Time flies...

We have been back in Guatemala for 8 days and we have barely slowed down long enough to even consider trying to reflect on all that has happened and all of the emotions and memories we have already experienced!

It didn't occur to me what a very different trip this would be than our last trip when all of my focus and energy and emotion were about taking care of two small children and doing anything possible to bring them both home safely.  I think blogging then was a lifeline, as I know it was for many of the other amazing women and families we met along the way.  Now, we are just on vacation.  An amazing vacation with plenty of it's own emotions attached to it, but it is completely different to be here with children who are able to be a part of the beauty of this place and to have Keith with us... I had no idea I could grow to love this place even more than before because I am able to enjoy it and see it in such a different light!

For those who were lucky enough to know Alfredo and Claudia Gonzalez, you will know what a treat it was to arrive in Guatemala City after a very long day to be greeted at the airport by smiling Alfredo simply because he believes that you should be greeted by a friendly face when you arrive into a new country.  We couldn't ask for a kinder welcome.

After a night at the Grand Tikal, we were escorted to Antigua by Carlos... who we immediately knew we could have too much fun with!  Our home here is lovely and we felt at home immediately.  Naturally, we explored Antigua and found some old and familiar haunts and had some fun getting lost and navigating our way through the streets and vendors.  The smells and sounds and sights are just as we remembered, with some changes that seem to be a result of the closing of adoption in Guate.  Regardless, we were here and Lucy, at long last, was and feeling parts of her first home and learning to put all those photographs from home into this now real scene that she can make her own claim to know.

We were thrilled to spend a day with Lucy's foster family which included her foster mother and three of her four children.  Alfredo joined us for this reunion, and it was a truly lovely day.  We spent a long time at the GC Zoo and then took our time together at a lunch that allowed us to talk and to share stories about Lucy and the amazing girl she has grown to become.  M warmed our hearts very deeply by her comments that Luciana was a happy and healthy little girl and she could see the love of our family.  The moment when M first saw Lucy upon exiting the car, she scooped her up and covered her with kisses to Lucy's great joy!  It was such an important day to our family and it brought us so much happiness to be able to reunite with someone we have such adoration for.

So... much... more.  More friends, more stories, more adventures to come.  For now... today's adventure:

So Many Changes...

Wow!  I have been away from Blogger for awhile... three years!  There have been some changes, not the least of which is our family!  While I relearn the nuances of Blogger, I have to refrain from strolling down memory lane and rereading the moments recorded here that lead to the family we are today!  You, however, if you are checking in to follow our upcoming trip, please feel free to relive the stories... I think the first posts are the most important on our journey, and I will be checking back myself... all the way to the beginning, once I learn the new ways of Blogger.

I have logged back on for the purpose of journaling our upcoming trip to Guatemala.  It is with a joyful heart that we return to a place so dear to us and has lead to buckets full of reflection and planning.  Luciana was just a little more than 8 months old when we brought her home.  Her only memories of Guatemala exist because of photographs from our time there over 5 years ago.  This is huge.  Sam, on the other hand, has wonderful memories and can not wait for his little sister to share in the beauty and memory making.  Keith and I are packing and planning and excited and nervous and thrilled and... ya.  So, come along for the ride if you wish... we'd love to share the journey.

Summer of Smiles

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Summer Memories

Today is my 35th birthday.  I am sitting in bed surrounded by handmade cards, flowers, and empty plates where eggs and toast were only moments ago.  The house is empty, and I have been left too "relax".  My birthday has always marked the end of summer and the beginning of a season of change.  This year is no different, but it is (to me) noteworthy because it will be a summer I will always, always remember.  The weather could not have been more beautiful, and my children could not have been better ages and spirits for enjoying just exactly what summer vacation was created for.  Put simply, we had a blast!  So, as we head into 3rd grade, preschool, and a new job (school librarian, btw) for mama, I can stamp this moment with gratitude, awe, and a sentimental sigh. 

Knowing only too well that this "relaxing" moment will come to close shortly, I am going to leave a sampling of those summer memories in the form of pics via the iphone in a post to follow.

Happy fall to all!  As the leaves begin to change, I feel a real peace for my own little family and our place in the world.  Life is good.

Love, love, love...

Loook Who...

is almost 3!!

In one moment tonight, I had a helmet, a crown, a pair of goggles, a magic wand, and a truck in my hands from the litter of the day's comings and goings, and in the quiet of routine, a lump of gratitude rose in my throat as I placed each treasure away for the night.  I love my life.

Memories

Today... or tomorrow... or midnight?!?! 

FOREVER FAMILY DAY!! 

We became a Forever Family on February 29 (Leap Year!) 2 years ago!  I love this day.  After all the ups and downs and tears and hopes, the one moment when Keith walked into our little apartment in Antigua and wrapped his arms around all of us to begin our life as a family of four... forever... it takes my breath away each time I think of it.  I love that we have this special day that is all ours to take time to appreciate how we came to be a family.  I took out the albums I made of our time in Guatemala... they begin with the night before Sam, Mom and I flew to Guate, and end with the "Welcome Home" pics back here in snowy Maine.  We sat together and read through them like our own family fairy tale.  It's our story, and I love to remember it. 

Much love.

Happy New Year~2010

Growing Up...

Luciana is 2 1/2 years old now... 2 1/2 years of stinkin' cuteness. She is a live wire, constantly talking, constantly moving, and constantly getting her cute little self into worlds of trouble! If she is not coloring on the walls and furniture, she is turning somersaults in the living room while singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider for all of our entertainment. She is such an affectionate little thing; hugging is a big deal around here! Potty training is the other big deal these days... involving many hours sitting, singing Blue's Clues, and clapping to encourage her new talent! Now that Lucy is talking (and talking, and talking, and talking), we take great joy in her adorable phrases and pronunciations. She has so many funny names for things that are so close to the real thing they just make you smile. I always say it, but I really do have to start to write some of them down. My favorite phrases currently all happen at bedtime...

L: Is it goodnight moon time, Mama?
B: Yes, it is goodnight moon time.
L: OK.
L: Goodnight moon. I love you, I do. Goodnight Mama. I love you, I do. Goodnight Daddy. I love you, I do. Goodnight Sammy. I love you, I do. (She goes on to include grandparents, friends, teachers, and stuffed animals!!! ACK! CUTE!!)

I remember when Lucy was a baby, people would always ask us if she was "that happy all the time"... and she was. Then she wasn't. We definitely went through a phase that was rather ugly with our little princess. She was a screamer... car screamer, bed screamer, dinner screamer, etc. I remember thinking how frustrated she must be to not have the words to tell us what she needed and wanted. It was so clear to us that she really understood us and the world around her, but she took awhile to be able to tell us her own thoughts. In time, the words came, and with it went the screaming... well, most of it. Sam could probably get a good shout out of her quickly! The Lucy we wake up to now is a much happier, spirited little girl, and has that same twinkle in her eye that we remember from our first moments together. She is also fiercely independent, fearless, and stubborn for sure, but more that anything, she is happy and sweet and full of an infectious love that melts our hearts daily.

Since Lucy started talking, life has been a waterfall of newness.... colors, counting, ABC's, songs, stories, pretend playing... and even the occasional "knock knock" joke she lifts from her brothers repertoire! She is a sponge and a siv all at once... absorbing everything just to turn around and share it with us. What fun! Other updates include her move to a toddler bed after too many jail breaks from the crib... our girl is a climber! She really loves her little bed, and we love our return to a full nights sleep... most nights!

Lucy provides us with daily stories of the adventures of a talking, running, giggling toddler. She has such a love of life, and we count our blessings for both of our wonderful children every day. Because blogging has taken such a back seat since returning to work (oh, and living with a 2 year old), I feel so inadequate in my attempt to summarize all the ways Lucy has grown up and all the tiny little facets that contribute to who she is in this one post. But, for now, I feel a little better that some of her flavor is recorded here... and how delicious she is!

Much love.

Sweet Faces