REFERRAL!!!

We received our referral on April 25, 2006...a baby boy, born 4/19/06, and his older sister, born 7/14/03! We are so excited! We genuinely feel that these two perfect little children were meant to be in our family. We can hardly believe that we have to wait six to eight months until we can bring them home. But, we are very thankful that we have the opportunity to visit them very soon...May 25 - 30. We'll have lots of photos and information to share when we return, so check back if you're interested in the updates.

If you're wondering what's next in the process...we accepted the referral on the same day, April 25th, and we signed and notarized the required power of attorney forms on May 1. Now, the POA's have to be authenticated, like the rest of our dossier documentation has been. Our dossier is in Guatemala being translated. Once these things are complete, the attorney in Guatemala will submit our case to family court and the countdown begins. For more detail on the process from here on out, see the "Adoption Timeline as of 4/15/06" posting, or check out the following websites for really good descriptions of the Guatemalan adoption process...

http://www.guatefam.org/process.htm

http://www.guatadopt.com/adoptionprocess.html

We are hoping and praying that things go smoothly in family court, U.S. Embassy, and PGN and that we don't get kicked out of PGN for any reason. Each time you're kicked out, it could set you back weeks or even months. Because of this, the timeline can vary greatly from one case to the next. Also, keep in mind that this is not a done deal...their birth mother can still change her mind all the way up until we pick them up. Obviously, we can't dwell on that possibility or we'll go crazy.

Thanks for your interest in this process. Everyone has been so amazing and we couldn't be more thankful. Please pray that we will continue to have patience and faith in this wonderful, but sometimes trying, process. Please also pray for our precious little children, that their foster home is a safe and loving place for them until we can bring them home.