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They say a journey of 1,000 miles begins with just one step and how true it is. As my son naps peacefully, the two years of waiting and frustration seem to melt away. It's hard to believe that we took our first step so long ago in the spring of 2002. How little we knew of the adventure we would face or the emotional ride on which we were embarking.
We submitted our completed dossier in December 2002 and sat back to await our referral—secure in the knowledge we'd be parents by summer 2003. We requested an infant boy. Everything we had read indicated that a referral would arrive in 4-6 weeks and that travel would occur within 3-4 months following. Of course, no one could have foreseen the road blocks the Guatemalan government would throw in our path to bringing our beloved son home. We were overjoyed to receive our referral in February 2003. I vividly remember the day our packet arrived that contained his vital info and pictures. I stayed home from work to wait for the Fed Ex package to arrive, then I had to wait another several hours for my husband so we could open it together. I must admit that we absolutely believed we were gazing on the most beautiful child God had ever created.
Now we were rolling and began preparations for Samuel's arrival in the summer of 2003. Around the first of June, the Guatemalan government essentially shut down adoptions including those that were pending. For the next several months we could only wait and watch Samuel grow through the monthly photos provided by FTIA. At the first of August we could not wait any longer and made arrangements to travel and meet our son. We just needed to hold him in our arms to reinforce our belief he would come home someday. Fortunately, by the time we traveled later that month, the Hague Treaty had been overturned and pending adoptions were getting approved rapidly. As Christmas approached we were devastated to be kicked out of PGN to add six little words to our Witness Statements. This meant that Samuel would not be home in time for Christmas. We were very sad but remained hopeful that 2004 would finally bring us the joyful news for which we had waited so long.
Almost a year to the day of receiving our referral we were told our file was finally approved. We traveled to pick up Sam in April 2004. He's been home about six weeks and we can't even imagine what life was like before him. There were many times during the waiting that we were drained emotionally and heart broken but in the end our joy whenever we look at his smiling face replaces those memories. After 13 years of marriage, we've finally realized our dreams of becoming parents. Sam's an amazing child who is very happy and healthy. He's 18 months old now and enjoys life to the fullest. He's trying very hard to speak English, loves music and dancing, and charms everyone we meet. Thank you for giving us the greatest gift imaginable. We were so grateful to have worked with such patient and supportive people.
Good luck to all the future Guatemalan families. We're always available for information, references, or advice on the process, travel, etc. Don't hesitate to contact us!
All our best,
John, Tracie & Samuel
