Isabel Lucia

Announcing.....

2010-07-06T15:22:00.015-05:00

Yes, it's true... I haven't added a new post for almost a year. Life got kind of crazy last fall and then it seemed too far gone to try and catch up on a move back to Minnesota, Isa's third birthday, the adventures of our first snowy winter, my sister's wedding, etc...... so, I decided to semi-retire the blog until we had some big news to share.

Of course, we assumed our news would be about a baby! Aaron and I completed a homestudy in Illinois last summer to adopt a second time, and then after we moved we did another homestudy and thought by this summer we would have great news of an addition to our family to share. We are currently waiting for a little girl in South Korea and are also sending a dossier to Rwanda within the next month. The process is taking longer than we thought and the wait has been as hard as it was the first time. Yet, I know God is faithful and I have recently been filled with such incredible, sincere joy looking at the family he has provided me with that I am learning how to wait with eager and hopeful anticipation, rather than in a state of fearful discontentment. Waiting for something we long for so intensely, for such a long time and undetermined amount of time, has challenged my beliefs and tested my faith. I have been praying for Him to show me I can trust Him, to lighten my emotionally heavy load, to give me peace, and to teach me to REST in His faithfulness. I have begun to understand that in order to fully appreciate and enjoy the amazing adventures God has in store for our family, I would have to, once-and-for-all, grab that giant wand and permanently erase the picture I created on my little personally etched-a-sketch life. And, after an incredibly fun weekend together I did just that- on Saturday while playing together in the pool the slate was wiped clean and I was honestly open, and happy, just the way we are. And for the first time in months, I began to wonder about the blessings and adventures we would have, rather than worry how closely they would match my picture.

Well, as it turns out, I didn't have to wonder for long. Yesterday, my dear friend Bobbie called to tell me she found puppies and if we want a sibling we should be at her house ASAP to go see them and, if it was the right situation, bring one home! We had talked with them about the breed we wanted next, and it turned out they were looking for the same one. The difference was they wanted a puppy this summer, and we were comfortable knowing we will get a puppy when Heidi is gone... someday in the future, far far away from now. Aaron was golfing with my Dad and Abby's husband at the time, so I called and told him about the puppies, and after waiting while he took an "impossible shot", he picked up the phone and said..... "well, you better get the checkbook." That was it! We jumped in the car, drove three hours north, and fell in love with the cutest little bundle of love we have ever seen! Yes, I know, it's only a dog... we have no human addition to our family to announce. Yet, I couldn't be happier! We all wore the same clothes for two days, didn't have chance to shower, and were up in the night with a little bundle of love- just what we needed. God has a way of answering prayers that just makes me laugh. Last night as I watched Isa and my Godson Christian beaming and bubbling over with joy at the sight of their new puppies, I knew God was taking care of me. He has a plan, His timing is perfect, and He is always faithful. And although I do hope to have another announcement soon, I am so thankful for the gift of raising these little brothers with our dear friends. What a turn of events I never saw coming. Yes, God is faithful... and so fun!!!

Here's Henry- our little (for now) Bernese Mountain Dog.
Hope you get a chance to meet him before he gets big- better come quickly!

Mission accomplished- puppies on board and lots of smiles on faces!

And, a pic for those of you who haven't seen our little Isa Lu for awhile- she is such a big girl with a big girl haircut. Time just goes by so fast.....

Cheers- here's to more posts soon,
Aaron, Megan, Isabel, Heidi, Jazz and Henry

Summertime fun!

2009-08-31T21:45:00.005-05:00

What is better than summer?! I know, every time I say how much I love summer Aaron reminds me that I say that about every season- I just can't believe I actually say it about winter, but I must! We had a great summer visiting friends and family, spending time together on the back step eating ice cream, and are more thankful for our little Isababy with every passing day. She is truly a big girl and reminds me of it everyday. She wants to do everything by herself and is so proud when she can. We have many more pics to come... but for now, here a few.

Riding a pony at the Taste of Champaign!

Isa's favorite babies are Andray and Pigtail and she plays with them everyday. This day they were in a time out in their bed- so cute!

Building a rainbow for her Ark! I didn't know she could love a toy so much- thanks Beth and Ryan.

Isa is such a spirited soul and is always playing- even pretending to read Mommies books and bake a cake with Apron on at the same time. She reminds us everyday of the joy in the littlest things in life- seeing the moon as the sky darkens, jumping over lines in the sidewalk, and going on acorn hunts. What a gift! I LOVE summer!!!

Our little ballerina

2009-06-01T13:12:00.004-05:00

Isa loves anything princess and ballerina and last week my mom sent her this tutu she made. Needless to say Isa loves it and we had a great time making up a ballet and performing for her baby doll 'pigtail'. She loves the Angelina Ballerina books and felt like such a princess with her tutu on.

Mimi even made a matching tutu for pigtail!

Cookie break... princess got tired!

Our audience

She holds onto the bar of her crib and holds out her arm saying, "plie... tondu". She even has the french accent going on... "tonzu"! It's interesting that her foster mom always called her 'princesa' and as soon as she put her tutu on she starting calling herself "la princesa". We definitely need to plan a trip to Guatemala to visit her family there.

Thanks for the tutu Mimi- it was a huge hit!

Welcome Roslyn Ann!

2009-05-24T13:03:00.000-05:00

Isa has a new baby cousin! Jake, Celest and Andray welcomed Rosyln Ann on May 23rd and she is adorable! We can't wait to meet her and kiss her sweet face.

The cutest Goddaughter in the world- Uncle Aaron loves you sooooo much baby Ros!

Congratulations Stang family- we love you guys! Feel free to check out their blog for more pics of our nephew and niece: www.waitingforbabystang.blogspot.com.

Lovin' the month of May!

2009-05-20T12:32:00.000-05:00

Isa seems to get bigger and more grown up everyday and surprises me with how much she can do and say these days. She has gotten very good at playing by herself and making up stories about her "guys". I will be making dinner and overhear her plot and it usually involves a baby losing his mommy and she reassures him it will be ok- his mommy is coming right back.

She loves to be out and started taking a dance/music class that combines all of the arts and she loves it! This is a picture of Isa and her friends Erszi and Lauren at dance class- they have so much fun together. I get to teach with Heidi and Lynne (Erszi and Lauren's moms) and we have such a great time together. What fun to look forward to a work meeting!

We have a wonderful farmer's market here and Isa has eaten her weight in strawberries since they've been ripe! She was in the backseat just eating one after the other on the way home saying, "I just need one more Mommy... ok, just one more....!" We have strawberry waffles, strawberry yogurt, strawberry smoothies, strawberry popsicles... strawberry stains everywhere! yum!

She loves to swim and run through the sprinkler too- look, we even have strawberry swimsuits! And, I have my eye on the cutest strawberry outfits at Gymboree now too! I wish we could buy outfits and still be cute...
Helping Daddy spread some mulch. She loves to water the plants and is actually pretty helpful. I can't wait for her to help me grow some veggies and learn to cook. She already is a pretty good bread maker.
She got to spend the weekend with her best buds Jacob and Johnny a few weeks ago and she had the best time. She asks me about them often and includes them in her prayers most nights. It is so sweet to watch them play together and love each other- we are so lucky to have Beth and Ryan in our life.

Happy Mother's Day to me!

Isa and Alex! Alex has taken care of Isa since we got home from Guatemala and truly became a part of Isa's family- she is sure going to miss her this summer.

Uncle Jake came to visit too and it was great for her to spend time with him. We miss our family so and wish we could see them more often.

Finally have a new camera!

2009-03-16T08:22:00.004-05:00

"CHEESE!!"

I am sorry for the lack of updates lately- right before Valentine's Day our camera stopped functioning so haven't taken any pictures... until now- we just got our new camera and love it! I have only taken a few pictures but I do have to post them because I really think she has changed a lot over the past month or two. She looks and acts like such a big girl now!
Some of our favorite Isa sayings from the past month are:

Me:"Isa, don't stick your fingers in the light socket honey- that is dangerous- ouch!"
Isa: "You close eyes Mommy. Go nigh night- sleep tight. I stick fingers socket."
(Like Mother like Daughter I guess- when I was her age I told my mom to "read paper" so I could continue eating butter by the fistful!)

"You my best friend whole wide world Mommy"

Me: "Are you hungry Isa?"
Isa: "No, I fine right now. Thank you asking me Mommy."

"DADDY- NO GO WORK!!! NO!!! DON'T LEAVE ME DADDY!!""" (she is becoming kind of a drama queen lately)

"Oh thank you Mommy (for the new dress). I so pretty. I princess. I looka mirror."

"I not feeling good Mommy. My need me-cine."

Isa is more fun than we ever imagined having and is truly the light of our lives. We are going to Mexico on vacation next week so I will be sure to post some pics of our little cutie on the beach. She is very excited about going to the beach and swimming in the pool and is already putting on her swimming suit ready to go!SPRING IS ON THE WAY!!

Happy Spring everyone- look for posts from Mexico next week!

Fun in the snow!

2009-01-27T13:32:00.004-06:00

Happy Winter!

Isa has embraced winter and loves playing in the snow. She got to go sledding for the first time with Mimi and Papa, has made her first snow angel, and is in love with snowmen thanks to all the singing ones Grandma and Grandpa had at their house over Christmas. Last week we were leaving the grocery store at night and it was snowing huge flakes that looked almost magical under the street lights, so we had to stop in the middle of the parking lot to catch snowflakes on our tongues. She makes everyday more fun and truly has blessed our winter with some long lost wonder!

(yes, we still love Heidi... most of the time :)

And, I just had to post this picture because this is what I get to witness every night while I am making dinner.... she's always into something, and most of the time it's funny!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-16T13:47:00.007-06:00

We have been having so much fun we not only forgot to post updates on Isa's blog, we even forgot to take pictures! We had a wonderful Christmas at home with our family and friends, and Isa was a perfect traveler. I wish I had pics to post- but we really didn't even take one (Celest- could you send me some?)!

Here are a couple little clips of Isa we took last week. She is getting more fun everyday and is growing like a weed. Lately she has been waking up in the middle of the night calling for me and when I tell her everyone is sleeping and it's still night time she says, "I not sleeping. I hungry!" She must be because she is growing so fast the jeans that were too big for her over Thanksgiving are now too small. She truly is the light of our lives!

Much love,
Aaron, Megan and Isabel

This is one of Isa's favorite books and we always giggle when we read it to her! I am so bummed we ran out of space on our camera as I taped this- Isa does a great "Swiper- no swiping!"!

Isa is so funny when she wakes up in the morning. It is impossible not to laugh when this is your alarm clock....

Happy Birthday to you, Isa Lu!

2008-11-20T15:05:00.012-06:00

The calendar couldn't have been more appropriate for Isa today- she woke up happily shouting, "Birthday Isa! Birthday 'nack (Auntie Celest sent her favorite fruit snacks)! I'm 'free'...nooooooooo, two! hahahahhhaaa!! My try birthday"!!!

So we started the day right- with fruit snacks and ice cream!

To celebrate we went out to eat at one of our favorite restuarants, and then stopped by a cute little store downtown called 'Cakes on Walnut' for some really yummy cupcakes!

I think she liked them!

It definitely feels like winter here, we even got a little snow today.

Isa got $10 from each of her Great Grandparents for her piggy bank. I think she may be calculating how many baby dolls $20 will buy! This little girl loves her babies and spends most of her day feeding the baby, rocking the baby, changing the baby's diaper, etc., etc. Her newest baby is on the table covered in a blanket because she was cold and hungry during dinner! Whew- no wonder I'm so tired at night, I'm actually taking care of 5 babies! :)

Just hanging out at the cupcake shop.

After we finished our cupcakes we headed to the mall to go for a ride on the carousel. She ran through the mall shouting, "Come on Momma, Come on Daddy! Let's go! Ride Horsies! My try! Happy Birthday!" We had a great time (I forgot my camera in the car- dang it!) and Isa got to go on two rides because she turned two today. While we were saying good bye to the horsies Aaron said he hopes this becomes a tradition that sticks and I agree- it was such a sweet celebration.

My mom got this outfit for Isa's birthday and I love it! Isa twirls around in it and tells me how pretty her dress is and I have to agree- it is adorable. Thank you for the beautiful Christmas dress Mimi! Auntie Abby sent another of my favorite outfits for Isa too, so I will post some new pics soon.

too cute!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Papa Don tomorrow! What a lucky girl to have her birthday only one day before her Papa's. We love you!

We hope you all have a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving.

"Fall? Are you?"

2008-11-10T13:46:00.002-06:00

Just a week ago it was in the 60's and the leaves were brilliant shades of yellow and red, and today it was only 25 degrees and at least half of the leaves have fallen. We aren't going to let that stop us, though! Isa was decked out in her snowsuit today and was the only brave kid playing at the park, but over the weekend Aaron and I ordered a snuggle-bug and I can't wait until it gets here! It is a lambs wool stroller liner/blanket that will keep her snuggled and warm and will keep us from spending so much time bundling up to go! We also got a new cover that is more flexible and breathable- I can't wait. And... I did also get a "headlight" to attach to the stroller at night (apparently my cool card is completely destroyed- sorry Hubs). Oh, the things you have to do survive in Winter! Happy Monday everyone!
Love,
Aaron, Megs and Isa Lu

Isa's Auntie Celest got her the cutest Dora boots, but her feet are so tiny they don't quite fit yet- hopefully by Christmas because Isa can't wait to wear them!

Just love that smile....

"Happy Ween!"

2008-11-06T22:56:00.019-06:00

Halloween has never been more fun! We aren't sure who had more fun, us or Isa. Ok, that might be taking it a bit too far- it is pretty obvious who had the most fun- Isa got to run around and see all the kids dressed up and feed her addiction to suckers- it truly was a glorious night for our little lovebug!

Daddy's little lovebug

Breakin' into the candy dish a little early

My friend Julie got Isa this halloween bucket last year and we LOVE it!! Thanks Juju! Her name is painted on it and the handle lights up so it was both a perfect safety tool as well as a great help for Isa as she performed quality control tests as we walked from house to house. :)

Mimi stayed home and handed out candy while we took Isa Trick or Treating- we had just about 100 kids! Isa melted everyone's heart when she would say "thank you much" after getting her candy- what a good girl.

Diving into the candy dish for another sucker

Yep, she might have a bit of a sucker problem! :) But, as much as she loves to eat them she loves to share them more. She would stand at the door yelling, "Come on kids" and clap her hands like she is calling our dog! It was so funny! Then when the kids came she would say "here you go, ducker- Happy Ween" and happily give away her suckers. She just asked me today, "kids coming?" and definitely can't wait for next year. What a fun night!

We had such a great time with Mimi last week, and feel so blessed she was able to come for a whole week. She got to take care of Isa while I went to work, helped us organize our closets, and we loved getting to spend a ton of time together- it was wonderful! Isa still asks for her everyday and tells me she is sad and thinks Mimi is crying. My mom taught me how to crochet and I think Isa is her next student. She picks up the knitting needle and says, "my try, my try" (her favorite phase right now and why it takes us 10 minutes put her panties on- so cute)! We miss Mimi and can't wait for her next visit. Thanks for coming Mom- love you and like you much!

Isa Lu at not quite two....

2008-09-18T12:52:00.013-05:00

Well, Isa will be 22 months in just a few days and it seems like she gets bigger and changes everyday. She recently discovered jewelry, purses, sunglasses, makeup, and anything "pretty" and loves to take as many things as she can everywhere she goes.

She continually surprises us with all she knows, too. The Jennissen's came to visit a few weeks ago and Beth and I were in the kitchen cooking when Isa walked past us, opened the drawer, got out a towel, and walked over to clean up some milk she spilled saying, "spull mulk.' It is so fun watching her learn how to string words together, too. She says things like, "close door", "Heidi barkin", "shoes off", "hold me", "more book", and last week we were in church and she looked at me and said, "All done church, Mommy. Come on" as she walked toward the door! We still comment nearly everyday that we cannot believe she is ours- we are so blessed!

Heidi is such a good sport and plays along with Isa's new favorite game.

Before hair do...

and after! :) She isn't even two yet and already has more hair products than I do!

The biggest news in our house is- Isa is potty trained!!! I know, she isn't even two yet (please don't hate me). What happened is I decided I was switching to cloth diapers (with some wonderful support from Grandma). So, when Carol and Larry were visiting last month we bought the diapers, washed them 100 times, reorganized the whole room, and were still adjusting to the new system when I noticed Isa started telling me she was wet. As we were buying diapers Carol and I joked that as soon as we did Isa would potty train- and she did!

She got to pick out her big girl panties- Dora (shocker, huh?), her incentives for going on the potty (little pony fruit snacks, Dora animal crackers, and her favorite of all- my homemade Monavie popsicles), and the biggest treat of all were the horse statues she picked out as a reward for making it three days with no accidents. I was so proud of her, out of all the toys to choose to from, she chose my favorite childhood toy! After going a week without an accident she got to have one of my old horses too, and she loves him even more than I did! She caught on so fast and now only wears a pull up for nap and bed! I know, I know... it was much faster and easier than normal, but I am taking it as a gift- we need a few 'easies' to even out all of our 'hards'- right?

We made a cake and celebrated her big day!

Her 'hortie' box- she looked at it for days and was excited to finally open it!

Finally kissing her 'hortie'

This is her Dora big girl her Auntie got her and now every time she sits on the little potty she says, "other one (ah'er one)" - so cute!

Woohoo! Way to go Isa Lu!!
(Thanks for the enthusiasm and instruction, Ella- she did it!)

Isa LOVES babies so much, and has named this one Andray (she really misses her cousin)!

This summer she learned to float and kick in the pool and now the bathtub is one of her favorite places to be!

Enjoy the videos! Much love, Aaron, Meg and "Ida"

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit!

2008-08-26T22:17:00.004-05:00

Aaron's parents came to stay with us for a whole week and we had such a great time!! School started last week and I am teaching a course on campus so Isa got to play with her "Gamma" and "Papa" while Aaron and I went to work! She went to the park, played outside, went to the library, read books, helped Papa with work with his tools, and was a great helper for Grandma when she did the laundry. She sure does miss them, too. Papa was busy doing some hammering while he was here so now every time she hears a hammer she looks around and says, "Papa?" "Doing?" "Go?" She also picks up my phone and says "Gamma's" because Grandma just got a fancy pink phone too. We are so thankful they were able to come and can't wait for the next visit. And, I remembered to take a picture this time too! She is so excited for Mimi and Papa to come for Halloween!

She is so wiggly these days it's hard to get a picture of her at all, but I love this one!

This is the entertainment center Larry made for Aaron and I- we love it!! Our basement has cedar closets and he designed the entertainment center to fit in the space and with the room. The drawers are the perfect size for CD's and DVD's and he even made one of the bottom drawers extra large to hold blankets or toys. It is an amazing gift we will cherish forever. Now I get to choose hardware! Any ideas? Aaron has wanted to get a new TV for a few years and is having an even harder time watching the good ol' Daewoo now! Thank you, Dad- we feel so loved!

Happy Re-adoption Day, Isa Lu!

2008-07-22T13:54:00.008-05:00

Yesterday we officially completed our adoption of Isabel by re-adopting her Illinois. Her adoption was already finalized, but since it was done in Guatemala we needed to affirm her adoption in the US. This just means we will now have official documents regarding her adoption in English, her birth certificate will now be certified in IL, and her legal name will be Isabel Lucia Frank! After 2 1/2 years of paperwork it was such a celebration to stand before the judge and have him say, "Congratulations Frank family, you did it"!

With the sheriff as he summoned Isa to court! Pretty cute...

Court was on the 17th floor of a building in downtown Chicago- and Isa loved the view!

The Early Show was filming right outside our hotel yesterday so we got to start our day with a John Mellencamp concert!

Awwwww....

We had such a great time in Chicago and loved being able to spend some time together as a family away from home. We are so thankful for you little Isa Lu- Happy Re-adoption Day!

The lazy days....

2008-07-11T13:45:00.004-05:00

ahhh, summer.... We sure are loving our lazy days this year. And even though we have spent most of our time playing, time is still flying by - I can't believe the 4th of July was already a week ago! Isa had a great time in our neighborhood parade and was cute as a button all dressed up in red, white and blue!

She keeps getting more fun everyday, and is turning into such a big girl this summer. I can't even list all the words she says now, but last night Daddy taught her how to say Isa! She now walks around the house and points to everything and says, "Ida's?" So cute! She still loves Heidi, but has taken on the responsibility of being her boss now (poor dog), and we can hardly get her to come inside these days. She loves kids and babies, and is so happy to go 'bye-bye'. She is loving staying up late and sleeping in, and playing all day- what fun to be 1!

Needless to say, she is having a blast this summer!

Aaron brought this shirt home from a trip to Las Vegas and I wish I had brought it with me to MN- it is so true! My poor parents had to witness Isa's sleeping, hunger and good attitude strike. The princess just likes to be home.... :) Anyone with older kids- please tell me the traveling strike will pass!

Happy Birthday America!

Summertime fun!

2008-06-03T22:20:00.008-05:00

Hi!
It's hard to believe it's June already! A year ago I was busy getting ready to move to Guatemala and have our little Isa Lu with me permanently. I think about our time in Guatemala everyday, and am so thankful for the time with Isa, the many friends we made and cherish, the adventures I had with Beth and my Mom, and the opportunity to live in another country (especially one as amazing as Guatemala). Please pray for the orphaned children in Guatemala (about 5,000) as adoptions are currently halted and many of them are either living in orphanages or on the street. And, please also pray for the families still in process and waiting to bring their children home. The process has gotten even more complicated and arduous, and we hope and pray their families will be together soon!

Our little Isa girl (as our Godson John Ray calls her) has gotten so big! She is running, talking, climbing, laughing, teething and tanning (despite 60 SPF- I am so jealous :) now and is getting more fun everyday. Some of her favorite words are "Heidi (our dog), Mommy, Dada, Kitty, hot, yuck, ball, go, no, no no, no no no :), please (peez), ni- night, and Abby." She has started putting words together in sentences too and it's so cute. She'll say, "Kitty... go?" when the cat goes outside, or "dada....go?" when Aaron leaves for work. Or, "Heidi..no!" She has become the boss of Heidi in our house now.

I am so excited this swim suit still fits her- I love it! Here is a picture of her this summer, and one from a year ago- she has gotten "SO BIG"! (Still one of her favorite games)
Isa's Auntie Celest got this baby pool for her to play in this summer and she LOVES it!! I rigged up a pump I used for my research so water sprinkles into the pool too- so fun.

We got to travel to MN in May for Andray's baptism , and we had the best time! He is the cutest little cousin ever, and Isa loved seeing him (and his toes). She would pull his sock off and grab his little toes and say "DOE"- it was so precious!The whole family!

My mom and Abby came too!

Isa and her Papa Don- she loves him so much!

We got to have lunch with my grandparents too! Isa is such a busy girl it's almost impossible to get a picture of her, but it was so wonderful to see them again.

I keep thinking we need to get some professional pictures taken of the three of us, but we might have to wait a few more months because this is what would happen! :) hee heh

One of the best parts of our trip was spending the day with my cousin Jada and her son Jackson. It was so nice to have an entire day together, and such a gift to watch our kids play. We tried to get a picture of them both looking at the camera, but they were having way too much fun to sit still for even one second. I love this picture- it is so sweet!

We were also able to stay with the Wilson's for 2 nights and we had the best time!!! In fact, we had so much fun we forgot to take pictures. What a great trip!

Our ray of sunshine....

2008-04-16T20:21:00.009-05:00

We had such a fun day playing outside, and I decided to take some pictures with my good ol' Canon EOS, I miss my 35mm camera. It was so fun to take pictures and not know how they turned out, and I was able to get some good close up shots too. I forgot how much I love a shutter with speed!

Happy Spring everyone!

Our big weekend!

2008-04-09T22:07:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe it's been over a month since I last updated Isa's blog! She is such a busy girl lately I hardly have time to take a shower (as you might be able by my hair in this first pic:). She has changed so much in the last month, and is becoming such a big girl. She is walking and running all over the place now, and she loves to be outside ALL the time. Now that she knows how to say 'no no' she lets us know when she doesn't want to come in the house. The park is just too much fun! Isa has also really started to talk more too. Some of our favorite phrases are- "air ooo go" for "there you go"- she says it to her babies when she gives them a book, toy or pacifier. She also has started to say "uh oh" and it is just so cute. She also raises her shoulders and hands and says "go?" when she notices something is missing, especially when she looks into the empty fruit snack bag after she eats them all! She is a smart girl and knows how to get more of what she wants! :)

This weekend we celebrated two big anniversary's. April 6th marked a year since we met our little Isa Lu in Guatemala for the first time, and it was our 6 month anniversary of coming home. I have a real update and reflection on the last year started and will finish it and post it soon... hopefully. We had a great weekend together playing outside in the gorgeous weather (it felt like Guatemala), having pancakes at our favorite restaurant (Isa loves to see her novio there, too), and we toasted with our favorite beer from Guatemala. We planned a party with some friends but Isa got pretty sick on Saturday, so we will celebrate with them this weekend.

We made cupcakes to celebrate and she had more fun playing with hers than eating it. She still loves to play "so big" and "where did Isa go?" too.

Now that spring has sprung our favorite afternoon activity is going to the park. Isa loves it and starts to squeal as soon as we open the door.

She might be a basketball player too, she loves to watch the big kids play and claps when they make a basket!

This weekend she discovered all of the joys of being outside, and loves to write with the sidewalk chalk her Auntie Celest gave her (when she isn't eating it of course).

And the biggest news of all...... ISA HAS A COUSIN!!!!!!

Andray Paul Stang was born on March 11th, and he is so precious. We were able to meet him only four days after he was born and it was so sweet to see Isa touch his head so gently- I know they will be such great friends.

Mucho amor!

Megan, Aaron and Isabel

Spring for a day!

2008-03-03T13:05:00.001-06:00

We saw Spring for one day here in Central Illinois yesterday- it was 68 degrees, the sun was shining, the birds were out, the snow all melted, our windows were open, the furnace was off, kids were playing at the park, our neighbors all emerged from their houses and laughed together on the sidewalk! It was wonderful! But, notice the word "were"- winter is back today with an ice storm and more snow, but the spring like warmth was such a boost and great reminder of all that is to come in the next few weeks. We can't wait!

Isa couldn't sleep yesterday afternoon (who could?) and she was able to WALK to the park and play with kids, swing, and explore. It was so much fun to just stroll down the sidewalk together and look at rocks, grass, water puddles (she especially loves to fall down into the puddles!) and all the doggies too. Every time she saw a small dog she would meow- too cute!

Playing with her new friend Ariana. They live in our neighborhood and their mother is from South America and her two children both speak Spanish! She talked with Isa in Spanish too and we are so excited to have Spanish play dates this summer with them- I really need the practice!

We also went to the mall this weekend and rode the Merry-go-round! Isa loved it and had so much fun playing with her Daddy .

Uncle Jake came to visit

2008-02-26T13:52:00.001-06:00

I have been such a slacker in the picture-taking department lately! But, I did get some cute pics of Isa and Jake when he came for a quick visit on Valentine's Day. Isa loved seeing him again and had tons of hugs and kisses for him. He gave her some Dora balls for Christmas that have become her new favorite toys. She walks around the house holding the basketball in her hands- I know her Auntie Celest would be so proud!

Isa is growing so fast and has changed so much in the past few weeks. She is walking at least 50% of the time now and has the cutest little 'toddle' ever! She says 'hot" and "hi" and everytime she spies my phone she holds her hand to her ear and says "hi" with a southern accent. It makes me miss all my Georgia friends every time I hear her say "hiiaaa" I am just waiting for the "ya'll" now!

Loving on her uncle Jake

Her favorite family member might be Jazz. She calls her "maaaaaa" and follows her around all day meowing!

She loves to hand me things. I am constantly saying "oh thank you... I love this wad of paper" or "what do you have in your mouth Isa?" and then I get a big sloppy handful!

Winter time fun!

2008-02-12T15:13:00.001-06:00

Reading is one of Isa's favorite things to do, and she especially loves to look at picture books and point to parts of the body. So far she has gotten 'eye' and 'ear' down and will almost poke her eye out until you say, "yep, that's your eye".

Reading her Valentine's Day card from Mimi. She loves it because it plays music...over, and over, and over, and over again!

Getting ready to head outside for a run! The cold weather doesn't stop our family- it might slow us down since trying to get out the door with a snow suit, hat, mittens, blanket, boots, and a wind shield does take a little extra time- but she loves to get outside and just sings to herself as we jog down the street.

Isa has also started to love to play peek-a-boo, and will try to get our attention by hiding her face and then peeking through anywhere!

I've been talking to Isa Lu about how much I miss going to yoga with Sarah every week since she moved away, and she has been doing a great job of being my yoga partner (for about 10 seconds until she finds something better to do)!

The hit of the play date at the nature center was goldfish snacks- I don't think Isa even saw the real fish. It was so funny!

Watching the superbowl with Daddy, eatin' some za, just chillin'...

Isa still is working hard on walking and loves to push this walker we got from our good friends the Herlihy's. She will walk for awhile, stop and play with all the buttons on the front, and then walk some more. I know it will be harder for me to keep up with her once she is walking, but I am so excited for her to be able to play with the big kids and get down and walk on her own when we are out- I know she wants to so bad! She loves to walk to us and give us a big hug and squeal when she gets to us, it is just so precious.

More firsts!

2008-01-30T15:15:00.000-06:00

This week was full of firsts for Isa- first time climbing up the stairs, first time coming down the stairs, FIRST STEPS!!!!, first time to the new library, and first time playing with play doh. Isa had such a big week, and she is so proud! She is a stair climbing pro now, and she is getting closer to walking everyday. She can stand and take about 3 or 4 steps before falling down, and it is so fun watching her grow and change.... daily!

She got to spend a little quality time with our good friend Virgie. Isa loves her.... who wouldn't?

Playing at the library. She isn't content with sitting on the stool or standing next to the lego table- she has to be on the table! Doesn't she look so cute in the outfit Kate got her for Christmas?

Isa is such a lucky girl to have a friend like Mary who wanted to go play at the library for our girls night out!

We made some play doh together and had so much fun learning about colors, shapes and sizes

Baby steps for Baby Lu

Baby Lu's first hair cut!!!

2008-01-24T14:47:00.001-06:00

Isabel is such a lucky girl- she got to have her first hair cut done in a fancy salon and her stylist was Edith, a friend of mine who is from El Salvador and owns the H2O Salon. I went to El Salvador with Edith, and she is an amazing woman and a fantastic stylist. She was with me when I realized adopting a baby from Guatemala was how God wanted us to start our family, and she has been so supportive of us from the very beginning. Isa's hair cut is perfect, and we saved some little black curls to put in her baby book. It was a little sad for me because it is just a reminder of how fast she is growing, but it is so fun to see her grow and change everyday. Aaron just said yesterday, "Meg, this is just going too fast." By summer our baby girl will have a cute little bob and be able to run to the park- whew, time flies!

She was so good during her hair cut and Edith talked with her the whole time in Spanish!

She wasn't quite sure what to think of the scissors, but she did a great job holding still.

Showing off her new 'do' with Edith! She is "soooooooooo cute!"

Reading with Edith in Espanol- she got her to sit through a whole book! I usually can only keep her interested for a sentence before she wants to get a new one.

One our way home we stopped in to say hi to Cindy, another nurse who was on our trip to El Salvador- Isa loved meeting her! While we were at the hospital with Cindy I weighed Isa and she has gained 2 pounds!!! Big girl is 20 pounds now! That means she is 60% for height and 20% for weight.

Playing with the bear my Grandparents gave her. It plays music and she loves to turn it off and on and dance with it now.

sweet face...

She can now not only throw her toys all over her room- she stands and throws them even further!

Doing some yoga with mommy

the blissful baby....
namaste

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2008-01-19T22:07:00.001-06:00

...a little late! I know, I know.... it's been over a month since I last posted. I don't know how the time got away from me, but I am back on track now. :) We hope ya'll like the update to her blog too!

Isa Lu has been growing and changing so much, and she is having a blast this winter learning how to stand, pushing her babies around in the stroller, playing with her new nanny Alex, reading a ton of books, and hanging out with Heidi and Jazz. Yep, she is standing all by herself now, and she is so proud! It's so fun to watch her vocabulary grow too- she is responding to so many new words, and she gets a huge smile on her face when we ask her if she can stand up. She just beams, and her eyes say..... "Yep Mommy!!! I CAN stand up all by myself- watch this!!!"

Ok, here she goes....
Getting closer...
WOOHOO!!!! What a big girl!!
She gets the biggest smile on her face everytime she makes it to standing, and sometimes she even cheers too!!!!

She LOVES to play with the pots and pans, tupperware, and measuring cups ALL the time (thanks Grandma Carol and Mimi) :)

And, she loves to read! She crawls over to her closet, opens the door, takes out a book, closes the door, brings it over to me, climbs in my lap, listens to one sentence, and then crawls right back to the closet and starts over again!

And Isa Lu still loves to take baths. But, her favorite part of bathtime is looking at herself in the mirror afterwards (like mother, like daughter)!!! :)

And, of course, she still loves to play her favorite game with Daddy! They open their mouths as wide as they can at eachother and laugh and laugh!

And, Happy 14 month birthday to Isabel tomorrow! She has brought more joy than we ever knew our hearts could hold.

Happy Winter!

2007-12-17T09:41:00.000-06:00

Isa is LOVING winter so far (well, ok, maybe I am the one who's loving winter, but she is tolerating it with no complaints- and for a mom that means she loves it too)!! We have been busy this month getting ready for Christmas and visiting friends. We went to the Jennissen's for Thanksgiving and had a GREAT time together. And we also went to Michigan to visit our good friends the Geshel's and Isa had a great time playing with James and Bennett, and she was a good little traveler too. We'll see how she does on our big trip to MN this week- I am a little nervous, but I am sure she we do great!

She has gotten so mobile- pulling herself up on everything! And, she has become a master and getting everything she isn't supposed to have. I caught her sending a text message to someone with Aaron's phone yesterday- she was so proud! She is making all kinds of new sounds, and talks ALL the time! It's so fun just listening to her babble and tell me stories. She can play "so big" (only when she feels like it :), and she has started stacking her blocks herself too- although her favorite game is still knocking them down. She has also gotten her top tooth now too- three already and only.... well.... a lot to go!

Getting ready to head outside. Grandma Carol sent Isa this hat for her birthday and it matches her coat perfectly! So cute....

She loves to stand up at the door and yell at Heidi outside!

Enjoying a Christmas cookie and her new big girl hair-do!

She has followed in Mommy's footsteps and LOVES to play in the goose nest while Daddy watches football!

Her other favorite thing to do when Mommy isn't watching!

We decorated our tree with some retro ornaments I found at an antique store this year- it turned out so great!

Isa loves to look at pictures of her family too!

And, just in case any of you are still in search of the perfect Christmas present for someone who has everything, I just have to put in a plug for my Dad's cribbage board business. He makes the most beautiful boards, and they can still be shipped for Christmas delivery- you can see them at his website: www.heritagecribbageboards.com

We hope you all have a VERY merry Christmas!

Isa's been home for a month already!

2007-11-15T11:17:00.001-06:00

Hi!
Well, little Isa Lu has been home for over a month- it doesn't seem possible, the time has gone by so fast. She has been busy getting two teeth, learning to stand on the couch, eating grown up food (she is officially an American- she loves hotdogs and chicken fingers), and watching football with Daddy. We are going to have a tiny birthday party for her- just Mom and Dad. I am going to make her a Dora cake though, so I'll be sure to post more pics of the big girl!

Can you see her tooth!?

Her second tooth just came through today!

Look at the cute little girl in her birthday present from her Auntie Abby!

She is standing up all the time now!

She is so busy I can hardly get a picture of her anymore!

Out for a walk with her Daddy in her outfit from her great Auntie Kay- too cute!

We love the pretty dress Jeff and Elizabeth gave her, but she doesn't love the leaves much. We'll see how she likes the snow- I don't think she'll be a big fan. We went to Target today and our little Guatemalan princess had the wind taken out her from the cold- it was 40! She has a big surprise in store for her. We sure do miss the gorgeous weather everyday in Guatemala!!!

We have some GREAT news too! Our friends in Guatemala, Sarah and Jake, and Monica and AnaCesilia both have gotten approval in PGN!!!!!! YEAH!!!!! Please pray the last round of paperwork goes fast- we want them home for Christmas!
Monica, AnaCesilia, Isa, Meg, Sarah, and Jake-man! I miss them so much, and am so happy they are coming soon!! Thanks be to God!!

Isa's Saint.....

2007-11-05T14:40:00.001-06:00

Although we were able to celebrate Isa's baptism with amazing friends and family, our most special guest that day was there in spirit. Aaron's Grandfather, Raymond Lingl... or Grandpa Shorty to everyone who loved him, was born on October 28th, and there truly is no greater honor than for Isa to share her baptismal day with his birthday. Grandpa passed away two years ago on October 15th, and life has not been the same without him. We miss him everyday- his playful laugh, his joyous spirit, and most of all- his genuine love. We tell Isa about him often- he is our patron Saint.

Grandma and Grandpa Lingl were married for 59 years! Aaron and I are blessed to share our Anniversary with Grandma Katie's birthday. It was our best gift!
Grandpa helped Celest and Grandma make a scrapbook for all of the grandchildren- 13 huge books!
This picture of the sunset at Grandpa and Grandma's farm on the day of his funeral assures me he was with us in spirit when Isa was baptized. We have had amazing sunsets like this so many times since we have been home from Guatemala and it always makes me feel close to him. The reading during her baptism was perfect- and since he served mass more times than you can count, I am sure he picked it just for us.

"The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan,
nor to the widow when she poors out her complaint...
The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds;
it does not rest till it reaches its goal,
nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds,
judges justly and affirms the right,
and the Lord will not delay. -Sirach 35:16-18

Three days after Isa's baptism was All Saints Day and this is what the Misselette read:
"Today the church summons all the baptized to come together in celebration of the promise of eternal life for those who put their faith in God. The promise has been fulfilled in so many who have gone before us in faith. All Saints Day is a perennial reminder to us to stay the course, to live lives consistent with the calling we received in baptism. Who are the saints in your life?

What an incredible gift! Isa was baptized only days before, on her Great Grandfather's birthday, and then she was called to remember him and stay the course only a few days later. He is definitely Isa's saint.

More Baptism pics!

2007-11-04T07:41:00.001-06:00

Auntie Celest sent us so many more pictures from Isa's baptism and party- thank you! She took 200 pictures that weekend and they were all so good it was hard to choose which ones to post! Hope you enjoy these amazing pics- thanks again Celest! (sorry they are out of order, I haven't figured out how to arrange them yet :)

Isa's baptismal gown was made by a Mayan woman in Guatemala we got to know when we were living there, Ruth. It was so special for her to wear a dress made by hand in Guatemala, and we will treasure it forever. The Henn family

Hanging out with Uncle Jake...

and Godmother, Auntie Abby

My Godson Johnny Ray... oops, Larry Boy and his brother Darth Vador (Jacob) came too!

Isa loves her Auntie Celest

Getting ready for her big day

Someone found her presents!

My roommate in college Karen came with her cute little baby girl Kira

I can already hear it!!!!

Reading books with Grandpa Larry

Great Grandma Katie made Isa the most beautiful baptismal blanket, it truly is an heirloom we will cherish always.

Mimi feeding Isa again- that girl can eat!!

Godmomma Abby

Godparents Beth and Ryan Jennissen

Our good friends Jeff and Elizabeth Geshel and their children James and Bennett came from Michigan to spend the weekend with us- it was such a treat.

The Frank fam

The WHOLE clan!

Many thanks to our friends Lance and Krystal too- they were such a huge help on Saturday and took so many pics on Sunday. And, Krystal made Isa the most amazing scrapbook of her website- it's incredible!

The ceremony was perfect. Padre Tomas always does a beautiful baptism and it was so special to have him officiate Isa's because he has been a huge support to us throughout her entire adoption- it truly couldn't have been better.

Our church- St. Mary's.

Welcome home, Isabel!!!

2007-11-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

Isa had such a great welcome party last weekend- whew, what a lucky girl! Beth and Ryan and the boys came on Thursday to help us get ready (and worked their buns off ALL weekend- muchas, muchas gracias a Dios!!!!) and we had such a great time. They truly were lifesavers, and it was such a blessing to have 4 full days to spend together. We are so thankful to her grandparents, Auntie Celest and Godmomma Abby, Uncle Jake, my cousin Jenna, and the Geshel's for traveling out of state to come celebrate- what a blessing.

On Saturday we had her welcome party complete with almost 40 guests, amazing food (thanks to her Godmomma Beth) , heavenly desserts (thanks to grandma and great-grandma), the world's best beer created in honor of Isa- "Cute as a pumpkin Ale" and "Berry Glad You're Home Wheat" (thanks to her Godfodda' Ryan), the cleanest kitchen in history (thanks to Daddy), and the best company we could ever dream of (thanks to our incredible family and friends)!! It was the perfect end to our journey. I didn't even take one picture the entire weekend, but Elizabeth sent me some she took and I will be sure to post more as we receive them from Auntie Celest and Auntie Abby!

Grandma, Great-Grandma and Auntie all came to celebrate with Isa.

James drew me a picture of a volcano- it made me feel right at home!

Look at this cute, cute outfit Isa got from her Godmomma, Beth!

Sweet face....

She had a great time playing with all the kids and held her own around all the big boys!

Momma and Isa taking a little break during her big day. Thanks for the adorable otufit Sheila- isn't she so cute?

Jacob, James, Larry Boy and Bennett hanging out watching some cartoons. They were such a joy to have, and Isa loved having so many kids around- I think she needs a brother!

MY FIRST HALLOWEEN!!!

2007-10-31T11:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween! Isa got the cutest coat, hat and mittens from Carol and 'Cinny' and she looks too adorable in her new outfit to not let her be a kitty for her first Halloween! We hope you enjoy the pics of our sweet little kitty.

Thank you also to everyone who came last weekend to celebrate Isa's homecoming and witness her baptism- it was so beautiful and we feel so blessed to have such amazing friends and family. We will post pics from the weekend later today or tomorrow, so be on the lookout for those too!

Making new friends!

2007-10-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

Isa has been busy making friends and seeing new things in Illinois since we've been home. This is her new favorite toy- her monster puppet. One of my childhood friends, Andrea, sent it to Isa and she has been playing and laughing with it ever since. Aaron has given it the voice of the character from Sesame Street- "Yeeeppppppp, yep, yep, yep, yep..... uh huh, uh huh."
Isa also went along to work with Daddy one day and got meet some of the nurses who have been waiting see her! These two are some of my favorite women to see at work, too- Bernie and Deb.
We also had dinner at our friends Carol and Everett's house last week. Carol worked at the U of I before she retired and became like a mom to us on campus. It was so wonderful to see them again, and as you can see, Isa loved Carol!

Such a big girl in her highchair! That adorable toothless grin will be gone soon- a tooth has broken through! Mommy is a little sad to see it, but happy for Isa because

she sure does love to eat!
I just had to post these pics of the incredible sunset we had here a few days ago. I missed seeing sunsets so much while we were in Antigua, and this was the beautiful welcome home. Wow- nature truly is amazing.

We have been busy this week preparing for Isa's big welcome home party and baptism this weekend, and are so excited to spend some time with our family and close friends. We'll be sure to post more pics next week!

2007-10-17T05:01:00.001-05:00

We hade it home, and Isa is so happy to be here!!!!!!
Yeah! We're home!!!
"More? You want to be home more?"
Yep, I think she does...... :)
She has been pulling herself up in her crib, and this time she just plopped over and fell asleep on her teddy bear!

Here we are in Houston (sorry these pics are so out of order, it's hard to upload them and have them go where I want them too). We'll post more homecoming photos soon!
I have a backyard with grass and a dog????? Woohooo
Looking out the front door with Heidi. Isa has already taken her favorite spot, and she still loves her and is willing to play...

VERDAD!!!!!

Thank you everyone for such a warm and wonderful welcome home! It truly was a dream come true, and we couldn't have imagined a better way to introduce Isabel to her new family and friends. We weren't quite sure how Isa would handle the long plane trips, meeting so many new people, and the transition home, but she is doing great! She was a perfect angel on each of our four flights, and when she saw the crowd of people welcoming us home in Minneapolis she jumped in and had a party! Her voice was hoarse for four days from squealing so much! Thank you again, it truly was an amazing experience and such an incredible way to celebrate our long and trying adoption journey.

Since we have been home Isa is doing great. She loves her room (thank you Beth and Kate), and has been sleeping so well! As Mimi says, 'she needs a private' and she was right. We had to share a room in Antigua, and life has become much easier for both of us now that we have our own rooms. I have adjusted to life at home easily, and am just so much more grateful for everything now. I can drink water out of the faucet, drive my car to get groceries, eat fruits and vegetables without soaking them in bleach water, I have a dishwasher!!!!!, and everything is just so peaceful and quiet here at home. When a cup or spoon has water on it I still hesitate, thinking I need to dry it off before I use it. I miss my roommate Sarah and her son Jake, my Spanish teacher Vicki, and some other friends I made in Guatemala..... oh, and Paola, our maid. Sarah, we were right, I really do miss her!!!! It was such a treat to have someone else do our dishes, laundry, and make our beds everyday. But, life is so much easier here I have found plenty of time to get everything done, and have even started cooking (minimally) again. It's incredible how fast I feel I have recovered, and how quickly living here with Isa has become normal. God does an amazing job of fading from memory the difficulties and hardships and highlighting the gifts of an experience (i.e. selling books for 5 summers). I have already started to wonder, 'Hmmmmm, when should we start the process again? We need another baby!', and while I was in Guatemala I couldn't even think of another adoption.

I know I have asked for prayers way many times from all of you, but I do have one more prayer request. Could you all please continue to pray for all of the families currently in the process of adopting from Guatemala, especially Sarah, Tony and Jacob and Monica, Tom and Ana. In particular, please pray for a quick approval in PGN, a fast and smooth final process for them, and for strength of spirit, peace of mind, and for comfort during the upcoming weeks.

2007-10-02T10:41:00.000-05:00

Aaron made it to Antigua safe and sound on Saturday and we were so excited to see him!!! Isa is doing great and we are staying at the Westin now waiting for our US Embassy appointment- TOMORROW!!!! Yippeeee!!!! The past two weeks have felt like a year, but we are getting close now. Aaron is sick today and has been in the bathroom vomitting- welcome to Guatemala! We will be sure to update with more pics from the Embassy tomorrow and we can't wait to see you all in a few short days!
My Spanish teacher Vicki with Isa. Vicki might be the best teacher in the world, and Isa loves her! Because of Vicki Isa knows how to give kisses, and I know how to ask for them in Spanish.
We had to get a family photo in front of the fountian in the central park in Antigua!
Our friends in Antigua- Monica and baby Anna, and Sarah and Jake when they dropped us off at the Westin yesterday.
Isa LOVES Jake and Sarah- our roomies and best friends in Guatemala. We are looking forward to future trips back to the 'Land of Eternal Spring' with Tony, Sarah and Jake-man, as we lovingly call him!
With Mimi on her last day at our favorite spot- El Vieho Cafe.

Happy 10 Month Birthday Isa Lu!

2007-09-19T20:53:00.000-05:00

A few more pics from the weekend...... Isa loves to play- "Where's the baby?" She hides her face behind anything she can find and we say- "Well, where did the baby go? I can't find Isa." And then she pulls down the blanket, bottle, diaper, toy or anything she find and we say - "THERE SHE IS!!!!!" She loves it- it's just so cute!

At the pool at our hotel. We tried to swim, but it was a little chilly so we just played and put our toes in.
She loves kitties too! Yeah! We are trying to teach her to be nice to the kitty now, she doesn't have a lot of control over her arm motions yet.
By the beautiful waterfall at the Nature Reserve.
Mimi, Mommy and me....
The lake was so beautiful- and we saw monkeys there too!

Now we are in Antigua again waiting to hear about our Embassy appt. date and so anxious to know when we can go home. We have a special prayer request that we can have our Visa appt. next week on Wednesday and all go home together next Friday- that would be such an incredible blessing.

Isa went to the doctor last week too and we found out she has grew 3 cms last month and is now 66 cm long and weighs 17 lbs 10 ozs. She's getting big and is about 15% for both height and weight on the US charts. She is such a little peanut!

We hope to see you all soon- we miss you so much and can't wait to see Daddy again!

2007-09-17T20:01:00.000-05:00

The view from our cabin at Lake Atitlan- it was so spectacular. We spent the weekend here, and it was wonderful.
I was telling my Spanish teacher that sees her reflection and like to play... and then she said "con un otro Isa." Yep- she plays with the other Isa all day!
A kiss for Mimi- what a sweetheart.
Sunset on the dock- it was such a nice break for me.
This is one of the small pueblos we visited- My mom said she was having an 'out a body' experience. It definitely is a little bit of a culture shock. And Sherri, we officially took getting a good deal to a whole new level. You only have to take a shuttle for 3 hours, then take a boat to your cabin, then hike up 400 stairs, then take another boat ride to another village, then climb into a Tuk-tuk to yet another village... but you can get purses cheaper there than in Antigua. I thought you would be proud of our dedication! :)

One of the Independence Day parades we saw on the way to Lake Atitlan- people here sure do know how to celebrate
The view from the dock at Panajacel when we arrived at the lake!
The water at the Lake was absolutely stunning, it felt like we were in the caribbean
It was a hike getting to our hotel at the top of the small mountain!
Every corner we rounded there were just more and more stairs- whew! Our legs were shakin'

Peg and Beth- this pic is for you! They take their Coke VERY seriously here too! :)
We have been going out for breakfast every morning before Isa's morning nap to a little restaurant called El Viejo Cafe. We get a great breakfast with cream so thick we have to spoon it onto our pancakes, great coffe, and lots of food for only 75Q (about $10). We always see something crazy- this day a man was just walking his goats down the street!
Look Mary- Isa loves dogs, especially Bostons!!!!
And, she definitely screams for Ice Cream. I have been trying to teach her sign language for two months, and I thought ice cream might be motivating so I gave her a bite, took her hands and showed her once again how to say "more" and she started shaking and screaming, saying "da, daaaahhh, ddddddddd, ddaahhhhh" - That works too I guess! She's not into sign language, that is for sure.
Three days before Independence Day buses of kids were coming into Antigua partying already. This is when we knew we had to get to the Lake!

We have so many pics to post, but it is taking forever to load them, so we'll post again tonight. It has been such a gift having my mom here for the past 13 days- what a relief. We are still hoping to come next week, but the US Embassy is closed all week this week, so it may slow us down a bit. Please pray for a quick return home for us- I know it looks like we are on vacation, but it sure doesn't feel like it. Our bodies might be going to some beautiful places, but our hearts and minds are definitely not at ease. We are ready to bring little Isa Lu home!

We miss you all dearly- and we will get more pics uploaded later today! Off to breakfast..... yum!

2007-09-11T21:22:00.000-05:00

MIMI IS HERE!!!!! YEAH.... MIMI IS HERE!!!! It takes a few times to get a good pic... 'look at the camera Isa'
Good job, Isa. Look at the camera Mommy and Mimi
All three of us looking at the camera at the same time!!!
Mimi giving Isa Lu some love

Sitting in the big girl chair at dinner
Thanks for the 'too cute' outfit Grandma Sherri
Out for breakfast.....
Have a cup of Joe with Mimi!

We have had such a great time with Mimi here, except for the Rotavirus, of course. Sorry we haven't been able to post until now, but we have all been in the bathroom a little too often. Welcome to Guatemala!!! Now we are on the mend though and feel so mucho mejor, so we will post more often now, we promise. We hope to see you all soon in de los Estados Unidos!

God Bless the UNITED STATES, today and everyday. We will never forget 9/11/01.

2007-09-02T20:25:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!
It's been such a long time since we have posted- sorry about the delay! We moved into a new house last week, and although we love it, the internet hasn't worked. The telephone company has been saying they will come tomorrow everyday for a week! I have a good feeling about tomorrow though.

Well, since we last posted we have had some great news- WE ARE OUT OF PGN!!!! It truly is amazing how fast her case was approved once we were resubmitted. The average length of time it usually takes is around 8 weeks, and we were approved in only one. The only explanation is God worked a miracle. It convicts me once again in His timing and that He has everything under control! Praise Him for this amazing gift! We have continued to pray for a speedy process getting us home, and for all the other families here who have dealt with so much and are waiting to bring their sweet babies home. I admire so many of the women I have met here, and want more than anything for them to hear good news soon.

Isa's biomom has signed the final adoption decree and we have a new birth certificate too- she is officially a Frank! She has been in our family for 9 months already, but now she has the name to prove it! Tomorrow we are going to get her Guatemalan passport, and then our paperwork will be submitted to the US Embassy for a Visa. In order to get a Visa she will have one more DNA test that will take about 8-9 days to process, and then we have a wait of about 5 days for our Embassy appointment. That means our best estimate for our homecoming is sometime during the last week of September!! I still can't imagine how sweet it will be to return home- a day we have been dreaming of for so long. Oh, home sweet home, I can't wait to be there together as a family. I can smell the fresh air already........

Isa is doing great and changes so much everyday. She has started crawling all over the place! She still does a version of the army crawl, but she is now incorporating one leg and is only getting faster. I went to get her from a nap today and she was on her hands and knees rocking back and forth, so I'm sure it won't be long now until she starts all out crawling. We also live with another mom, Sarah, and her son Jake and Isa LOVES them so much! She plays so well with Jake, it's just so cute! She loves all food and wants to eat whatever I am eating, is tough and lets Jake crawl over her and pull her hair without noticing much, loves to watch big kids play, is so social and laughs all the time, has started clapping with open hands, and even reached out and gave me a hug the other day! Isabel is truly such a joy and is the perfect fit for us, it is obvious God has created all of the adoptive families I meet here. Every family I have met here believes with all their heart God picked their baby just for them, and I know he did with Isa! We are so honored to be her parents, and I can't even imagine all she will teach me.

Loving like at our new house with a couch! Thanks for the super cute bow Auntie Celest!
I think this pic is so funny- she loves to play with this crab toy in the tub! Jeepers creepers, where'd you get those peepers, baby!

Playing with Daddy
She loves to splash in the tub.... Giving Daddy some lovin'

They are so cute together! I can't wait to see them again.....

2007-08-20T20:20:00.000-05:00

This has been such a great week for Isa- her Daddy is here visiting, she turned nine months old, and her case was resubmitted to PGN on Friday!!!! Yippee!!!! She has been celebrating all weekend by playing in the pool, laughing with Daddy, sitting in restaurants like a big girl at the table, and watching her parents toast her with some good wine! Isa has made some big strides this month and can now sit up all by herself without toppling over, do the army crawl and scoot all over the place, play peek-a-boo like a pro, read books to herself, hold her own bottle, eat lots of great food (like everyone else in our family- she loves everything we have given her:), scream and squeal with even more gusto, and pick up cheerios and eat them all by herself. Geez, I am tired just typing all the new things little Isa Lu is doing- no wonder she sleeps so well!

We have had a great time with Aaron here, it is so great to see him and to have help. He is a fabulous dishwasher, I don't think I have cleaned once since he has gotten here. And, Isa loves to have her Daddy here to play with her and make her laugh so much. We have made some great food, and have just enjoyed being together. And last night we even stayed up until 10 pm- we're getting crazy now!

In terms of our case, it is great news that we have been resubmitted to PGN, and we are hoping for a quick approval. Typically this can take anywhere from 3-8 weeks without another kick-out, and we are hoping and praying for a 3 week stay.

Isa is 9 months....
Yeah!!! What a big girl!
The waiter gave her a balloon at dinner and she loved it!
Look, she can pick up cheerios! She can pinch them now, and usually uses her left hand. Aaron is pumped and already talks about her professional golf career as a lefty. Maybe he forgot she is going to be 4'10"?!??! Big things come in small packages!
The whole family together again!
Wild hair for a wild girl! My spanish teacher says- "Una fiesta en la cabeza!"

Que pasa?

Un baso por Papa? Muchas gracias Muneaqa, preciosa, princesa, linda.

2007-08-08T21:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the pictures do it no justice AT ALL, but tonight we saw a volcano erupt! Fuego is active now and we have seen it smoke before, but tonight it erupted! We could see the lava running down the side of the volcano, and could so clearly see it shooting out and up into the sky through the clouds. It was so amazing! I never in my life thought I would see a volcano erupt- from my house!

Isa got to play in the grass for the first time today and couldn't quite figure out what to do with it, but had such a great time.
She can sit up for minutes at a time without toppling over- I think she made it at least 5 minutes today!
Inspecting the grass This is the pool where we swim and play- I know, it's tough spending the afternoon here having a cocktail :)
This is Cohen, he lives in our apartment building and is such a cutie! His parents get to take him home to Kentucky next week- I can't wait to hear his sweet southern accent someday!
Isa loves to look at other kids, especially her buddy Cohen
Big girl can sit up all by herself now!

2007-08-07T08:16:00.000-05:00

I just had to post these pics of little miss Isa in her vintage outfit from her Auntie Kate- complete with big collars and patches from the 1970's!! I love it, and Isa did too- it was just so adorable on her. Thanks Calla for letting us borrow your stylin' duds! She loves to swing now, and is so much fun to take to the park already- I can't wait to take her to Clark Park at home.
Isa also loves other kids so much and squeals when she sees them.This little girl definitely had Isa's attention and could make her laugh and laugh

Hangin' out on the bed after church
Look at that outfit!!! How cute!
Yep, I did just have to pick her up and squeeze her she's so darn cute!
She loves to talk to these birds, and even was dressed like them today!

I have a Spanish teacher coming everyday and Isa just plays and talks to herself and pretty much looks like this for the entire hour- "Buena chica Isabel!" She really likes my teacher Vicki too, and loves to listen to Espanol..... I am really going to have to improve in order to keep up with her!

2007-08-04T21:50:00.000-05:00

It's hard to begin explaining the week little miss Isa and I have had- wow! The poor little baby got Rotavirus, and has been so sick for the last 8 days. She is slowly getting better though, and today we even braved the pool- with two diapers at once and frequent checks to make sure there were no accidents! She just loves to splash and play in the water, and I love to sit outside at the gorgeous hotel and have a waitor bring me a drink-so after a week at home, we had a successful and fun venture out on the town today.

As some of you already know, we also found out last week that we have been kicked out of PGN after 10 weeks, and are just so disappointed. We don't know when we will be resubmitted to PGN, and definitely don't know when we can come home, but we sure do hope it's not too much longer. We miss Daddy and Heidi and all of our friends and family so much, and would just about do anything to smell the clear air in Champaign. Your prayers for a speedy resubmission and fast approval in PGN are SO appreciated and needed. Thank you!

We also found out last week that Aaron is going to come visit on August 17th- yippee!! Woohoo!! I am so excited he is going to come visit, I just can't wait! Celestine actually asked her co-workers if anyone would be willing to donate frequent flier miles so he could fly here for free, and one of her colleagues, Holly, gave us enough miles for an entire flight!!! We can't thank Celest and Holly enough, and truly feel so blessed, it is the best gift in the world to be able to be together as a family. Thank you SO much!

Here a few new pics of Isa- her smile still shines even through Rotavirus!
She is such a cutie- I just love this pic of her reaching for the camera!

She spent more time than usual with this face on this week :)
She is really starting to push herself up with her arms when she is on her tummy now
What a cutie pie! She is starting to scoot a little now- I better enjoy my life with a stationary baby while I still can.

2007-07-27T21:24:00.000-05:00

It's been such a busy week for us in the Antigua! We moved to a beautiful new apartment, and are so happy here. The other families here are so nice and are such a source of support for us, we are so thankful to know them. We also have been introduced to a great church, and I have even been able to take part in a Beth Moore Bible study too!

Isa also went to the doctor this week and did great. She now weighs 17 lbs 2 ozs, and is 26.5 inches long. That means she is between the 10th and 25th percentile for both height and weight- she is on the charts now, and is changing and growing so much each day! We finally figured out how to get hot water in our new place, so Isa is happy after her baths now!
She was practicing rolling all over the bed tonight, over and over and over- she has mastered the roll!

Giving Mommy a good morning smile
Look at the big girl sitting up and trying so hard to master the rings!
In the car on the way to the doctor
I bought a little gymnasium toy for her at the Guatemalan Wal-Mart, and I am so happy! It was the best investment we have made so far- now I have somewhere to set her down.

Look at this beautiful view- we had a great hike up to the cross.

Isn't that gorgeous? Wow, what a beautiful country. It was quite the hike getting up to that huge hill with a baby in a carrier, but it was so worth it.

Happy 8 Month Birthday Isabel!

2007-07-21T08:05:00.000-05:00

Isa loves to watch the DVD that goes with the book "Guess how much I love you" her Auntie Kate gave her This was the day before she turned 8 months old and she still needed a little help sitting up
Almost got it big girl!
Yeah! She is sitting up at 8 months! Good job Isa! She also had her first teething biscuit today, and LOVED it!

Our little Isa Lu has made some big strides in the last three weeks, and is definitely turning into a big girl. Her biggest achievement is... she can sit up all by herself- for at least 45 seconds until she topples over with a huge toothless grin! Yep, she is still toothless. I know teeth are in there somewhere, but she has been too busy learning how to reach for toys, find and put her pacifier into her mouth, flip over onto her tummy the second Mommy puts her down, complete an entire 360 degree circle on her tummy, and talk to put too much energy into teeth. She has been grabbing everything too. It definitely has become a challenge keeping that girl on her back when I change her diaper!

Isa has also become a GREAT sleeper! All of her new tricks really tire her out, so she goes to bed at 7:30 pm and gets up between 7:30 and 8:00 am (yes, Mommy is very lucky and so thankful). Then she takes a morning nap at 9:30 for about an hour, and then sleeps again from 1:30 to 4:00. She wakes up happy and gives Mommy lots of love all day!

She still loves her bottle best, but does like bananas, avocados, carrots, peas, mangos (her favorite), apples, and chicken. Yep Abby, I think you might have a fellow meat lover in Isa.

We are so thankful I can be here and watch her grow and change, it is such a gift. And, we definitely can still use prayers for a speedy approval in PGN. Since her biomom is a minor we have to go through an extra investigation, and of course, this means it will take longer. Thanks so much for all of yoru support and prayers, and I hope to be posting good news soon.

2007-07-18T10:26:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how fast time goes here, it's been almost a week since our last post! We had the best time with Auntie Beth, and are so grateful she came all the way to Guatemala to spend time with us. One of our biggest adventures was our trip to Lake Atitlan. I am so thankful Beth was with me on my first trip with Isa, I was a little nervous taking her over the countryside in Guatemala, but she did great! She has already had a more adventurous life than I have, and she is only 8 months old! The car trip out to San Lucas (the village where we stayed on Lake Atitlan) took 5 hours because we stopped at the airport to pick some doctors up who are spending the week working at the mission. Isa was such a trooper and really didn't even cry once. Over the course of two days the docs on the trip took more pictures of her than they did of the scenery- how couldn't you, right?!

We were blessed with a safe and beautiful place to stay, warm meals, and amazing company. Padre Gregory is an amazing person and has done such good work here in Guatemala, it was inspiring to see the fruits of his labors and how his work has touched the lives of thousands of people. When Isa and Beth's boys are in High School we are going to come back and work for a week at the mission- we are already looking forward to it! If you want to read more about what the mission does, the website is: http://www.sanlucasmission.com/.

On Sunday we went to mass (it was my first experience with a squirmy almost 8 month old and I even missed communion!) and then had breakfast at the mission, and the Padre Greg arranged a boat ride for our group. It was breathtaking, and we were able to stop at two small villages- Santiago and San Antonio. The markets were beautiful, but we were most thankful to be able to visit a village that is not a tourist spot and to experience a more authentic Guatemalan lifestyle.

Since last week Isa has become much more mobil. She now instantly flips to her stomach everytime I lay her down, and she works so hard to get to toys that are out of her reach. She is even trying to scoot across the bed and gets so frustrated when she can't get to what she wants, and because she hasn't figured out just yet how to roll back onto her back. Today she even flipped herself out of the Bumbo chair- she is getting really strong! She loves to read books and go for walks, and most of all, she loves to jump, jump, jump!

Isa's new friend, Anna, who we met at the mission in San Lucas. She came to work in the clinic with her father, Dr. Tom, and was so sweet to Isa. TThe village San Antonio on the shores of Lake Atitlan
"Stands with a suitcase on her head" took a lesson from the Mayans and just whipped that suitcase over head in no time
Isa was perfect in the car, she is such a sweetheart!
Look at that crazy hair! It is starting to fill in in the back now tooShe always turns to look at you while you read her a book, it's the cutest thing

Mommy and Isa in San Lucas
The view from the Mission
The three amigas and their big adventure
This is Dr. Tom from Madison and he loved Isa. He did confirm we may need to untie Isa's tied tongue, but only for cosmetic reasons. We wouldn't want her to not be able to lick an ice cream cone, now would we? hmmmm, but this way she won't be able to stick her tongue out at her Mommy.... we'll have to consider this more carefully! :)

The Mayans went down to the lake after mass and had bath day Isa an Dora- she sleeps with her everynight

Outside the church
We got our picture taken with Padre Greg!

2007-07-13T15:50:00.000-05:00

Hi ya'll! We have been having the BEST time ever!!!!! Beth came on Tuesday and we have been paintin' the town red- with a little baby in tow and all. We have been dreaming of a vacation together for years, and we finally got it- what a gift. And, with Isa too- it has been such a dream week. Sorry I haven't blogged for the whole week, but we have been so busy and are so tired at night that it has taken us three nights to get through one movie! Whew! So far we have taken a tour of the Jade factory, gone to a coffee plantation, explored la Antigua, been to the market, and have found a great apartment too. And, the fun isn't over yet- we are leaving tomorrow for Lake Atitlan for the weekend. It is in the mountains and is surrounded by four volcanos. Padre Thomas' classmate works there and is sending a driver to pick us up and bring us to the church. We'll stay there and I'm sure we'll have a great adventure. It apparently is the most beautiful lake in the world after Lake Lucerne, so we will take lots of pictures.

Isa is doing SO great! She has gotten a schedule down now, and is adjusting very well. She talks all the time and her giggle is the cutest thing in the world. She has started to scoot herself around the bed and rolls over now very easily too. She says 'da da da' and screams too, just to hear her own voice. And Mommy is happy because when I put her down she cries now!!! Yeah!!! I think she is starting to attach, and that is such a relief. We'll be sure to post more on Monday with pictures from the lake- love you all!

This is the coffee plantation- these patios are where they dry the beans in the sun. This plantation supplies the beans to Starbucks (or, Fourbucks, as I like to call it!) We never knew making coffee was such a long process. The third step is drying the beans for 2 weeks on this patio- now I know why it costs 4 bucks!

We read books together every night and she rolls over to look at me and touches my face. What a sweetheart
One of the many beautiful church in a small village on the way to the coffee plantation

The view at the coffee plantation- this volcano is Agua
What can be better than being with my baby and best friend at a coffee plantation?!!

Isa loves her Auntie Beth tttttthhhhhhiiiiiiiiissssssssss much!!!!!

She can sit up on her own now for a few seconds at a time now!

Does anyone want to come visit??!!!!!!!!

2007-07-08T20:41:00.000-05:00

Today we had a really great day- it was Daddy's last day here and Isa was a doll. She is getting used to us, and has adjusted well. It has been harder on her this time than it was 6 weeks ago, and we definitely can tell she has had to work hard at getting used to her new surroundings and schedule. We are getting there though, and more quickly than I hoped. We went to church in a beautiful old cathedral and eventhough it was in Spanish, we definitely understood God's message. And another mom here also had her husband visiting and they cooked a wonderful dinner for all of us- it was so good! I am so blessed to be here with all of these women in the same situation, the company is priceless. Isa is making new friends all over the world, and I am so grateful for them.

All dressed up for church

Our first family picture since we have been here.

la Merced church- it is absolutely beautiful and the music is so sweet. Each child had a guitar, a violin, or a mandolin and they were singing their hearts out!

it hasnt't rained here for five days in a row and the weather has been perfect!

2007-07-07T20:50:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe we haven't even been here for a week, it truly is beginning to feel 'normal' living in Antigua. I miss the quiet and the comforts of home, and have never appreciated all we have in the US more. We definitely are getting into the groove of Guatemalan life though, and have already made some friends! We had dinner tonight with a wonderful couple from North Carolina who are adopting a beautiful little girl, Bridget. We truly do feel so blessed to be here with Isa- this is an experience we will never forget. We have been getting to know the town and have found some great little specialty grocery stores and really good coffee shops too. But, as you can expect, most of our time and energy has been spent getting to know Isa. She has been sleeping through the night and is trying so hard to adjust. Sometimes we can just tell she is so confused, but she still tries to laugh and has such great self-control at such a young age. We are discovering more about her and are mastering her schedule more everyday, and are just so grateful for the space and time to bond here. Tomorrow we are going to church with some friends we met here, and are so excited to meet everyone there. Hope you are all doing well!

Playing at Bridget's house

Look at that cute smile, how can you resist her?
Hangin with Daddy
She is getting better at tummy time too and can push herself up now
The famous arch- so beautiful
The women here amaze me- many walk with multiple children and carry such heavy loads balanced on their head. Wow! We can barely manage Isa and our groceries!

It hasn't rained here for three days and the weather is always perfect- 75 to 80 and sunny with no humidity. Ahhhhh
Cute as a bug in the ladybug outift from Grandma Carol

2007-07-06T08:36:00.000-05:00

We have had such an adventure since we have been there, and I think we have experienced every emotion possible. I'll write more later today- we are going to head out and get some groceries now!

So far I've had bananas, mangos, peaches, and peas

I still love Dora and I LOVE the stroller Mimi gave me- it's perfect!

Taking a nap with Daddy in the hammock

This is the most beautiful McDonald's we have ever seen- fountains, mountains, and Ronald.
The food at this McDonald's is better than in the states too- yummy Fiesta burgers
working on tummy time

2007-07-04T08:23:00.000-05:00

We are here!!!! I can't believe the day is finally here, we are with Isa, and can finally feel and act like her parents. Thank God! Thanks to Beth and Ryan, who so graciously and unbelievably bought us our tickets with their frequent flier miles in FIRST CLASS- our flight was amazing. We were greeted with warm wash cloths, mimosas (or, mufasas, sissa :) and a menu! A menu? Needless to say, it was amazing. And, Beth and Ryan, it truly did feel like you were with us when we left and that gift is absolutely priceless.

My first time in a high chair!
The place where we are staying- it is beautiful here

This is our courtyard that our rooms opens up to
Our kitchen and living room where everyone gathers and cooks, and the babies play together
Look at those beautiful orchids- I have never seen those before. We can hear those parrots in the morning!

You can see this volcano from our window. This one is Agua-

She loves to look at people!
And, she loves the jumper here too. She is fun and talks all the time now! She says 'da da da da' and 'ma ma ma ma' and makes all sorts of new sounds. She slept so well last night and did a great job today, but we can tell she is a little stressed. She hasn't eaten as much as she usually does, and she is just a little more dazed sometimes- I know she misses Anabella a ton, and I know Anabella misses her more. Watching her give Isa to us broke our heart, we are forever grateful for the love and care she has given Isa, she is truly an angel.

She is eating her toes now too

Look at that hair- she has gotten so big. And, this is Aaron in front of the main cathedral here. We will send some history of Antigua in our next blog update, but the city is centuries old and the buildings are incredible.

We have been to the grocery store (Bodegona) and have explored the town- you can walk everywhere you need to go. And, today we are going to head to the market and try to get some bows to calm Isa's crazy hair, a fan to drown out the traffic, and a nightlight. What an amazing experience, we are so grateful to be here and just so blessed to have Isa in our lives- she is truly a miracle. Now that I have figured out how to post on her new blog, I will keep it updated as often as I can!