Our Journey To Bring Arabella Home

Told our story today

2009-09-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Bella when we took her to the zoo recently. It doesn't have anything to do with today's post, but I wanted to show you how big and more beautiful Bella is getting..

Today Bella and I had the opportunity to go to our agency's adoption preparation class to tell our adoption story to parents who want to adopt. Bella was very well-behaved and it felt great to share some hope with others who are where we were 2 years ago. I am feeling very blessed today. 2 years ago we were finishing up our paperwork and dossier to send to Guatemala and we didn't even know about Bella yet. Life has changed dramatically since then for the better. I can't imagine life without her now.

Arabella Turned 2 Yesterday!

2009-08-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Here Bella is showing her pull ups to her daddy. She wanted him to open them right then. Bella had lots of family and friends over at our house last night for her Dora birthday party. The funny thing is out of all her awesome presents she was most excited about her Dora pull-ups, Elmo big girl panties, and bubbles! She also got all kinds of cute clothes, shoes, books, toys, a toddler swing and slide! She is growing up way too fast!

Fun with our foster family in Guatemala

2009-06-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

We have been very blessed to be able to come to Guatemala to spend time with Arabella's foster family. Bella and I arrived on Wed., July 24th, and will be going home on Thursday, July 2nd. I wanted to come before Bella was 2 so I would only have to buy her a lap ticket, which is about 10% plus taxes of the adult ticket price. She did pretty well on the plane. We did have to go into the tiny bathroom for a leaky diaper change. It was fun. I had to stand Bella up on the toilet seat and change her standing up - good thing it wasn't a poopy diaper! She only slept for about 45 minutes of the entire 4 hours we flew, but she played and wasn't very fussy at all.

She was shy for about 10 minutes when we met Karen and her family at the airport, but she remembered them right away. They invited us to stay with them and it has been a very special time. They bought a pool to put on the front patio for the kids to swim. Bella loves the water; we're having trouble keeping Bella out ot if. They swam 2 days so far. We went to the city and the kids had horseback rides in the park on another afternoon. Bella had a goat cart ride. Margie and Joshua rode with Bella in a little cart pulled by a goat. It was so cute! She made Mami Karen hold her hand and we sang all the way around the path.

We went to church, to lunch at Karen's parent's house, and to the mall yesterday. Bella calls Karen Momma and likes her to hold her. She is having so much fun with the children. I am thankful for this special time with the angels who took care of Bella from the time she was 15 days old until she was 91/2 months old (when I picked her up last summer). They are truly beautiful people and love Bella with all their hearts. Bella loves them all, too. They have a special bond.

Above are some of my favoite pictures from the past few days.

Way Overdue Updates and Pictures

2009-06-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

This set of pics is from Easter. I told you this was way overdue! The last month and a half of school are crazy for me, so I got a little behind. Bella went to church in her lovely Easter dress and the lady in charge of the nursery let her have chocolate and she had it all over her dress when I went to pick her up afterwards. I was not a happy camper. She had a pink shrug sweater that she wore over her dress that was too chocolate covered to wear when we got to Grandma's. It took us 20 minutes and half a Tide stick to get the chocolate mostly out of her dress before we could take pictures. Then we couldn't go outside for picture with her dress in front of Grandma's flowers because it was too cold without her sweater. She changed into her play clothes for the egg hunt and she was so funny. She would find one egg at a time and would turn around and wait for everyone to clap for her. Then she would smile really big and want to open every egg to see what was inside. We had to keep encouraging her to keep finding the eggs first. She had a blast with the egg hunt and we had a lovely time with our family at Grandma's.

Spring Break Smoky Mountain Fun

2009-05-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is the cabin we stayed in with our friends in Pigeon Forge on "Top of the World Drive." Bella is hanging out on the front deck looking at the beautiful view from the rocking chair.

Bella being silly with Tonya and Lyndsey on the porch of the cabin.

Wow! Check out that view!

Bella found a fun place to hide and play under the stairs in the cabin. She is in her swimsuit here after she took her first dip in a hottub out on the deck. Bella loves water!

Here is our attempt to get all the kids (minus Mason who went to town to have fun his daddy) to sit still long enough for us to get a picture. The top row is Lyndsey and Lori's daughters Vivian and Serena. The bottom row is all of our Guatetots: Bethany (Lori's daughter), Maria Jade (Valerie's daughter), Isabelle (Lauren's daughter) and Bella.

Here is Isabella sporting a Krispy Kreme hat with her mom, Lauren,

in the living room of the gorgeous cabin we stayed in.

Arabella decided that she liked the music that Lyndsey had on her ipod

and she listened for a while on the way down.

Another picture of our view of the mountains

Tammy and Lyndsey posing on the deck in front of the great view of the mountains.

Bella loves her Lyndsey (Lou Lou)!

Arabella, Isabelle, and Bethany posing on a bench in front of the Apple Barn.

Bella cheesing as usual.

Bella and I had the opportunity to take a trip to Pigeon Forge, TN over spring break. My sister, Tammy, and one of her daughters, Lyndsey, went with us. We stayed in a beautiful cabin on " Top of the World Drive" and it felt like that's where we were by the time you got to the top of the long winding road you drive up to get there. It had beautiful scenic views. To make things even more special, we were able to spend some time with our friends and their children who we met last April at Casa de Luna in Guatemala. We were all there visiting our daughters who we were in the process of adopting last year. All our girls have grown so much in the past year. This week also marked one year since we first met and spent our first fabulous week with our daughter. You have heard me mention Lori (Bethany's mom), Valerie (Maria Jade's mom), and Lauren (Isabelle's Mom) when we were all in the adoption process last year. Many of you helped us pray all our babies home last year year; thanks again for all your love!

Then and Now.... Same dress (different size) different country...

2009-04-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Look how big Arabella has gotten! I loved this dress so much when I saw it last winter when I was waiting to meet Arabella for the first time, that I bought it off the clearance rack at Old Navy in two sizes. The first picture is last April in Guatemala and the bottom picture is last month at my sister's. She looks awesome in this coral color. Every time she wears it people compliment how good she looks and that it is her "color". I agree but also think she looks good in every color. When she wore this dress to church I had a case of nostalgia remembering when we first met Bella and spent the week with her. I thought you would enjoy this "then and now" post to see how much she has grown. I am playing blog catch up. Read below to see 2 more posts from today.

Weekend at Aunt Tammy's

2009-04-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

All dressed up and ready for church! Bella and Lyndsey

I love lettuce!

Last month, Bella and I spent a weekend at my sister's house. Arabella loves to play with her cousins and they love her. We had a great time hanging out, eating, shopping, and going to church! Above are a few pictures from our fun weekend. Keep reading below for another post from today.

Fun With Friends!

2009-04-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

Maria Jade and Arabella take turns pushing Elmo in the stroller.

Mason showing us his new toy.

Bella even let Maria Jade hold her favorite stuffed animal, Mr. Penguin.

Long time, no blog.........Lots of good things have happened over the last 2 months since I posted, so I will attempt to share a few pics and fill you in a little. We have been doing great, we just stay busy. In February, our friends (Valerie and Ray with their children Maria Jade and Mason) came to visit from Berea. We first met them last spring when we were both waiting to bring our daughters home from Guatemala. Valerie flew with Bob and I to Guatemala last April on our visit trip to meet Arabella. We had a great time bonding with our girls and getting to know each other as well.

We don't get to see each other as often as we might like, but we will always be friends. Going through the adoption process at the same time has a way of bonding you together. The support I got from Val helped me stay sane; she knew exactly how I felt because she was going through the same thing at the same time.

The kids had fun playing together while Val and I had some time to talk and catch up.

Happy Valentine's Day and Bella is 18 months old today!

2009-02-14T14:00:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Our baby (big) girl is 18 months old today! Time is flying by; Arabella has been home for over 6 months now. The past month has been very busy. We had a huge ice storm, didn't have power for 4 days (some of our family didn't have power for 2 weeks), basement got very wet due to no electricity and sump pump not working...... We are blessed that we didn't have it worse, though. We have a new found appreciation for electricity and the everyday comforts we take for granted. Arabella got to meet her Uncle Jody for the first time while he was here visiting over the past couple of weeks. She had lots of fun getting to know him. One of the new things Bella likes to do is have tea parties. She especially likes for her daddy to sit at her little table with her and she pretends to pour tea in his glass; it is so cute! She has invited me to have tea with her a few times, but it is usually her daddy who she wants to do this with. Bella has transitioned to sleeping beside our bed instead of in the bed with us. She still doesn't like to sleep in her room down the hall; I think she is afraid to be by herself. We want her to feel safe first and foremost. She will be in her own room one of these days. Then she will be big and we will wish she were still little, so I am not rushing it. I love each new holiday we get to celebrate with Bella. I am so thankful to have her in my life. I am more thankful that she is home this year to celebrate them all with us. She is doing so well and is so beautiful, smart, and happy. We can't remember what our life was like without her, nor do we ever want to. I think about how blessed I am and the tears flow. Thank you Lord for all the love you have showered on me! Love and blessings to you all, Tonya

My Dreams For You, Arabella

2009-01-19T15:29:00.000-08:00

Dear Arabella, Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday and I was at home all day with you from school. When you grow up you will hear about his important speech which is entitled "I Have a Dream." It made me think of my dreams for your future. I look at you everyday and am amazed that I am lucky enough to be your momma. I loved you from the first minute I knew you existed. No, you didn't grow inside my womb, but my love for you has grown everyday in my heart and soul. God knew you and loved you even before you were born. Your birthparents were part of God's plan, too. They gave you life and gave you many special characteristics that make you unique and beautiful. I am forever grateful to them for that. God knew that we would be your forever family, and I am eternally thankful for that. I pray that as you grow up you will be happy and will always feel loved. I hope you have fun and make wonderful friends. I hope you fall in love with the Lord and will let him guide your future. I pray that you will fall in love with a man who will treat you like a princess and will serve the Lord with you. I pray that the Lord will bless you with children, so you can find the joy I have found in motherhood. I pray that you will find something you are passionate about doing and that you will give it your all. My dreams for you include all these things and so much more, Bella. One day when you read this, I hope you will realize how important you are to me and how I pray that all your dreams come true. Love you forever, Momma

Christmas, A New Year, and Catch Up ...........

2009-01-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

This is sweet Bella in between her 2 illnesses when she was actually feeling well. She was looking really cute and was getting ready to go to her Grandpa Larry's retirement party.

This is Bella on Christmas Eve with my sister, my niece, and my cousin before we had to change her clothes. As you can see, she isn't her usual smiley self. This is Bella with her new baby doll and carrier in the first set of pajamas we had her in that night. She tried to play and have some fun, but she was just having a rough night.

This is what Bella looked like right after we opened presents on Christmas Day. She loved her new Elmo and she fell asleep right on him laying on the couch. Poor thing!

We have had a busy couple few weeks. Since my last post, Bella has been sick 2 different times. First she had a fever, was lethargic, and had a rash a didn't feel well for several days. That turned out to be rosiola (not sure of the spelling). That was the week before Christmas. She got over that and the week of Christmas she started running a fever and not being her energetic self again. You can see from the few Christmas pictures we got that she wasn't her smiley self. On Christmas Eve she was running a fever, then she got diarrhea, so we changed her out of her fancy dress. Then we put on her new Christmas Eve pajamas and the same thing happened again. Finally we put on another set of new pajamas and she threw up curdled milk all over them about 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve night. Sorry for the yucky details. She slept until about 10 a.m. on Christmas morning, then we opened presents and tried to video her first Christmas with us, but she just didn't feel well and wasn't into it. Santa brought her a new red wagon and a big teddy bear and she got lots of clothes, toys, and books from Momma and Daddy as well.

For the next few days, she kept having diarrhea and didn't have an appetite. I called the doctor and he said it sounded like rotovirus and that if she wasn't running a fever anymore and keeping her food down that she would be OK. He told me to keep giving her liquids and to call and come in if she got worse. Oh, what fun! For the next few days after Christmas we didn't do much, just mainly stuck around here and forced liquids down her as often as possible so she wouldn't get dehydrated. Then I got it and felt awful for a few days. Bella lost some weight and I was getting worried, but finally after about 5 days or so she got her appetite back and started having more energy. She is doing much better now except that now she has a cold and has a runny nose. I guess our poor girl is going to get everything coming and going this winter until her immune system gets built up.

Do you know when you are old? When you can hardly stay awake to watch the ball drop at Times Square on t.v. on New Year's Eve. We decided to just stay home and we watched some movies and snuggled on the couch. About 11:00 I kept falling asleep and Bella was already asleep in my lap. Bobby had to wake me up to kiss me and wish me a Happy New Year. It was a happy new year, though. Especially for us all 3 to be together to celebrate, even if we couldn't stay awake. Ha! Ha!

I have enjoyed my 2 weeks off with Arabella although she has been sick for a lot of it. I will miss her alot when I go back to work in the morning. She has been extra clingy to me since she has been sick, so it will be hard on her to transition back to not being with me during the day on weekdays again. I am thankful for my time off, but I wish I could stay home with her. It is not possible right now, but that where is where my heart is.

I hope that you and your family are blessed and find joy and strength in the Lord Jesus Christ in 2009!

Take care,

The Boster family

So many reasons to give thanks.......................

2008-12-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

Hello friends. I am sorry that I haven't been able to post much lately (or since we have been home). Bella doesn't go to bed until we do, so I have very little free time. I am not complaining; I can't think of a better way to be busy.

As you can see from the pictures, Arabella likes to cheese for the camera. She is very photogenic. She did very well for the lady who took her Christmas pictures. It was hard to pick our favorites because there were so many good ones to choose from.

Since the last post, Bella has celebrated her first Thanksgiving with both sides of our family. Everyone loved her and kept making over her; she was definitely the star of the show. She has been walking for a little while, but has done so independently now for about the past 4 weeks. She loves to play with her daddy when he gets home from work in the evenings and on Friday's (Daddy Day). She now has a FAVORITE book that we have to read over and over and over...... We can "read" it without looking now. She loves her baths, she loves to eat, she loves to dance and sing.

The only thing she doesn't love is sleeping in her bed and/or in her room. So for now, she is in between hubby and me. She loves to snuggle. She rubs my face and holds my hand when she is going to sleep; I will actually miss all that when she does sleep in her own bed. We are redoing her room now with a toddler bed since it was more than obvious that she absolutely hated her crib and was never going to sleep in it.

Since Thanksgiving, I have spent a lot of time reflecting over the past year. I have so many reasons to be thankful that it is hard to put it all into words. Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the day we found out about Bella. We were told there was a 4 month old baby girl that we could adopt. Wednesday is Happy Referral Day. That is the day a year ago that we first saw Bella's pictures and read all about her. The past year has been a roller coaster, but I would do it all over again a thousand times to have Bella in my life. She brings such joy to our lives; I can't remember what my life was like before her and don't know what I would do without her now. I love being a mom and so thankful God saw fit for us to be Bella's parents.

I don't take for granted how easy our adoption process was compared to others whose road has been much bumpier and longer than ours (although when you are going through it feels like eternity). We were told when we started that the process to bring Arabella home would likely take 8 - 10 months or longer. My heart's longing and specific prayer was to have Bella home by her first birthday. I asked everyone I knew to pray for that (to be home before her birthday) and to pray for no previos from PGN. People who didn't even understand what PGN was and the process prayed for that specifically and diligently. After 15 years of marriage and 10 years of "waiting" for a baby, the Lord answered our prayers specifically. I am unworthy to be loved so much by my Heavenly Father; thank you dear Jesus for having perfect timing and a perfect answer to our prayers. Please keep praying, there are still a lot of babies in Guatemala that aren't home with their forever families yet.

Christmas will be more fun than ever this year. I love this time of year, but it will be extra special to see how Bella's face lights up on Christmas morning. Having Bella home with us this year at Christmas is the perfect gift. I don't need anything else.

I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families. I am thankful for all your encouragement and prayers over the past year. I hope that you can feel Christ's love for you and celebrate His birth with us at this time of year!

Love and blessings,

The Boster family

Little Red Riding Hood

2008-11-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am the worst blogger in the world. Sorry, Lauren and all my other blogger friends who keep checking for updates.............. My only excuse is working full time, chasing a toddler in the evenings, and going to bed when she does. Here's a quick post with a very late Halloween picture. We took Bella by all her grandparents' houses and then she went trick-or-treating with 2 of her cousins. She had a blast. It got very cold that evening, but we bundled her up and kept going. She just kept grinning when she got candy from the nice people in the neighborhood. Afterwards, we went to my sister's friends' house and Bella attended her first bonfire/marshmallow and weeny roast. We also had chili; it was very good! Bella seemed to enjoy it. Unfortunately her momma has eaten most of her Halloween candy. I gave her the healthier stuff. I will try to do better and post some more pictures soon.

Blessings,

Tonya

Updates from the past month

2008-10-12T16:31:00.001-07:00

I'm tired of smiling for the camera!

Our church had a welcome home party/baby shower for Bella a couple of weeks ago. We got lots of nice stuff and bigger clothes for Bella to wear this winter and next spring. It was fun to celebrate with many of the people who had been praying Bella home since the beginning. We had asked them to pray specifically that our paperwork would be perfect and that PGN would issue us no kickouts. God answered our specific prayers; He is so good to us!

Since the last post, almost a month ago, I have gone back to work. It was terrible at first. The whole week before I went back I kept crying every time I thought about it. I am happy to say after the first couple of days, it went better. Bella is staying at my grandma's on Mon. - Thurs. I have to drop her off at 7 a.m. to get to school on time. That is the part that neither Bella nor I like; we are not early morning people. My mom goes over and helps for a few hours when she gets off work. My grandparents live on a farm, and Bella loves to go outside with them and sit on the porch or to play. Several family members usually go in and out of the farm every day, so there are plenty of people to hold Bella and to love on her. She is so happy to see me every afternoon when I get there; it is the highlight of my day. She is being taken very good care of and has lots of fun at Grandma's. On Friday, Daddy is off, so Bella stays at home with him. Bella loves her daddy and they do all kinds of fun stuff together on Fridays.

Work is hectic, but it is easier for me to go to work knowing that Bella is loved so much where she is while I am work. I will update with more pictures as soon as I get a chance.

Blessings,

Tonya

2nd Baby Shower/Welcome Home Party

2008-09-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Arabella and me with my sister

and 2 of my nieces at the shower.

My mom had a baby shower/welcome home party for us at her church a couple of weeks after we were home with Bella. We had lots of good food and there was a large group of people there to celebrate with us! We were showered with so many nice gifts for Bella that is was almost overwhelming. We have been so blessed, and everyone has been so loving and supportive during our journey. Thanks to everyone who helped in any way at the shower and who gave us gifts!

Love and blessings,

Tonya

Arabella's First Birthday Party

2008-08-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I finally have a minute to update the blog and show you a few pictures from Arabella's first birthday party. We invited our families over for a cookout, cake, and ice cream. As you can see from the pictures, she got lots of presents. The kids, Bella and her cousings, played corn hole and had fun with Bella's pink butterfly pinata. Bella liked eating her cake and loved all her new toys. We just had a really nice time celebrating with our family and even had a special prayer time before we ate thanking the Lord for answering our prayers specifically - to bring Bella home by her first birthday. I felt really blessed that day to have our whole family together and am thoroughly enjoying my time off from work with Bella. Please keep praying for all the babies in Guatemala who haven't come home to their forever families yet. Isabelle will be coming home very soon to be with her mom, Lauren. Keep praying for Lori, that Bethany will be out of PGN ASAP! Let's pray them all home.

Love and blessings,

Tonya

First Welcome Home/Baby Shower

2008-08-20T09:52:00.001-07:00

Well, if you have been following our story, you know we got home a little later than expected. Our first baby shower was set a few weeks before we got home thinking that we would be home about a week before we actually made it. We made it home just in time. We got home on Friday, and the Welcome Home/Baby Shower was on Saturday afternoon. My sister, Tammy, and her friend, Mechelle, did a fabulous job decorating with a fiesta-type theme. Everything was very colorful and cheery. We had lots of friends and family come to meet Arabella and to shower us with all kinds of wonderful gifts. We got diapers, wipes, lots of cute outfits, toys, highchairs, baby food, cereal, juice, gift cards, and a children's table set. We got so much great stuff that I probably forgot to name something. Arabella was in a great mood and had fun meeting everybody. She especially had fun with her cousins. One 0f them, William, who is a couple of years older than Bella, kept crawling around on the floor so Bella would follow him. They were too cute! Thanks to everyone involved for the awesome welcome home and the wonderful presents for Bella!

Love and Blessings,

Tonya

Welcome Home Pictures (from the airport) Aug. 1st, 2008

2008-08-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, I am glad you all are here to meet me!

So this is my Great Grandma that Mommy kept telling me about. Here is my cousin, Lyndsey, and Aunt Tammy with welcome signs and flowers for me and Mommy. I know what to do when you all get all those cameras out!

Ok, so this is a little late in coming. It is only 2 weeks late, ha! ha! I am a busy new mom, what can I say? We arrived about 6:48 p.m. in Louisville on August 1st. If you read the previous post you know about all the fun we had the night before and our delay in Atlanta. I was so glad to finally be home and for everyone to meet Arabella. Since I had been out of the country for 2 months in Guatemala with Bella, I was even more ready to get home. We were coming down a long corridor and I could see my family and friends in the distance, and I got overwhelmed with emotions. We had to go around a little corner before we reached them and I stopped to pull myself together. They all had huge smiles, flowers, signs, stuffed animals, and various other goodies for Bella and us. It was wonderful!

Since I had been gone for 2 months, I was so happy to see all my family. We visited at the airport for a while, then we went to get a quick bite to eat together before heading home. Everyone had a great time getting to know Bella, and she even let a few people hold her.

It didn't go so well on the way home in the car; she didn't like riding in the carseat. She only rode in one part of the time in Guatemala; most babies don't there. It isn't law and most people can't afford them. She is doing much better riding in it now.

We got home after dark, but we had a yard full of pink flamingos with pink bows. Our mailbox had balloons on it, as did the chair on our front porch. There were "Welcome Home" and "It's a Girl" signs on the front door, too. Finally when we got in the house, there were balloons, streamers, and signs all over the place. I was so relieved to finally be in my own house after 2 months and especially because Bella was with me. We gave Bella the tour of the house. She loved her room; she rolled around and kept rubbing her feet on the fluffy rug in there. I sat down in the glider with Bella on my lap in her room, and the tears started flowing. I have waited so many years to be a mom and for this nursery to actually have a baby occupying it. So much of the time during infertility treatments and the adoption process you feel like you are limbo. Even after you begin the adoption process, you feel like you are planning for a make-believe child. Not until they are yours and home does it all feel truly real.

We are adjusting to life with a busy girl, who is trying to walk and into everything!

In the next post I will tell you about our first baby shower and then her birthday party.

Thanks for going along on this journey with us!

Love and blessings,

Tonya

Our long journey home......

2008-08-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

Daddy is sharing his Pringles with Bella at the airport in GU.

She loves them!

Bella and Mommy are ready to get on the plane to go home to KY.

Mami Karen came to the airport to tell her "princess" bye.

Hello everone! Yes, we are home. Sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog. We have been home a week now. We got home a day later than expected. The first part of our journey went well. Mami Karen came to the airport to tell us goodbye. It was very emotional. Her and her family were angels in Bella's life. They love her so much and have been so good to her. Karen's daughter, also named Karen, had made a beautiful card for Bella with a sweet message from Mami Karen on the back. Bella cried and reached for her when she went to leave. We were all crying. We promised we would bring Bella back to GU in a few years to visit.

We flew into Atlanta about 1/2 hour later than expected, then it went downhill from there. Last Thursday Atlanta was having bad thunderstorms. When we got in, there wasn't a gate open due to the storms and delays, so we sat on the runway for about 40 minutes. Bella had done great on the flight, but started getting fussy. When we finally got off the plane, we had to go through immigration to turn in Bella's immigration papers and to get her passport/visa stamped. Then we made a mad dash to our gate that said our flight was still on time. A little later they said it was delayed, then finally about 10 p.m. when we were already supposed to be home, they cancelled the flight. Delta had a line about a mile long with people trying to book new flights that Bob had to stand in for over an hour. They tried to book us on separate flights home first. Needless to say, we weren't happy campers. They finally found us a flight for 4 p..m. the next day, but they couldn't even find two seats together (thank goodness some nice guy let us trade seats with him when we got on the plane).

So after 11 p.m., we had to figure out how to find a shuttle to take us to a hotel to stay the night.

I had a little meltdown outside looking for the shuttle. I was upset that we weren't home where Arabella was supposed to spend her first night in America. We also didn't have any idea where our luggage was or when it would get to Louisville. So after midnight we ended up at the hotel with only our carry on luggage. We had most of what we needed for the baby, but I had no extra clothes. Then I discovered that the immigration offiicer had forgotten to stamp Bella's passport. We tried to make the best of it. We showered, put on the clothes from the day before, and left the hotel at checkout time, 11 a.m. We had to go all over the airport until we finally found someone to take us to immigration to explain that they had forgotten the stamp. We had to have that to prove when Bella became a U.S. citizen. After we got that done, we had lunch and just walked around the airport. They changed our gate a total of 3 times, so we kept having to pack everything up and lug Bella to a different part of the airport. Finally about 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave, they changed the gate again. The new gate was in a different concourse and we had to almost run to get there. We should have taken our time. We found out that our flight was delayed when we got there. We finally took off about 45 minutes after we were supposed to.

When we finally made it off the plane in KY, I could see my family and a few friends from a distance when we were walking towards the baggage claim area waiting for us and I almost lost it. They had brought flowers, balloons, stuffed animals, and other goodies to welcome us home. It was the sweetest thing. Bella didn't know what to think at first with all these people staring at her and hugging us. She warmed up quickly and started smiling and laughing. It was a great welcome home!

I'll update you on the rest of the past week ASAP.

Embassy Day Picture

2008-07-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in several days. Bella keeps us busy. My friend, Lauren, brought it to my attention that I have been a bad blogger and hadn't posted an embassy day picture yet. Well, we didn't get very many pictures. We had t0 leave to get there at 6:45 (the taxi got here early) and we didn't get home until 11:00. While we were there Bella's diaper leaked, so we just took a couple of quick pictures as soon as we got home before we changed her clothes. Bella did good at the embassy and didn't get cranky even though we were in a crowded room for a long time today. It was noisy, but she even took a nap. She loves playing with her daddy, and we are so happy our family is finally together. Bobby will go the embassy to pick up Bella's visa late tomorrow afternoon and we will start packing for home. We will be flying home on Thursday. I can't believe we are finally bringing our sweet darling home. Someone please pinch me! I still don't think it will feel real until we get off the plane and are home. Thanks for all your prayers. We'll see you soon! Tonya, Bobby, and Arabella

I'M COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody, I'm finally coming home! YEAH! We got our pink notice today with our embassy appointment on it. Our appointment is Tues., her visa is issued on Wed. , and we will be home on Thursday night. We will land at the airport in Louisville, KY at 10:08 p.m. We can't wait to see you. Grandma Charlene went home on Wed. and Daddy is coming on Sat. Then our friends Valerie and Ray and baby Maria Jade will be here on Sunday. They are one of my sets of friends who I have been asking you to pray their baby home from GU with me. They are heading home on Tues. God is good! He answers prayers! Praise Him with me for answering ours!

DNA IS DONE!

2008-07-21T11:42:00.001-07:00

I couldn't resist using this picture, but Bella will probably not like me for it when she sees this when she gets older! Anyway, our DNA testing is done and should be back to GU in the next couple of days. Then we just wait for our "pink" slip that tells us when our exit visa interview appointment will be. We should be home by the end of next week! PRAISE THE LORD! Bobby is coming this weekend; he can't wait to see "his girls" as he calls us now. Our family will finally be together and home soon! Love to you all, Tonya

DNA is at the lab!

2008-07-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

Well, the DNA finally made it to the lab today! It was a stressful day of trying to track it down, but I got the good news this afternoon. Hopefully by next week we will have the results and they will be sent back to Guatemala to the embassy. Then we just wait for our appointment for the exit interview. The day after the interview we get the visa, then United States here we come. Please pray that the sample is good and that the lab is fast! We'll see you soon! Love, Tonya, Arabella, and Grandma Charlene

Arabella is 11 months old today!

2008-07-14T13:58:00.001-07:00

Arabella is 11 months old today! It was exactly 7 months ago today that I got the call that they had a referral of a 4 month old baby girl. My life hasn't been the same since. I know that all my family and friends think it is crazy that it takes this long to adopt internationally, but I am so fortunate. My case is one of the fastest my attorney has seen lately. Many are still stuck in PGN, some since last year. Pray daily for all the babies to make it home soon to their forever families. No news on the DNA yet, it didn't make it to the lab in the US today as I had thought it would. Please pray that it gets there tomorrow and that the testing goes quickly and smoothly. We are almost to the end, but each step is still stressful. I am so anxious to get home and just be a normal family. I love being here with Bella in her native country, but I miss my husband so much and Bella needs her daddy!

I also have to go about getting help to get my classroom ready for the fall with me not being there. Kindergarten launch day is coming up on July 31st, and it has to be ready by then. I had hoped to be home for that, but the last few steps have taken a few days longer than anticipated so it will be cutting it close (to be home in time). School starts the week after that and I will be taking the first month of school off with Bella, but I still have to have everything ready for my substitue and all the lessons planned. I can't access anything from my school computer to get things ready from here, so I can't do any of it until I get home. Then I won't want to leave Bella and spend all that time away from her to do it. I am sure Grandma Charlene will watch her for me while I go to school to prepare, but I don't want to leave her until I have to.

Bella is so much fun. As you can see in the above picture, she is crawling everywhere. She now has 2 teeth on the top to go with the 2 she already had on the bottom. She is starting to pull up on the furniture and is finally interested in "practicing" her walking by us holding her hands. Before this week, she just stomped her feet or danced when we tried. Now she is putting one foot in front of the other to try to walk. She is saying all kinds of new sounds. She says: dada, mama, baba, and this week it sounds like she is saying yeah, yeah, yeah. Mom says it sounds like she is singing a Beatles song. She waves bye-bye and claps her hands a lot. She eats almost anything we give her. She reaches for you to pick her up and motions with her hands to come to her or give her something. She smiles really big to say thank you for something. She loves shoes, but not to wear. She loves to chew on them, yuck! Needless to say, at the end of the day we are tired from keeping up with her. Well, keep praying for the DNA and a quick embassy appointment. I can't wait for you all to meet my sweet darling! Love and blessings, Tonya

Fashion Show Friday

2008-07-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

What do you do when it is too rainy and cool to go and do anything? You have a fashion show, of course! The weather is yucky in Antigua today; so since we walk everywhere here we've been stuck in the house today. We thought it would be fun to try on bathing suits and short outfits that Arabella hasn't been able to wear since it hasn't been warm enough here. She looks like a little model, doesn't she? She can't wait to go swimming when we get back to Kentucky; she looks ready in her swimuit, doesn't she?

We had her last doctor's appointment and 2nd DNA taken yesterday. The DNA should be on its way to the US right now. Hopefully we will get the results next week and then we have to wait for the embassy to issue the "pink" slip with our embassy appointment date on it. Then we are heading home! Can't wait to be back in the United States with our new little citizen!

Love you all,

Tonya

Arabella has her 2nd DNA appointment tomorrow!

2008-07-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

Well, we got news yesterday that we have the "orange" slip authorizing the 2nd DNA appointment and the embassy doctor's appointment. We go in the morning at 10:30. After this, we have to wait for them to send it to the lab in the US and for it to be tested. When the results are finished, they send it back to the U.S. embassy in Guatemala. Then they issue a "pink" slip with your visa appointment on it. When will we be home? It all depends on how fast the DNA gets to the U.S., how fast the results match 100%, how fast the results get back to GU, and how fast the embassy issues the visa appointment. You get the picture, but we know it will be by the end of July if everything goes as planned. It is so exciting to be at the next to the last step in this adoption process! YEAH! Arabella is coming home to meet you all soon! Thanks for your prayers, Tonya aka Arabella's Mommy (Mami)

HAPPY 15TH ANNIVERSARY TO MY FABULOUS HUSBAND, BOBBY!

2008-07-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my second post for today (read below to hear about our day yesterday). I couldn't let the day pass without wishing Bob a happy 15th anniversary and telling the world how blessed I am. Bella and I miss you very much and can't wait until you are with us in GU for our embassy appointment and then our trip home!

Love,

Tonya and Arabella

Arabella has a passport!

2008-07-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy day yesterday. We had to go into Guatemala City to get Arabella's passport. We also went to get pictures taken for her visa that the embassy will need. We had extra time between this and her doctor's appointment, so we went to a mall. It was a nice mall and it had a Payless Shoe store in it; I was so excited! Bella is the proud new owner of a very cute pair of white sandals with pink and green on them. All of the sandals we brought were too big, so she needed a smaller pair. Lastly, we went to Arabella's doctor for her to get the last immunization she will need before she will be permitted to leave the country. I don't like needles, so I was very nervous about having to watch my baby get a shot. I had to hold her down for the doctor, but she only cried for less than a minute. Then she was fine and was in a great mood last night. It was neat to be able to meet the doctor who has been seeing her every month since she was a few weeks old. I thanked him for the great care he has given her. Hopefully our embassy doctor's appointment and 2nd DNA will be next week, then we will just have to wait for the results to get back to the embassy and for our final appointment. In a few weeks, we will be bringing Arabella home to KY! I still can't give you an exact date until after the 2nd DNA and results, but it won't be too much longer! We'll see you soon! Tonya, Arabella, and Grandma Charlene

Beautiful, Busy Bella!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. Bella stays busy all the time. She is always on the go! Anyone that knows me and my love for shoes can appreciate the first picture. Well, the second picture is of her in this cute little outfit that has a headkerchief with it. It only stayed on a few minutes. In April when Bob and I were here she would wear hats without any problems..... not anymore! She won't keep a hat on for more than a second. It's hard to put any kind of bow or pigtail or anything in Bella's hair because she is constantly moving.

Arabella is so inquisitive. In the third and fourth pictures you can see her concentrating on trying to take a business card out of Mom's wallet. When she finally figured it out and got it out, she just smiled from ear-to-ear. She was so proud of herself.

The last two pictures show Bella drinking apple juice out of a cup. Her foster mom said she liked juice. Well, she won't drink juice out of a bottle at all. She doesn't like sippy cups either. We discovered she likes it out of a cup. She makes a mess, but she loves it. Other things Bella loves are Cheerios and crackers. She loves any kind of fruit and will eat almost anything you give her.

She really likes to ride in her stroller (and usually eats Cheerios) when we walk into town. She smiles at all the people we meet on the street or sidewalk. Everyone smiles at her, and not a day has gone by that people don't stop to talk to her and tell us how beautiful she is. She is so friendly and everyone is drawn to her. I can't wait for you all to see her beautiful smile in person!

We are supposed to go to Guatemala city on Wed. to get Bella's passport. Then the lawyer will submit the documents to the US embassy in Guatemala and we will wait to hear when we are supposed to take Bella for her embasssy doctor's appointment. A couple of days after that we will take Bella for her 2nd DNA. They take a swab from the inside of her mouth and check the sample against the DNA from her 1st sample in February. This sample will be overnighted to a lab in the US to be tested and will then be overnighted back to the US embassy in Guatemala. After the results get to the embassy, we will wait a few days for a "pink" slip to be issued with our embassy appointment on it. The appointment is an immigrant exit interview. This appointment is usually about 7 -10 days after the pink slip is issued. Usually people in the country can call and get a quicker appointment; that's what we are hoping for. We will get the pink slip, then call to hopefully get a sooner appointment, then call to book Bob a flight here and all of us a flight home. The day after the embassy appointment, the visa is issued. You usually get that late in the afternoon and fly home the next morning. Whew! Did you get all that?

Thanks for all your prayers. They are working! My friend Valerie' s baby, Maria Jade, got out of PGN a few days after we did. My friend Lori's baby, Bethany, finally got submitted into PGN. Keep praying for them as well as for Lauren and her baby, Isabelle; pray that she gets OUT of PGN this week!

Well, it's almost July. July will be OUR month! It will be the month when Arabella is home in KY with her forever family where she is meant to be. Some say Bella is so lucky to have us for parents, but they have got it all wrong. We are blessed beyond measure to be the ones chosen to be this angel's mommy and daddy. All the years of sickness, infertility, pain, and struggles are gone. This is the path we had to go through to get to where we are today, and I would do it all again for my sweet darling Arabella Josey! Remember that we chose Arabella's name because it meant "answer to a prayer," and she most definitely is the best answer to a prayer that we could've ever gotten.

Take care my precious friends and loved ones,

Tonya

Arabella is now a Boster (on paper)!

2008-06-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been a bad blogger. We spend all of our time taking care of Arabella and blogging isn't on the top of my priority list (Sorry, Aunt Liz). My nieces Kayla and Lyndsey informed me that Antigua looked neat, but that they just wanted to see more pictures of Bella. I'll try to do better. We got the good news this morning that we have Arabella's new birth certificate now (we have a copy). We are listed as her parents and her last name is now Boster! We are being submitted for her passport today, and then there are just a few more steps after that. If we keep going at this pace, Bella will be home in a month!

Please pray for us and our finances as we have decided it would be best for Bella if we just stayed a few extra weeks until we can bring her home. Since it is happening sooner than we expected, it would be silly for me to fly home and turn right around and fly back 2 - 3 weeks later. So, it looks like we (Mom and I) will be staying in GU for a while longer. This way Bella won't have to live with her foster family (as wonderful as they are) again. Also, please pray for them as they adore Arabella and were expecting to "have" her for a couple more months before they had to tell her goodbye. I dread the day they say goodbye to her; it will be awful! We promised them that we will come back to GU in a few years to visit, and we will. GU is a beautiful place, and we want Arabella to be proud of the country she was born in.

I'll update you when I hear about each step we get done and on when to expect us home!

Love and blessings,

The Boster Family (all 3 of us)

All Around Antigua (and Arabella of course)!

2008-06-18T06:21:00.001-07:00

Well, we are finding new things everyday in Antigua. It is still amazing to me that I can look right out the window here and see volcanos. It is a big reminder of all of God's beautiful creation. There are so many friendly people here and they are all very beautiful as well. I was thinking this morning about how much God loves us all, and more specifically the Guatemalan people were on my mind. Many of them live in extreme poverty. Many of them don't know Him as their Lord and Savior. I have a burden for them today. Please pray for this country, all its people, and the government. Pray for all the orphans without homes and that they will get the new adoption system up and running very soon. Pray for all my friends and their babies who need to get out of PGN so they can go home to their forever families.

I feel so blessed today. My dreams are coming true and Arabella is coming home soon! I can't wait for you all to meet her. She has the biggest smile you have ever seen and she makes me so happy. Thank you all for all the prayers, love, and support you have given us during this difficult process.

Love and blessings,

Tonya

WE ARE OUT OF PGN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-16T16:15:00.001-07:00

Yes, you read it right! We are out of PGN; we are so excited! This means in less than 2 months, Bella will be home with us. Hopefully she will be home right before her first birthday! This has been specifically what we have been praying for, and the Lord has answered our prayers. The next step is to get her new birth certificate from the village where she was born; it will have our last name on it. Pray that this step doesn't take too long as they have to drive to Huehuetanango where she born (6 hours away) to get it. The next few steps after that are all on the U.S. side of things; pray that they do it all in record time! I am officially a mom. It feels great! Bella is ours; we just have to do these last few things in order for her to be a U.S. citizen and be able to come HOME for good! Thanks for all the prayers so far and keep them coming that these last few steps will happen super fast! Blessings, Tonya Arabella's Mommy

Bella is 10 months old today!

2008-06-14T16:19:00.001-07:00

It's been several days since I've updated you all. As you can see from the pictures, we've been busy walking around Antigua. There are so many neat little shops and restaurants. They also have a pretty central park with a fountain in the center. Bella keeps us busy, but we are so enjoying this time with her. She has learned to clap her hands and click her tongue, and she keeps us laughing.

Happy Father's Day to my husband Bobby (Arabella's daddy)! We wish you were here with us on your first Father's Day to celebrate. We love you!

More Antigua pictures and updates

2008-06-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hola everyone! I am trying to type fast while Arabella has her morning nap. We are doing very well. Let me explain a few of the pictures first. Well I had to put a few of my favorite shots of Arabella styling in her sunglasses, crawling everywhere, playing, and trying to type on the computer. She is a very busy girl!

Next are various pictures of the house we are staying at and outside our house. You'll see iron "gates" that lock that are for security purposes. We have a nice balcony and like to go out there in the mornings when it is sunny. There are two apartments beside ours that share the same driveway and gates. There is a picture of Arabella and Grandma Charlene on one of the cobblestone streets. One is of several markets where you can buy all kinds of crafts, ceramics, textiles. We went shopping that day and had a blast! We are waiting for our water to be delivered (it comes in big 5 gallon jugs) so that we can go out and look around some more today.

We found a pharmacy that delivered and we were able to get Bella's formula that way yesterday. She is eating everything we give her; she is not a picky eater! We are giving her baths in a tub up on the kitchen counter; she loves to splash and play in the water.

Bella is sleeping with me in a huge king size bed. We don't even take up half of it. I put pillows on the sides so she can't roll off. She usually doesn't roll in her sleep, though. She sleeps on her back and stays in pretty much the same position the whole time. Bella is an early riser, but she sleeps all night. She sleeps for about 8 - 9 hours. That is great for me, because I like to sleep. Yesterday morning she decided to wake up at 5:30 a.m. I usually feel her move or hear her and wake up. I didn't wake up fast enough for her, so she kept hitting me on the arm until she woke me up. Then she just smiled at me.

I will cherish this special time together forever!

Well, my Bella girl just woke up, I've gotta go.......

Adios amigos,

Tonya

We're in Antigua with Arabella.

2008-06-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy past couple of days, so I haven't had time to give you all an update on how things are going. We left Guatemala city on Friday at about 11 a.m. We first had to go to the God Bless the Children (my attorney's office) to get the custody papers that Bella's birthmom signed giving me temporary custody while I am in Guatemala. We had to do this in order for me to be allowed to take Bella out anywhere. It was neat seeing the office, and I got to sit on the couch where Bella gets her monthly update pictures taken on. There were foster mothers and their babies there picking up their monthly supplies of diapers and formula.

Then it was off to the supermarket. It was called the Hiper Piez; it's owned by Walmart. We found most of the things we needed there. Our driver, Victor, was great and helped us read things in Spanish and find where everything was in the store. We got McDonald's on the way out just like at home, and ate our lunch on the way to our house in Antigua. Bella did great in the car and took a nap. We got to the house and the landlord, Isabelle, was here to show us everything. On Saturday, we decided to walk to the grocery store in Antigua to get a few things we forgot or couldn't find in the other store. Arabella wouldn't ride in her stroller, so I had to carry her most of the way. She weighs 18 pounds now; my back was aching terribly by the time we got home. The store was very crowded as well as the streets; this was not a fun adventure. We were all cranky before it was over. We decided it was so crazy because it was a Saturday at lunch time; we weren't thinking about that when we went. From now on, we will go during the week and earlier in the day.

The weather in Guatemala is a lot different than when Bob and I were here in early April. It is now their rainy season, and it rains almost every afternoon/evening. If you want to go anywhere, you have to go early in the day. It was cool and rainy most of the day today, so we didn't go anywhere. We are going to try to get out in the morning and walk to the pharmacy and the market if it is not too cool for the baby.

Bella is a very good baby. She plays and laughs a lot. She is eating very good for us. She has liked everything we have given her. Grandma made her some chicken noodle soup {with carrots} like her foster mom makes for her and she loves it. She also enjoys mashed mangos and bananas. The fruit is really good here, better than at home.

The house we are staying in is really nice acccording to Antigua standards. It is taking some getting used to not having some of the conveniences of home, but that is ok. I would stay in a shack as long as I could do it with Bella. The last picture you see is of the volcano you can see right out our upstairs balcony.

Bella is bonding with me very well. She had a little scared/mad fit the first day and you could tell she was protesting being left by her fostermom. She is really attached to her, but that is to be expected because she has been with her since she was 3 weeks old. I think after that she realized she could trust me and she was fine. She seems to remember who I am. For the first few days, I couldn't leave the room or put her down much at all. She would cry for me. She is letting Grandma hold her more now. I still need to do most of the feeding, holding, changing diapers, etc. to promote attachment which is important for adopted children. But at least Grandma can hold her while I go to the bathroom or for a few minutes when I need to get or do something. Her face lights up when I walk in the room and she reaches for me. That makes me one happy momma. I love her so much, I don't know what I would do without her. I know I am blessed beyond measure to get to spend this time with her. I will cherish this time for the rest of my life.

I'll try to do better with updates, but I can't promise anything. When you have a busy baby needing your attention all day, it is hard to get a few minutes to type anything. I'm sure you'll understand.

Adios amigos,

Tonya

We're with Arabella and good news!

2008-06-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

Mom and I made it to GU with no problems yesterday (Wednesday). We waited and waited for Bella to get here and finally about 3:30 our social worker called. She told us that they were at PGN and that the birthmother interview had been scheduled for 9 a.m. that morning (they just found out the day before) but that Bella's birthmom lives very far away and that she had just gotten to PGN. They wouldn't let her do the interview that afternoon. They finally persuaded PGN to let them reschedule the interview for Thursday morning at 10 a.m.. PGN kept telling them that they would have to come back in 2 weeks, but they pleaded with them and told them how hard it was for the birthmother to get there from so far away.

We were sad that we couldn't get Bella until the interview on Thursday, so we went out to dinner to try to pass some time. We ate at Applebee's; it was delicious!

We got up this morning and anxiously waited for news about how the interview went and for Karen to bring Arabella to us. Finally a little after 1 p.m. they arrived. Bella is cuter than ever! She weighs 18 pounds now and is very healthy. We played for several hours and then we did a video call with Daddy. It was really neat that we could see each other and talk back and forth. Oh, the wonders of technology! After that she took a late afternoon nap. She ate a good supper (macaroni & beef and bananas), and then we gave her a bath. Then it was a lot more playing and watching Bella crawl; she is getting pretty good at getting to where she wants to go. She also loves to jump in the jumperoo. We will have one of those at the house we are staying at in Antigua. We had to delay our trip to Antigua until tomorrow (Friday), but that's ok. Bella is with us and that is all that matters.

As far as the interview, everything went fine and Bella's birthmom signed all the papers that PGN asked her to. Since the interview went well, we might get out of PGN soon. If we don't have any errors on any of our paperwork, we will be approved and should be out of PGN in a few weeks. If we have errors, we will get a previo (kick-out) and we will have to fix the errors and resubmit the documents. Then you have to wait for them to review your file again, so needless to say we are praying for no previos! Pray with us for that please.

When we get out of PGN, it will be about 6 weeks after that when we can bring Bella home. This means that if we don't get any kick-outs, that Bella could be home for her first birthday as we have been praying for. If not before her birthday, it shouldn't be too long after. Regardless, if it is anytime near her birthday when she comes home, we will have a big homecoming/birthday party for her. You're all invited!

Thank you for helping us pray Bella home!

Blessings,

Tonya

God is GOOD!

2008-05-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Well, first of all it's only 9 days til I get to hold my sweet baby again and Grandma Charlene gets to meet her. We're beyond excited! We had a yard sale yesterday to make some extra money for our trip. I told Mom I would be excited if we made $200. Well, we did much better than that. We actually made $510! I am not sure how, the most expensive item we sold was $20. All I can figure is that the Lord really blessed us! There is no news to report about our adoption; I'm told we're still in PGN. PGN is continuing conducting birthmother interviews. Ours has not been scheduled yet and PGN is still not releasing any cases. Please pray for our birthmother as these interviews are very emotional and not easy. Also pray that we won't get any previos (kick-outs for errors, missing signatures, etc.), and that our interview will happen soon. Rumors say that in a couple of weeks all the cases which have had interviews will be released with either approvals or previos. If you have a previo, you must fix the error and be resubmitted. I pray this is true as PGN has been "holding" cases for several weeks now. If they hold all these cases and release tons at the same time, then this will cause delays with the last few steps of the process, but at least they will be out of PGN. Some of my friends who are adopting got some movement on their cases this week, and I am happy for them. Keep praying for Valerie and Lori and their families. Happy first birthday to Isabelle (Lauren's baby) this week in Guatemala; she needs to be home soon! Pray for Lauren as it is hard to be missing her baby girl's first birthday. Congratulations to Beth and her handsome son, Zach, who just arrived home from Guatemala! I praise the Lord for his mercy and goodness! He is good to me, and I know I don't deserve it. I am so thankful for this chance of a lifetime to spend a month with Bella. Someone said to me today that they couldn't do it, that it would be too hard. It will be hard to leave her, but I wouldn't miss the time I get to spend with her for anything in the world. Hopefully we will get good news from PGN while we are there. It usually is less than 2 months after that (PGN out) that you get to bring your baby home. We're still praying for a miracle that she will be home to celebrate her first birthday on August 14th. Join in this prayer with us! Blessings, Tonya Arabella's Mommy

Arabella is 9 months old today!

2008-05-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby girl is 9 months old today. I just found out she has 5 teeth now and is trying to crawl; I think she is going to walk before she crawls! I will be in Guatemala with Arabella in 3 weeks; I can't wait. PGN is still not moving any cases out right now; continue to pray for this situation to be resolved soon so that we can all bring our babies home as soon as possible!

Hope you had a great day today Bella, I love you!

Hugs and kisses,

Mommy

MY WORLD....TURNED UPSIDE DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-08T18:26:00.001-07:00

This has not been a good week for me. My world has literally been turned upside down. I shared with you that "PGN" was doing some restructuring in a recent post. Well, they fired the Attorney General and the guy under him under numerous allegations of illegal activities. We were all hoping this would be a good thing, but it is not turning out so good. The new people met last week and said that they would make sure that all the rest of the adoptions that started last year under the old laws who were "grandfathered" in would be completed and released in a timely manner. So much for that... they stated this week that they will put cases on "hold" for at least a month while they investigate each case and bring in all birthmothers for another interview, along with foster mothers and the babies. They are adding more requirements and changing the rules in the middle of the game. What they are doing is illegal, but there is no way to stop them. They started the interviews with the birthmothers today. The birthmothers have already been interviewed in family court by a social worker, so this extra interview is just ludicrous. All it is doing is wasting precious time. So there are over 2000 cases right now who need to be completed by PGN, and now they are saying they want to interview all the birthmothers again. This could take forever. My dreams of having my baby home by her first birthday are quickly dwindling away.

This is what I need each person to do who is reading this post. Pray like you have never prayed before for the orphans of Guatemala. Pray for the birthmothers to have courage and strength to endure another interview and have to deal with the pain all over again of having to give their babies up in the first place if these interviews must continue. Pray for all the families who love their children so much and just want to bring them home and give them a happy future. Pray for the Guatemalan goverment to somehow see that these new requirements are illegal and to stop them immediately. Pray for PGN to be humbled and for their hearts to be softened and for them to work very efficiently so that our babies can come home!

Pray specifically for Bella's birthmom and for her foster family (Karen and her family). Pray that Bella continues to be adored and loved by them. Also pray that she makes a connection again easily with me on my next visit and let her feel all the love we have for her. Pray for the Lord to have His angels surround her and to keep her safe.

Please keep praying until you hear that she is home safe and sound!

Dear Arabella,

I miss you so much. In 26 days I will be with you again, but it feels like a lifetime. Oh how I long to hold you and to kiss your sweet face. Thanks for the flowers you sent (with help from your grandma and your great-grandma)! I am so happy to be a mother for the first time this Mother's Day, but it is bittersweet because I can't have you here with me yet. I look forward to all the holidays we will get to spend together in the future and how much fun we will have together. When you read this one day, just know that we did everything we could to get you home with us as soon as we could. I love you very much my sweet girl, and I can't wait to spend a month with you this summer. While you are waiting to come home, I hope you have fun playing with Margie, Joshua, Karen, and Josue. They love you very much, too!

Hugs and kisses,

Mommy

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.......

2008-05-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Isn't this the sweetest face you have ever seen? It is to me. Thanks to Lauren who took this picture while we were visiting Arabella in Guatemala. As I do every day, I really miss my Bella girl today. However, in less than a month now I will be holding her again. I miss her all the time. I try to stay busy and most of the time handle it (missing her) ok. Other times, I ache to hold her so badly I feel like I might just die. This wait has been one of the hardest things I have ever had to endure. On Thursday afternoon, we were watching some video we took of Bella while we were with her in GU. Many times this gives me comfort to watch the special memories we made that week, but on Thursday it just made me so sad. We went to a Christian concert later that evening and the Lord spoke to me through the music and lyrics. The concert was fabulous by the way; it was a "Third Day" concert. The first song they sang had these lyrics: "There is a light at the end of the tunnel, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, for you, for you....." I felt the Lord whispering to me that everything would be ok, that He would help me through this hard time. My tunnel right now is this long adoption process. The end of it for me is having my precious Bella at home with us where she belongs. Yes, I know the song is talking about Jesus. He is waiting there for anybody who needs help out of their "tunnel." What tunnel are you in today? Jesus has always been faithful to me, and He will be faithful to you if you invite Him into your heart and life. He is the only reason I have made it through all the hard times in my life. Our case is in PGN as I have wrote about previously. Please pray diligently that our case gets approved and out quickly. After we get out of PGN, it usually takes about 6 weeks for the last steps until Arabella can come home. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Also please pray for these other ladies (and their families) who are waiting on their babies to come home from GU: Valerie (Maria's Mommy); Lori (Bethany's Mommy); Lauren (Isabelle's Mommy); Beth (Zachary's Mommy). I am looking forward to spending a month with Bella soon. That is what is keeping me going right now. Hopefully it won't be too long after that when we can bring her home to KY. I really want her to be home to celebrate her first birthday in August. All my friends and family just can't wait to meet her. Everybody is buying her cute clothes and swimsuits. Thanks Mom and Tammy! Grandma Charlene is getting really excited about our trip, too. We spent a long time this afternoon going through clothes, shoes, toys, etc. for Bella that we are taking with us to Antigua in June. My dad bought us a jogger stroller to take with us to maneuver through the bumpy cobblestone streets of Antigua this weekend. That is the last thing we needed for our trip. Now we're all set! Thanks Dad, I love you. I feel really blessed tonight. I have a family and friends who love me and are very good to me. I have a beautiful daughter who will be home sometime in the near future. In the meantime, she is with a wonderful family who adores her. I have a loving Heavenly Father who knows and wants what is best for me. Thank you to everyone who is reading this for the support and prayers. I can feel them. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Blessings, Tonya aka Arabella's Mommy

New pictures and medical update

2008-04-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody, I can't wait to meet you!

Arabella had her doctor's appointment last week. She grew another cm and almost a pound and is doing great! No news about our case to report; we're in PGN as I wrote last week. Just keep praying for a quick PGN stay; they are doing some "restructuring" of sorts. Pray that the new people in charge will help get everyones' cases reviewed and approved so that we can all bring our babies home as soon as possible. I really miss Arabella today, but it was good to see her pictures. She is so much cuter in person, though. Mom and I have our airline tickets for June and paid our deposit today on the house we will be staying in June. One interesting fact about the house we will be staying in and lots of places in GU; we will have a washer only - no dryer. Because of the high cost of electricity, a lot of people hang up their clothes on a clothesline. It will be like the olden days - ha! ha! Our house has a great view of the volcanoes in Antigua and is furnished. Mom is going to have to buy a coffee pot when we get there, because the house doesn't have one. You can walk everywhere you need to go in Antigua, so hopefully this will help me get in better shape! 35 more days and I'll be with Arabella again, I can't wait!

WE ARE IN PGN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read it right. We are finally in PGN after waiting a month since our pre - approval (PA) from the embassy. That was a big hurdle. God is faithful! PGN (the Attorney General) is the place that processes and ultimately "approves" our adoption. The best case scenerio would be to get approved by PGN in about 8 weeks. (Worst case scenerio, many months). PGN is very picky as they go through all your documents, one small error and your case can be kicked out to fix the error. If you get a kick-0ut, you have to be resubmitted and the wait starts over again. So needless to say, we don't want any kick-outs! If you are inclined to pray for us, please pray for our "reviewer" in PGN to be fair, for us not to have any document problems, and to get Arabella home as quickly as possible. After we get out of PGN, we will be bringing Arabella home in about 6 weeks after that. We are still praying that she'll be home for us to throw her a big 1st birthday bash in August. If God sees fit to give us a miracle and bring her home sooner, we would fine with that as well. Another neat thing happened yesterday. Many of you know that I sell jewelry and do jewelry fashion shows for extra income. Two ladies at work did a show for me yesterday after work and it was a huge success! They sold so much jewelry that I made enough to cover my plane ticket to Guatemala to visit Arabella this summer. Thank you Susan and Esther (and everyone who bought jewelry) for helping me get to Guatemala to spoil my girl! My God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory! I don't deserve it, but He is very good to me!

More visit trip pictures!

2008-04-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

Not much to report today, just thought you might like to see some more pictures from our trip. Please keep praying, we still don't have the social worker's report that we need in order to get into PGN. We will go straight into PGN when we get it. Only 48 days until I will be holding my Bella girl again on my next visit. I can't wait!

Bella is 8 months old today!

2008-04-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Arabella,

You are 8 months old today, we hope you have a wonderful day with your foster family. We had the best week with you last week and we miss you very much. Mommy and Grandma Charlene are coming to visit you in 7 weeks and we can't wait! We know that Karen and her family love you very much and will take very good care of you until we can bring you home.

Love always,

Mommy and Daddy

Here is an email that Daddy sent from Bella while we were in Guatemala that I thought you all might like to read if you didn't get the email:

Hola mi familia y amigos (Hello my family and friends)

Bella here, I just wanted to send a little note to all of you back home. When Karen, my foster mom, told me that Mommy and Daddy were coming to see me, I got a little nervous. I wasn't sure what to expect. Would they know how to hold me just right? How would they know what to feed me or how to change my butt when it got dirty? Would they be able to find my tickle spots? Could I go to sleep and then wake up to find that they were still watching over me?

Well, I wondered on these things until I showed up and met them. You all, they are wonderful. I could tell Momma really loved me the first time I laid eyes on her. She had the biggest grin on her face and I could tell she was just as anxious and happy as I was. I soon found out that they could take care of me just fine. Mommy was the best, she really loved on me so I didn't want to chance it with Daddy just yet. He has this really weird stuff on his face and I didn't know what to think of it. Then, I noticed that he took real good care in making my bottles and even changed my diaper a couple times - he wasn't too bad at it. So I thought I would give him a chance too. Guess what, he is almost as good as Mommy. I will let him do about everything except put me to sleepy. I even let him give me a bath one night.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi to all of you. I know I can't come home for a little while but I think it will be grand when I do get to come home. Mommy keeps showing me pictures of my room but I don't think I will let her keep me there. I will want to stay with her all the time. I am really anxious to meet all of my cousins, too. I have heard all kinds of great things about you all. In fact, I want to talk to some of you about how fun Daddy can be. He throws me up and catches me and I just love it. He also takes me on morning walks. I just make him think that we are doing this so Mommy can get dressed but it is because I like to spend the time alone with Daddy.

Well, I am going to go for now, but I just wanted to thank all of you who sent me clothes and shoes and toys. I also want to thank everyone who gave money and helped out in making the trip for Mommy and Daddy possible. I believe they know that you are just as excited as they are. I also want to say thank you to all the grandmas and grandpas, great grandmas and great grandpas, uncles and aunts, cousins, friends of the family, and all those wonderful people at church for the love I can feel all the way down here. I haven't met you all yet but if you are as great as Mommy and Daddy, I know I will be just fine when I come home.

Love lots,

Arabella Josey Boster

WORTH THE WAIT!

2008-04-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

The title and Bella's shirt say it all in the top picture , "WORTH THE WAIT!" All the years of waiting have led to the fulfillment of my dreams of being a mom. I firmly believe that God is in control, and it was His will that we would be Bella's parents. We are late bloomers when it comes to parenthood, but it is so "WORTH THE WAIT!" We have had the best week spending time loving on Bella. She is a beautiful, healthy, happy baby. She has already brought us such joy in the past few days that it is overwhelming to absorb. She is perfect in every way, and she will definitely light up the life of everyone who knows her. She still prefers mommy, but she has had fun playing with daddy today and even let him feed her and take her for a walk outside while I was getting dressed and ready for breakfast. Bella is a good sleeper. She sleeps for about 8 hours a night. She went to sleep about an hour ago, so I better go for now so I will get enough sleep for all the energy I will need to keep up with her tomorrow. I am not looking forward to saying goodbye this weekend, but am praying continuously that we can bring her home very soon so we won't ever have to say goodbye again.

Thanks for all your prayers!

We are with Arabella in Guatemala!

2008-04-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

We made it to GU with no problems. We arrived at the bed & breakfast with about 1.5 hours before the baby arrived, so I had time to freshen up. I was a little nervous as I waited for Arabella and her foster mother to arrive, but as soon as they came through the door I was fine. Bella came right to me with no fussing (see the fist picture above). The lady in green is Karen, Arabella's foster mom. Karen could speak enough English for us to talk about the baby. I am very relieved after meeting her, because it is obvious that she loves Bella and takes very good care of her. She told me that Arabella is a gift from God. Karen had dressed the baby in the Easter dress we sent her, and she looked adorable. Karen was wearing the cross necklace we had sent her as a gift as well. We visited with Karen for about an hour and the baby didn't fuss at all when she left. Karen said that she is a joy to care for and usually only cries if she is hungry or sleepy. She also said that she sleeps all night. The first evening was spent playing and eating. Arabella seemed to take to us both really well. Bella and I had fun playing while Bob went to the grocery store. Because of all the excitement, the baby missed her late afternoon nap. Things were good until bedtime. She went to sleep after taking her bottle. I laid her in the crib and she slept for about 10 minutes. She woke up screaming and didn't want to lay back down. I think she was scared. She was thinking, "Where am I and who is this lady holding me?" She kept going back to sleep and then she would wake up and cry. Finally about 3 a.m., she gave in and went to sleep next to me on the bed. She woke up a little after 6 a.m. in a very good mood for having such little sleep. I put her in the bed with Bobby and me (in the middle) and she just laid there for almost an hour laughing and playing with us (see the last picture of Bella and Bobby). I think she might be starting to teeth again (she has 2 teeth on the bottom of her mouth - see the picture of her in the high chair above). She slobbers constantly and chews on everything! She also likes to give her mommy wet slobbery kisses. The cutest thing she does is when you ask her something she just grins and shakes her head no 2 - 3 times. The second night went much better. We gave Arabella her first bath and I got soaking wet! Then we played a while and she took a bottle. Bella went to sleep about 11 p.m. and slept until 6:15 a.m. YEAH!! I got about 5 hours of sleep and have more energy today. Arabella has bonded really well with me and prefers that I hold her (constantly), but that's ok. I don't mind, I have a short time to hold her before I have to come back home, so I want to take advantage of every second.

Arabella is a very good baby. She laughs and plays and sings all day. Karen told me that she thinks she will be a singer when she grows up; the girl does have a good set of lungs. She smiles a lot and is usually content (even with a dirty diaper) unless is she is sleepy or hungry. She is hot natured and continuously takes her socks off. She is infatuated with her feet. She plays with her feet, holds things with her feet, and even sucks on her toes occasionally. She also likes to sit up on the counter and talks and laughs at the "baby in the mirror." She has had us cracking up several times. I can't wait to get her home so all my family and friends can meet her; you all will fall in love with her instantly. She is irresistable!

Well, that is all for now. Arabella will be waking up from her afternoon nap any minute now. I will post more pictures when I get a chance.

PA and only 3 days to go!

2008-04-01T04:53:00.000-07:00

The past week has flown by and I have not had time to post. Last week we received PA (pre-approval) from the USE ( US embassy in Guatemala). This is very exciting as it is another hurdle you have to jump over to proceed further with your adoption. We got our PA on day 39, and many times it takes at least 60 days, so we praise the Lord for this. We are still waiting on our social worker report (SWR), but the "interview" took place on 2/11, so she has had plenty of time to get it done. This and one more document, which should be ready this week, is all we are waiting on to be submitted to PGN (like our Attorney General's office in US). PGN takes anywhere from 8 weeks to many months depending on your case, how "perfect" your paperwork is, etc. This is the place where your adoption is finally approved. Anytime while your case is in PGN, they can kick your case out for a missing signature, typo, etc.... Then the documents have to be fixed and resubmitted and you lose precious time waiting. Please pray for favor from the Lord for us and our paperwork that everything will proceed smoothly and that we will not be issued and KO's (kick outs). After we get "out" of PGN, we will be able to bring the baby home about 6 weeks after that. Of course, we are very anxious to get in PGN, so we can get out and bring Arabella home with us for good! I can't believe in 3 days I will get to meet and spend a whole week with my daughter! I am so very excited that I am not sleeping well. I guess I need to get used to that. Please pray for our safe travel and that Arabella adjusts to us easily and can feel our great love for her in the short time we have to visit. Pray for us as it will be so hard to give her back to her foster family. The only thing I will be able to do to help me after that is to count down the days until my next trip to visit her. I am trying to stay positive and look on the bright side of things about our adoption, but it is hard. We are blessed that we can visit and spend this special time with her because in many countries you don't get to meet your baby until you go to pick them up. The time we get to spend with her before we bring her home will help her to bond to us. Look for lots of new pictures of Arabella when we get home to be posted here; don't be surprised if she is a different outfit in every one. You know she will be as adorable as ever. I'll share all about our trip when we get back; I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only 17 more days until we get to hold you!

2008-03-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl is 7 months old now! We can't wait until we get to meet you in only 17 days, Arabella! Please know that we are doing everything we can to bring you home as soon as we can; your daddy and I love you very much! Here's a poem just for you:

KISSES IN THE WIND

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams,

You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long,

But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...

Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.

I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.

But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.

And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

--Unknown

March pictures and other stuff

2008-03-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

These are new pictures of Arabella from her doctor's appointment on Friday. She has enough hair now for pigtails; she is too cute for words! Our trip is only 23 days away, and I'm already packing! She is wearing one of the onesies and bibs we sent to her. We are taking a whole suitcase of stuff to leave with her foster mom after our visit trip. This will help us not have to pay to ship it. If you haven't heard the story, the first package we sent in January ended up costing $267. This is for a medium-size box; I think it weighed 12 pounds. I said I wouldn't send anymore, then I remembered we needed to buy her an Easter dress. I just sent her Easter outfit, shoes, and 2 small stuffed animals. The package weighed a little over 2 pounds and still cost $90 to send. What a ripoff! What's a girl to do? My baby needed an Easter dress, so I had no choice. Good thing the Easter dress and shoes were a gift from my friend at work. Thank you, Ashley! Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my mom. Her surgery went well and she is at home recooperating. Her therapy is painful and is wearing her out, but she is doing great! I put a picture up in her hospital room of Bella and told her to look at it when she was hurting and didn't want to get up or wanted to give up to remember what her goal was. She has to get that hip better for our trip in June to see the baby. I am proud of you, Mom. Here's a big thank you to my sister, Tammy, who took off work last week to stay with Mom and take care of her. I helped as much as I could, but Tammy is a nurse and is much better at taking care of sick people than I am. I love you, Tammy! As far as our adoption process, we are waiting to get out of family court and for preapproval (PA) from the embassy still. It could take up to another month for PA, but we are praying for sooner. You have to have PA before you can go into PGN, so we are very anxious to get this step done. I will update my blog and let you know as we get out of family court and when we get PA. Several people I know have gotten I-72's (request for more information) from the embassy lately. The attorney has to fix the problem or get new info., etc. before they can proceed and get PA. Please pray that we don't get and I-72. Please embassy, have mercy on us! I have met two ladies who are also adopting from GU who I would like for you to pray for as well. Remember Valerie and Lori in your prayers that their adoptions will proceed swiftly and that they can bring their daughters home as quickly as possible. I covet your prayers for Arabella as well. It is so hard not to be able to be with her and be able to protect her as we would like to. I know our Heavenly Father is much more capable of doing this job than I am; I have to entrust her to Him! I pray for his angels to encircle her foster family's home and to keep them all safe. My niece Lyndsey prays for Arabella every night and asks for her to come home soon and to have fun with her foster family. Isn't that sweet? I am anxious to meet Karen, her foster mom, when we go to visit. I will be able to ask her lots of questions and learn more about my baby. She will also be bringing us back the disposable cameras we sent down for her to take lots of pictures over the past few months. This will show us where Bella lives now, who she lives with, how much she is growing, etc. It will be really difficult for Karen and her family when we bring Arabella home to KY. I thank God that my daughter is with a foster family who can give her lots of love and attention and that she is not in an orphanage. Well, I have rambled on enough for one night. Only 3 weeks now.............................

Prayer request and exciting news

2008-02-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

If you read this post, please say a prayer for my mom who is having hip replacement surgery on Monday, March 3rd. Pray that the surgery goes smoothly, that she recooperates quickly, and that it helps relieve the pain that she has been in. Mom and I have had fun shopping for Bella. We have hit all kinds of clearance sales and have clothes put back for her for the rest of the year. Mom is sad that she doesn't get to go in April with us to meet Bella, but she has to get her hip taken care of now. Then she needs to get back into the groove so that she can go with me to see Bella again in June. That's right! MOM AND I ARE GOING TO VISIT BELLA IN JUNE!!!!!!!!!! If it all works out right, we are going to stay for 4 weeks! Can you tell how excited I am? We have found this cozy bed and breakfast that we can stay at for only $1100 for a month, and this includes breakfast. We will split the cost of the room and groceries. We are able to go the store and buy food and use the kitchen at the B&B to cook our own meals at night. Spending a whole month spoiling my baby sounds like the closest thing to heaven I am gonna get while on this earth. It will be hard to leave her at the end of such a long visit for me and for mom, but hopefully she will be able to come home forever just a few months after that. Also pray for our finances that everything will be taken care of. I plan on doing lots of jewelry shows between now and then to help pay for this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Bella will only be little once, so this trip is extremely important to me. This month will give us a special time to start the bonding process which is extremely critical for babies who are adopted. I also want to thank my husband for loving me and our daughter so much to agree to making this sacrifice for us. It will be 5 weeks until I get to meet you, Arabella. Then it will be will be only 7 weeks after that until I get to spend a whole month with you. I can close my eyes right now and picture me holding you and being silly and making you laugh. We will have a wonderful time getting to know each other. Hang on, baby girl. Momma will be there soon.

Quote for the day

2008-02-21T18:54:00.000-08:00

"We witness a miracle every time a child enters life. But those who make their journey home across times and miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands." Kristi Larson I loved this quote when I read it. It very much relates to the adoption process and our journey to bring Arabella home to us from Guatemala. I don't believe in coincidence. I know God chose us to be Arabella's parents. When Arabella is old enough to understand all about this I will let her read all my thoughts that I have written in this blog. So, here's a message for today from my heart to her: Dear Arabella, You have been on my mind all day. It is six weeks until your daddy and I get to fly to Guatemala and meet you. I can't wait to hold you in my arms, cuddle you, and kiss your sweet face. Just know that we love you and pray for you to be healthy and happy with your foster family until we can bring you home to us, your forever family. May God protect you and keep you safe from harm. May He bring you home to America in record time. I love you my baby girl. With all my love, Momma

Poem for today

2008-02-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

God's Little Girl

Oh, little girl, your life was planned,

Right from the start from the Father's hand.

He fashioned your frame in ways so grand,

And loves you in ways you don't understand.

And though I've yet to hold your tiny frame,

You've captured my heart & I long to call your name.

I thank God for you, a gift so sweet and pure,

And pray for you to know His Son for sure.

And as you grow, may you always know,

The Lord is there wherever you go.

I promise to love you thro' all your days and hours,

But never forget His love is far greater than all of ours.

Our Father's Son He freely gave,

And all who believe he surely will save.

Oh, little girl, I've adopted at so great a price,

But as God's little girl,

you're adopted twice.

by: Paul W. Smith

Happy Valentine's Day My Precious Bella!

2008-02-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day Bella! You are 6 months old today! One of the teachers I work with today decided to throw a celebration for your turning 6 months old. She bought you the cutest pink sleeper that you will get to wear when I visit you in 7 weeks. She also crocheted you the most beautiful blanket that looks adorable in your nursery. Then she gave us cupcakes with a candle in them for us all to blow out the candles and make a wish for you. I wished for you many things: to be healthy and happy; to feel loved; and for you to be home for your first birthday. I know it will be a miracle to bring you home that soon, but my God is a God of miracles! It will all happen in His timing.

We got some exciting news this week. First of all we finally got registered with the new Central Authority in Guatemala. This has been a long and frustrating process for our attorney. I won't explain all the drama involved in that, but she got it done. YEAH!!!!! Yesterday we got word that Bella's and her mirthmom's DNA matched, so the results are on their way to the embassy in GU now. As soon as they arrive, we can start waiting for our preapproval from the embassy needed to enter PGN. Please pray for favor from the Lord for a speedy PA to help make our miracle happen!

I just booked our flight to visit Arabella over spring break. I can hardly wait to hold her, feed her, bathe her, etc...... I could go on and on. I am even looking forward to changing diapers. The neat thing is I found another mom who is adopting from GU. She is going the same week we are and is staying at the same bed and breakfast. It's kinda funny how God brings poeple into your life right when you need them.

I hope you had a wonderful day, my sweet Bella. Momma and Daddy will be there in 7 weeks to spoil you and spend a whole week with you.

February pictures of Arabella

2008-02-12T21:06:00.000-08:00

These are pictures from Feb. 11th. She now weighs 16 pounds! I love the last picture. It makes you really want to know what she is looking at that is so enthralling. Her hair is getting longer, too. She already has more hair than her daddy. As I said in my last post, the DNA samples are at the lab and we should hear something about the results next week. As soon as we get these, we can purchase our airline tickets for our visit trip on spring break. I am so anxious to hold her I can hardly stand it! I have a prayer request for you as well. Please pray for Bella's birthmom. I can't imagine the grieving she has to go through. Imagine being so poor that you can't afford to feed your baby. You know the only way for her to be healthy and happy is to let another family raise her and that after she leaves your country, you will never see her again. Pray that the Lord will give her peace that she made the right decision and for her to know that we will love her child as our own unconditionally. I read a statement recently regarding adoption that sums it up: For my dreams to come true, someone's heart had to be broken. It is sad, but true. We will get a picture in the mail of Bella's birthmom with our DNA results. I will keep this picture to show Bella what her birthmom looked like when she is older and asks about her. I will forever be grateful to Bella's birthmom for choosing life and for giving her a chance at a healthy and happy life with us!

January pictures of Arabella and updates

2008-02-12T20:20:00.001-08:00

Here are pictures of Arabella in January. She weighed 14 lbs., 2 ozs. Doesn't she look pretty in purple? She gained almost a pound and a half since December. She is really growing! I thought I would try to give you an update about where we are in the adoption process since December when we started. Like I said in my first post, we started the adoption in Dec. We got our power of attorney signed and registered in Dec. Shortly after that our dossier (adoption paperwork) was sent to Guatemala. Then it had to be translated into Spanish. We entered family court on January 31 and should have a social worker assigned to our case by now. The social worker interviews the birthmom and the fostermom and then writes a social worker report. She needs to write a report with a favorable opinion for us to proceed further with our adoption. After we exit family court, our case can then go to PGN (it's like the Attorney General's office), but not until after DNA and PA. I'll tell you more about that next. We got DNA authorization on Feb.1. This means that Guatemala authorized the sample of birthmom and Arabella's DNA to be taken. The appointment was scheduled for Feb. 8. This is done to ensure that the person who is giving up the baby for adoption is in fact the biological mother. They put this safeguard in place to help stop corruption in adoptions. The DNA appointment happened as scheduled on Fri. and it is now at the lab being tested. When the test is done, they will send the results to the United States Embassy in Guatemala. When it arrives there, we start waiting for preapproval (PA) for our case. Like I said earlier, you have to have the social worker report and PA to enter PGN. Pray for a quick PA. Right now PA is taking up to 60 days or longer. The faster we get PA, the faster we can get into PGN. PGN is the office that eventually approves the adoption. After you get "out" of PGN, there are only a few steps left. You are usually in PGN for a couple of months or longer. Again, pray for our paperwork to be perfect so we can sail in and out of PGN quickly. Usually after your exit PGN, your baby is home within 6 weeks after that. Hopefully this has explained a little bit about why it takes so long. Everybody keeps asking me that. International adoption is not for the weak at heart. It is a very long and tiring journey, but we are up for the challenge! It will be well worth it in the end. We feel very blessed to be the ones chosen by our Heavenly Father to care for Arabella while on this earth. One day last month as I was driving down the road I started thinking about how much I love this baby that I haven't even got to hold yet. A realization hit me and tears ran down my face. The Lord knew Arabella would need me. I have had a place in my heart that only a child could fill; I have been devastated by not being able to get pregnant and have a biological child. If I could have had a bioligical child before now, I would not have pursued international adoption and I would not have found my precious Bella. I found a lot of peace in that realization. I wouldn't wish the pain and grief of infertility on anyone, but now I know God had a plan. He always has a plan, it is just hard for us to see at the time. I know the Lord is watching over Bella now and will keep her safe until we can bring her home.

December pictures of Arabella

2008-02-09T17:23:00.001-08:00

These are December pictures of Arabella. She weighed 12 lbs. 11 ozs. Wouldn't you just love to pinch those chubby cheeks? They remind me of my niece Lyndsey's chubby cheeks when she was a baby. The first picture looks like she is waving at the camera. The second picture looks like she loves to chew on her fingers; she might be teething. The last picture is my favorite of this bunch. You can't tell it, but someone is holding her arms down because she wouldn't keep her hands down and out of her mouth for the pictures. What a serious look she is giving them! I love this little outfit with the pink heart on it. Look at her mouth closely, it is shaped like a heart. How sweet! I have a feeling we will have to chase the boys away when she is older.

November pictures of Arabella

2008-02-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

She just keeps getting cuter, doesn't she? These are from November, when she weighed 12 lbs. 3 ozs. I love the bow in her hair. Her foster mom dressed her in cute clothes. Look at those long fingers!

October picture of Arabella

2008-02-09T17:10:00.001-08:00

Doesn't she look like an angel? This picture was taken in October when Bella was 2 months old. She weighed 10 lbs. and 3 ozs. October was the month that we got our dossier ( all the paperwork for an international adoption) done. This was also the month we found out that we might not be able to adopt from Guatemala due to the adoption laws changing. I started looking for another country to adopt from, but I could not find any peace changing countries. This is because my daughter was already born in Guatemala; I just didn't know it yet. But... God knew.

September pictures of Arabella

2008-02-09T16:02:00.001-08:00

Arabella was born on August 14th. These are two of the pictures we got with our referral. This is when she was almost a month old. They dress their babies in layers in Guatemala. She weighed 7 lbs. when she was born. She weighed 9 lbs. 4 ozs. here. She looks kinda grumpy in the second picture, doesn't she? I think she is thinking, "Why are you that close to my eyes with that camera?" Bella's foster mom takes her once a month to the doctor for a checkup. We get pictures and a medical update once a month from our agency.

The Beginning Of Our International Adoption Journey

2008-01-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog. If you have found this blog, you can read about "our journey to bring Arabella home." I will attempt to give you an overview of how we got where we are and where we are now in our adoption process and will periodically post updates so you can see our progress and join us on this exciting journey! In the beginning: After years of infertility, I felt the Lord speaking to me about adopting. I had been praying for a bilogical child for a long time, and this is not the answer I wanted to hear. A few months later, we started looking into domestic adoption. This has been over two years ago. In the U.S. you are usually chosen by the birthparents. Needless to say, we weren't chosen. Many couples wait for years and years and are never chosen. We desperately wanted to be parents and would prefer a newborn baby to call our own. Although I had researched international adoption in the past, we didn't think that was the route we wanted to go mainly due to the astronomical cost involved and the age of the baby when you could bring them home. We decided at the end of the summer to pursue an international adoption because we had waited 2 years to adopt domestically. We would have to compromise because we really had our heart set on a newborn and it cost a lot more. We knew that if this is what the Lord wants us to do that we would come up with the money somehow. It costs over $30,000 to adopt a baby from Guatemala. Interestingly enough just the month before we decided to pursue an adoption from Guatemala, God took us on a journey to M-Fuge in Nashville, TN with our youth group. Bobby and I both worked in different "tracts" or mission groups that week. We had one thing in common though, we fell in love with the kids we worked with. The children we fell in love with looked different than us (darker tan skin and big brown eyes). They were hispanic, and the ones I worked with didn't understand English. I remember thinking that they were the most beautiful children I had ever seen. I believe now that God was preparing us for the decision we were getting ready to make. Just a few weeks later our case worker came to our house to interview us for our home study update. She brought up international adoption as an option and then told us that Guatemala might be a country for us to consider. The images of the children from M-Fuge came into my mind and I was overwhelmed with emotions. It is hard to explain the feeling. We looked at several different options and countries, but I knew Guatemala was where our child was from that day on. Shortly after that, we started on our paperwork and dossier that we would need to adopt a baby from Guatemala. It took us several months to get all the required documents ready. Shortly after we completed our documents in October, we found out that due to changing laws and some uncertainty in the Guatemalan adoption process that our agency temporarily stopped issuing referrals for babies to adopt.

This was very disheartening at the time. I started researching a bunch of different countries again, but I couldn't find peace in pursuing a different country. I know now that this is because our daughter was already born and waiting for us in Guatemala.

Fast forward to December, 2007:

Guatemala passed their new law that stated that any adoptions that were started in 2007 would be allowed to proceed under the old notarial system. This would mean that all parents who had a referral for their child and had a registered power of attorney in GU by Dec. 31 would be able to move forward. GU is in the beginning stages of overhauling their whole adoption system. New adoptions (starting Jan. 1, 2008) will not be able to begin until they get their new procedures and everything ironed out, and no one knows how long that will take. The government will begin overseeing all adoptions now and it won't be done privately as in the past. This will probably do away with the foster moms that care for most of the orphans now. This will leave many babies in orphanages. Please pray for the GU government and for all the orphans who aren't matched yet with parents.

Our agency decided to go ahead after the law was passed and try to find homes for babies who needed homes that their attorney had in custody. This means the birth mother relinquished her rights and gave the attorney the authority to place her child for adoption. The attorney places the babies with a foster mom who takes care of the child until the adoption is completed.

THE CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll never forget where I was or what I was doing when I got the call that our agency had a referral for a baby for us if we wanted it. It was right after lunch on Fri., Dec. 14th, while I was teaching at school. It was too cold to go outside to play for recess, so my students were watching an educational video on t.v. I was sitting at my desk when my phone rang. Like I mentioned, my agency told me that they had a referral for us if we wanted it. What do you mean if we wanted it, were they crazy? Of course we wanted it. I think I was in shock, but I do know they told me the referral was for a baby girl born on August 14th. We didn't specify on our application what gender of child we wanted to adopt because we didn't think that was "up" to us. God knew that my heart's desire was for a girl, though. She was 4 months old on that day. I was so excited I could hardly stand it. Then we found out we would have to go to Lexington on Mon., Dec. 17th to sign our power of attorney and get everything going before the deadline for new law (Dec. 31). It was a long weekend to wait to see pictures and get the medical report. I knew she was ours already, but it took more convincing for Bob. He was being cautious and reminded me that we had to have the medical reports checked out and everything first to be sure. On Monday, Dec. 17th, we signed the papers to get the adoption started and saw the first pictures of our daughter. It was love at first sight. I remember saying, "Oh look, she is so cute I could eat her up!"

Everyone was so excited for us! They couldn't wait until we got home so we could email them the pictures. We went to dinner at Cracker Barrell when we got back to Elizabethtown. On the way to Lexington I had read a list of names that I had come up with over the weekend to Bob as he drove. When we sat down at dinner, Bob took the paper off the napkin and wrote something down on it and slid it across the table. He said that this was our daughter's name. Arabella Josey Boster. Arabella means answer to a prayer; Josey means blessed and is the baby's given middle name with a "y" added at the end to Americanize it a little. Both of these names were ones on my list. Bob informed me that he didn't like any of the other names I had picked out. It took me a couple of days to decide for sure, but he had hit the nail on the head. Arabella's nick name will be Bella.