I have a feeling this trip is going to replace Griswold's European Vacation with "The Davis's Central American Vacation".
I plan by making lists and then implementing the lists. My list for this trip has officially gotten OUT OF CONTROL.
Mark stood in the garage with me last night as we discussed checked suitcases, carry-on suitcases, and all of the loot we will travel with. A simplified overview:
*1 stroller
*1 car seat
*5 children
*2 adults
*3 rolling suitcases to carry on the plane holding 2 cameras, 1 video camera, an assortment of chargers, batteries, media cards, medications, change of clothes for the littles, and paperwork for the trip
*Lap top computer to carry on
*7 backpacks - 1 for each individual to transport snacks, books, magazines, leapsters, action figures, crayons, paper, ipods, headphones, lovey/cuddle items, and anything else which keeps a human happy for six hours on an airplane
*At this point we are up to TEN checked suitcases to hold not just our clothing for the week but gifts we are taking for foster and birth families, food items, medicines, and most importantly many donations of shoes and clothing for families in need
Lord help us. We can't even get all of our suitcases and people to the airport in one vehicle!
The excitement is starting to build. The last minute panic will begin in a few days. I'm not sure when the 7 of us will be able to take this trip again so we are going all out, doing it up big, and going for broke!
The plan: visit with foster and birth families, spend some time helping others, settle in for a week of living life in Guatemala, no big expectations, just "being" in the birth country of three of our children.
Oh, yeah, and we still have semester exams and the end-of-the-school-year activities to accomplish before leaving.
Our dining room has become the staging room for packing. Hopefully it won't look like this...
The children are talking about seeing their foster families and/or birth families. Each has decided on a few gifts they want to pick out. Ana Lucia decided she wanted to draw a picture for her birth mother as well as take a necklace to her. She then decided she also wanted to take snacks and a Diet Coke to her birth mother. Precious. Gustavo wants to take a necklace to his foster mother and requested that I take him shopping by himself in order to choose just the right necklace. Ana Lucia reminded me the other night at dinner that she was not in my tummy but in her birth mother's tummy. The dialogue is so awesome. It has always been my goal/hope that the children would grow up being totally comfortable talking about being born in Guatemala, birth families, foster families, adoption, etc. It is happening. A few months ago Marco came up to me, hugged me, and out of the blue thanked me for adopting him. Be still my heart.
I can't wait for them to be in their birth country, be surrounded by people who look like them, experience life in another culture, and begin to truly understand what Guatemala is. Yes, they are just 3, 5, and 7 years old, but my hope is this trip will be the beginning of many more to come.
School is out next Thursday and we fly out on Friday. Ready or not - here we come!
1 comment:
I am praying for this trip to blow your socks off. I hope your time their is blessed and that each of the children feel the richness of their heritage and the depth of your love for them. Cannot wait to hear stories!!! Travel safe!
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