Emily Belle is with her Mommy!!

My friend Betsy left yesterday for Guatemala and word on the net is that she has little Emily Belle with her!! I am so excited to see pictures since I have not seen her since we were in Guatemala in July and I am sure she has changed! I don't know why but I just keep crying every time I think of that miraculous moment when they hand that little one over to you that you have been dreaming and praying about for so long. I have been giving my kids extra squeezes this weekend just remembering what a journey it was to bring them home and what a true Blessing each one is to our family! The status of Guatemala adoptions is in question and I just want to do something to help the country of my childrens birth. I have been praying about it and first and foremost, in case you are getting some crazy notion in your head, it will not be adopting another one. Perhaps some mission work in the future and I have a real desire to learn Spanish so my children will be bilingual. We have had a fun weekend but I left my camera at Steve's grandma's last weekend so no new pics! I may borrow a camera this week to get some good pumpkin and halloween pictures!

The brothers showing each other some Love!!

AKA: Wrestling!

Some of Layla's favorite places!

Lost Identity

This morning I woke up sandwiched between 2 sleeping beauties and had to go to the bathroom so bad I couldn;t sleep any longer. The wedge I am in is so tight that any removal of my body will wake one or both of the babes. So I lay their and try to hold out as long as I could so that the day would not begin this early. When I finally get out and they both start screaming for me I know that I have no control how the rest of the day will go. I go to the bathroom with them standing watching me.( God forbid I get out of their sight.) I then scramble to make breakfast ala carte because no one will eat the same thing. Get one on the bus and head to the shower, where again I am the spectacle behind the glass doors that they wave at and laugh at only to get out and step in wads of toilet paper that Layla has decided to tear up. It is only 9 in the morning and I am already drained of my energy and my humility. What happened to the days that I got up when I felt like it, read in my book for awhile, had a cup of coffee with my co-workers and sat back to enjoy a day of work??? Oh yeah, I had kids!!! I struggle with not wanting to complain because I LOVE my children, I truly do, but something in this house has to give. Not being out of the sight of others EVER is completely killing the only part of ME that is left. Maybe a day at the spa is in my near future! Without my kids watching!!Ha

So happy together!

Puppy Love

Wasn't quite ready for this yet but my son Noah has a big case of Puppy Love!! I should have seen it coming. Our little neighbor girl has been coming over more often all the time and now they are in the same class. Today he wrote a note for her, colored it and had me put a little heart on it. I asked what that meant and he said" You know...Hee Hee....LOVE". So he kept it in his pocket until she came over tonight and handed it over to her so proudly and told her he had a secret and whispered something in her ear and they giggled. She is about 4" taller than him so they make quite the couple....She likes to carry him around(Literally)! Why do children have to grow up so fast?? I mean I understand they just really like each other but the way they make eyes at each other??? I think I will call her mom and tell her that her little girl is a Flirt and to tell her to back off! Ha. I am posting a picture of him and his girl on the first day of school!

Survivors Guilt

This post has been a long time coming and I know the title came from one of my friends who hit the nail on the head the other day. I have survivors guilt. I think I survived a pretty treacherous adoption process because of my poor choice of an agency. Now that I have Layla home I am sick about all the friends I have that are still stuck in the nightmare of trying to get their babies home. So many things are happening in Guatemala with adoptions right now and time is of the essence for getting babies in process home. Why aren't the agencies trying harder to get home the children in process instead of getting more people to sign with them so they can pocket more money. I am very frustrated today as more than one of my friends are hurting because of the LIES our agency continues to dish out. I feel very Blessed to have my little girl home but I am sometimes scared to show my excitement for fear that it makes them feel worse. I thought I was past the anger and have been really trying to move on and just enjoy my family but I keep reliving everything that happened because it is still happening to others.

Layla climbing up to watch them make pizza's

Picking out one of the cheesy prizes from the tickets they won in the arcade

Eli getting ready to blow out his candle on his Sundae

So Proud to be going to school

Happy 5th Birthday Eli!!

I can'-t believe that Eli turned 5 yesterday! Where does the time go? Out of our 3 children, I would say his adjustment was by far the hardest because of his age when he came home. At
2 1/2 he had been through so much that we will never know about completely. He spent the first 14 months with his birthmother and then 14 months with a foster family. Just enough time with both to think it was where he belonged. I'-ll never forget when we picked him up how he did not even shed a tear and we thought, how lucky we were that he was adjusting to us so quickly. Much to our dismay, he spent the next year to two years shopping for a new family, every time someone showed him attention. It was the hardest thing in the world to see your child reject you and always be on the look out for someone who might love him more. It has been a long road but we are finally there. The point where he will say I Love You Mom and look me in the eye. The point where he does not always think he is moving on because he did something wrong. He has alot of sensory issues and still some small attachment issues but all in all this child is the most easy going, funny and loving of all our children. He started school this year and is having the time of his life. We went out for pizza and ice-cream and to the arcade for his birthday and his exact words when we drove up were.......This is awesome, this is going to be so great!!! And it was! Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Why did you take it away from me?

Using the candle for a spoon!

Layla loved climbing in the gift bags!

Our family

Our little princess

Finally a new blog title!!

Well, I have been contemplating what I should change my blog title to and could not resist Jo Jo's Circus! This is exactly what most given days are like at our house with 3 little ones under the age of 5! My nieces and nephews and my former co-workers always called me Jo Jo so I think it is very fitting. Thank you so much to my friend Ashley for designing this!!! You rock! Most days I am the ringmaster trying to keep all the acts from disaster but lately I would say that Layla is center stage and wanting ALL the attention. We have had a very busy week with Baptism on Sunday and over 50 people at my house and then tonight our church sponsored a Welcome Home Layla supper to help with some of the unexpected expenses that occurred when we went on our pick up trip and ended up staying or a month! What a great feeling to have friends and family that really care about us and have Welcomed Layla with open arms. I can't say enough good things about this little community of 385 people that love our children. I need to get to bed but I know if I don't post pictures soon I will be in BIG trouble. So here are a few from the Baptism and Layla's belated Birthday party!
P.S. Layla's friend Emily Belle is OUT of PGN!!! We are so happy for her family!