Mila Montage

Miss her sooo much

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waiting....

So, Obviously we made it home. I missed my kids so much, but the very next day Hope, my husband, and I got a horrible bug and were in bed throwing up and hurting for 2-3 days. It has been a looong few weeks. We have all the dossier papers needed for our court dossier except my accountant letter and state criminal record clearance . I'm really hoping for those today and tomorrow. It is so hard relying on other people for things of importance in your life.  Oh well, I'm just glad we have someone to write the accounting letter  for us, I know alot of people are struggling with that.
It's starting to get hard being away from Mila. Iv'e had a lot of things to consume my time and thoughts, but the past few days have been a little hard.  I saw someone on facebook post "I just love the holiday season" and I seriously said out loud "What is she talking about?"  I mean I guess I knew it was November, but I've been so consumed with trying to get her home that I just forgot it is the holiday season. This is my favorite time of year. The autumn holiday time (Christmas...not so much)  so.... I'm not going to let this time pass me by worrying about things that I cannot control. It will all happen in due time, when it is supposed to. I have so much to be thankful for.

Don't waste time worrying about something that you can't do anything about. I need to remember that. It makes life so much more fulfilling and enjoyable.

I'm just gonna pray that the last document arrives ASAP:)

It makes it alot easier knowing my sweet baby girl is in good, loving hands.

Bittersweet

We are packing to head home.
The time change really messed me up blogging wise. I meant to blog every day.....
It is bittersweet today. I am sooo excited to see my kids. I cannot wait to hug them. At the same time, I have to leave someone that I absolutely fell in love with. It gives me great comfort knowing how much her caretakers love her. She is very well taken care of. They show her our pictures everyday, and they have assured us that they will let her know everyday that we love her and are coming back for her. I cannot post a long post, We have to pack for the airport. I have been informed we may be delayed at JFK due to weather, so I will post again if delayed. Here are a few recent pictures from the last 2 visits.

She makes the most beautiful faces! Her smile swallows up her whole face!!!

She LOVES daddy's hat. When we visit her she takes it immediately, puts it on her head and keeps it there the rest of the visit. We had to leave it there for her.


She also likes passing items back and forth by mouth. She kept wanting us to take the toy out of her mouth with ours. She would laugh sooo hard. below Gary is taking her little toy .. She thinks it is hilarious

Mila is an absolute angel. We cannot get back fast enough!!!

Mila Montage

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mommies

Every little one should have a mommy. Sometimes mommies are taken from us at an early age, sometimes they are with us at a very old age. I don't know if she was ever been rocked, or sang to by her birth mother. I hope that she was, though chances are, she was not. I was told yeaterday that she has never had a visitor.
She has a mommy now. One that loves her more than she will ever know. One that adores her "disability" One that loves the things about her physically, that others cannot accept. A mom that will always see her potential, and her intelligence. One that will love on her when she gets sick, or has a bad dream. A mommy that will tell her she can do it, and clap for her when she finally does. I don't know how I will ever leave her on Friday. I know that Heavenly Father will not keep us apart for too long. She needs me. I need her.

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She is amazing

How can you love someone so much that you just met. Gary and I both love her as if she was always ours. Enough with the writing...I'll just show you some pictures and talk later!!!!

Im trying to get the videos to upload...I may have to try again a different way.

She reminds me sooo much of Hope. She loves the mirror. She imitates people and gestures. She is beautiful. She needs a family. She changed just from the second trip. She began laughing, which I could tell she doesnt do very often because her laugh isn't very developed.  That will all change very quickly, because we laugh alot at our house. I will write more later about our visits. She is just amazing.

Finally...We are here!

30+ hours and many time zones later, we finally made it to Mila's country.  We arrived at DFW airport and walked right through security, no lines. So far, so good. Then we hit JFK. Wow! The security line was about an hour long. This was the LAST half of the line. You cant see the end!!! The front was almost as long, with the rope maze added to it..It was CRAZY!!!

 then we had to go through an xray machine. People were not so friendly, I was totally out of my element....Until I came here. It's very different. Noone smiles at you. Everyone minds their own business. There is not any small talk at all. The women all where 6-8 inch heels. Even the security officer at the airport last night had in tall boots with 6 inch heels. Being from the south, and especially now, living in a small rural town, we talk to EVERYONE.  It is extremely different.

On the plane to Europe (the trip took 3 different planes) we were in a HUGE plane. The TVs in the headrests were pretty cool. You could watch several different movies/shows of your choice, or play video games. The coolest thing was that at take off and landing the TVs had a camera (like a back up camera) that showed the takeoff.

It was pretty neat. They also show the speed and temperature and exact location you are flying over.

And YES.. That temperature says negative 74!!! There was frost forming on the windows as we flew.

The language barrier is difficult, but quite a few people speak SOME English, so it's not too bad.

We checked in our hotel this morning at 6 am and slept until our facilitator called at 1:30pm. We went to the Department of Education to receive permission to visit/Mila and receiver the referral of that specific child. The interview there went so well. We were both so calmed and felt the spirit very strong... It was very powerful. The director of the DOE was touched and was so sweet and said that she NEW that Mila would have a wonderful home with parents that will love her. It was a very touching and amazing experience.
We then traveled (by traveled, I mean was driven by our driverand everyone drives like drunk, blind Nascar drivers...WOW!!) to the director of the Orphanage/baby home. It is mad up of a series of buildings throughout the city and outskirts.

Here, we learned about Mila.

Her parents have been married for years. She has a 10 year old sister that lives with her parents. Her mother is quite a bit younger than her father. They are both College grads with Masters degrees and professors at Universities. They were devastated to have a baby with Ds, they had really wanted this baby and when she was born they were heartbroken. Then both signed away their rights at the hospital. Mila was born on November 27,2009. Almost exactly 1 month older than Hope. Everyone seems to LOVE her there. She is very smart. She learns quickly. She laughs and smiles alot. She is a happy baby. She is definately an orphanage favorite. Their faces lit up to talk about her.

We meet her at 9:30 tomorrow morning. We CANNOT wait!!!! My heart is full of an overwhelming joy and a calming reassuring feeling that we are exactly where we are supposed to be. It is the same exact feeling I got when I would go to the hospital and hold Hope when she was born. I had forgotten what a humbling peaceful feeling that was. 

I miss my children terribly. I woke up this morning and wanted to see them so badly.  I am so lucky to have each of them. I hope they know how much their mom and dad truly love them. I hope tomorrow Mila can feel that same love.

I am also so so grateful to my sisters ... all 3 of them (Kel,Heather and Arielle) They are amazing people. They have been so willing to help us with ANYTHING. I'm so glad my girls have sisters. I hope they are always close.

I'll have pictures of Mila tomorrow!!! I saw  a recent picture of her today. 

She is perfect.

Here are a few pictures of our Hotel view and some buildings around us.

 Across the street:

 Clock tower next door:

 Fountain/park benches across the street:

 view of the river from our window:

 View out our window:

In 36 hours.....

.....We will be on our way to the airport! All I can say is IT'S ABOUT TIME! I've spent the day doing laundry and making sure I have everything I need to take. I had to make a new photo board book. The pink book I made Mila got wet! I dont know how. I had it in my backpack in the car..(with all the crazy wildfires that we were having left and right this summer here in Texas, I got into the habit of carrying my dossier, passport, and ALL important adoption document JUST in case a fire started while I was gone, and with the luck we have had...I wasn't gonna take any chances!) So I guess I set it down in something wet? or one of the kids spilled something on it? I dunno. Anyway, it got totally ruined. I just so happened to order another one, so thank goodness I had it. Turns out, I LOVE this one. I have not finished yet, still missing a few picture.

                                                  Here's what I've got so far:

And of course..she's GOTTA know....

                 She may not have been born here...but she's gettin' here as fast as she can!!!!

Had to put a blonde picture of mommy and a brunette picture...It changes often!

Still need to put another pic of Van

Need a pic of all 3 of her sisters here

Need to find a good one of Georgia...

My 2 angels 

Saving a place for our complete family photo

And

So she always knows...

So I'll be finishing that up tonight.

I have a dear friend that makes made each of my girls a ragdoll for their birthdays this year:

I absolutely LOVE these!! She even stitches their name on their hearts. Well, Mila's birthday is in November so she made one for me to take to her:

I LOVE IT!

They are just adorable. She has been such a good friend to my family.

I have the photo book, ragdoll, jacket, and SO SOFT blankie to bring Mila. I've been sleeping with the blankie every night so hopefully she can feel me with her at night when she sleeps with it.

You can't tell I'm excited, can you????

I will take many pictures and update as often as I can!! 

 Jamie.....If you wake up Sat morning with a candle in your mailbox, It's because I dropped it off on my way to my sister's house...It is soooo overdue!!! 

and Lisa,

If I get the pleasure of seeing your sweet baby girl I promise, I will squeeze her tightly for you!!!

Hopefully next time I post I will be exhausted in Europe!!! :) 

And now, I leave you with my little "Hopagator"

I'm so glad we make it home in time for Halloween!!

(She crawls on all fours and growls when you call her a hopagator, so we HAD to make her an alligator for Halloween...