Journey #3 Begins

Meeting Ana Lucia in Guatemala when she was 6 days old was an incredible blessing. After seeing her, and having Pedro ask if we were interested in adopting her, my thoughts were going a million different directions for the remainder of my time in Guatemala.

The following day I went for a nice long walk to sort out my thoughts. You see, I was quite comfortable with the fact that this adoption was going to be a no-brainer. At the time I was working for the adoption agency. The fact that I had met the attorneys and many of the foster mothers working with the agency brought a sense of control. There was comfort in knowing the attorney handling our case and knowing the foster mother as well.

Fears associated with the unknown were about to test me once again. The director of our agency informed me that Ana Lucia’s adoption was being handled by an attorney that the agency had not worked with before. The agency staff in Guatemala had been trying to bring the agency and this particular attorney together for months. If we decided to proceed with Ana Lucia’s adoption our case would be the test case for this attorney. We would be the guinea pigs. Hold on, what happened to my confidence in knowing the attorney? What about the possibility of me knowing the foster mother? As I walked down the sidewalk in Guatemala City I was having a good long conversation with God. I was questioning the circumstances. I was so sure this adoption was going to proceed with fewer unknowns since I was now working for an adoption agency. If we moved forward with this adoption we would be giving up the peace of known facts. There was no previous experience with this attorney. I did not know the foster mother she was living with. So many details were out of my control. All of the sudden I felt a strong conviction. The question “how dare you?” was impressed upon my mind. God was speaking to me. How dare I be upset that I had no control over which attorney this baby was placed with, or which foster family was caring for her, or whether or not our agency had experience with this attorney. What choices did this precious baby have? She didn’t choose to be born into poverty. She had no control over which attorney was handling her case or which foster mother was caring for her. How dare I question the whole adoption simply because I wasn’t in control of the circumstances. God was reminding me from the beginning that He is in control. Wasn't I supposed to learn that in the previous two adoptions? Yeah, short memory Aimee. From that moment on I was at total peace about moving forward with the adoption of the sweet little baby I had met the previous day. Now I just had to wait on the paperwork and her medical reports…oh, and tell Mark about her…

“So honey, I met this sweet little baby girl on my trip”…

Honestly, I don’t remember the exact conversation but I do remember I did not bring it up with Mark on the first evening home from Guatemala. I do remember that all of the paperwork was submitted with no problems and all of the initial medical reports were great. We decided to accept the referral and move forward with the adoption. I secretly hoped that this attorney would use this case as his proving ground and dazzle us with abilities.

It was so much fun introducing the kids to Ana Lucia via her photo. When Katie looked at the photo she immediately replied “I know this baby! I held her.” Too cool.

In our first two adoptions we chose to keep the children’s given birth names – Marco Vinicio and Gustavo Adolfo. The new baby’s name was Lucia Alejandra. Hmmmm. We figured if we kept her name she would quickly become Lucy. We already have an Alex in the family so decided not to go with Alejandra as her first name. So the decision was made to keep her name and add her mother’s first name. This is how she became Ana Lucia Alejandra Davis.



Christmas Day 2005 – In Guatemala

Baby no more

In less than a week our baby girl, Ana Lucia Alejandra, will turn 3 years old. Unbelievable.

All five of our children have a beautiful story of the first time I met them. I met two of my children in a hospital operating room as the doctor lifted them from my body during a c-section delivery. One son I met in the lobby of a hotel in Guatemala City. Another son I met sitting poolside at a hotel in Antigua, Guatemala. I met our baby girl in Villa Nueva, Guatemala at her foster mother's home. She was just six days old.

In November 2005, Katie (our oldest daughter) traveled with me to Guatemala. Katie turned 11 the previous June, and one of her birthday presents was a trip to Guatemala with Mom. At that time I traveled to Guatemala several times/year to do some work for an adoption agency. I would visit the children in process of being adopted and take photos and video for the waiting families. It is one of the coolest jobs I have ever had. Over several days I would see anywhere from 40 - 70 children. This involved:

*asking specific questions through my translator, collecting medical updates, and taking notes to report back to the agency and adopting families

*delivering care packages from the adopting families

*meeting the foster mothers

*cuddling and loving on all those kids

These trips were definitely my favorite part of that job!

This particular trip was special for two reasons. First, Katie accompanied me and was my right-hand assistant. She loved holding the babies and seeing more of the real Guatemala. Secondly, our family had started the process for our 3rd adoption, and I was hand-delivering our paperwork to the agency staff. We were ready to accept a referral (be matched with a child).

During the trip I received a message from the director of the agency stating there was a newborn baby girl who had been relinquished for adoption. While all of her paperwork was not yet complete, which meant she may not qualify for an international adoption, the director wondered if I would like to see her. You see, we were the next family in line to receive a referral. So if all of the baby's paperwork and medical information was satisfactory she could possibly be matched with our family. I needed only a nanosecond to agree to see the baby. I did not tell Katie that this infant could possibly be placed with our family. I simply told her that we had to see one more baby for the agency. I also was not sure if my translator/driver and the foster mother knew that this baby could possibly be our referral. To everyone around me I was simply seeing the baby for the agency and taking photos/video.

We were taken to the foster home where the baby lived. As we drove through the city and out to Villa Nueva my mind was reeling. I just remember silently praying for composure. I remember thinking to myself "I may be walking into a home and meeting my future daughter".

Arriving at the home, I gathered my cameras and paperwork. Upon being welcomed into the home I was introduced to the foster mother and the birth mother. Sleeping in a carseat sitting on a table was the sweetest little 6-day old newborn baby - Lucia Alejandra Vasquez Juarez. At this moment, time stood still.

I began the process of gathering information which I needed to complete for the agency. I took a few pictures. I couldn't stand it any longer. "May I hold her?" I asked.

I am certain my heart skipped a beat when the baby was placed in my arms. I'll never forget the moment I first held my daughter...before she was my daughter. I was given the opportunity to feed her a bottle - called a pacha in Guatemala. I then took a few more photos and finished the paperwork. I was keenly aware that I could not stay for too long. However, as we finished the meeting and left to return to Guatemala City so many thoughts were running through my head. Everything from "I may never see this baby again" to "she may become our daugter" were haunting me. Admitting that the whole experience was surreal is an understatement.

As we drove back to the city I had a momentary panic. I could not remember the baby's name! Was it Luisa? Was it Lucia? Thank goodness I had written it down in my paperwork.

Once we arrived back at the hotel in Guatemala City, I asked our driver if I could get him a drink or a meal for his drive back home. This kind gentleman also worked for our agency. He asked for only a beverage so Katie went into the hotel to buy one. Pedro wisely waited until Katie was out of our sight then asked me "Aimee, do you think your family would be interested in adopting Lucia?"

The journey had begun. I'll share more throughout the coming birthday week. For now, here is a photo I shot of Katie and Ana Lucia on that precious day.

Too much stuff...

Uh oh. Watch out. As they whisper around our house "Mom is on a mission..."

Stuff, excess, clutter - do those words ever make their way into your vocabulary?

Perhaps it is the doom-and-gloom economy coupled with the change in season mixed with the fact that I am fed up. I am on the simplify and save soapbox. Allow me to introduce you to "Operation Shake Up". Mark and I have been discussing ideas on cutting our budget, selling and donating what we do not need, and using our excess to make money for us. The initial reason is two-fold:

1. Grow to become better stewards of what we have been entrusted with
2. Fund a family trip to Guatemala this coming summer

The little ones have not been back to Guatemala since coming home as babies. We feel it is time to take them back home to their birth country. We hope to spend a week in Guatemala this summer. All seven of us. Yikes. The preliminary budget is in place, and it is s-c-a-r-y. SEVEN airplane tickets alone is enough to make us gasp for air. A hotel stay requires two rooms, so we are researching renting a house in Antigua (my favorite place in Guatemala) for the week. While the trip will be a huge financial undertaking for us, we feel it is an investment. An investment which is well worth the effort.

So, I am researching opportunities for cutting costs. I love learning from the success of others. Here are a few ideas we have started on:

*selling all outgrown children's clothes (we have enough to start our own consignment shop)

*evaluating all monthly costs and making decisions where we can make cuts/changes

*As an example, currently we pay around $90/month for home phone, fax line, and long-distance service. Since I am no longer working we do not need the fax line and can use our cell phones for long distance. Most of the phone calls we receive at home are telemarketing anyway. For $10/month I can add another line to our cell service. So we have decided to get rid of our home phone service and use the extra cell line for a home phone. Ooooh, and I got a SWEET deal on a new phone by adding another line. Let's just say Christmas came early to me at the AT&T store today. Thanks Mark! ;) By the way, many of you will be getting an email or text from us letting you know our new home phone number.

*We changed auto and homeowner's insurance. By shopping around Mark was able to find significant savings.

*We are going to suspend our cleaning service. Can I just be frank and share that this one hurts. When we brought Ana Lucia home a friend of ours gave us the gift of her cleaning lady for a session. Talk about an awesome present! We hired her and have had our house cleaned twice/month for the past year and a half. It has been a wonderful luxury. However, if I am serious about cutting back then I have to sacrifice. Back to scrubbing toilets for us...

*I will be spending the cold, dreary, winter months decluttering all of our closets and storage areas in the basement and selling or donating most of what I uncover. The benefit will be a more simplified home and additional cash.

Ok, friends, it is time to share! Post your ideas of how you have cut your budget, gotten rid of stuff, and added to the family income.

Those ANNOYING political ads

It is the time of year for those horribly annoying political ads. I detest them. Do they really influence anyone's opinion?

They do, however, create awareness to those viewing them...even when those viewing are 2, 5, and 7 years old. My children do know the names Barack Obama, John McCain, and Sarah Palin. They do not recognize the name Joe Biden. I have tried to teach the little ones a bit about choosing a president, voting, etc.

A few weeks ago Gustavo (5) heard me say the name Barack Obama. He shouted out "Barack Obama - I know him! He is brown just like me!" After picking my jaw up off the floor (and stifling hysterical laughter) I asked Gustavo how he knew who Barack Obama was. He replied, "the tv". Aha, advertising/marketing dollars hard at work.

In the video below you will observe that Gustavo also knows Sarah Palin and John McCain. He swiped my reading glasses (yes, I am old) off the island and began singing "I'm Sarah Palin! I'm Sarah Palin! I'm Sarah Palin!" I swear, the boy keeps us in stitches around here.

I decided to video our own political ad. If you need translation Gustavo is saying:

"I'm Sarah Palin, I'm Sarah Palin, vote for me! And John McCains too!"

Not quite the amazing race...

The Davis crew will participate in National Make a Difference Day on October 25th through a project with Friends Through Guatemalan Adoption, the organization we started in January 2003.

FTGA is hosting a bike race to raise money for Orphan Resources International (ORI). The objective of the race is to encourage the children in Friends Through Guatemalan Adoption to get involved and complete the race themselves. Therefore, the race will be just one mile and all of the children can participate by walking, hopping, skipping, jogging, running, riding in a stroller or wagon, riding a tricycle, scooter, bike, or even on a parent's shoulders! Our hope is the children will begin to realize THEY can make a difference in the lives of children in Guatemala.

ORI serves 40 orphanages throughout Guatemala, reaching out to thousands of orphans. They provide basic necessities such as food, milk, formula, diapers, and clothes to the orphanages in addition to items such as washers/dryers, refrigerators, beds, mattresses, etc. Their mission is to break the cycle of poverty, abandonment, and despair, by providing spiritual, vocational and personal development training. Zack, Katie, and Aimee have worked personally with ORI while in Guatemala and can attest to the incredible work of this fine organization. You can visit www.orphanresources.org to learn more.

The needs in Guatemala are immense. It is estimated that over 56% of Guatemalans are living in poverty. The majority of Guatemalan children are undernourished, have little access to education, and no opportunity to break out of the cycle of poverty.

We love the birth country of our children and want to do what we can to help. Every single dollar donated will go to ORI to impact the lives of Guatemalan orphans. If you would like to participate please make checks payable to Orphan Resources. You can send an email to palmetto-adopt @ cinci. rr. com (remove spaces) and I will let you know where to send the donation. If you know my home address you can send it there, but please drop me an email to let me know.

**ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE**

Thank you, in advance, for partnering with us. We have seen firsthand the difference generosity makes for children in orphanages in Guatemala.

With gratitude,
The Davis Crew

Palin rocks!

My volunteer day was more fun than should be allowed! I was a driver in the motorcade and responsible for a 15-passenger van. I began the day meeting the other drivers to pick up our vans at the Cincinnati airport. We then drove to Lunken Airport to begin the adventure. Our vehicles were "swept" by the bomb squad. We had to pass security as well. Did you know that tic tac mints will make a metal detector go off? We then received our instructions from the Secret Service. The gentleman was very friendly, yet quite serious. He gave us instructions such as:

*drive close enough to the van in front of you to not allow a car to cut in
*don't drive close enough that you will hit the van if you need to stop quickly
*police motorcycles will be driving very quickly on both sides of you at times throughout the motorcade - always be aware so you do not sideswipe one of them
*the motorcade will weave throughout the lanes all during the drive - follow the van in front of you without running over a motorcycle (no pressure)
*the speed driven will vary in the course of the drive
*never leave your vehicle, leave the keys in the ignition, leave the window down, and if the motorcade needs to leave at a moments notice- be prepared to act quickly

For a few brief seconds I entertained the question "what have I gotten myself into?"

We had to be in our vans on the tarmac and ready to roll as the plane landed. It was fun watching the entourage exit the plane and head to the vehicles. I had the pleasure of driving Mike DeWine and his family and several of Sarah Palin's staff. I do know I drove Sarah's hairdresser and makeup artist - but I do not know the responsibilities of the other staffers in the van. It was fun to listen to their conversations. I heard things like "where are we again?" and "what day is it?" - it was obvious that the pace is crazy. One of the staffers was quickly going through the local paper and scanning headlines. They were all talking about "Joe the Plumber" and how they were so sorry how his life had been affected.

The drive to and from the event was interesting. The police shut down all roads as we passed through an area. People did line certain areas of the route holding signs, honking horns, and cheering.

During the event we had to stay with our vehicles. I enjoyed watching the behind-the-scenes activities. My van was parked right next to an empty sedan with two secret service agents which was next to Sarah Palin's Suburban. I had fun watching Bristol (oldest daughter) and Trig (baby) hanging out. Baby Trig has his own Secret Service detail - too cute.



Once we returned to the airport we were told it would be about two hours before we could meet Sarah Palin. The staff was going to eat lunch and then she had to meet with the press. We grabbed some lunch and then hung out in the airport until we were summoned back to the tarmac.

Ok, so I may not be objective, being that I am a big Sarah Palin fan. However, I admire her even more now after watching her throughout the day and speaking to her. She was never rushed with people - even though her staff seemed to want to hurry her along. When I met her she was warm, looked me straight in the eye, shook my hand, and stopped to speak for a few seconds. I told her I was a fellow "mother of five" and that our family supported her. She shared a bit about her son who left for the military in September. Her comment was "that turkey, he isn't calling home enough!" She thanked all of us for spending our day volunteering and how much she appreciated us. Again, she took the time to stop and chat with us in a friendly manner. I stand beside my initial reason for supporting her - she is a real person, in touch with the real America, and I think she could bring some fresh air to stuffy Washington DC. A group photo was taken which will be sent to us from the campaign staff. I can't wait for it to arrive!

Everyone I encountered on her staff was very friendly and courteous. The press traveling with them didn't seem quite as friendly. Imagine that. We were told that if we drove a press van to keep quiet and drive. We were instructed to not have any small talk or conversations with them. I am glad I was given a staff van to drive. ;)

When the Palin staff departed they were headed to Noblesville, Indiana which is my sister's hometown. How funny is that? When leaving the airport I called my sister to let her know that Sarah was on her way. My sister was headed to the rally.

The long day was definitely worth the experience. It was a terrific opportunity to observe the massive details that go into an event and see security detail, staffers, and of course Sarah Palin up close and personal.




Official driver - what a hoot






Now get out and VOTE people!

The Patriotic Driver

Sarah Palin is speaking in West Chester tomorrow. She will be just 5 minutes from my house! I went to John Boehner's office first thing yesterday morning to retrieve tickets for the event. If Sarah Palin was going to be that close to me, believe me, I was going to find a way to attend.

I received the ultimately hilarious telephone call last night. As background info, my brother-in-law is very active in the Republican party here in Cincinnati. He is always involved when Republican hotshots come to town. So Jim calls me last night and asks if I want to work at the Sarah Palin event. Uh, yeah! He is responsible for assigning motorcade drivers for Sarah and her entourage for the day. He figured I would love to be involved and knew I could handle driving a 15-passenger van since I have been driving big 'ol SUVs full of children for years. Ha, I knew that skill would pay off!

Long story short - I had to submit all of my vital info for a background check and will report for my patriotic duty first thing tomorrow morning. I'll drive a group from the airport to the event sight, spend the day with them, and drive them back to the airport at the end of the event. Ironically, Sarah Palin will leave West Chester and travel to Noblesville, Indiana which is my sister's hometown. My sister is attending the event. How funny is that?

I can't wait to see what unfolds tomorrow. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to meet Sarah Palin and let her know in person that I support her. I would love for her to make it to Washington and shake the place up.

Never a dull moment...