Random Pictures and a Wedding

Well it was a long but worth it weekend. Greg, Toby, My Mom and I all left friday night for Columbus for Eric's Wedding. For those that are new to my life, we grew up with Eric's family. Him and David were in the same grade and his mom and my mom are best friends. We have spent good times and bad times together over the years and I was happy to be there for my "lil brother" as he married his beautiful bride. On Saturday after the wedding Dad and David joined us for the reception. When you see the pictures there aren't many of Toby because he crashed about an hour into it and slept for about 2.5 hours with everything going on. He was such a good boy the whole weekend until we got home today and the sleep deprivation caught up to him. He is peacefully sleeping in his own bed right now. So here are some of the better pictures along with some random ones from the past week.

Having fun with Mommy

Mr. Cool

Riding his "hog"

Rockstar in training

Exchanging of the rings

The Mr. and Mrs.

Mom and Me

Dad, Mom, Me, and David aka The Fam

Greg and I (This is how Dad cropped the picture)

Mom, Me, Trina, and Sue (sister-in-law and mother of the groom)

I am sure Mom will post other pictures so check out her blog soon. And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Liliana Update

Our attorney has taken Liliana to obtain her new passport with her correct picture on it. She has also contacted the US Embassy via email since they are not open this week for adoption related business. She will go on Jan 2 to talk to the USE and get the permission again for the second DNA to be taken. As soon as she gets it, our agency will put a rush on the test so we can travel as soon as possible. Here are the rest of the pictures from the month of December for her 6 month birthday. Hope they tide you over till I get more news.

Christmas Pics

We had a fantastic Christmas. Sunday we had Christmas with my Dad's family at Grandma's House. It's not as crazy as when I was younger, but it was nice to see everyone. Then on Monday we hung out at our house until about 3:30. Then we went into NaNa's for dinner and then off to the Children's mass at 6:00. It was long but the children of the parish reenacted the Nativity story and the music was fantastic. Even though Toby was tired he was too engrossed with everything to go to sleep. After church we hung out at NaNa's, then it was home again to help Santa with the presents. On Christmas morning my Mom and Dad came out to see Toby experience his first Christmas. He came down stairs and immediately beelined for the presents. I swear he was through them all in .2 seconds and then it was on to putting them together. After playing and breakfast and getting cleaned up we went back to NaNa's so I could cook dinner and we could have Christmas again. Poor Toby was on Present overload and was unwrapping everything. He got a ton of cars, playschool racin ramps, Elmo's car garage, a farm, an 80 piece train set, a Mr. Potato Head, some puzzles, a guitar, and a big wheels. Greg and I also made out like bandits, so a big THANK YOU to everyone! Here are the pics from all of the above. i would have posted sooner but we hit the after Christmas Sales today. I swear Toby enjoyed that as much as opening everything yesterday. The pics are going to be in random order just so you're aware.

Grandma's Party on Sunday

Hi Mr. Bear. I like how you change colors.

Uncle Dav Dav opening his fire truck

My Mom, brother, husband, and cousin

My Dad, Uncle, Aunt, and cousin

This was Toby's favorite at my Grandma's on Sunday. Scratch offs. Who knew?

Daddy and Toby playing

Just for Kelly...Greg/Toby Butt

Laughing

Putting the Angel on the tree

NaNa's Christmas Eve

Family Foto after Church

Reading Twas the Night Before Christmas

Just Hanging Out

Christmas Morning

Racin Ramps

Train Set

Hot Wheels

How many men does it take to put together a car garage?

Me putting together the Hot Wheels...by Myself (and I fininshed first)

Toby and PapPap playing cars

Toby helping Daddy to unwrap his gifts. Love the bows!

Showing off his new ride

Checking out the wheels

Christmas Day at NaNa's

Opening Puzzles

Opening Lili's gifts

Opening his extra taped Christmas stocking gifts

Greg's mom and Dad watching the kids open their gifts

Greg's Uncle Michael taking pictures

Mom finding out that Dad bought her a laptop.

Sorry no pictures of the feast I made or of game time. I did have other pics of the kids opening their presents but they turned out blurry. Check Mom's blog in the side bar (probably in a few days since she's slower than me) for more pics. We really did enjoy Christmas and Toby had a blast. He loved unwrapping things. And he made out like crazy. it looks like a toy store threw up all over my living room. But isn't that the joy of Christmas is watching it through a child's eyes. Stay tuned for more pictures this week of us all dressed up at Eric's wedding. Love to all! Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Lesson

Well I have been bitching and complaining about the Second DNA and how I wish it didn't have to be done. BUT, Thank God it is done because Liliana was accidently switched with another baby girl at the hogar. Yes people you read that correctly. So all of the beautiful pictures you have been looking at since November are NOT of Liliana they are of Baby X as Greg calls her. Our agency is very proactive, thank goodness, and steps are already being taken to correct all this maddness. So what does this all mean, well we now need a new passport since the picture is incorrect and DNA will need to be taken again which means we need to get DNA authorization again. This should delay us by another two weeks I'd imagine. Our attorney will be working this week to get it all straightened out and I am in direct communication with our agency director. I pray I have better news for everyone by the new year. Here is a picture of our Liliana, sweet and beautiful just the way I remember.

Merry Christmas from My Family to Yours!

A Year Already!

I can't believe it. Toby has officially been with us for One Year. It seems like just yesterday we were packing up to live in Guatemala for a month while we waited for his visa to be issued. I refused to spend Christmas without my son. Our plane arrived late, our lugguge was lost, and I could reach no one from the agency to tell them. When we entered the lobby of the Marriott, we saw Toby immediately. He was there with the attorney, her mother, and one of her children. We sat and talked awhile and then we embraced Toby and headed to our room to start our life as a family. We were looking forwarded to spending Christmas with the friends that we had made in Guatemala 4 months earlier, Todd and Amy. While there we were also blessed to meet Beckie and Chris (who helped us to make happy hour in the baby room way more fun and invited us to Christmas dinner with them) and Kim and Dave with their daughters Ana and Ruth. Kim and Dave proved to be great friends during my stay since they too were waiting out their visa for Ruth. I would have never made it through the holidays away from home if it weren't for my new friends. Friends that are still around a year later and I hope many years to come! Merry Christmas to the Dillons, the Kurns, and the Merrills! It will not be the same without you this year. We miss you every day and hope that one day very soon we can find a way to get together and celebrate all that we have been blessed with through this process.

Toby has grown, developed, and changed so much this year from a young toddler to a full blown two year old. He has brought tremedous joy to our lives. Every day is a blessing with him and I look forward to each one. God's planning and timing were perfect though I tended to fight him and disagree right down to the last moments. My time spent in Guatemala is one I will never forget and will always treasure.


Our first day together. He was 13 months old. I was okay with bringing home a toddler but looking back he was still very tiny. (Beckie do you see you and the peanut. She's not so tiny anymore.)Christmas Day last year and one of my VERY favorite pictures of him!

Cheesing for the camera in early December this year.All smiles on our visit to Missouri last week. He is a total joy. He is my joy! And we can't wait to share all that joy with his sister who we know will find her place in our growing family and radiate her own joy.

Pictures

So here is a video montage of all the pics I took while in Missouri. They are basically of Toby with Skyler. We had so much fun with you guys and I wish that you lived closer. Thanks for putting up with us!



Toby and Skyler

Home Again

Well we made it. We left last Tuesday night for Missouri and made it to my grandparents at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon. Toby and I spent 2 days hanging with our buddies Kelly and Skyler and a day hanging out at the Hospital visiting PapPap and a day with my Aunt Tracie. We really enjoyed seeing everyone, despite our reason for traveling. PapPap's surgery went well and he's suppose to get to go home today. I'm really glad that my mom was able to be there and that we were able to take her.

After visiting PapPap one last time Monday we set out on our journey home. We decided to stop at Bob Evans for some good food at the St Louis Mills before taking off down the road. Well let me just say I will never eat at Bob Evans again. I got food poisoning! I was so sick it wasn't even funny. After driving about an hour and a half I had to pull over and let Mom drive. Let me premise this part as saying Mom told me not to get sick in the car. When I tell her I'm about to, does she slow down? No. Does she pull over? No. I have four words for you people High speed projectile vomit. And I will leave it at that. After hurling I felt immediatley better but it wasn't for long and after only 3.5 hours on the road we had to stop for the night so that I could just be sick. Well it's two days later and I still don't feel right. It was a miserable rest of the trip home yesterday. I am very happy to be in the comforts of my own home. It is going to be a very long rest of the week as I still have all my Christmas shopping to do. Yikes!

Liliana update: The lab received her sample yesterday. They told me it takes 7-10 days to process. So hopefully we will know something next week.

ORANGE

Hot Diggity Dog!!! Labcorp charged my credit card which DNA was taken today. I am so excited. It should be about 3 weeks to travel. DNA takes 10-12 days round trip, which means we should get PINK for Christmas detailing our appointment dates and then travel a week later. I will be IN Guatemala the first of the year. Now I can enjoy my time here in Missouri with my family and my adoption friends. And while I have you here, please pray for my PapPap who is undergoing surgery to remove his spleen tomorrow. (the last step in his cancer treatment) I am soo happy I can be out here with him right now. Love to all and I'll let you know when I here anything. T

Orange on the Brain

Okay everyone I need you to think ORANGE thoughts. We need that orange slip to get DNA done (the last step to bringing Liliana home). I am constantly checking my email and my bank account looking to see is DNA has been done. I'm losing it over here, we are sooo close. Here's how the rest of the time will play out...

1. Submitted to the Embassy and receive the Orange DNA slip
2. DNA is taken and sent to Lab Corp in NC
3. DNA is processed (about seven days)
4. DNA is sent to US Embassy in Guatemala
5. Embassy receives results and issues the Pink slip with our appointment date in 24-72 hours
6. Liliana gets her medical clearance from an Embassy approved doctor
7. I travel to Guatemala
8. Embassy Appointment
9. Pick up visa the next day
10. Fly home the day after that

Once we get to step 5 the rest of the steps will happen in a matter of days. Right now it seems as though it takes the DNA a roundtrip (from being taken to going to the embassy) of about 10-12 days. We will most likely get our travel dates right around Christmas, either before or after. And I'll probably travel sometime during the first or second week of January. I'd love to be home with Liliana for Mom's 55th birthday as that is also Lili's 7 month bday. So in order to do this everyone must pray and think ORANGE. Hell wear some orange if you have to, whatever it takes! I promise to keep everyone updated. Love Tina

A Bunch of Randomness and a Tree

Multitasking...Playing Guitar and Driving

Our version of a Photo Album

Scrollin Down to find "Yilye"

Toby's Version of a Kitty Cat (Sorry kinda pale)

Charming Mommy

Friday was Nate's 2nd Birthday

Blowing Out the Candles

I Wanna Taste Too

Ice Cream Face

When Do I Get Some??

Playing His Guitar Ornament

Farmer Toby and His Sheep Dog Off to Work

On the Hunt for the Perfect Tree Tonight

Taking a Break with Daddy

Love this one...Too Cool

I'll Help You Daddy!

Our tree

Our Tree with All the Lights

So tonight we went tree hunting. Due to cleaning, and napping, and decorating, we got off to a very late start. So we didn't get to go to Hozaks. Instead we went to Wanye Ridge. We were very disappointed with the tree selection. At Hozaks all the trees are oragnized by type, but not here. We wandered and wandered figuring the hour we had until dark set in was plenty of time, but alas as I said it was slim pickins. We eventually found a decent one and after trimming a foot of the bottom and taking off some branches and rearranging the entire living room (a feat we've never had to do)... it is up and looking pretty. Tomorrow after church we will decoarte it. Maybe by then the rash and the pain from thousands of pine needles stabbing me as I trimmed, screwed in, moved, and placed lights on will be gone. It seriously hurts! Oh well no pain...no Christmas Spirit in my house. Tomorrow I'll show you all the finished pics of the house. (But not the outside cause there is still pumpkins out there! lol)