Please Mr. Barrios let us out of PGN soon....we are so ready to bring her home!
How old is Emma today?
More pictures!
Coming home to more pictures of Ms. Emma is the greatest gift in the world!
Please Mr. Barrios let us out of PGN soon....we are so ready to bring her home!
Please Mr. Barrios let us out of PGN soon....we are so ready to bring her home!
October 17th---new pictures!
Emma has the greatest first family in the world!
I got these pictures today! There was one more picture of Emma with Astrid's mom Lucky. Lucky is with Emma a lot and helps Astrid take great care of her! (I try not to post pictures of Emma's first family because I want to keep them safe. But the pictures is great and you can see how much Emma is loved by Lucky!)
These pictures make me even more excited to go and see her again. One month from today...but who's counting?!
I got these pictures today! There was one more picture of Emma with Astrid's mom Lucky. Lucky is with Emma a lot and helps Astrid take great care of her! (I try not to post pictures of Emma's first family because I want to keep them safe. But the pictures is great and you can see how much Emma is loved by Lucky!)
These pictures make me even more excited to go and see her again. One month from today...but who's counting?!
How are we trying to DEAL with PGN..
....KEEP AS BUSY as POSSIBLE!
Weekends are tough for adopting parents stuck in PGN. Every day I am checking my e-mail and the adoption boards like it is my other job! I cannot get away from my computer/e-mail and phone. I hang on the fact that any day could be the day when we get the call that we are OUT of the black hole of PGN! Weekends are so tough because nothing happens. There isn't that hope that the next phone call/ e-mail or voicemail could be the one that you have been praying and hoping to get...the call that says the Guatemalan government has approved you to adopt EMMA...she is YOURS! Here is what we did last weekend for Drew's birthday.
Luckily the next few weeks are going to be busy for us. Our family has several birthdays--Drew 10-14, Jay 11-7 and mine 11-17. I am getting the best present in the world this year...Emma in my arms! We will be arriving in Guatemala on my Birthday and Emma will be there to help me celebrate it!
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that time will pass quickly and we will get that CALL that we are praying for.
Weekends are tough for adopting parents stuck in PGN. Every day I am checking my e-mail and the adoption boards like it is my other job! I cannot get away from my computer/e-mail and phone. I hang on the fact that any day could be the day when we get the call that we are OUT of the black hole of PGN! Weekends are so tough because nothing happens. There isn't that hope that the next phone call/ e-mail or voicemail could be the one that you have been praying and hoping to get...the call that says the Guatemalan government has approved you to adopt EMMA...she is YOURS! Here is what we did last weekend for Drew's birthday.
Luckily the next few weeks are going to be busy for us. Our family has several birthdays--Drew 10-14, Jay 11-7 and mine 11-17. I am getting the best present in the world this year...Emma in my arms! We will be arriving in Guatemala on my Birthday and Emma will be there to help me celebrate it!
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that time will pass quickly and we will get that CALL that we are praying for.
More Emma pictures
Here are a few more pictures of Emma that were taken on my last visit. We are booking our flights today for our next trip! Thanksgiving in Guatemala...I heard from someone who was there last year for Thanksgiving that the Marriott has a turkey and dressing dinner! I bet it won't be as good as Mom's...but at least they are trying!
Enjoy this slide show (I just learned how to do this!)
Enjoy this slide show (I just learned how to do this!)
September medical update
I received Emma's updated medical for the month of September.
KIMBERLY PEÑATE:
SEPTEMBER 24, 2007 - WEIGHT 16.15 POUNDS, LENGTH 65 CM. AND H.C. 43.5 CM.
VACCINATIONS OF THIS MONTH SECOND DOSES OF DTP, POLIO, HIB, HEP B AND NEUMOCOCO
KIMBERLY PEÑATE:
SEPTEMBER 24, 2007 - WEIGHT 16.15 POUNDS, LENGTH 65 CM. AND H.C. 43.5 CM.
VACCINATIONS OF THIS MONTH SECOND DOSES OF DTP, POLIO, HIB, HEP B AND NEUMOCOCO
PLEASE SIGN
We have been very, very concerned about the current state of adoptions in Guatemala, the new laws being passed and the impact this will have on our ability to bring Emma home. Each of you know how much our entire family loves this little girl. We are doing everything we can to fight for her and to ensure her the opportunity to come home.
We need your help---now more than ever. Here is part of an e-mail I got today from our agency contact. We have surrounded ourselves with a great team---I believe the best agency and lawyers are working hard to help us complete this adoption.
Please take some time to read these petitions and sign them if you believe in them. Also, I know that many of you share my e-mails, pictures and blog address with others. Please continue to share this information. Please ask anyone you know that would be willing to support this cause to help. I know there are many churches and people praying Emma home. Rob and I are very appreciative---more than we can express in words to each of you for your continued support. We are not giving up hope. Emma belongs with our family and we are going to do everything in our power to get her home.
Thank you for your time and continued support,
Rob and Amy
*************************************************************************
For those of you who have not received this petition please review and sign ...........Then pass it on to all those whom you believe would echo your sentiments.......Here is the opening paragraph of this petition.......we are definitely making an impact please keep it going..........
To: US-UNICEF supporters
As international adoptive families, adoption service providers, and supporters, we want to encourage the continued consideration of the best interests of children within the debate over intercountry adoption. Although we strongly applaud and support the goals of keeping biological families intact and ensuring that all of the world’s children can remain and thrive within their birth family or birth country, we recognize that such goals cannot be attained in a short period of time, and in fact are an ongoing process in every country including our own. In reality, every day a significant number of children are born whose parents do not have the resources to raise them as they feel they should. We believe that each of these children deserves a permanent loving home, adequate nutrition, shelter, and education, and the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. We believe that legal and ethical intercountry adoption provides a legitimate, necessary and current solution for these children, and that it is in the best interests of the individual child to be placed with a permanent family with a minimum of delay. Based on our experience, and with the goal of child protection as our primary emphasis, we offer the following positions:
http://www.petitiononline.com:80/guatpos/petition.html
There is another petition that was circulated by FOA after the DOS statement of the 25th.......This petition has over 31000 signatures.........It can be found at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/foafoa1/petition.html
Thank you for all your support!
We need your help---now more than ever. Here is part of an e-mail I got today from our agency contact. We have surrounded ourselves with a great team---I believe the best agency and lawyers are working hard to help us complete this adoption.
Please take some time to read these petitions and sign them if you believe in them. Also, I know that many of you share my e-mails, pictures and blog address with others. Please continue to share this information. Please ask anyone you know that would be willing to support this cause to help. I know there are many churches and people praying Emma home. Rob and I are very appreciative---more than we can express in words to each of you for your continued support. We are not giving up hope. Emma belongs with our family and we are going to do everything in our power to get her home.
Thank you for your time and continued support,
Rob and Amy
*************************************************************************
For those of you who have not received this petition please review and sign ...........Then pass it on to all those whom you believe would echo your sentiments.......Here is the opening paragraph of this petition.......we are definitely making an impact please keep it going..........
To: US-UNICEF supporters
As international adoptive families, adoption service providers, and supporters, we want to encourage the continued consideration of the best interests of children within the debate over intercountry adoption. Although we strongly applaud and support the goals of keeping biological families intact and ensuring that all of the world’s children can remain and thrive within their birth family or birth country, we recognize that such goals cannot be attained in a short period of time, and in fact are an ongoing process in every country including our own. In reality, every day a significant number of children are born whose parents do not have the resources to raise them as they feel they should. We believe that each of these children deserves a permanent loving home, adequate nutrition, shelter, and education, and the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. We believe that legal and ethical intercountry adoption provides a legitimate, necessary and current solution for these children, and that it is in the best interests of the individual child to be placed with a permanent family with a minimum of delay. Based on our experience, and with the goal of child protection as our primary emphasis, we offer the following positions:
http://www.petitiononline.com:80/guatpos/petition.html
There is another petition that was circulated by FOA after the DOS statement of the 25th.......This petition has over 31000 signatures.........It can be found at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/foafoa1/petition.html
Thank you for all your support!
OUT and BACK in PGN/ PLEASE HELP US
I learned today that we were issued a previo (kickout) on September 20th. Something in our file (we do not know what) was not to the liking of one of the 3 people who have to review our documents. I am not sure at what level the kickout was issued. Now we start over again and are currently on the 1st reviewers.
It is always hard the first few days after I come home from being with Emma. I am always excited to see the boys and miss them so much but I ache for Emma. For her sweet smile...the smell of her hair and the sound of her blowing raspberries. This process is hard...no one said it would be easy----and sure isn't.
LAST NEWS from ADA
"The dreadful Ortega law was approved by Congress in its third reading today, Wednesday October 3rd. 2007. The final reading and actual approval will be next Tuesday. ADA is meeting with all lawyers and adoption agencies representatives this Saturday to present the emergency plan. Constitutional challenges are being prepared and we are ready do to everything that is necessary to get the transition cases home and adoptions open for the children of Guatemala. The law could take thirty days to become effective, but it could take more time. It is still undecided.
There is no question that there is a way to make millions of dollars with adoptions. Simply by making them impossible, UNICEF is rewarding our president with a 28 million donation for this accomplishment, with the complicity of the congressmen. UNICEF is using the money of the taxpayers of the First World to eliminate poverty in our Third World country, by eliminating the children of the poor, because as the UNICEF delegate said: the underdevelopment of a country begins in the uterus of a poor woman. Genocide is not a crime of war. UNICEF is showing us how it can be done, without any risk for the perpetrator. We will not remain silent while they do it. That is a promise.
ADA asks of those of you who would want to help adoptions in Guatemala to join your efforts to ours." Here is there site if you want to read more:
http://www.adaguatemala.org/English/news/
WILL YOU HELP BRING EMMA HOME?
Please contact your representatives for us. Let them know that your family members/ friends are Rob and Amy Holsinger and are in the process of adopting their daughter, Emma. You can tell them we are currently stuck in PGN. Urge them to help us complete this adoption. For more information or sample letters please go to guatadopt.com . There are many form letters there. Or e-mail me at alholsinger@aol.com and I will be happy to send you something that you will just need to add your contact info and send. It is completely ok to use our name and add anything you think is needed to personalize our story and help us bring our little girl home.
Please, please, please send at least one letter out this weekend to help Emma come home. We love her so much and need her to be here with us!
Thank you for your love, prayers and continued support during this horribly difficult time.
Rob and Amy
It is always hard the first few days after I come home from being with Emma. I am always excited to see the boys and miss them so much but I ache for Emma. For her sweet smile...the smell of her hair and the sound of her blowing raspberries. This process is hard...no one said it would be easy----and sure isn't.
LAST NEWS from ADA
"The dreadful Ortega law was approved by Congress in its third reading today, Wednesday October 3rd. 2007. The final reading and actual approval will be next Tuesday. ADA is meeting with all lawyers and adoption agencies representatives this Saturday to present the emergency plan. Constitutional challenges are being prepared and we are ready do to everything that is necessary to get the transition cases home and adoptions open for the children of Guatemala. The law could take thirty days to become effective, but it could take more time. It is still undecided.
There is no question that there is a way to make millions of dollars with adoptions. Simply by making them impossible, UNICEF is rewarding our president with a 28 million donation for this accomplishment, with the complicity of the congressmen. UNICEF is using the money of the taxpayers of the First World to eliminate poverty in our Third World country, by eliminating the children of the poor, because as the UNICEF delegate said: the underdevelopment of a country begins in the uterus of a poor woman. Genocide is not a crime of war. UNICEF is showing us how it can be done, without any risk for the perpetrator. We will not remain silent while they do it. That is a promise.
ADA asks of those of you who would want to help adoptions in Guatemala to join your efforts to ours." Here is there site if you want to read more:
http://www.adaguatemala.org/English/news/
WILL YOU HELP BRING EMMA HOME?
Please contact your representatives for us. Let them know that your family members/ friends are Rob and Amy Holsinger and are in the process of adopting their daughter, Emma. You can tell them we are currently stuck in PGN. Urge them to help us complete this adoption. For more information or sample letters please go to guatadopt.com . There are many form letters there. Or e-mail me at alholsinger@aol.com and I will be happy to send you something that you will just need to add your contact info and send. It is completely ok to use our name and add anything you think is needed to personalize our story and help us bring our little girl home.
Please, please, please send at least one letter out this weekend to help Emma come home. We love her so much and need her to be here with us!
Thank you for your love, prayers and continued support during this horribly difficult time.
Rob and Amy
Leaving Guatemala
I returned Emma to Astrid and Christian this morning. She was so excited to see them. I cannot begin to tell you how much easier handing her off to people who love her so much is! I truly couldn't have been blessed with a better first family for Emma.
Here are a few pictures taken last night at dinner and when Emma when to bed. She had been a joy this trip. Rob and I am are planning our next visit...hopefully a 3-4 day trip in November after Jay's birthday and before Thanksgiving! I will keep you posted on the date as soon as I have them confirmed.
We fly out of Guatemala at 1:05 (3:05 your time) and will be back to Cinci around 11:00 tonight!
Please take another look at my "How you can HELP Emma come home" post. We really need as many people taking action as possible.
There is going to a segment tonight on CNN with Anderson Cooper. I am going to have Rob DVR it so I can see when I get home. I think it airs at 10:00 Eastern. It is going to be about Guatemalan Adoptions. I am not sure the spin of the coverage but they were here at the Marriott the day before we arrived interviewing people. I pray it is a fair and balanced report of the situation here in Guatemala...but fear it might take an anti-international adoption spin.
Amy
Tuesday afternoon pictures
Here are some pictures of Ms. Emma taken last night or this morning. She is having another great day. I just look at her and wonder how I am so lucky....how in the world did she find us and did we find her?
Enjoy the pictures!
Amy
Enjoy the pictures!
Amy
What can you do to help us bring Emma home?
Please help us bring Emma home. This is a scary time in Guatemala...talk at the Marriott is nervous anticipation about what is going to happy to "in process" cases. We are in process and Friday will be our 4th week in PGN--with no idea when we will be out (best case 8-10 weeks--worse case NOT before December 31st). This is part of an e-mail sent out from agency strongly encouraging us to advocate for our children. I know each of us are busy and time is very hard to find. But this weekend, think about taking 10 minutes from your plans and send a letter/fax or e-mail to one person on this list. It really does matter and it could make the difference in bringing Emma home where she belongs.
*********************************************************************
GUATEMALA 5000
Dear Friends,
Guatemalan President Oscar Berger has announced plans to suspend all intercountry adoption with American families on January 1 2008. The Joint Council on International Children’s Services strongly opposes such a suspension and asks for your support in their efforts to ensure that all children retain the right to permanency through Intercountry Adoption.
President Berger’s plans also call for the suspension of adoptions currently in-process. Such a suspension would be extremely detrimental to the children referred to adoptive parents. If President Berger’s plan is actually implemented, up to 5,000 will unnecessarily remain in foster care or orphanages indefinitely.
This situation represents a pending crisis for the adoptive families who have lovingly chosen to provide permanency, safety and love to a child in need and most importantly a crisis for 5,000 children of Guatemala.
What can you do? Make six simple phone calls and one email.
1. Call your U.S. Senator.
You can find your Senators’ phone numbers at www.senate.gov
Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
2.Call your second U.S. Senator.
3.Call your representative to the U.S. House of Representative.
You can find your representative at www.house.gov
Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
4.Call or fax UNICEF Headquarter
Ask to speak with Ann Veneman, Executive Director
Their number is 212-326-7000
Their fax number is 212-326-7758
5.Call or fax UNICEF Guatemala
Ask to speak with Manuel Manrique
Their number is 011-502-2327-6373
Their fax number is 011-502-2327.6366
*Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
6.Send and email supporting Intercountry Adoption to guatemala5000@jcics.org
Write briefly or at length
Joint Council will use the cumulative email petition in our advocacy for Intercountry Adoption
Sample Statement
Hello,
We are calling/writing on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. We, as your constituents, are asking that the Senator/Congressperson add their signature to two letters. First, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute sponsored letter to Guatemalan President Oscar Berger. Second, the Joint Council on International Children’s Services sponsored letter to UNICEF.
As you may be aware, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there will be no ‘grandfathering’ of adoptions already in process. If children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. Your office must get involved and sign the sponsored letters to the President of Guatemala and UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
Sincerely,
One single email/letter/fax/call can help the cause. I am not a huge activist but the thoughts of Emma not being able to come to our family is unbearable. Not just for our family but for her Emma. I can not even allow myself to think about her being removed from her first family January 1, 2008 if she isn't home. The Guatemalan government could mandate all foster families to relinquish the children they are caring for to put in government hogars. The thought is too heartbreaking for everyone--foster families who loves these children like their own, adopting parents who love these children more than words can describe and the beautiful innocent children of Guatemala who have already started life under difficult circumstances--being separated from their birth mother, living with their first family, and then being united with their forever family.
Please do what you can to help Emma come home.
*********************************************************************
GUATEMALA 5000
Dear Friends,
Guatemalan President Oscar Berger has announced plans to suspend all intercountry adoption with American families on January 1 2008. The Joint Council on International Children’s Services strongly opposes such a suspension and asks for your support in their efforts to ensure that all children retain the right to permanency through Intercountry Adoption.
President Berger’s plans also call for the suspension of adoptions currently in-process. Such a suspension would be extremely detrimental to the children referred to adoptive parents. If President Berger’s plan is actually implemented, up to 5,000 will unnecessarily remain in foster care or orphanages indefinitely.
This situation represents a pending crisis for the adoptive families who have lovingly chosen to provide permanency, safety and love to a child in need and most importantly a crisis for 5,000 children of Guatemala.
What can you do? Make six simple phone calls and one email.
1. Call your U.S. Senator.
You can find your Senators’ phone numbers at www.senate.gov
Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
2.Call your second U.S. Senator.
3.Call your representative to the U.S. House of Representative.
You can find your representative at www.house.gov
Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
4.Call or fax UNICEF Headquarter
Ask to speak with Ann Veneman, Executive Director
Their number is 212-326-7000
Their fax number is 212-326-7758
5.Call or fax UNICEF Guatemala
Ask to speak with Manuel Manrique
Their number is 011-502-2327-6373
Their fax number is 011-502-2327.6366
*Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
6.Send and email supporting Intercountry Adoption to guatemala5000@jcics.org
Write briefly or at length
Joint Council will use the cumulative email petition in our advocacy for Intercountry Adoption
Sample Statement
Hello,
We are calling/writing on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. We, as your constituents, are asking that the Senator/Congressperson add their signature to two letters. First, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute sponsored letter to Guatemalan President Oscar Berger. Second, the Joint Council on International Children’s Services sponsored letter to UNICEF.
As you may be aware, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there will be no ‘grandfathering’ of adoptions already in process. If children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. Your office must get involved and sign the sponsored letters to the President of Guatemala and UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
Sincerely,
One single email/letter/fax/call can help the cause. I am not a huge activist but the thoughts of Emma not being able to come to our family is unbearable. Not just for our family but for her Emma. I can not even allow myself to think about her being removed from her first family January 1, 2008 if she isn't home. The Guatemalan government could mandate all foster families to relinquish the children they are caring for to put in government hogars. The thought is too heartbreaking for everyone--foster families who loves these children like their own, adopting parents who love these children more than words can describe and the beautiful innocent children of Guatemala who have already started life under difficult circumstances--being separated from their birth mother, living with their first family, and then being united with their forever family.
Please do what you can to help Emma come home.
Fashion Show part TWO
She is such a doll that I cannot help but dress her up! She really had a great day today. We couldn't ask for a happier, healthier baby girl! She is a dream. More pictures from this evening.
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