We're coming home!!!

oh how i've longed to type those words!! even though our time here has been wonderful, greg and i both agree - we need home. we cannot wait to see the kids' faces when they see their new sister for the first time. we've been showing lydia pictures of the kids to get her a little ready and every time she sees abby and grace's pictures she kisses them (she really does remember them from our visit trip i believe) - boys i'm sure she'll share alot of kisses with you too!!! her pictures don't do her justice - she always dead pans when we get the camera out!!

the past few days have been nice and relaxing. yesterday we went to the zoo - really cool zoo they have here! some new animals that we've never seen before. lydia didn't care too much about them - she was very tired, but she was such a trooper! mom & i went shopping in the afternoon and the guys stayed back in the hotel with lydie. that was fun!!! unbelievably when we were shopping in this artesian market we bumped into a girl that had a shirt that said western michigan on it. i asked her if she went to western and she said no but that she lived in western michigan though. "GET OUT!" (i think i may have made her a little nervous :)) i said that we lived in w. michigan too. come to find out they live in martin - my sister and bro-in-law (kristin and jon) used to live in martin. she asked me who they were and i told them to which another guy in their group said "my dad's related to the lanings!!" "GET OUT!!!" his parents were with them and we spoke to them for a while. turns out the guy is a cousin to jon's mom. they and 29 young people were on a mission trip to guatemala in an orphanage. who knew that one could play dutch bingo in a vendors shop in guatemala? i think it had to be a God thing.

today we went walking around looking for a store that sold pudding - since that's the only thing that we know for sure lydie would eat on the plane. who knew that finding a pudding snack pack would be so difficult!! we were successful and were able to go do a little more shopping as well. it's amazing how these people take advantage of every single little nook and cranny!! it's so beautiful to see their stores with all the brilliantly colored textiles.

greg and dad went back to the embassy this afternoon to pick up lydia's visa/passport. it was an easy process and one that we're glad is done. our lawyer also dropped off some more information on lydia. we were able to get pictures of her birthmom/grandma/grandpa or brother, baby pictures, a copy of her original birth certificate, and the immunization booklet that aracely couldn't find which had held up our process in the early stages for several weeks! we also found out that we actually got out of PGN on June 9 - we were notified on the 26th!! oh well, over and done with and she's in our arms.

we met up with 4 other bethany families who are here adopting as well. we all went to a guatemalan restaraunt last night. that was alot of fun. there was one family (heather & jon van es) who are from sioux city, IA. i've been communicating with her for the last year on bethany's guatemalan forum. it was WONDERFUL to meet other christians who are going through the same process as we are. we are hoping to get together in the future. they have a beautiful 9 year old boy, Ty and they are adopting a little angel - Jett - from here (he's going to be 2 in october). they have 2 girls at home as well.

So we start on the last part of this trip tomorrow morning bright and early. i think that lydia is finally sleeping and we're going to be heading off to bed too. our bags are packed, the alarm is set, it's time to bring her home.......

jolynn