More of the best week ever.....

This is our last family picture before we said goodbye! WE MISS HER SO MUCH!!!!


THANK YOU FRIENDS FOR SUGGESTING GERBER PUFFS!!! She absolutely loved them. She would grab fistfuls of them....and cram them in her mouth.


I had to show you the cutest girl in the cutest swimsuit!!! Is she not a doll baby?! She liked the water for about 2.2 seconds....then she hated it.


This picture is for you, Katie Mohr!! You would have laughed your head off....I carried on an empty "Pollo Campero" box just for you (and it helped me fit in). The pilot actually got on the speaker and told all of us to put our Pollo Campero boxes below our seats (instead of the overhead bins) because they've had problems with them leaking! That is something you don't hear a pilot say very often.


Thank you so much for your support, prayers and encouraging words!!!!!! It has been so overwhelming (in a good way). We so need this community right now. We love you all.

Love,
Lindsey

Missing my baby.....

Saying "Hola" is better than "Adios"

We just got in...it's 11pm and we're worn out from a full day of travel. The trip was incredible...a total answer to prayer. At the same time...we miss her. The house is weirdly quiet. Being home with just Lindsey, Polly (the dog) and I feels strange for the first time. Something is definitely missing...SHE's missing! We'll post lots more after we rest a bit. Thank you to all who prayed over us!
-Chris

WHAT??? My parents are who?

This is the moment Eliana realizes that her parents are not quite normal! She's thinking, "Yikes, what have I got myself into this time!"

A couple more quick shots...

Last night Madi (Melissa's little doll) HAD to get in that pool...it was chilly but we had a blast!

This is another shot of that crazy good mood Eliana got in with us last night!

We'll post more after dinner...
We're getting sad to even think about leaving. Time here seems to be so elastic. One day feels like 3, but a trip over a few days goes by in a blink!

Pray for our hearts as they're slowly getting heavy. We're just making the most of every second with this unbelievable baby girl!

She slept all day and partied all night!

Eliana pretty much slept the day away...we couldn't keep her awake no matter what we tried. She even fell asleep while we were fixing her hair! Then suddenly after dinner time she came alive! She laughed and smiled more than we've ever seen! Her little personality was just busting out! Pray she sleeps tonight...who knows how it'll go!

-Chris

The Donald?

I'm not gonna to lie to ya...It's been a great day!

Living the good life!

A fashionista just like her Momma!

This is what I get when Dad feeds me...



BATH TIME!

Dinner Dance Party!

Notice Lauren's errant shot at the top of the board...!

It's been a full day!

HER FIRST CRAWL!!!

This was a big night! We witnessed her first crawl and it was caught on tape!
Way to go baby girl...we're so proud of you!

Be sure to watch for her proud smile at the end!!!
-Chris

Shout Out Numero Uno...could I be more in love?

IT'S A MATCH!
Looks to me like Eliana has Momma's hair! When we received Eliana this afternoon she was in the middle of her nap! Eliana immediately felt safe in Lindsey's arms and just kept right on snoozing.

By the way, we spent our first night in Antigua, which we absolutely love! It's a gorgeous little town just west of Guatemala City full of culture!

We were so excited to get to see our friends Melissa and Madi! We had dinner last night with her in Antigua at Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo!

We picked up Lauren today at the airport just before checking into the hotel in Guatemala City! We are so glad she's with us! She's already been a great Aunt...she had the magic touch that put Eliana back to sleep this evening for her next nap! (Leah we miss you and so badly wish Eliana's other Aunt could be here too!)

The girls (Lindsey, Lauren & Kay) just headed down to the lobby to check out the hotel while Daddy and daughter get some hang time! She's actually still working on that nap...which is how I had a moment to give ya'll the update!

So far everything has felt sureal...like are we really in Guatemala right now? It's crazy after staring at pictures for so long to get to hold her! I'm a proud Daddy!

Thank you all for the prayers...we feel it!
Much love,
Chris

P.S. Eliana has a cold/cough right now which makes her not feel great...so pray for that sweet thang that the medicine works & she feels better soon!


Guess who we ran into in Antigua? Our friends at AdoptingBabyZ.blogspot.com....it was SO GOOD to finally meet you all in person!!

TOMORROW!!!!!

WE WILL BE IN GUATEMALA (Antigua) TOMORROW!!!!! GET READY FOR SOME PICTURES!!!! I cannot wait to walk the streets of Antigua...hang out with our friend Melissa....and lounge out at the best hole-in-the-wall restaurant Rainbow room (best pancakes ever)!!! Then, we head to spend time with the cutest girl in the world on Wednesday!!!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Happy Easter!

The last three days have been full in every way! We are so thankful that we can celebrate what Jesus did for us.....that we have a HOPE and a future in heaven! Chris and I had an awesome time today with our friends Paige and Zack. We were able to just talk about life, the Lord, and have fun together!! Chris and I have a tradition every year (that is semi-cheesy....but we love it).....called "Resurrection Egggs". We go around the table after Easter dinner....and each egg has part of Christ's death and resurrection. It is so good to be reminded of what he did for us. Thank you Lord!!

On a completely different note, AMAZING SUGGESTIONS ON THE LAST POST!!!! We are pretty much all packed up and ready to go. We leave in TWO DAYS!!!! I can't wait. Eliana, get ready.....we are going to have some fun!

Love you all,
Lindsey

P.S. We went to "Build a Bear" (thanks Doug & Courtney) and created this cute bunny rabbit for Eliana. It has our voices in it telling her how much we love her and miss her!!! What a fun place....I think Chris had more fun than some of the kids in the store!

What to pack.....

This is our first time to have an 8 month old baby!!! I would love any suggestions of things that your 8 month old babies can't live without. Tomorrow is deemed packing day.....it scares me to think about it. Chris and I always manage to pack 200 pounds of stuff every time we go to Guatemala. WE WILL BE THERE IN FIVE DAYS!!!!!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Surprise on the porch!

Lindsey and I came home today feeling exhausted and emotionally worn down. We got to our front porch and what did we find? A package waiting for us from our awesome friends Shane and Mitzi McBride! They sent us a "favorite things" box loaded with toys and puppets and books! It was so special and just meant the world to us! Cool how God knows right when you need encouragement and a reminder that you're not alone!
Thanks guys!

ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!

Before and After!!!

This is the picture we fell in love with!! It is hard to believe that she was this small. The moment I saw her face on my computer....I instantly knew she was our daughter!!



Here she is at 8 months old!!! She looks like a little girl.....we are in love! We will see Eliana in 10 days!!!!!! Don't worry....we will take TONS OF PICTURES!!!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Aunt La-Loy!!

We got a great surprise two days ago......my middle sister Lauren is now going to Guatemala with us in a week and a half!!!! Eliana can't wait to be held by her Aunt La-Loy (that is what Annalise calls Lauren....she is the little girl she nannies....and is in the picture). Thank you Jeff for letting Lauren go.....and for paying for her flight!!! HOW MUCH FUN!!!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

P.S. Eliana is going to really miss her Aunt Leah and Uncle Bulldog!