thanks for the continued prayers and support!

Kathy

Getting Press in U.S.

Good morning, everyone! We have nothing to report on the midwife, but Semillas de amor IS getting some press in the U.S. The following article from yesterday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram features a fellow Semillas family who is waiting to bring their daughter home.

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1079877.html

Thanks for checking in!

Kathy

Still nothing much to report

We did not locate the midwife last week. Please pray we have better luck next week. On a positive note, one of the 3 cases "released" by the MP was also released by PGN. Also, our Consular General in Guatemala met with the various agencies last week (MP, PGN, CNA) and was promised they wouldn't hold up adoption cases unnecessarily. That's all very positive, but we need to see more cases released and these kids need to actually start coming home.

No news, sorry

We have not located the midwife yet. We think we have a strong lead and are awaiting word from our attorney to see if it panned out. Sorry there is not anything more to report.