All in a shoebox

Buenos Noches!!! Hoy es una dia muy importante para mi familia - today is an important day for my family! We had the official "Legal Exit" and Martita is now in our custody from this day forward!! Pretty awesome....I still don't think it's hit me yet but everytime I look at her - I smile :D

We spent the entire day at the orphanage - it was awesome!! I ate lunch with Marina and had a back rub from Julissa - had my hair done by Leyla and then our big news was......the only horse at the orphanage died today....yes, it died today!! There was a bunch of men running around and Cynthia - who is in charge - looked worried - she told me the horse got out and then we saw one of the guards run out of the kitchen with a knife!! A VERY LARGE KNIFE!!! I asked Cynthia....what does he need a knife for?!?!?! And she replied - I have no idea!! Next thing we knew, the horse was dead (apparently from some type of disease and NOT the knife) and all the older boys and men workers were digging a big hole at the far end of the property. They put a rope around the horse and pulled him towards the big hold - Lucie was very upset that they were hurting the horse and I explained that the horse was already dead - she thought for a minute and then said "Well God made him so God can take him back" :D She makes me laugh!!

We waited until our appointment at 2:30 and the day seemed to drag at times - I was very anxious - they didn't have our paperwork (2 copies of the previous families' but not ours) but said everything was O.K. since it was their fault - we just have to go again on Monday to sign the document - this stuff happens all the time - it is VERY difficult to get your hopes up because nothing is certain!! I just sat and cried - thinking we were not going to be able to take her and then realizing we were - just a flippin' emotional roller-coaster!!

Once we got the approval - our cab driver was ready to go - I was rushing around trying to get Martita's things together and when I asked the director to get Martita's things together and she handed me a shoe box........ can you imagine leaving your home after your entire life.... almost 6 years with only a shoe box? It has some stickers, a small doll and a plastic necklace. Martita was thrilled to get it - I, on the other hand, was speechless. I thought about the suitcase I packed for Lucie for a few weeks in Nicaragua - the toys, the pictures, the clothes, the books.... and so many things left at home. But Martita --- all in a shoe box.

I realized that Martita has been and will always be our family - her things, her pictures, her loved ones are all in Virginia - there will be no more living off of beans and rice - getting rashes from not washing (she has one now on her bum), not having her own space and her own things but most of all....she will always have her dignity. That she will always have with us!!!

It will not be easy - we are already struggling with sharing, cleaning and communication - but we are on our way....we are actually on our way!!!