The Latino Hair dresser

Yesterday was a day of fun for us...a great day for me! I have been waiting for my husband to get here so I could go do SOMETHING with my hair. It has been way too long since I have colored it and I was looking pretty bad!! So my friend, Michele had used a guy at the mall, MetroCentro, and she was very happy with the results. So with his card in hand, we left for the mall first thing in the morning.

I had told my girlfriend Sue, that this was my plan. Having Tim here would allow me the time to get it done and I was excited. Sue, the good friend that she is, warned me that the Latino hair dresser "may not" know how to handle thin, fine blond hair and could leave the color on too long and burn it!! She suggested my husband do it but first of all, there was no blond color at the grocery store and secondly, this is a task my husband had never done before and with our luck, wouldn't turn out well. Then I would look bad AND be mad at my husband. ;) So I opted to try the latino hair dresser!!

The man my friend Michele suggested, wasn't working but there was a woman, Dory who "knew how" to highlight. There was a guy behind the counter who spoke pretty good English and we struggled through a conversation of what I wanted. Yes, I was a little nervous at this point. I ended the conversation by saying how different my hair is....it doesn't need a lot of time for color...much less than most of your clients. Everyone was shaking their head - the universal language for "yes, we understand". So my wonderful husband took my noisy children away to return an hour later when I was finished.

Dory was much slower than my hairdresser, Sandy back home. She took a lot of time putting the foil in my hair...I thought, "she's going to have to wash my hair as soon as she's finished!!" Her phone kept ringing and she was talking on it the entire time while she was doing my hair - this is quite the task since you have to use two hands to do foil and you need to FOCUS so you put on the right amount of color!! When she finished, she whispered to me (not to disturb the person she was talking to on the phone) "un pocito" or "just a minute" and left!!

I kept telling myself...."Lesa, you have been waiting so long to get your hair done...this is your time to relax...so relax....she knows what she's doing...she is a professional.....of course, she is paying attention....burning hair is cause for termination, etc.." I kept looking at my watch and about 10 minutes later, she showed up...off the phone and I took a deep breath to relax. She checked a few foils and AGAIN said "un pocito" - so I told her again that my hair is very different and doesn't need a lot of time...she shook her head and smiled and left!! Another 10 minutes go by and by now I'm thinking that I'm going to pull the foils out myself and wash my own hair, who cares if they think I'm a crazy gringo....I'll never see them again!!! Dory shows up, is satisfied with how everything looks and starts to take my foils out.

I was then led to the sink where another lady washed my hair with WARM WATER - It felt incredible...she had me so relaxed, I was loving it. Then, she called Dory over and they started to ramble in Spanish - very quickly and I couldn't pick up a word and all of a sudden I panicked, "Please God - tell me that I don't have lice"!!! Well, everyone kept smiling at me....good sign and then they were telling me that they were putting some extra conditioner on me...whew!! So I sat back and enjoyed every moment!!! Who cares if my hair is burnt....this feels so so good!!!

Dory then put me back in the chair and started to comb it out - all my hair looked in tact, I couldn't tell what the color was, but again was enjoying being pampered! She cut my bangs (they were so long) and trimmed the ends - she then blow dried my hair and it was GORGEOUS!!! She dried my hair straight and it was so healthy looking and blond (no more dark brown roots and grey!!!) My family was very complementary and I was one happy camper!!

We met our cab driver to go home and he kept staring at me - he said "muy differente" - very different and when I got in the back seat, he adjusted his rear view mirror so he could get a better look. My husband was laughing and commenting to Norman about how good my hair looked!! ;) Come on Norman, don't be making these comments IN FRONT of my husband, right?!?!? ;)

We met our friends, Jason, Michele and Jonathon for dinner at a great Italian restaurant - had a great time!! Jonathon always reminds us that boys are so different than girls...in every way!! He makes us laugh and we love our friends.

We are now packing for our trip to San Juan del Sur. It is a gorgeous beach/resort that is very close to Costa Rica. We have heard many wonderful things about it and we are very excited to be able to see it!! We booked a room with an ocean view - they have AC, two restaurants and three pools...sounds awesome!! So we are off on another adventure - awaiting news on our court date but our lawyer seems to think it will be towards the end of the week before we hear anything - So two nights stay at San Juan del Sur!! I will blog when I get home and let you all know how it was.

Have an awesome week - love and blessings to you all!!!

Are we truly making an impact?

I am doing MUCH better today!! Sunday's are always spirit lifting for me. We went to the orphanage - and we have not been there for a few days, so it was so good to see the kids. Our friend, Alyson is back. She is originally from Atlanta - she is 23 years old, has such a heart for missions - she is a true inspiration for us all. She spent a few weeks in the Dominic Republic and just returned to Nicaragua - so we had some time with her - catching up - hearing about the kids she met. Many were former gang members, and young girls who were prostitutes who are now changing their lives AND the lives of other children by sharing their stories and trying to make a difference. Alyson said it gives her hope to see what they are doing - hope that maybe... we are making a true impact on the kids here in Nicaragua.

It is very difficult sometimes to love these kids - you get so close to them and as always, situations change. They go back to their families and continue to be abused, they become beggars and prostitutes and thieves....some change while they still live in the orphanage - they become "hard" due to their circumstances. It is understandable, all of it, really. They have to form a defense against the pain they feel when the people they love, disappoint them., leave them, abandon them.

It's not always the case....many have been adopted and we are all hopeful for their bright future. This is of course, is very close to my heart. But we often think that loving these kids will change their lives and sometimes...it doesn't. I think of Alberto and his struggles - the potential he had and the sad family life he returned to - but now he has a second chance to finish school and to start over. I pray that his future is a bright one.

One of my favorite children (I know I shouldn't have favorites but I do!!) Esaul - he is 4 years old and so articulate. He is always saying "Lesa, Lesa, mire" (watch me) and does the funniest things! He has a beautiful smile and I am crazy about him. I haven't seen him for a few days and was so happy to see his smiling face. He got up at church today and sang a solo in front of the crowd!! He did a GREAT job and I took lots of pictures and some video. I know he knows how much I love him and how proud I am of him...I hope this will make a difference in his life!

One thing I know for sure, is that these children are making a difference in MY life!! They bring me such joy and make me feel so close to God. Their hugs, stories, challenges and laughter move me more than I could ever express. They show me that we are all the same - that love is really all that matters.

I also see a change in my children - how they love the kids at Puente de Amistad - how they talk to them, interact with them and learn from them. When Allie first came here two years ago, she had a life changing experience - one that I feel, has helped make her the person she is today. I see it in both Scarlett and Lucie as well. These children have impacted my entire family.

We picked up my husband tonight from the airport. He actually surprised us...since his flight got in early!! So so happy to see him. It is a feeling of comfort and joy to kiss him and hold him. The girls are all telling stories at the same time...trying to catch him up on what's been going on. They were singing songs that Gracie knows in the cab ride home and it felt so good to have us all together again.

We have almost an entire week with my husband - so we are making some plans. We are hoping to hear about our court date by mid-week, so we may go to San Juan del Sur for the next couple of days - it's a tough time because we don't want to be too far away if we are needed, but want to make the most of our time with him as well.

So today was much better - today, I enjoyed my children and all the children at the orphanage. Being a Mom today was a blessing to me.

Here's to tomorrow...

Today was one of those days when I didn't want to read any more books to my children, do anyone's hair, tie any shoes, make any more meals, or clean up after anyone!! Today was a day that I was short-tempered, sad, and angry. I don't know what happened to make me lose it today but I did. I told the girls that I was tired of being dumped on and taken advantage of and I needed some alone time!! That alone time lasted for about 5 minutes and it wasn't long enough. I kept telling myself that my husband will be here shortly, I will be home soon and all will be well. But sometimes, no matter what I say to myself.....it doesn't help!

I killed my normal 100 bugs today - Lucie still wasn't feeling well and I am so ready to go home. I thought I was doing so well....thinking how close we are to the finish, but today...not a good day.

We went for our run this morning and it started to rain on us - I know Scarlett was thinking.."great, we're finished" but I kept running and didn't speak to her the entire time. I kept thinking that soon, I would feel better. I would feel refreshed..but no, didn't happen. We finished our run and came home and I got a Skype from my dear friend, Sue. I wasn't going to answer initially because I thought I was not in the mood to be nice to anyone - but I did and am so glad. Sue always makes me laugh and she is such a good listener. It was exactly what I needed at the time. I miss my girl friends...all of them....so much!! I miss being able to talk about life and hear about what's going on with them - I miss the bonding.

Our conversation was cut short because Lucie wasn't feeling well - and we were back in the bathroom and Lucie was very upset. She is tired of being sick and I am tired of worrying about her. She didn't get sick after all and ended up taking a long nap and feeling much better when she woke up. My husband thinks she has a parasite...he is probably right. O.K. - as tough as this experience has been, we have been blessed with good health until this point and I want that to continue. You never do appreciate the blessings, until they are taken away. So having my girl wake up, happy and healthy was my saving grace.

The girls' knew I wasn't having a good day and played very well together. Gracie is learning to play by herself....which is a new experience for her. Scarlett was a very good helper to me - cleaning the dishes and rubbing my feet!! ;) We had a much better afternoon than we had in the morning.

Now the girls are in bed, I am watching a movie and relaxing with a couple of beers!! My husband will be here tomorrow night and I won't have to sleep alone for another week!! I made it through the day and tomorrow will be better.

I know that I am not Wonder Woman and I will have days like today but it's very hard for me to handle. Feeling sorry for myself and wishing something (like I want to be home now) that I know I can't have makes me feel weak and vulnerable...not feelings I like to have. This has truly been a roller coaster ride for me in so many ways...I can't appreciate the good without the bad - but the bad is not fun and I am so ready to get to the top of the mountain and not be in the valley anymore.

So here's to tomorrow - a day of happiness, a day of rejoice, a day of knowing how blessed I am and enjoying every moment!!

Our final trip to Las Cardones

Las Cardones beach was a lot of fun...it went by very quickly and of course, was full of funny moments. Again, my family is wacky and laughs at about everything!! This trip, it was just me and the girls...no friends, no Allie and no hubby. So I was a little worried about entertaining all three on my own! We always go directly to the beach - right after we put all our stuff in our casita. This time, we stayed in the "Suite"! This is the best casita at Las Cardones - it sits on the beach - so from your room, you see the ocean - hear the waves and feel the cool breeze - it is breath-taking. I, wanted to sit in the rocking chair and take a couple of breaths but the girls were anxious to get on the beach...relaxation, had to wait!

The ocean was a brownish/bronze color. I had never seen that before. I kept asking everyone I saw..."what's up with the beach?" The only logical answer I received is that it was an algae issue!! All us girls looked at each other and said "Daddy needs to be here"!! ;) We also saw a dead dolphin on the beach, so we ventured down the beach to where the ocean was white and spent our time there!!

We arrived with 2 DVD players, 2 DS's (both fully charges), coloring books, school books and Sudoku. But once I convinced the girls that it was now "relaxation time" - within 20 minutes... they were (yes, you guessed it) bored!!! So I tucked each one into a hammock, myself included and had a good half hour of bliss!!

Our time went by quickly and soon it was time for showers and dinner. This has been a challenge for us, due to the crabs coming out at night but because we had all conquered that feat last time, we were much more brave this time!! There were still a few screams when a crab ran out in front of us, but the volume was much lower!! We still were afraid to go to the out-house at night and had to use the shower but hey, not too bad for 4 girls on their own!!

Whatever Lucie had, I think I caught. I didn't sleep well and had an upset stomach - but woke up feeling glad to be at the beach. We had a great breakfast, another long walk/swim and shell shopping before it was time to pack up - shower and have lunch. Both Lucie and Gracie didn't eat well and I was a little concerned. We had a scare with Gracie at dinner the previous night - she was "inhaling" her spaghetti and started to choke...I told her to raise her arms up and as soon as she did, she let our the loudest and deepest burp I have ever heard. I actually thought she was about to get sick and rushed her from the dining area (yes, we were again the center of attention...not very appetizing) to a sandy section a few feet away - holding her head down and telling Scarlett to keep the flashlight on me (this keeps the crabs away or at least let's you know they are about to crawl over your feet) and waited for Gracie to get sick. She kept looking at me strangely, I am sure she was thinking that her Mom is overacting slightly, to a burp at dinner!! Scarlett was laughing so hard, she was crying and I too, had the giggles!!

Well, Gracie never did get sick but my Lucie did AGAIN on the way home from the beach. This time I was prepared, I continuously asked her how she was feeling and when she finally said "not so good" - Norman skidded to a stop that about gave me whip-lash (poor guy) and I got her out of the cab. I then got one of our beach buckets out of the trunk for her to hold...this was definitely one of my brightest moments. I sat next to her the rest of the way home...I got an anti-bacterial wipe from my purse..it was cold and wet...and kept rubbing her forehead with it - I told her this is what my Mom used to do for me when I wasn't feeling well and Lucie replied "I miss Grandma".... Little bug!! So do I!! We were very close to home when Lucie finally lost her cookies - thank goodness because my stomach wasn't doing too well...especially when she kept looking in the bucket and "examining" the contents (she so get's that from her father).

So we are settled...Lucie is completely herself again and I am chalking it all up to car sickness!! We are not allowed to be sick!! Especially since my husband will be here on Sunday!! So it's vitamins, naps and staying home tomorrow. I am actually really looking forward to a day with nothing to do!!

Our declarations were delivered this morning to the court house...so we are hoping to hear about our court date next week - I hope we get some great news while my husband is here so he can celebrate with us...hey, we may celebrate EVEN IF we don't get any good news next week!! I know I already said this on my last blog - but all is well with me when my husband is here and I am so looking forward to having him with us!!

Happy Weekend my loved ones!!! I hope you are all healthy and enjoy your family time...Love and Blessings to you all!!!

Catching up.....

So sorry I haven't blogged the last two nights...we have lost our power two nights in a row and there is no Internet and some hot, sweaty, cranky girls to handle (including myself)!! So let me get you up to speed.

First, Lucie is feeling great! She was sick for the day and then throughout the night but woke up very hungry...she ate two pieces of french toast, had a big lunch AND dinner. She was fearless and obviously completely cured. ;) So we laid low that day - stayed in the house and the girls caught up on their sleep and I caught up on all my paperwork - I think we all needed that day.

Yesterday was productive for us...we had lunch with our friends The Tomczak's at one of our favorite places (they serve hummus and delicious drinks) - we then went to Mi Familia to pick up our declarations. Our declarations are a letter that states we have been officially approved through Mi Familia and this document (along with our birth certificates and marriage certificates) is presented to the court. Our lawyer confirms this will be presented today - and then the judge reviews our case file and sets a court date!

We had to run around a get a couple of signatures on the documents - and then met with our lawyer. Our lawyer, Nubia has been a disappointment to us in many ways. Every time I meet with her - she will give me worst-case scenarios, never commits to anything and I usually feel worse than before I saw her! She has also been sick for many weeks - this of course, has effected her timeliness on many things. So we started the meeting - asking about her health and if we needed to change lawyers to move forward. We are concerned about her and about our cases! She assured us that she was fine and the worst was over and that she was dedicated to getting our adoptions finalized. She also told us that it is possible to have us home within 20 days - she told us she had done this for some other clients. She didn't make any promises but it sounds very positive that we will be home in about a month!!! YYYEEESSS!!! So now, it's more waiting, more calling to check on status - but we are making progress!!

My children sat at a different table the entire time we were meeting with Nubia - they were so well behaved!! It was a blessing!! I must admit, I questioned if these kids were truly mine!!! Did I give them Tylenol PM and not remember it? Their behavior had me relaxed and at ease - it was the best meeting I have ever had with our lawyer - I have such peace in my heart right now....I know I am coming home soon and it feels so good!!

We got home around 7:00 PM - so I rushed to feed my kids and then Skype my husband - we got to talk to Allie too!! We miss her so much - going to the beach without her, seems strange and we wish she was going with us!! We caught up on what's she doing...it's a long story with lots of details but our oldest WANTS to go back to school!! We are very happy about this and have given her a few tasks to prepare for it and she was at the house talking to her Dad about all the details....I think she is very serious about doing well and I am so excited about her future. Exciting!!

Allie has had so many struggles in her life - she was 10 when her Dad got divorced - she was an only child and now she has to share her Dad with 4 other women!! She struggled in school and got her heart broke in High School. Many, many challenges and then look at the woman she is becoming!! She is truly one of the most loving people I know. She is finding her way and doing so with grace and love. She LOVES being a part of our family and she makes us all complete. I am very proud of our girl!!!

My husband gave us some GREAT news...he is coming on Sunday and staying until the following Saturday. This is the longest visit yet and we are making some fun plans with him. Having my husband here makes it so much easier for me - I have my partner to talk to, someone else to help with the kids and of course, I sleep so much better when he is here!! Yeah!!! I won't give any more details of what I enjoy when he is here....his Mom reads my blog (Hi MeMe) but you all catch my drift!! ;) I'm a happy girl!!!

So we are leaving this morning for another overnight trip to Las Cordones. Just me and the girls and I am excited!! More time on the beach - more shells to collect and time to get away from Managua and relax!! We all love the beach and it will be a fun couple of days. Bringing our tennis shoes this time and prepared for the invasion of the crabs....

Wishing you all a great couple of days...I will blog when we return...tomorrow night. Love and Blessings...

Today was a day that was so calm and peaceful that I thought "what in the world will I be able to blog about tonight?" When will I learn NOT to ask that question?!?!? ;)

We started our day as usual, with a run and then spent a little time at the pool - we visited with some friends and then went home for lunch, a quick shower and Norman picked us up at 1:00 for my nail appointment. This is the 2nd time since I've been in Nicaragua, that I have gotten my nails done. This is a big sacrifice for me... The nail place I found is so different than the ones in the states...there's no fancy instruments (like nail clippers, cleaners or dryers) - you basically get them filed, filled in and one coat of paint and your finished - so albeit, it is not what I am used to...it gets me by while I'm here.

Anyways, I just finished getting my nails done and we had one more stop, the grocery store on the way home. The girls were so well behaved (this, in retrospect should have been my first clue that something wasn't right). Lucie asked me if we were going home but I explained we needed groceries but would be going home right after.

As we were pulling into the parking lot of La Union (grocery store), Scarlett asked Lucie "what's wrong with you aren't you feeling good?" I looked in the back seat and Lucie had her hand over her mouth (so not a good sign) and before I could tell Norman to stop the car...Lucie puked through her hand and all over herself. Norman stopped the car, but in the middle of the street so we couldn't exit - I am trying to think about how to say "pull over" in Spanish but was a loss for words. Lucie continues to puke all over the back seat, into her activity bag (contains coloring books, crayons, DS's etc..). Gracie starts crying and is desperately trying to open her door - which is locked and she is yelling "abre la puerta" in English "open the door!!". I finally use sign language and limited Spanish to explain to Norman to pull into a parking space and grab Lucie out of the car. She continues to puke and now her little sister is mimicking her actions. Gracie wasn't actually throwing up but making all the noises - which was making me want to toss my cookies!!!

When Lucie seemed finished...I used every anti-bacterial wipe I had in my purse to clean her up. I kept apologizing to Norman - his car was destroyed. I helped clean up as best as I could and he kept telling me "no problem, I will go to the car wash and everything will be fine". Poor guy!! Norman tells me how he and his wife want to have 5 children and all girls - he thinks girls make a happy home - well, after these months with us....I think he very well may change his mind!!

Funny thing about Lucie - she never says "Mom, I'm not feeling well" or "my tummy hurts a little" or even "I am getting ready to puke" - she says NOTHING!!! No complaining...nothing. It amazes me how fast it comes on and if I don't ask her directly "How are you?" she will never tell me. I need to remember this about my girl and ask more often and look out for - what seem obvious now - signs that she may be in trouble!!

We headed into the grocery store and I was rushing because I knew Norman wanted to drop us off and go clean his car. We were going up and down all the isles and then Lucie told me she needed to go to the bathroom - here is a golden opportunity to ask her how she was feeling but instead my reply was "Scarlett, honey please take your sister to the bathroom"!! Lord, what was I thinking?

I was in the check out counter, getting ready to pay when the girls finally came out of the bathroom - I was worried about them at this point and waved them down to where I was. When Lucie got to me, she was looking a little pale and I asked her "how are you feeling love?" And she replied by throwing up all over the floor!!

O.K. - so now I have to pay for my groceries - the check out lady is asking me if I want some coupon deal and giving me all the details and the bagger continues to bag my groceries!! Can't they see what's going on? I took Lucie's hand and started to walk her outside...leaving my groceries behind, she threw up a couple more times before we got out the door, and finished when we were outside. As soon as she was done, she clapped her hands together (this is her communication for "pick me up") and because she was so pitiful, I immediately did so. Now, at this point there is puke all over her clothes, in her hair and now on me.

The bagger showed up outside with our groceries (didn't know that I actually had paid for them already) and I searched my bags and found some baby wipes and cleaned my girl up the best I could!! We got back in the cab (which actually didn't smell too bad) and went directly home. Lucie and I took a shower and she went to bed....

She's feeling much better, had some dinner and is sleeping - so I think the worst is over. Scarlett and I replayed the entire scenario this evening and got very tickled. Does it mean that I'm a good mother when I can laugh at my children getting sick? Am I absolutely losing my mind because I find this all so funny? Is it time to go home?

Well, it's actually surprising that this is our first sickness (and hopefully the last) since our stay in Nicaragua. I think we are all exhausted and it reminds me of how blessed we are to have our health during this journey. So no, I will never ask myself again "what will I be able to blog about tonight"? Because in my world, something ALWAYS happens!!!

P.S. Just getting ready to publish this post and my girl just got sick again!! Please pray for her speedy recovery!!

Love and Blessings ....

30 year Anniversary FSLN

Today is a very important day for Nicaraguans - it is the 30 year Anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution. Thousands of people gather at the Plaza La Fe in Managua to celebrate the fall of the Somaza family dictatorship. This dictatorship - which lasted over 40 years - was harsh, there were many executions, terrorism, and fear. The Sandinistan's - which were workers, peasants and guerrillas - joined forces to defeat them. (My husband knows a lot more about all this than I do!!)

Since we arrived in Nicaragua in May - I often see the red and black flags and read signs that say "FSLN" - this stands for "Frente Sandinistan de Liberacion Nacional" or "Sandinistan National Liberation Front. As time has passed, there have been many failures of the Sandinistan government and there are many different views of how it is all supported - there are less and less people meeting in the square and more celebrating quietly from their homes.

When you ask someone if they are Sandinistan - there is always pride in their answer. I have heard many people say "Yes, I am Sandinistan and this is a great celebration" but I also spoke to my friend Norman who told me that he was not. He told me that years ago, the Sandinistan police killed two of his uncles because they thought they were rebels. Due to this experience, Norman and his family do not belong to that group. They have experienced the corruption first hand.

In my lifetime I have never experienced anything like this. I cannot imagine my country as a dictatorship. I read about how the United States "assisted" Nicaragua - looking back, was it the right thing to do? Politics are so complicated....so many decisions to be made that have impact on so many people. Something that started out so strong, such as this revolution - is now tainted and unsure.

Any political gathering in Nicaragua scares me. I know it's silly but it's true. The girls and I did not leave the gates of our complex today - we played it safe and stayed home. My friend Jason, however, went to the square with a local to experience the event - he said there were a lot of people and it was an awesome thing to see. We heard music and loud speakers all day and all the government offices are closed tomorrow in respect of this Anniversary.

I never paid very much attention in History - actually, I'm not sure my History class would have ever discussed Nicaragua - but it all has impact on us. About how the world views us...supporter or foe...When you hear about a dictatorship, you know that is not good for the people - but then as time goes on, corruption, greed....it gets us very close to where we started.

I apologize for going on and on about this - but I find it fascinating to understand how we are viewed by the outside world. How I am viewed as I walk down the street of this 3rd world country.

So today we made necklaces with shells and put tattoos all over each other - we had our own celebration...there were no flags or speeches just celebrating bringing a Nicaragua child home.

Adios Allie

Our Allie just left with Norman (our cab driver) on her way to the airport....we are sad to see her go. It's been a wonderful week with her and it just flew by!! I am really proud of her because she flew here alone and is going home the same way. Her flight is at 8:00 AM this morning and leaving at 5:45 AM with the girls is not easy and would make for a tough rest of the day (my girls do not do well without a lot of sleep) so I asked her how she felt about going alone with Norman. She was good to go with it - I gave Norman all the instructions and she will check in and be sure everything is O.K. before he leaves her at the airport. Hard to say goodbye to our sweet girl.

Our last day with her was a lot of fun - the girls slept in and I did NOT make them run this morning!! ;) We went to see the new Harry Potter movie (excellent) and had a great lunch at one of our favorite places, Esperanza. It's a coffee shop that is really close to where we live - they have pastries and also panini's for lunch - yum!! Our cab driver - who speaks very little English says" I likie panini" ;) We also went to another one of our favorite restaurants for dinner - Mia Luna which is an Italian restaurant that has a view that is amazing!! So we took a lot of pictures and enjoyed the beautiful view and good food.

I thought that yesterday would be a day when I could finally relax...the Consejo met and I have the entire weekend to celebrate but what the reality was, is just the opposite!! I couldn't sleep and kept waking up even though I was so tired. I slept about 4 hours total and felt like a truck had run me over. My nerves were shot and my body ached. I am so surprised by this, I thought, maybe I'm getting sick.

I told my husband about how I was feeling and he said that it makes perfect sense to him. He says I have been full of anticipation (as well as, anxiety) for this day for so long that I didn't realize the toll it was taking on my body. I think he's right. I think it had the same toll on the girls - Gracie was so defiant - not listening well to any of us - Scarlett talked back to me most the day and Lucie cried often for no reason.....urgh!! Isn't is always like that though - when you are having a tough day, every one of your kids decides, "Let's get Mommy" and boy, do they know how!!!

We have also been so busy with Allie - showing her places we love, places she hasn't seen and making the most of all the time we have had with her. So it's been a crazy week - a crazy 10 weeks!!! Saturday was our 70th day in Nicaragua...I don't like counting each day but I have the days numbered every Saturday to give me an idea of how long it has been. No wonder I'm a little tired!! ;)

Sunday's are always my favorite day of the week but today is a little sad...up early to get Allie on her way, exhausted and sad to see our girl go - so we are planning on taking it easy today. A day of long naps, sitting at the pool and just thinking things through.....It really amazes me how your body tells you when it can't do anymore, so I need to listen and rejuvenate.

So this Sunday is our day to relax...a day to remember and talk about all the fun we had with Allie when she was here. We can plan for our week to come and we will know by mid-week when my husband will be back!! I hope you are all having a great weekend - a great summer and I promise to be much more "enthusiastic" on my next blog!!

Love and Blessings....

Conejo Met!!!

Well, it actually happened...after 10 weeks, the Consejo met and we have our final approval for our adoption!!! YYYEEEEAAAAHHHHHH!! So happy, it's really difficult to put words to how I feel. This has been such a long wait for us - in August, it will be a full 3 years since we first turned in paperwork to adopt our Gracie. We still have a lot of work to do to get home, but this is a big step for us in the right direction. The Consejo meeting, as you all know by now, is ALWAYS unsure. Delay after delay, makes you wonder if it will ever happen, but it did!!

I had some very close friends tell me that they felt very good about this Consejo...felt positive that this time, it would happen and it did!! I think I'm still a little in shock that it actually has!

I received a call around noon today from our friends Jason and Michele - they tortured me a little about giving me the good news - but what a great phone call that was!! I cried and congratulated them as well and then immediately called my husband. Tim answered the phone, I told him "They met love, the Consejo actually met!!" and before I could give him any more details, he said "Hold on love, someone is at the door" - I hear him say "hey" it was our Pastor and friend, Brad Russell. Helloooo, can you believe the timing of that?!?! Brad was thrilled to hear the news and congratulated me on the phone and all I could do was cry!! I got a call from his wife Amy, a few minutes later and again, I cried, she cried and we laughed and were so excited!! I love the Russell's!!! What a blessing they are to me and my family.

What a blessing you all are to me...to us!! I have received so many calls, emails and Face Book messages, it is overwhelming and humbling. I do not deserve this amount of love and support but I just keep receiving it!! It makes me so happy to know that I am living a life surrounded by family and friends who take the time to make sure that I know how they feel, that they continue to encourage and love us through each step of this process...so thank you!!!

We spent most of today and the Galleria Mall with Allie and the girls - doing a little shopping and spending some great quality time together. We then had a celebration dinner with our friends the Tomczak's....fun!! We went to a beautiful Italian restaurant - they brought the kids some dough to play with to keep them busy. They were all very excited. I started to think that this is probably the first time Gracie has seen dough and then my next thought was, better explain it quickly to her! As I looked at her to explain, she had the dough about half way to her mouth. I told her "No love, this is to play with ..... not to eat. It can make you sick and you DO NOT EAT IT!!" Thinking my motherly duties were finished, I turned to my friends to continue my conversation when I heard Scarlett yell "NO Martita, NO"!! When I looked at her, she was chewing the dough very quickly and had her ugly face on...that could not have tasted good!! I went over, forced the dough out of her mouth (this was not an easy task) and took the dough away from her. When I sat back down, I looked over at her - she was NOT happy but she had flour all over her face and we all started to laugh. My poor girl, she has no idea what's going on!!

I kept thinking all day that this was Gracie's day and felt bad that she didn't really understand it. My husband told me that it wasn't Gracie's day but OUR day and I think he's right!! This is a day we needed badly - a day of good news - a day of celebration!!!

So many people have asked us what the next steps are....there are many but to summarize everything and of course, daily updates will still be coming, our next step is to get the formal word from the Consejo that we have been approved, to the court. This is called our "declaration". The government offices are closed on Monday (celebrating 30 years of independence on Sunday so I guess they need a day to recuperate) so this declaration should be completed next Tuesday.

Once the declaration is submitted, we wait for our court date. This can take 1 - 4 weeks!! We just wait for the phone call and then we show up at our court date and the judge signs the paperwork that legally makes Gracie our daughter. Her name is formally changed at this point and she is given a new birth certificate.

Once we have that, we have 2 more weeks of getting her medical check-up's, Visa, Passport and all other government documentation and then we come home!!! So the bottom line is that we could be home as soon as mid-August or worst case scenario, late August. Just in time to get all my children in school on time!!! How's that for timing?!?!?!

I am still digesting this good news, still working through all the emotions. I know that my adventure here will soon be over and I will be going home. I feel so good that God listened to my prayers, the prayers of my family and friends and that His timing, is perfect!! That gives me such a feeling of peace and love....I can never express it in words.

The girls and I are creating a "Consejo Dance" to celebrate this day!! I look forward to dancing it for you all.....soon!!!

The Crab Wisperer!!

We are back from the beach...all a little sunburned and also very relaxed. The girls were so tired, Lucie told me that it was past her bedtime, Scarlett DIDN'T argue with me and Gracie fell asleep reading a book!! It was a great escape for us all. We are so enjoying Allie being here with us - she always makes us laugh, is so quick to look at the bright side of things and is so much like her father in many ways...let me explain.

Right before we left for the beach - we went on our morning run - this was Allie's 4th time running with us and I think she is completely over it. She didn't talk at all and when I asked her what was up - she told me her legs were so sore it was like knives were sticking through them (yes, this kind of detail is very much like her father)! We then were asked by the horse trainer if we wanted to ride one of the beautiful horses that are boarded here - Lucie and Gracie were more than willing....Scarlett tried but got too scared (very big horse that moves around a lot) - I took her turn (and absolutely loved it) and when the trainer asked Allie if she wanted to ride - she said "Oh no - not me" - I told the trainer she was scared in Spanish and when Allie asked me what I said - she replied "I'm not scared, just didn't feel like it" (Tim Jr.)!!!

Our friends went to the beach with us to spend the day - it was great fun and Allie has really bonded with Michele's sister, Heather. She is a doll and her and Allie spent hours talking. Scarlett and Lucie love love love the ocean and our Gracie, she prefers to play with toys in the sand. Me, I love to find beautiful shells and the hammock...so relaxing! We all love it - in our own way!!

In the late afternoon, our friends left and it was just us girls. We spent the rest of the day on the beach and some time just reading and relaxing. We went to our little house to shower and change for dinner. Our house has no electricity - modest shower and we all share two out-houses for a bathroom!! We were excited about the evening and once showered and dressed, started our way to the cabana. The sun was still out and we wanted to catch the sunset - when we started walking back, we noticed a lot of crabs walking around (I don't know if they walk...I really don't know what to call it that they do - but it's sideways and freaky!!) - lots of crabs. I mean 100's of crabs...now, I am not exaggerating....we were all a little shocked and made our way to the main area VERY QUICKLY. When I saw the owner Alex, I told him about all the crabs I had just seen, I guess I thought this was "news" to him, and he said "There will be many more when it's dark"!! My reply was a question to him - or maybe a statement..."Well, I'm sure they don't go on the walking path"!! And he said, "Yeah, they do but you can just kick them out of your way". O.K. - is this guy SERIOUS!!! I mean, does he realize I'm a girl? A girl from the United States who does NOT live on a beach and has really only seen crabs on a dinner plate? (side note...My husband is so sexy when he eats crabs).

Well, we saw a GORGEOUS sunset - and had some brick oven pizza for dinner and some yummy dessert - we were ready to head back to our cute little house for some DVD for the kids and for Allie and I to sit and visit. As soon as we started to walk on the path, Scarlett lets out a loud, ear piercing scream. Lucie takes one look at the 10 crabs running across the walking path and literally melts down (this means that she jumps into my arms, clinging for dear life and is hysterically crying) - Gracie looks at Lucie and starts to cry and Allie and I want to run for our lives!! This is all happening about 20 feet from where we just ate dinner - where there are still about 10 people eating dinner!! Our friend Alex comes to comfort us - looks at us and then immediately offers to walk us back to our house! He is kicking crabs out of the way as we move along and none of us are really doing any better than when we started. I guess I should have been embarrassed but I was too scared!! At this point, I am wondering if this was such a good idea and if I really can take care of my children.

Once we got the little ones settled - Allie and I went to sit on the patio - there was no place to sit in the little house, so it was either go to bed or sit outside - so we bravely took our flashlights and ventured out. As we were sitting there - crabs would come right up on the patio and head straight for us. At first, Allie would scream a little and shine the flashlight right on their face (again, I don't know...do they actually have faces? I swear they have little bitty eyes!!!) and then Allie started to talk to them. She would say things like, "Go away" "Thank you" "I see you over there" "No, not that way" "Further"!! She was making me laugh so hard - I was crying. But the crabs were LISTENING to her!!! I seriously do not know what I would have done without my Crab Whisperer on this trip. She turned a scary situation into a very comical one that we all laughed about. I absolutely LOVE having Allie here with me - she is a complete joy!!

Back to Managua and back to reality. The Consejo is meeting tomorrow!! We are all so excited and very hopeful. Once this happens, I will have a much better idea of when we can come home and that will make all the difference in the world to me - to our entire family. So prayers for a wonderful day tomorrow - one of celebration!! This will give us a reason to visit Las Cardones again but this time...I'm packing tennis shoes!!

We started today with a run... both Allie and Scarlett continue to amaze me - they are so good at keeping up with me and keeping a positive attitude!! I love having them with me!! They think of me as a slave driver I know, but finish what they start and feel good when it's all over!

We went to the orphanage today and had a good time with the kids and spending time with Maria Jose and all the staff. There are so many new kids -when we served lunch today, there were so many different children at the table. Many have been adopted or have gone home to their families and new children who are struggling and need help, sit at the table and wait to be served. They all have a smile and are so loving - nothing stays the same here. We met a newborn named Brian and his Mom, Christina who is 15 years old. She didn't know how to care for her child, so she has come to the orphanage for help. I have such mixed emotions about this - loving her and her child is of course, the right thing to do, but I can't help but feel protective of the older girls and want to ensure that they don't make the same mistakes that Christina has - hopefully, her presence is a warning to them of what can happen if they don't make the right choices.

Allie is so well loved at the orphanage. She was greeted by many of the kids. Because of how she looks, many of the new children assumed she spoke Spanish and we laughed a lot about how everyone just talks to her and expects her to answer. She just looks at them funny and then looks at me to respond. ;)

We did some good work today - helped Christina and her baby - helped the psychologist Cynthia, with some medical expenses. We also received so much support from everyone regarding the adoption. Everyone checking in with us on the latest with the Consejo - giving us all their best wishes and prayers. It was very uplifting to me and as always, I felt so loved and supported by everyone.

We had dinner with friends at our home tonight and started packing for our big Beach Trip tomorrow - we are very excited!! I was checking my email and face book when all of a sudden a HUGE cockroach ran between my legs (yes, right between my legs) and I screamed at the sight!! All the girls were in their room watching a movie and after I screamed, the cockroach fell down the step and started running across the family room floor. It took me a couple of seconds to respond and by then, he had crawled down the steps and onto the ceiling of the first floor. The girls FINALLY came out of their room to see what had happened and I pointed at our new occupant...."Look there, there he is!!!" When they all saw him, they too screamed and Allie said it was the biggest bug she had ever seen. So I handed her a tennis shoe and said "Kill him" - she looked at me and said "Are you seriously going to put this on me!!" And I replied, "Yes, I have killed so many, can't you kill this one?!?!?" She was so worried it could fly and would attack her but I assured her that was not possible. So she made me promise and then proceeded to kill the huge cockroach!! She hit him one time with the tennis shoe and it fell off the ceiling and onto the steps but was very much alive. Knowing that I would NEVER sleep again if this creature was alive in the house, I went down the stairs and finished the job!! Of course, I called in reinforcements (Gracie) to pick it up with a paper towel and throw it in the trash - with all the girls screaming in the background. We DID IT - TOGETHER!! I still wonder why the security guards with machine guns, don't come running at our door - heeelllooo, we are under attack, but again, this has happened several times and they must be used to our screaming by now!!!

My heart is still beating fast over the entire experience and I am trying to settle down a bit before I sleep tonight. We have a big day tomorrow - we leave for Las Cordones in the morning and will be spending the night. I am excited about the adventure but a little nervous as well. I want to be sure that we can function on our own, away from Quinta Allyson and without electricity and without my husband!! But I know my girls and I know myself, and I "think" we will make the most of this awesome experience.

So I will not be able to blog tomorrow but will Thursday evening - here is wishing you a day of bug free, air-conditioning, love and great memories!! Thank you all again for your continued support and love and please PLEASE pray that the Consejo meets this Friday!!

Love and Blessings!!!

Normal kid...Normal Mommy

I met Maria Renee today...she is the Minister of Mi Familia. The head honcho...El Jefe!! She sits at the head of the Consejo and we met with her this morning at 8:30 AM. I have been to the offices of Mi Familia probably 20 times in the past 3 years - the visits historically make me feel very uncomfortable. I walk into a room, meet people who have the authority to "allow" me to bring my daughter home and I have to be careful with every word I use to ensure I don't push too much....not too aggressive....don't say the wrong thing. I find it extremely stressful and leave feeling completely frustrated!!

Today was very different for me. First, I had my husband with me - this usually is not the case. I had all my children and it was the first time I met with them as a united front - familia unido. It felt good and I felt strong. I wasn't nervous at all - only apprehensive of what this meeting would result in.

Our understanding was that Maria Renee had the authority to sign off on our adoption papers - we found out that this was not the case - that we had to, by law, go again before the Consejo to receive our final approval. She did however, check a computer to find our specific cases...seriously, I was beginning to wonder if we were in any computers!!! She read the letters we submitted last week and knew how important it was for our families to finish this process and get our children home in order to start school on time. She was professional, very warm and assured us that the Consejo would meet this Friday!

I am sure you are probably thinking the same thing I am...."how many times have we heard that before?" I think it's actually been 6 times that I've heard the "June" Consejo would be meeting - it is now the middle of July and still no Consejo. I also hate when they say "Friday" - why can't it be Wednesday or Thursday?!?!? Why do I have to wait around all week for Friday to come - not get a call and then strategize over the weekend what I will do the following Monday to make that week different from the last? But I feel differently about this time - I feel united and strong and that has never been my feeling in the past.

We are planning our celebration dinner Friday night with our friends, The Tomczak's and will keep busy for the remainder of the week - so I am not sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. So keep all your body parts crossed and I'll keep you posted!!

After our meeting, we all went to the airport to send my husband home. I never enjoy this activity - I just wave and cry and wish he could stay with me. He brings me such a feeling of calm and security - I know that I am not here on my own and he is my partner in this - miss him so much when he gone. He got into Dulles at midnight - has to go to work first thing in the morning - live in an empty house and work his tail off so we can continue to live in Nicaragua - he has, and continues to do, so much for our family!!

To top our day off today - we had a goodbye dinner for our friends, The Diven's. They go home tomorrow with their daughter, Sarahi. Their situation is very different from ours, they met Sarahi just a few weeks ago - she was ready to be adopted and their family wanted to adopt - so they met and started the process. A total of 6 months!! What a difference!! I am so happy that they are going home but it makes us a little sad to be left here behind...still struggling.

When we first came to Condo Allyson in May - there were 6 families here adopting - now there are only 2 of us left!! It is always sad to see our friends leave and to keep strong to continue living here. Lucie felt more sad than most of us, she had a good friend in one of their boys and she was telling me how much she will miss him. She came to me when we were home and gave me a big hug and said "Mommy, I want to be a normal kid and I want you to be a normal Mommy, and I want to go home". I just hugged her and told her I knew exactly what she means and I too, so want to go home but we are on an adventure...a special vacation that will be over soon. I hope I am telling her the truth.

Fun in Leon

Today we were all together as a family...all my girls and my husband!! As good as it is, we only had today to enjoy it (my husband leaves tomorrow morning) so we decided to venture out and do something none of us have done before. We have heard very little about Leon. It's about an hour drive from Managua and the beach is another hour from the city - so we decided to check out the city today with some friends.

I didn't realize that because it was Sunday, many of the shops were closed and the city was very quiet. It reminded of a little of Granada - clean streets, lots of shops and not as much poverty. We saw some beautiful churches - one "San Francisco Church" is the oldest church in Latin America - we took lots of pictures and our little friend Jonathan kept asking "Why is Jesus dead on the cross" It is a challenge for his parents, they speak limited Spanish and Jonathan, very little English, but we did our best to explain. Martita kept saying "shhhh, Momma, come and look" and she would show me all the statues..she was impressed and in awe.

We talked to someone on the street and got a recommendation of a beautiful hotel that had great food at affordable prices - so we went there. It was gorgeous - we sat the kids at a separate table and due to their "active personalities" were served very quickly!! ;) The food was excellent and the company was even better!!

We walked around the city a little more - went into a couple of shops that were open and I realized that I always go to church on Sunday and never venture out, so I had no idea that Sunday is NOT the day to explore!!

Having Allie here is a lot of fun. Gracie is spending a lot of time with her and was telling some locals that Allie was her mother!! Albeit, she looks a lot more like Allie than me, I smiled at her and asked, "who's your Momma?" And she would smile very big and point to me.

As we walked down the street - people would stop and stare at us - but the attention was mostly directed toward Lucie. People actually touch her hair when she walks by!! People who look very grim, will smile when they see her and talk to her in Spanish - she is getting a lot of attention and I am hoping it will not have a long-term impact on her!! Rock star in Nicaragua does not mean Rock Star at home!!! ;)

Tomorrow is a big day for us. We have a meeting at 8:30 AM with the Minister of Mi Familia. She is the one we are waiting for to call Arly to authorize that the Consejo meets. Our understanding is that everything is ready and waiting for her call. So we asked to meet with her and tomorrow is the day. We spent some time talking to Jason about what our approach should be - again, we will be pleading for our case - for our family. Asking her to please sign off on our paperwork (which we believe she has authority to do) or to at least, make the call to Arly for the Consejo to meet. There have been so many delays and we are so ready to move forward.

Having meetings at Mi Familia have historically been very difficult for me - I feel so out of control and so frustrated by this process. To make tomorrow even more difficult, my husband is leaving - this too has always been very tough for me. He is planning on being back August 7th but that is almost a month away.....so so difficult. I try not to think about it. I try to focus on the positive - I have Allie here for a week and then there will only be 3 weeks left until he comes back!! I pray that our case moves forward, so I can focus on the adoption and not be counting the days until he returns. Most of all, I hope I can remember how blessed I am.... how much I have to be thankful for....and remember this is a journey that I need to enjoy and not dread...again, it's a challenge!!

So please pray for a very successful meeting tomorrow (I, of course, will update you all tomorrow), please pray that my husband gets home safe and sound and that he thrives at home and in his job and please pray that I will remember every moment that I get lonesome or sad, that I am so truly blessed in every way!!

Love to you all - and again, thank you for taking this journey with me!!!

Granada and our journey....

We just got home from an overnight stay in Granada. We have been to Granada several times and have always admired the Hotel Plaza Colon that sits in front of the square, so we made plans and stayed there!! The hotel is gorgeous and our room had a balcony that overlooked the square. Beautiful!! The girls had a separate room and we brought our friend Alejandra, to watch the girls for us.

We spent the first day walking around, getting to know the city. We "almost" fired Alejandra .... she was holding Gracie's hand while we were walking through the square, I guess we had been there for a total of 10 minutes - and all of a sudden, we heard a loud "DOING!!!" - We look back and Gracie ran straight into, and at full force, a light post that was in the middle of the square!! She hit her head HARD and started to cry - this is a big deal because it takes a lot for our Gracie to cry!! Of course, Alejandra felt terrible about it - so of course, we told her she was fired and gave her a hard time about it the rest of the trip (maybe that's why she asked me to take her straight home when we got back into Managua!!) Later in the day, the girls went for a swim in the beautiful pool at the hotel and Tim and I got ready for a night out!! Yes, my husband and I without the girls for dinner and relaxation!!

We had a romantic dinner down the street and watched street entertainers dance, sing and a couple even fire jugglers!! It was very entertaining. This was the first time I had been out - walking around at night and it made me a little nervous. I am not familiar with Granada and never venture out at night...Tim kept saying, "let's cross here" "O.K., slow down a little" - this happened when we ran into anyone on the street. Yes, I was a little nervous. When I explained my feelings to my husband, he said "Don't worry, I took Tae Kwon Do 10 years ago"!!! Great, still nervous!!! We stayed safe and really enjoyed our evening. We took HOT showers....so so nice, had an air-conditioned room, the most comfortable bed and I didn't see one bug in our room the ENTIRE TIME WE WERE THERE!!!!! YYYYEEEESSSS!!!!

Today, was our second day of the trip and our friends, Jason and Michele came with Michele's Mom and sister and met us at Kathy's Waffle House for breakfast. We arrived in a 2-horse carriage after taking a tour of the city (definitely one of the highlights of our trip), we then did some shopping in the streets. We always see vendors selling movies - movies that are still out in the theaters - I never stop and look because I know this is totally illegal. But of course, when Tim is here, we do things that I wouldn't normally do (he is such a bad influence!!) - so we bought the girls 10 movies for $10!!! You wouldn't believe the quality - they are awesome and I told Tim - I am getting a lot more before we go home!! So we have some more entertainment to last us a few more weeks!! We were then on our way home with some tired girls and even more tired parents!!!

I promised Tim that we would NOT discuss the adoption during our time away. I wanted to escape the prison of Managua for a couple of days. I couldn't help but think about it, of course. When I was sitting out on the balcony at our hotel, I people watched for a long time. I was out there first thing this morning and saw all the street vendors getting ready for their day. They were cleaning their tables, sweeping the ground around them, setting out their food, and items to sell. They all work so hard! They will work from morning until dark....every day. I saw locals walking through the square - thinking they were heading to work. I saw children playing and tourists going from place to place.

The entire time I was thinking how blessed I am to be here in this beautiful place with a family I adore. How my family is healthy and strong and have such a strong future ahead of them. I took some time to think about the blessings in my life. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we all are blessed. My life may be very different from the woman in the plaza who sells food, probably easier in many ways, but she also probably has a family to love, is proud of her contributions and has a life of happiness, much like mine!! We are all so different...but also so much the same.

Again, I made a commitment to myself and to God to remember how blessed I am...to know that this time is only a moment in my life, one I know I can conquer! That I will wake up each day being GRATEFUL for my life, not wondering why God isn't listening to my prayers!! There is no feeling sorry for myself...just moving forward and enjoying the journey!!

So my trip did wonders for my attitude...as you can tell!! Having my husband here ALWAYS makes me feel secure and loved....so the challenge for me is to keep this attitude AFTER he leaves!! ;) Allie comes in tonight and we are all so excited to have her here with us!!! So here's to another day of knowing how blessed I am and to loving the days of our journey!!

Gracie...

I'm feeling much better today..physically. I am the kind of person who doesn't "allow" herself to be sick. Lucie said last night, "Mommy, you WILL be all better in the morning, I promise!!" She was right!! I think knowing my husband will be here tomorrow has sped up my recovery.

I know that last night I introduced you all to Gracie Martita Grimes but I wanted to give you some details about who she is and who she is becoming. I know from past blogs, you have an idea of who she is but this time with her has given me the chance to REALLY know who she is becoming. It has been extremely challenging for me but also - a treasure! I have had the opportunity to see her at her worst and at her best. I want to share some of those details with you.

Our Gracie is very strong willed. If she wants to go somewhere, it is difficult to keep her from doing so...If she wants to do something and can't, she makes an extremely ugly face at you and when you look away...she escapes!! When it's time for a nap or time for bed, she will again, give the "ugly look" and then take a LONG time to fall asleep. She hates having her teeth brushed and never wants to miss out on what's going on. She has a difficult time focusing on anything if there is something going on around her. She has, at times, been completely defiant and not listen... testing me to an extreme I have never had to handle as a parent before.

When Gracie wakes up in the morning, she is so happy. She smiles and hugs me and says "good morning Momma"!! She LOVES her sisters and wants to do whatever they do. She watches movies with them, colors with them, swims with them - she ALWAYS wants to be with them - no matter what they are doing. If we go somewhere and the girls are not with us, Gracie gets very upset and keeps asking "Donde esta Lucie?" (where is Lucie?) and she does not want to proceed without them.

She is a people pleaser. She is the happiest when she makes US happy. When we praise her, she actually BEAMS!! She has a beautiful smile and is easily pleased. She is quick to say "I love you" and to hug anyone who is in need. She is very friendly and says "hello" to everyone she meets, including people standing in line at the grocery store!! Everyone is her friend. ;) She LOVES clothes and shoes (fits right in with Scarlett and I) and anything that is for her... makes her feel special.

I think you all have a pretty good idea of who our girl is...what's so amazing about Grace - is how she has changed. The first time I met her, she didn't speak at all. She would only yell, point at what she wanted and cry if she didn't get it. She looked terrible, she had bald spots on her head, bug bites all over her body and was mal-nutritioned. I will always remember that moment when I was holding her and I knew how much she needed me. How much she needed a family and how strong of a connection I felt with her.

With God's grace and love, our girl will soon be ours. I sometimes forget, with all the challenges and struggles here, that we are here for one purpose only....to bring our girl home. We have traveled an extremely long, difficult and incredible journey since that first day that we met her. She is a treasure, a blessing and I am so happy to have met her that first day. To have known that she was my child. So often we pray and we ask God for what we need. Many times, we don't hear His voice, don't hear His answer...well, what I am most thankful for is that I heard God's voice that day and he has blessed our family with our sweet Gracie!! I know that there will be more challenges in the future...some I can't even imagine today. But knowing the person Gracie is, the love she has, makes me feel that it will all be fine in the end.

I would like to introduce to you.....

Well, the food...the stress..finally got to my physically. I am a little down and out today with some stomach issues and overall body aches - yuck!! I thought at first it was the stress of when the Consejo would meet...I was really hoping it was today, but yet again, as the hours go by and we do not hear any news, we know it's not good.

We spent the day with our friends, Jason, Michele and Jonathan - went to lunch and did a little shopping - they are so supportive in this process and feeling our pain as they go through it themselves. It's a blessing to have another family to discuss details with and to vent to - Jason will be meeting with Mi Familia tomorrow morning, and I in the afternoon - our goal is to communicate, yet once more, what these delays are doing to our families. Now that we have been delayed so many times, we are in jeopardy of missing the first part of school and this is NOT something I am willing to do!! They say they are always considering the best interests of the adoptive child - how does missing the beginning of school, when she is already so far behind, benefit her? Frustrating to say the least...

Many stresses today but our day ended in a very positive note. We have been discussing as a family what we should change Martita's name to when the adoption is final. She gets a new passport, visa etc.. so this is our chance to make any changes we want. Tim and I have been discussing it for a long time. We want to be sure Martita keeps her identity but we really want to change her name to "Grace". We always describe Martita as our child from God and God's grace has been the center of this experience for us.

So we went through all the options...Martha (Martita is only used for small children) Grace Grimes.... Grace Martha Grimes. So I was talking to our girl today and told her that now that she is our daughter, she has two new names - Grace and Grimes. She practiced her full name a couple of times and was beaming. A few minutes later I asked her "what is your name?" and she replied "Gracie"!! She loves it and so do we!!!

So I would like to formally introduce you all to our girl, Gracie Martita Grimes!!

Surprise!!!

Thursday night I got a call from our friend Jason around 9:30 PM telling me that his wife Michele was coming over to ask me a question and to not be concerned that someone was knocking at my door so late....well, when I opened the door, it was my handsome husband!!!!!

I just cried when I saw him. What an awesome surprise!! He got a great deal on a weekend ticket and just left this morning. I only had him for 2 days but he is coming back on Wednesday so I am not "suppose" to cry....I have never been too good at doing what I'm "suppose" to do.

We had a great visit - it started off a little crazy - we watched the Diven's son's from 7:30 AM until 1:00 PM. Patricia and her husband had their court date Friday and it's a long day, especially when you have all your kids with you - so we were glad to help out. All went well at court and Sarahi is now officially their daughter! They have another week worth of paperwork to complete, Visa, Passport etc...but will be going home in the next few days. It is with mixed emotions to see them so close to leaving. I of course, wish it was us ;) but so happy for their family! Their situation is very different then ours - they came to Nicaragua to adopt - Sarahi was ready to adopt - they met, agreed to move forward and that was 12 weeks ago!! VERY FAST PROCESS FOR THEM!! Our's, as many of you know, has taken 3 years.

So we did our normal routine - we ran in the morning - had a great breakfast - took the kids to the park and then to the pool. We then went to Esperanza for lunch - it's this awesome coffee cafe that has an incredible view - we ate Panini's and drank iced coffee.

It was our friend, Michele's birthday on Friday so we took their son Jonathon for the evening. We all went to an Italian restaurant that is right down the street and again, the view is AMAZING!! We had brick-oven pizza and enjoyed our evening.

Yesterday was the 4th and we rented a van and went to Los Cardones beach. This is my favorite beach that I have been to in Nicaragua - it is only 7 months old - a small resort made by a guy from Australia who came to Nicaragua to surf...fell in love and created his home here. There are about 8 bungalows - no electricity but beautiful wood floors, hammocks and an ocean view. We decided to book Wednesday the 15th as an overnight stay - Allie will be with us and it will be and all the girls enjoying the sunset and sunrise on the beach... I was hesitant to stay overnight without my husband but feel more comfortable after speaking with the owner - this beach is well protected and I am looking forward to the experience with my girls.

We enjoyed the day so much - the girls all love the beach and we did a lot of swimming, walking and shell gathering. We were all fighting over our handsome boy and he enjoyed every moment of it!! My husband is surrounded by women who adore him and we soaked up every moment we had with him.

We of course, are still waiting for the Consejo to meet and I pray it's this week!! We are all ready to go home. Once the Consejo meets, we should be about a month out from going home - Tim keeps saying August 10th - that's when he thinks it will all be finished...I pray that he's right.

I am a little sad right now - writing - wishing my Baye was still here. Looking at my week to come, I know he will be back in only 3 days - that I know I can do. Just one day at a time!!

Short on minutes.....

There are habits I have here in Nicaragua that are very different than when I'm at home. For example, I have a "pre-paid" phone here that is my life line!! It's all about the minutes - you need to have minutes and you have no way of knowing when you are running out of minutes - it's crazy!! They have two types of phones here, Moviestar and Claro. Apparently, if you have Claro (which is what I have) and call someone who has Moviestar, your minutes get eaten up much faster. If you call Claro to Claro - then the minutes are by the time (no penalties) - if you have Claro and call the states - it is only $.10/minute - which is why I got Claro. So basically, unless you know what kind of phone all the people you call have, there is no way to know when you will run out of time!!!

Every once in a while, I will get a text message on my phone that states there is a promotion today that if you buy over $15.00 in minutes - you receive double the minutes. Are those Claro minutes? Minutes to the states? Minutes to Moviestar? I always buy $20 worth of minutes at a time because I am convinced that if I pay more...I won't get more and because I have no way of knowing how much I am suppose to get, how could I ever complain? If I buy less than $20, then I will always be out of minutes...being out of minutes is not fun!! You aren't going anywhere and you have to beg and plead for someone to make a call for you and of course that is using THEIR minutes!! I seriously feel like I'm in the middle of a Seinfeld episode!! ;)

So, I noticed today that my speaking on the phone has gotten very short. I get immediately to the point and get off the phone. When I called my cab driver today, I said "Norman, we need to go to the orphanage today at 10:30 - does that work for you?" He said "yes" and I said "Ciao".... end of conversation - 2 minutes!! When I saw him in person, I try to share pleasantries with him because I was so short and rude to him on the phone!! This is not only focused on my cab driver but anyone who I talk to - when I need to talk to one of my friends at Condo Allyson - I call them and say "Hey, I'm coming over to talk to you" and hang up - need to save those minutes!!! When someone calls me, I am just as short, even though it's THEIR minutes and not mine that are being used...but it's all so confusing that I just make it quick and get off the phone!!

I was talking to my husband today - I always call him back because I know it is much less expensive, but I am just eating away at my minutes...I can't help but think about it the entire conversation - I even forget to say "I love you" sometimes and end the conversation with "ciao".

I think I get this trait from my Mom (she says I blame all my bad qualities on her but this really isn't bad per se) but I really don't like talking on the phone for any length of time. I am a face to face person....So if you call me and I'm abrupt, please don't take offense...I'm always short on minutes!!

Typical Nicaragua Wacky Day!!!

Well, today was just....wacky!! We started today with our run and had some interesting "visuals"!! Our run is up and down the road that is in front of our complex - it ends by our pool and where the horses here are kept. Today, they were breeding the horses, so every time we would get to the end of the road - we would see a very large white horse "mounting" a sweet little brown horse. Every time we would go to the end of the road...they were still at it!! They were NOT happy...biting each other and making loud noises...I didn't really know what to say to Scarlett but tried to be as natural as possible. After about our 3rd turn around, Scarlett starts saying how sorry she feels for the little horse that is being attacked by the big white one!! On the 5th turn, she informs me that only humans and dolphins take pleasure in intercourse!!! O.K. - I must admit that I already knew this fact (what can I say, I'm married to a very intelligent and handsome nerd) but how in the world does my 12 year old know this?!?!?!

This is how our day started and it continued to be a little wacky!! We were very excited today because I had spotted a nail shop on our way to the mall yesterday. I have been in search for a nail salon since the first day I got here!! I have been getting my nails done since I was 19 years old and albeit, I'm in a 3rd world country...I still need my nails done!! So I was very excited about this day. On our way to the nail salon, our cab driver Norman starts to explain to me about the "tragedy" that had happened this morning at 4:00 AM. The mayor of Managua -Alexis Augrello, was found dead. He was shot and the news states that he committed suicide. Many people here loved Alexis Augrello - I think more for his career in boxing than his works as major, but this news was shocking to the people here in Nicaragua.

My initial reaction was "should we be in the streets of Managua right now?" Albeit, I think I would trample over children to get my nails done today, I don't want to risk my own children's safety!! Norman assured us that all was well - but I had him wait for us outside the nail salon - just in case we needed a quick exit!!

After speaking with my translator - Carlos - I discovered that the President of Nicaragua had declared a 3-day mourning period - which of course means, no government business would happen. Now I know that I am a compassionate Christian but to be honest, my first thought was "man, couldn't he have waited a few days until the Consejo met?" (don't judge me)!! So only God knows when we will have the next Consejo!!

Right before I started to make dinner, our friends Jason and Michele called to ask if we wanted to go to TGIF's for dinner. All of us "gringos" here in Nicaragua, go to TGIF's to feel closer to home...they have kid meals and food we recognize. I had a hamburger and it was "muy rico". Yummm!! We all laughed about our feelings of today's events...how we need to stay positive and that we are all in this together - I am so so grateful for them both!!

So from horses mating to politicians committing suicide....it's a "typical" Nicaragua wacky day!!