Shout it from the rooftops...WE'RE OUT, WE'RE OUT!

Well, I can't believe I finally get to write this...but today at 5:25pm as I was heading home from Morton, the phone rang...503 area code...I knew it was Katie...could hardly control myself. She started the conversation with asking about our trip and then said, well, I have some more good news for you, "you have PGN approval!" Tears started flowing and I almost wrecked...BEST NEWS OF MY LIFE!!! Then she said, "she is finally legally your daughter." What a feeling!!!

She then explained the process from here on out...still several things to happen...acquiring the birth certificate, translating some documents back to English, the 2nd DNA test...then finally we'll get to bring her home! She estimates 6-8 weeks. Kenneth said 4 weeks when we were there visiting. So, I'm offically saying 4-8 weeks...by Thanksgiving hopefully! Definitely by Christmas...no more worrying about that! We'll be spending Christmas with our new baby girl! Our pick-up trip will be approximately 4-6 days depending on whether we have to stay over a weekend. We are going to do everything in our power to fly into Peoria!

Really, I know this wait has seemed like an eternity, but really it was just November when we submitted our very initial application to Journeys...less than 1 year ago. Not bad really!! Barely longer than a pregnancy!

Then, I got home to check the email to read the official approval. It's all in Spanish, can't read a bit! And, I had to laugh, the email immediately following the approval was the final invoice...they didn't waste anytime getting that out...ha, ha!!!

Well, I need to get settled down for bed or I may never sleep tonight! We thank you all for the prayers over these many months and especially Pastor Keith for praying for us and his daugher who was also visiting her child in Guatemala last week. On Sunday, he said, "God is in control and no government can keep these children from their adoptive parents." He was right! Please continue to pray the next few weeks go smoothly and that all the other families waiting get OUT soon!