Aaron Gabriel

Hi Everyone, We finally made it to an internet cafe. It's a beautiful city here in Antigua. We are enjoying our much unexpected family vacation. We have eaten so much that we are about 50lbs heavier each! The food is here is SOOO good! There is no shortage of places to hang out and eat and places to shop.

Tuesday we arrived safely and on Tuesday evening we received an email that our that Aaron's birth certificate should be ready on Tuesday the 27th (the day we leave). After we have both bc's, they can be submitted for their 2nd DNA test and then once the results arrive at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, they will issue us an appointment to come in with the babies to receive their Visas. That is when we get to bring them home. Just a few more weeks!!!

Wednesday morning the babies were supposed to arrive at 9am. Aaron arrived about 11:30 because his Foster Mom's bus had a flat. Then Lily arrived sometimes around 1pm. We rented a 15 passenger van (yes! really!) to take just our little family and all our luggage to Antigua, Guatemala for the week. It was about a 45 minute ride and through some mountains. No air in the bus but the windows opened and there was a nice breeze, all the kids napped on the way. The hotel is a little nicer than I thought it would be. It's very quaint and quiet here. We have a very large room. We have 2 queen beds, 2 baby beds and still tons of room for the girls to kick a ball, etc. Breakfast is part of the deal here (it's a bed & breakfast) and it's a choice of 3 meals. You can have them pool side or on the table outside your room on the balcony....each option overlooking the beautiful volcano and swimming pool. The coffee here is wonderful.

Aaron is doing great and is eating some eggs & stage one baby food now. He's been such a happy baby nd showing a little more personality. He's sleeping well in the baby bed this time. He wakes about 1:30 and 5:30 for food and goes right back to sleep. He's up at 7:30 and naps again about 9am.

On Thursday, Thanksgiving, we took some photos of all the kids together, the kids napped a little. Then we went out for a little sight seeing and lunch. We strolled through their central park, went to a little grocer, a park-side cafe and then for ice cream, then the kids napped some more. We were going to go to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner but the kids were all very tired. Even Autumn fell asleep for the night at 4:30. Dale went next door and ordered dinner for us and Kya. Dale and I have had a few chances to sit out on the balcony after the kids are in bed. We have a dessert from next door and a bottle of wine by candlelight over looking the 3 volcanos surrounding us.

Friday was Kya's big day...she turned 4. We had a party pool side complete with Tinker Bell decorations and a pizza. We didn't get the ice cream cake. Dale had taken her and Autumn to Central Park for a carriage ride. Afterwards we took her to the local market to go shopping. Each of them go to pick out something ( a drum ) and on the way back we found another bakery. Kya ended up ordering cake from there. And that night she wanted Thai food, which was actually not THAT great.

Saturday is when the Mayan's set up a street side market on the ground. We bought a few trinkets from there and found the cafe I'm sitting at now.

We head back to the city at 1pm tomorrow and check back into the hotel there for the night. The babies are going back to the foster mom's at 4pm. Our flight is our early Tuesday. We'll post pictures next week when we get home.

Lots of love,
Dawn