We Are out of Family Court!
What does this mean? Well our Lawyer in Guatemala is now going to review our entire file, with hopes to submit it on Tuesday, September 26, 2006. This will bring us into one of the second to final stages before we are able to bring Moriah home for good. But this is also one of the most technical and critical stages. Most people are having trouble getting caught up in this stage for more than 10 weeks.
Please pray with us, that when our file goes to this stage, known as the PGN, that the main person who signs off on the cases, (Victor Barrios,)-that we will have favor with him and that we can have Moriah home soon. We thank each and everyone of you for joining with us on this journey. It will be such a day of celebration when she comes home. I know that you will all love her so much as we already do!

We made it home safely. Thank you to all of you for your prayers. It was one of the hardest days we had to endure so far in our lives. To love some one so much and give her up for this time. Today is hard as well. There has been a lot of tissue. But we have faith that God will reunite us soon. Until then we will continue to serve God and keep walking on the path He has for us.

ADIOS For Now

This week has went by so fast! But we are so ever grateful to God for allowing us to spend this time with our beautiful daughter. Words can't describe how we feel about the thoughts of leaving Moriah tomorrow morning. Today we are enjoying our last precious moments until we can bring Moriah home for good. Please join us in praying that Moriah will be able to come home with us as soon as possible. Specifically you can pray that we will have favor with her file in Family Court and with the attorney general. God is good and faithful and now we just need to allow God to do His work and to pray! Also, please pray for us tomorrow as we leave her with Gloria, her foster mom - that we will have the strength to say goodbye for now.

Moriah you have blessed us so much this week! We love you so much and you are such a precious girl. We will miss you so so so much! Love you!!!

Moriah has a special message for Pops and Big Mama!!!



Aunt Kristin- Arn't you proud Moriah is already reading the book you gave her off of the booklist!

Adventures with Moriah

DAY 3

Today Moriah is 2 months old!!!

This picture was taken at breakfast. Daddy was holding Moriah and the waitress brought over 2 chairs and 3 little pillows and made our little girl a bed.

As new parents we learned a few lessons yesterday.

1) When burping the baby always have the burp rag ready to go.

2) When changing Moriah's diaper always have the clean one ready to go. Daddy learned this lesson when little mama, (Moriah) peed all over Mama and Daddy's bed.

We are loving every second with our new daughter. Time is so precious and we are thinking of Friday when we have to leave her. Sad Day!!! But, we are praying that the Lord will give us favor with our case and allow us to bring Moriah home soon.

Today, Moriah is not feeling well. She has barely went number two since we got her on Monday. We have called Claudia to call the foster mom to see what we should do for her.

Here we are on our second day in Guatemala!
We are having a great time! Last night, we tried to put Moriah down for bed about 10 as that is the time the foster mom told us that she normally goes to bed…but Moriah thought is was play time. So we played for a bit and then finally she went to sleep….and guess what…drum roll please….our 2 month old baby slept completely through the night. She did not wake up once during the whole night…she did wake up at 6:15 which is a little early for our taste, but she did such a great job. Mommy and daddy however barely slept a wink….we are not used to all of those baby sleeping noises that she makes and we kept feeling like we needed to check on her, but she was great!

Moriah cries rarely! Only when she is hungry, wet, or wants her pacifier. She really really really loves her pacifier! I am super glad that the foster mom brought the kind that she was used to since the kind we brought her she does not like. She is pretty happy with any bottle though. I brought several different ones and she seems to like them all so far.

This morning was a little foretaste of how horrible Friday is going to be when we have to leave Moriah here and go home. Moriah had to be in family court today. Her foster mom came to pick her up and wooo I was really not expecting to fall apart. I mean we only met her yesterday and she would only be gone 3 hours. I cried for about 10 minutes. We already love her sooooooooooooooooo much. She seems to fit with us soo well!
We are really praying now that her case will go through all the necessary steps quickly! I know you all will love to meet our little lady!

GUATEMALA!!! WE MADE IT!!!

We arrived last night, (Sunday) in Guatemala. This morning Claudia our adoption worker here in Guatemala city picked us up at the Hotel and took us to the lawyer's office, where we met Moriah Joy Ellis for the first time. Her foster mom Gloria is in the picture with us. Tomorrow, Moriah will go to family court for a few hours, so we will miss her while she is gone. But this is great news because this means her case is progressing. Moriah is a very calm baby and so far she has not cried very much. We are so blessed to have this time with her!!! Please keep the three of us in your prayers, and especially Moriah's case, that it would be a speedy one, and that we would have favor with the government here in Guatemala.