tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-119004422011-04-22T00:39:31.551-05:00Our adoption journey to GuatemalaDannynoreply@blogger.comBlogger741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114522621061881582005-04-26T08:33:00.000-05:002005-10-08T22:39:32.343-05:00

Not only has Catie come home, so has Grandma & Grandpa. We said our farewells yesterday to Danny, Kimberly, Anthony, Elli, Catie, and began our treck to West Virginia. The leaving was a little easier since we knew all of the above mentioned would also be stopping for a visit, in few days, on their way to Ohio to visit Kimberly's parents. Not only was the trip a memorable one for us, but we gained

Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988077778038006352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114077816153359442005-04-21T04:48:00.000-05:002005-04-21T05:03:36.153-05:00

I'm still a traditionalist when it comes to photography -- I use the same Minolta X-370 SLR that I bought with my high-school savings in 1985 -- but Dad entered the digital era a few years ago and got a new digital camera for Christmas in December. That means we were quickly able to upload the photos he took in Guatemala to my computer so I could take my first crack at photoblogging.I've just

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114068951627209432005-04-21T02:35:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:08:01.100-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114068883903529952005-04-21T02:34:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:15:03.640-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114068665771703012005-04-21T02:31:00.001-05:002005-04-21T03:22:25.600-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114068706905223342005-04-21T02:31:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:17:54.686-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114068596123150272005-04-21T02:29:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:25:46.406-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114068489788746732005-04-21T02:28:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:28:41.163-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114068138498988122005-04-21T02:22:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:33:09.253-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114068043823613242005-04-21T02:20:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:33:46.470-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114067927744043712005-04-21T02:18:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:34:34.366-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114067808310241772005-04-21T02:16:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:35:23.113-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114067683527326092005-04-21T02:14:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:35:59.790-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114067626545901372005-04-21T02:13:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:36:30.006-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114067579226688992005-04-21T02:12:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:37:17.323-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114067287085457512005-04-21T02:08:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:38:00.186-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114067110192335532005-04-21T02:05:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:38:38.643-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114067000993290042005-04-21T02:03:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:39:14.326-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114066958618211122005-04-21T02:02:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:40:02.770-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114066823028945122005-04-21T02:00:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:41:11.186-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114066751449758772005-04-21T01:59:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:42:10.916-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114066215142908962005-04-21T01:50:00.000-05:002005-04-21T03:05:51.813-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114066073173230042005-04-21T01:47:00.001-05:002005-04-21T04:45:45.813-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114066024516081352005-04-21T01:47:00.000-05:002005-04-21T01:56:28.283-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114065995107959102005-04-21T01:46:00.000-05:002005-04-21T01:56:03.766-05:00

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114049768138438832005-04-20T21:06:00.000-05:002005-04-20T21:16:08.140-05:00

The sickness of the past week is nothing compared with the joy in our hearts now that we are home. The same is true of the numerous adoption trials we have endured over the past year-plus -- the overbearing social worker whose unnecessary demands forced us to delay the homestudy process by nearly two months last spring, the months-long wait for Catie's birth and the even more excruciating

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1114023033444006912005-04-20T12:08:00.000-05:002005-04-20T13:50:33.446-05:00

Yesterday ranks among the most miserable days of my life. I started getting sick just after midnight, and I was still aching after we arrived home at about 1 a.m. I'm sure a looked quite the fright to all who saw me at Hotel Antigua, on the road to Guatemala City, at the airport and on our flight. But I didn't want to stay in Guatemala another day for fear that someone else might get sick, so I

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113929055303239732005-04-19T22:04:00.000-05:002005-04-19T11:44:15.303-05:00

Following are a few of my impressions of my Guatemala visit. (1) I have found most of the people friendly, even if I cannot speak their language. A smile works everywhere. (2) Poverty exist among wealth. Many people (at least in the cities) dress in as good or better clothes than I, and drive better cars. At the same time you see much poverty, and people living in places worse than we keep our

Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988077778038006352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113926409574563802005-04-19T09:00:00.000-05:002005-04-19T11:00:09.576-05:00

This is Grandpa again. I´m up, but not very at´em. I thought I was feeling better yesterday, and then committed the cardnial sin,¨I ate¨. Grandma says I did not eat much, but both Danny and I had a dish of ice cream, and now Danny is sick too. We are suppose to leave here for the airport at 1 p.m., and are praying Danny is well enough to make the flight. We had planned on our last meal in

Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988077778038006352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113863604213357772005-04-18T17:21:00.000-05:002005-04-18T17:33:24.216-05:00

Antigua has a new feature that we do not recall seeing before: mini-taxis that look like glorified golf carts. We've seen them all over town, and they travel pretty quickly on the cobblestone here. They also are easier to maneuver through the concrete posts in several of the streets here that are designed to keep buses off the roads.Dad talked about hailing one of the taxis more than once the

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113862798393221582005-04-18T17:08:00.000-05:002005-04-18T17:34:59.290-05:00

As many of you reading this blog know, Catie has an unusually fair complexion for a child of Guatemalan ancestry. We jokingly call her "our little white baby" because she looks so different than Anthony, whose heritage is Mayan Indian, and Elli, who has more Hispanic features.We are not the only ones to notice. In fact, Catie has attracted quite a bit of attention here. On our first full day in

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113862016378986172005-04-18T16:22:00.000-05:002005-04-18T17:06:56.383-05:00

Catie had another solid night's sleep last night, so all of us were well-rested for a day on the road. Dad is feeling better each day, too, though I can tell the heat is beginning to wear on him. It wasn't supposed to be so hot and hazy in Guatemala; that's what Washington, D.C., is famous for!We started the day with a relaxing breakfast at the hotel again and left for a nearby coffee plantation

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113783251839389742005-04-17T19:00:00.000-05:002005-04-17T19:14:11.840-05:00

I ventured out on my own today in search of coins, and while I didn't find any coins, I did manage to strike up some conversations with some English-speaking Guatemalans.The first was a woman in the jade museum/jewelry store. I asked her if she knew of any place that sold silver coins because I recalled having seen a silver shop near that store the last time we were in Guatemala, but it was

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113782393740912162005-04-17T18:48:00.000-05:002005-04-17T18:59:53.743-05:00

As I did with both Anthony and Elli, I have trekked through both Guatemala City and Antigua with Catie in a sling draped over my shoulder and across my chest. Unlike Anthony and Elli, though, Catie is not content for me to sit still while wearing the sling. She wants to be moving and lets me know it, quite loudly, when I dare to sit even briefly. The crying stops as soon as I arise.Something

Dannynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113781671382194642005-04-17T18:41:00.000-05:002005-04-17T18:47:51.383-05:00

Kimberly tried a new technique with Catie last night, and all of us benefited from a good night's sleep. We decided to give Catie more time to eat rather than just stopping when she first resisted the bottle. We gave her little breaks after each ounce or two and then offered her the bottle again. She gladly took it and downed 5 ounces before falling asleep. She had never taken more than 3 ounces

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113781205981039962005-04-17T18:24:00.000-05:002005-04-17T18:40:05.983-05:00

Dad is feeling a bit better today but still can't eat much, which means he doesn't have much energy to do much. He stayed in the hotel this morning and watched Anthony, Elli and Catie while Mom and Kimberly went shopping and I went on a separate coin hunt.This afternoon, Dad joined us in shopping for jade and seeing how they make jade at the nearest place that demonstrates the techniques. The

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113701128907269942005-04-16T20:22:00.000-05:002005-04-16T20:25:28.906-05:00

Hello Old Town friends and Meemaw. A friend of ours from church is throwing a tea in Catie's honor a week from today, and you are invited. We figured the best way to get the word out was to post a note on the blog so you could reserve the date. Details to come.That's all for now. Signing off for the night, as it's dark and I'm still a little nervous about walking alone to our hotel, even though

Dannynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113700905364357782005-04-16T20:15:00.000-05:002005-04-16T20:21:45.366-05:00

Guatemala means "land of eternal spring," but this country has not lived up to its namesake this week. It has been hot, muggy and overcast. That has not only made the trip difficult for my father and more tiring than expected for all us, but it also has meant that we have not been able to see one of Guatemala's natural wonders: the volcanoes. Until today, that is.We did not see the volcanoes at

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113700479244060742005-04-16T20:06:00.000-05:002005-04-16T20:14:39.246-05:00

None of us was eager to return to the B&B just outside Antigua last night, but we are glad we did. Anthony made friends with one of the little boys whose family tends the place, even though the two of them spoke different languages.Anthony just chattered away at Pedro Jr. (We called him that because Kimberly didn't understand him when he shyly spoke his real name and because his father's name is

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113699992354220712005-04-16T19:54:00.000-05:002005-04-16T20:06:32.356-05:00

Catie seems to have adjusted quickly to the Glover family, but she still gets fussy during the day and awakes several times during the night. A head cold she got a couple of days ago has been part of the problem the past two nights.We did start putting her to bed on her stomach because her foster mother said that's how she is used to sleeping. But that technique only worked for one night. Then

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113699261198651082005-04-16T19:38:00.000-05:002005-04-16T19:54:21.200-05:00

Kimberly and I were bummed to arrive in Antigua on Thursday and hear from the owner of the B&B where we stayed that the indigenous Guatemalans who frequented the town square for years to sell their handmade goods have been banned from the practice.Seeing all of those beautiful Mayan children and their parents throughout the square, and buying their products, was one of the highlights of our first

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113698314344000702005-04-16T19:33:00.000-05:002005-04-16T19:38:34.346-05:00

Dad had some serious stomach problems about a week before we left the states, and he was hit with another bout overnight. We're not sure if it was caused by him eating too much greasy food or what, but none of the rest of us has been affected and we've been eating pretty much the same fare.Dad has been recuperating today. He has not left the bed much and has only been able to sip Sprite and

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113589698985832542005-04-15T13:26:00.000-05:002005-04-15T13:28:18.986-05:00

No, I don't love stinky diapers; Elli does. Catie falls alseep.

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113589571576297352005-04-15T13:24:00.000-05:002005-04-15T13:26:11.576-05:00

Catie is beautiful. Bubba loves stinky diapers. I love you, Catie.

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113589417043447192005-04-15T13:20:00.000-05:002005-04-15T13:23:37.043-05:00

Today is a day for hitting the shops in Antigua. We started the morning with coffee at a cafe -- only Dad, Mom and Kimberly imbibed -- and Mom and Kimberly hit nearby shops while Dad and I blogged. (They're standing over our shoulders, hounding us to go shop outside the immediate perimeter! Can you hear Kimberly breathing down my neck?) So I guess it's about time for us to go. More later.

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113589169252164122005-04-15T13:07:00.000-05:002005-04-15T13:19:29.256-05:00

Yes, that's right, our five-month-old daughter is now a legal immigrant with a work visa. That's the last step in the process for us to bring her into the United States, and we finished it yesterday before heading to Antigua. (I couldn't blog about it because the computer at the Princess Reforma wasn't working.)The embassy appointment went much more smoothly than three years ago, when we misread

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113588401615010002005-04-15T12:47:00.000-05:002005-04-15T13:06:41.616-05:00

We arrived in Antigua yesterday afternoon, and I'm at an Internet cafe in the town square now. As I remembered from three years ago, there are Internet cafes throughout this place, and it's fairly cheap -- 8 quetzales (a little more than $1) an hour at this one and a little more at another one we checked.Dad is sitting right next to me and blogging, too. I think he's hooked on blogging now, if

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113589471389630982005-04-15T11:21:00.000-05:002005-04-15T13:24:31.390-05:00

We made it to Anigua around 6 p.m. last night. We did not find the bed and breakfast as inpressive as it looked in pictures. Grandma told Danny it was a little like when we used to go camping, but I would have to say it was a little better. We plan to stay there again tonight, and then move into the city, which was where we wanted to stay in the beginning. The same person (Mark, an American from

Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988077778038006352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113491828563927482005-04-14T10:16:00.000-05:002005-04-14T10:17:08.563-05:00

,. v xxxzbhbhtfuh nkjjjjn lñ,m v,,,l,gvfgvyuu jl

Dannynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113489852355827152005-04-14T09:44:00.000-05:002005-04-14T09:44:12.356-05:00

This will be my last blog from Guatemala City. The temp is already quite warm here and it is 0nly 8:25 a.m. Danny and Kimberly are at the embassy taking care of the final paperwork so we can leave the country with Catie. She is doing much better as far as adjusting to everyone, and likes to play with Anthony and Elli. We will leave this afternoon for Antigua for a few days of vacation. I'm

Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988077778038006352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113447472752534292005-04-13T21:43:00.000-05:002005-04-13T21:57:52.753-05:00

Catie had her last doctor's appointment this afternoon, the final step before our U.S. embassy appointment tomorrow. She is a healthy baby but a little on the tiny side. She weighs 11 lbs., 13 ozs. now and is 25 inches long. That puts her off the charts on the low end for average weight at her age and in the 25th percentile for height. But the doctor told us not to worry because she should gain

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113416227233636292005-04-13T12:56:00.000-05:002005-04-13T13:17:07.236-05:00

Kimberly bought some Chiclets chewing gum from a young boy on the street yesterday. We paid 20 quetzels (almost $3) for a few pieces of gum ... but it was worth every penny to us to see the smiles on his and his mother's faces.Every time we travel here, we see the faces of our own children in those of Guatemalans who are less fortunate. We see them at the airport, on the streets of Guatemala City

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113414808691971322005-04-13T12:37:00.000-05:002005-04-13T12:53:28.693-05:00

We take Catie to the doctor this afternoon for one last appointment, and if all goes well, we will be at the embassy tomorrow morning to complete the final step in her adoption (not counting the "re-adoption" process in the states that begins in six months or so). After our morning meeting at the embassy, one of us will return in the afternoon to get the paperwork. Technically, we could leave

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113413111791347252005-04-13T12:12:00.000-05:002005-04-13T12:25:11.793-05:00

We heard rumors yesterday that a small earthquake shook part of Guatemala on Monday night, so I just searched Google News to confirm the rumor. It is true.The quake ranked somewhere between 4.6 and 5.3 on the Richter scale, according to two different measurements, and was centered about 50 miles from Guatemala City. It hit at about 8:40 p.m. None of else felt it -- we would have been eating, or

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113412321561206092005-04-13T11:42:00.000-05:002005-04-13T12:12:01.566-05:00

One of the benefits of adopting from Guatemala is that we get to meet so many other adoptive families while we are here. And every time we have been here, we have met people who remind us how blessed we have been in all three adoptions. We get so wrapped up in our own lives and perceived troubles that we forget there are others who face more trying circumstances than us.As I've mentioned before,

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113407446457026922005-04-13T10:25:00.000-05:002005-04-13T10:55:17.206-05:00

Danny is quite a blogger, but this time I beat him to the computer. Actually, We could not get online, and he went to take a nap. Catie was awake a couple of times last night so that is the parents job to get up with her. Grandparents try to sleep, but since we are all in one room that can become difficult. Finally, I got up at 6 a.m., along with Elli and Anthony and we all played in the bathroom

Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988077778038006352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113355438119353952005-04-12T20:11:00.000-05:002005-04-13T08:32:43.636-05:00

Grandma and I have been out blowing the boys inheritance today. They don't need it as bad as we do anyway. The day was quite HOT, and I'm not use to that kind of heat yet, not counting the fact that heat is not good for people with MS. In my case neither is cold, so I'm stuck unless I can find a place that stays 70 to 75 the year around. I made a few deals in spite of the fact that the exchange

Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988077778038006352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113354275456092712005-04-12T20:01:00.000-05:002005-04-12T20:09:13.726-05:00

We arrived in Guatemala yesterday (April 11) at 11:10 A.M. (1:10 P.M. ) Paden City time. The flight went well, which was a blessing for those who don't fly much. After the normal time in getting our luggage, and going through customs, we had a rather long wait for the bus from our hotel. That was probably a good thing because it gave us time to observe some of the dress and traffic of Guatemala.

Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988077778038006352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113345367611279992005-04-12T17:23:00.000-05:002005-04-12T17:36:07.613-05:00

Kimberly and I are always willing to open our wallets when we come to Guatemala. It seems like we find some nifty trinkets we missed on the last visit that we simply must have on the current visit. This time, we are determined not to leave Guatemala with regrets about purchases we wished we had made but didn't. We may never be blessed to travel here again.We started the shopping this afternoon.

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113344539155928412005-04-12T17:00:00.000-05:002005-04-12T17:22:19.156-05:00

I wish I could bottle the affection Anthony and Elli have shown for their little sister on this trip and save it for the days when sibling rivalry tends to be a greater force than sibling love. Both Anthony and Elli have been excited about our trip for weeks, and that has been one of our greatest pleasures. Our first two children are the reasons we wanted a third -- and we expect no less of Catie

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113341856951163972005-04-12T16:22:00.000-05:002005-04-12T17:00:17.230-05:00

How could I possibly forget the chicken when remembering our plane trips to Guatemala? I'm talking about the fried chicken that so many Guatemalans carried on the plane with them to the United States when we adopted Anthony. Kimberly and I were baffled by that curiousity back then, and it wasn't until years later, when a Central American businessman opened a branch of a popular chicken chain in

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113319465197366182005-04-12T10:10:00.000-05:002005-04-12T10:24:25.200-05:00

Neither Kimberly nor I embarrassed ourselves last night when trying to converse with the Venturas. Kimberly did a great job keeping the conversation going, though afterward she said that it was exhausting trying to speak and understand another language.I kept quiet much of the night and didn't try to say anything in Spanish. The memory of my one attempt to say something to the Venturas five years

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113318628407487552005-04-12T09:59:00.000-05:002005-04-12T10:10:28.410-05:00

We had a nice visit with Francisco Ventura Lopez and his wife last night. Brother Ventura is a preacher here in Guatemala. He travels to various churches of Christ in the country, and he reports that the work is growing. As we did five years ago when we first met them, we asked the Venturas what they need to help the churches here. They requested only two things: more Spanish-language songbooks

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113316873241472192005-04-12T09:37:00.000-05:002005-04-12T09:59:10.823-05:00

I'm able to blog for free from the Princess Reforma hotel in Guatemala City. They have a Dell computer, with a flat-screen monitor, set up in the corner of the 5th floor lobby here, and the access is wireless. That is a new and much-appreciated development since our last trip here.Unfortunately, the wireless connection is spotty at best. I just updated my "Memory Plane" post but lost it when the

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113267274712987832005-04-11T19:38:00.000-05:002005-04-12T09:54:33.860-05:00

Jill (Price) Clark, a lifelong friend of mine, visited us this weekend. It was the first time I had seen her in years, and as much as I wanted to reminisce about our wonderful childhood, I have a lousy memory sometimes. I recalled a few events -- like the time our two families went camping in Ohio and the campground flooded -- but I couldn't even remember, for instance, that all of the Glover and

Dannynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113266278758922392005-04-11T19:28:00.000-05:002005-04-11T19:37:58.760-05:00

Looks like we'll be staying in Guatemala City for a few days. The passport process was not finalized as we had thought last week, so we could not take Catie to the doctor today. That will have to wait until Wednesday, and then we'll go to the embassy on Thursday to finalize everything so we can take Catie home next week.That will put a crimp in our sight-seeing plans, but the only sight we really

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113265711813039582005-04-11T19:13:00.000-05:002005-04-11T19:28:31.816-05:00

We arrived safely in Guatemala on time today and met Catie at about 4 p.m. Papaw got the honor of meeting her in the lobby of our hotel and directing the foster mother and Catie to us. He said he talked to Catie in the elevator, and she smiled.As always, our introduction to Catie was bittersweet. We loved that little girl unconditionally from the day she was born, and even before that in theory,

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113208152484755872005-04-11T03:19:00.000-05:002005-04-11T03:29:12.486-05:00

Happy 5-month birthday, Catie! It's about 4:30 a.m. here in Virginia, USA, and Mommy, Daddy, Brother, Sister and Mamaw and Papaw are headed out the door for Guatemala to come and get you. You have been part of our family in heart since the day you were born, but we can't wait to have you in our arms this afternoon.We still haven't decided who will get to meet you first. When we went to Guatemala

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1113062726592202862005-04-09T10:23:00.000-05:002005-04-09T11:08:48.216-05:00

The trip to Guatemala seems all the more imminent after yesterday, my last day at work for eight weeks, so I want to take a moment to publicly thank my employer for helping make this adoption possible. Atlantic Media, which owns National Journal's Technology Daily, has contributed to our family's growth in two ways: a generous adoption reimbursement that now has helped defray some of the enormous

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1112820537551820532005-04-06T15:43:00.000-05:002005-04-06T15:48:57.553-05:00

Mamaw and Papaw should be at our house by now. They weren't going to get to our house until Thursday, but it sounds like they're as excited as we are, and possibly more, for the trip to Central America. Their early arrival should give us more time to discuss how long we want to stay (now that it sounds like we may have more control over that decision) and what we want to do while we're there. I

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1112753630584590342005-04-05T20:47:00.000-05:002005-04-05T21:13:50.586-05:00

We just received word this evening that our attorney in Guatemala has received Catie's birth certificate from civil registry. That means that if all goes as expected over the next several days, we will not have to stay in Guatemala long at all.That thought is bittersweet to me. As much as I love Guatemala now, I had dreaded the prospect of having to stay there several weeks while the adoption was

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1112749760887819002005-04-05T19:07:00.000-05:002005-04-05T20:46:52.816-05:00

The story in the post below this one begins by noting that after adopting Anthony, Kimberly and I returned home having learned little about his birth country. I wrote that more than five years ago, and I couldn't say the same today. Guatemala has become as much a part of our family as the family she gave us, and we adore the Hispanic culture and people in general.We began to incorporate our

Dannynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1112559098792334562005-04-03T14:55:00.000-05:002005-04-04T06:34:07.336-05:00

I love to tell the story of how we came to adopt from Guatemala. In fact, I wrote that story for IntellectualCapital.com, where I worked as the associate editor when we adopted Anthony. The publication is no longer available online, but I'm republishing the article in full here. It will always be one of my favorite editorial works because it's about "our firstborn child" and the namesake of our

Dannynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11900442.post-1112557544938911992005-04-03T14:09:00.000-05:002005-04-03T15:12:54.606-05:00

Our family leaves for Guatemala a week from tomorrow, and when we return, another angel will be in our midst. Her name is Catherine Maria Glover, and we call her Catie.Catie is our third child, all of them adopted by the grace of God from Guatemala, a country that we now consider our home away from home. We adopted our son, Anthony Lee, about five-and-a-half years ago. He is named after his two

Dannynoreply@blogger.com4