Thursday, November 29, 2007

DNA Authorization!

Yes.... We finally,after 10 LONG weeks, have dna authorization today...So this means we have been submitted to the embassy and things are finally started on the US side. We will know tomorrow if we were submitted to family court as well. But at least we are started.. YES!! Great day

Sunday, November 25, 2007

We Are Home!!!

Well Randi Jo and I are home..We had a great time,met some wonderful people,and did some shopping... I am certain this was an experience Randi Jo will always remember. She met some lifelong friends I think also.So here are the pictures.
This is Randi Jo at rehearsal the 2ND day. But the first day on the famous stairs from the Rocky movies. And yes.. She was in the front row. The girl beside her turned into a great friend for her for the week.
This is Randi Jo and I at the Rocky Statue.(I so HATE having my pic taken..)

Pluto decided to drop into rehearsal on Wednesday. The girls were so excited to get pictures with him.


We went on a dinner cruise Wednesday night,... This is Randi and the girls doing the train dance.This was probably the highlight of her week.



And this is Randi Jo on performance day. She had a great smile and said she wasn't nervous at all... She has always loved being front and center.This is the last of the philly pics.


We were getting ready for Thanksgiving with Joe family today. I came in the living room.. and here are my children. Bandar was in one chair and Justin and Randi Jo in the other... I have a sofa. But they choose to share.. They are goofy.

And here are all three of them outside after we got home... Most days they really do LOVE each other.
We spoke with Stanley tonight. Jazlynn went to the Dr and she now weighs 11lbs 14 ounces and is 22 inches long. I can not wait to get new pictures of her on Friday. He said she has such big eyes... Just like Randi always had... I know she is gorgeous! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving,..






Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Philly Trip

For the family that has been waiting... This is the outfit Randi jo will be wearing in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade...The Parade is 9-12 and airs on ABC.
For those I haven't told... Randi Jo and I are now in Philadelphia.. She starts rehersals tonight at 8:30. She won this opportunity at camp this summer by being nominated by her coach to try out for the UCA all stars. Well she made it.. She was the only one from her area.But she is already making plenty of friends. We will be home sometime on Friday.
On another note.please keep Justin in your thoughts this week. On Monday afternoon,before I left,we had to put his 12 year old dog to sleep.. He is finding it hard to find things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. It is a hard thing for all of us. Dogs very quickly become a part of your family. I will post pictures when I get home.. HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Fav Foto Friday

These pictures were taken at my Grandma Anna's 100th Birthday Party.. Well she has just recently turned 101.. So Fav Friday is for her this week... Happy Birthday Grandma. We Love You!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Soccer and Cheerleading pictures

This is Randi Jo's Freshman Soccer picture. She made first string Varsity as a freshman.. She is definitely my sporty girl.
This is Justin's Sophmore soccer picture. and probably his last. It was not his favorite thing. He played as a favor to the coach this year,But he prefers a good book....

This is Randi Jo's Freshman Football Cheerleading Picture. She didn't cheer Freshman though she cheered Junior Varsity.. She made Junior Varsity for Basketball also,but asked to go back down to Freshman with her friends because there was only three of them and she was the only freshman Junior Varsity.. Good for her..Stick with your friends...
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On the adoption front... WE HAVE THE GREATEST FOSTER FAMILY EVER!!!! On Monday night Randi Jo and her friend talked to them on MSN for 6 hours..Now Stanley deserves a pat on the back,... To sit and talk with a 14 year old girl that long..lol Jazlynn is doing great.. He said she loves his Mom and Dad equally well... I told him to make sure she is a mamma's girl..lol His mom is excited to be able to know so much about a family and we are just as excited to be kept informed...
I spoke with him tonight and he said they are missing a package I sent... the others came today but not the one.. So I will try to track it down tomorrow.At least her Christmas dress arrived. So many things were talked about I wouldn't know where to start on here. I know he is out of college and works as a Chef. and he loves it.. We will have to eat at his restaurant while we are there.
Anyways I think that is all for now.. Still no word at all on any progress.. We'll see what Friday brings....

Sunday, November 11, 2007

My Mr. Smartypants!!

This can work as my fav foto Friday a couple days late also.. I found this picture on Randi Jo's camera when I was empting her card for her.. I always get the best pics of the kids from their cameras.. They will be silly with each other..And they really are very close...This picture shows that..


And then there is Justin.. He started Driver training this past week.. On Thursday they had a surprise mid test.. She said in 5 years no one has ever passed it.. Well not only did Justin pass it.. He got a 100 on it.. He is such a nerd....lol And believe me we have heard of nothing else since.
On the adoption front.. still nothing.. Our case has not been submitted to the embassy yet. But our attorney said it will be this week. So let hope.. We need to get started here... I will call her tonight so maybe the FM has heard something I haven't. Let's just keep praying it will be this week..

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

DNA authorization

Well the adoption news today for us is NOTHING again... another girl in our agency received dna authorization today after only 4 weeks... And she has the same attorney.. I just don't get this process... I am left not knowing weather to be extremely mad or scared that something is wrong with my case. I know it hasn't been done without me being told though because I talk to the FM regularly... Oh well hopefully Ellie will find something out on Friday.. Keep praying I think Jazlynn needs it..

News from Guatemala

edited to add: http://www.adaguatemala.org/English/news/ This is another post well worth reading...This process will never be easy.

http://www.guatadopt.com/archives/000747.html#000747


In this article it says that the congress met yesterday and talked about moving the implementation of the Hague to April... Which would mean that Jazlynn would be safe until then.. And she SHOULD be home by then... So this is great.. better even than grandfathering in old cases because it should mean no new hoops to jump through to get her home... So we can all breathe a little bit better today...

http://www.adaguatemala.org/English/news/

Then there is this article on ADA which I am not sure I agree totally with.. But I do agree that NOT all adoptions from Guatemala are rigged.. In fact I think very few are but those are the only ones Americans seem to be able to focus on...

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Visit Trip

Well it is final.. We have booked our visit trip for December...We will fly out of Detroit on the 27th and home the 31st.. We will be staying at the Marriott in Guatemala City...We are lucky in that other members of FTIA will be there at the same time... Can't wait to hold Jazlynn...Here's hoping all goes well with the amendment clauses..

Friday, November 2, 2007

Fav Foto Friday

Okay I decided I am going to try this also.. but It will not always be pics of Jazlynn because I haven't seen her yet and I have posted all the pics I have...But I love these pics here.. Our dog truely loves two things in life... snow and big piles of leaves.. well the other day she was barking her head off at the door running through the house carrying on.. I looked outside.. and sure enough Justin was raking leaves for the kids to jump in.. so I let her out and here are the results...
If only life were this simple... remember when this is all it took to make our day...

This is truely as close to heaven as it gets for Bailey..... Hope you all enjoyed...

New pictures

We received updated pictures of Jazlynn today. She looks like she has a rash on her face,but I am guessing it is just from the peeling of her newborn skin... If it is still there in the next pictures then I will ask them to question it. But she is still gorgeous... and looks sleepy



I love her eyes



Thursday, November 1, 2007

Jazlynn is 2 months old today...



Sending lots of hugs and kisses out to her... We Love you baby girl!





This is three of the pumpkins the kids carved,This is the picture I wanted to put on yesterday and the blog wouldn't let me,,,They did such a great job...




Well the other big news at the Long household is: Justin now has a permit..Yes I know.. It is scary.. But... He is legal now.. He is actually a very good driver. I made him drive home from the store this evening and he was sooo nervous to drive after dark,,, He kept saying"I hate you" all the way home...lol But he did great!
I am off to bed praying for DNA authorization tomorrow....