Valle De Angeles, Honduras

Bob paying the bill downstairs. We ate upstairs on the balcony.

Lunch

On Saturday we visited a popular tourist town called Valle De Angeles. It is a small town about 30 minutes away through the mountains. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and 80 degrees, with a cool breeze. Tegucigalpa is experiencing Winter right now. Our driver indicated they have 2 seasons, Winter and Summer. There seems to be a pattern with Justin getting sick as we travel up a mountain. The roads are very windy and curvy with the brakes being put to full use. Pulperia's, dogs, locals selling corn, bicycles, people walking, etc. are all part of the scenery so there is enough to keep all of us entertained on the drive. When we told Justin it is "The city of Justin" he smiled. The first stop was lunch since it was about 3pm. We ordered a "family plan" which consisted of a plate of meat (beef, pork, and chicken) with rice, refried red beans, and tortillas as the sides. It was really delicious. I will have to learn how to make the red beans like the Hondurans because our little one sure looks them ALOT! After lunch we strolled the streets peering into the shops of local pottery, woodwork, and jewelry. If I had more room in my suitcase I would love to bring back some of their woodwork. It was so nice to be out of the big city, where we could stroll the streets and take in a different part of Honduras.

I-600 submitted (Sept 23)

After the passport office on Thursday, the 22nd, we left and went to KFC to eat lunch and so the kids could burn off some energy. While we were there we called the US Embassy to see when we could submit our I-600. We were told that they accept them only on Mondays from 9-11 a.m. but since adoptions are a big priority we were asked if we could come in right then. We didn't have our papers with us. They were with Marta and I think copies still had to be made. So we made an appointment for the next day, Friday at 12:30.

We met Marta, our lawyer, here at the hotel Friday morning (23rd) and were given the necessary papers and copies. After taking a picture with Marta, we said our goodbyes because that is probably the last time we would see her. We are finished with the Honduran side of things. She did say she would meet us at the airport immigration office whenever we were going back to the U.S., but our Buckner employee said that it was not necessary and that we would be alright.

We went to McDonalds for about 30 minutes then went to the U.S. Embassy. We parked in a gravel driveway across the street and the gentleman told us there were no appointments today at the embassy. Our driver told them that we definitely had an appointment because we are a couple from the United States and we are here because of an adoption so the kind man let us park.
Crossing the streets here in Honduras was actually really funny. Since there were 3 adults and 3 kids, we paired up, 1 adult to 1 kid, waited for a break in the traffic and ran for it. Hondurans are not known to give way to pedestrians. Inside we left all our electronics (cameras, cell phones, chargers, etc) at security and then we left the foyer and went inside to a lady waiting for us at a window. There she asked for each document one by one and their copies. For some reason we only had 1 copy and the original birth certificate but she needed 2. All of our hearts skipped a beat. I think she could sense the concern on our faces so she replied that it was ok, we would just have to pay for the extra copy of the birth certificate. Whew! All the other needed originals and copies were there. The only other important note was his visa picture not being big enough. She saw some 4x6 pictures in the front sleeve of my binder and said she would accept one of those pictures even though there were more people in the picture, but Justin was not in any of the photos! But thankfully she accepted our 3x3 picture. I was so thankful. She asked us for our phone number so she could call us when our I-600 is accepted. She did state that it could take 1 week-4 weeks, but i really hope they call us early next week. The U.S. Embassy process only took approximately 25 minutes. Crossing the street one more time, Madeline and Illeana screamed and ran. I don't think they were waiting for us :)

P.S.  One thing that I did not know (but Marta knew and took care of all our papers and copies) is that you have to submit the newspaper and the translation of the "ad" of you adopting your child. It lists your full name along with your child's name and that an adoption is taking place. I asked our translator why do they put your adoption in the paper and she said just in case someone were to come forward to claim the child. Fun fact I had no clue about. Surprises are around every corner with this crazy adoption.

P.S.S. The day before we had taken his visa picture at Cascadas Mall. There was a photo shop right outside the entrance, by Wal-mart. You enter Wal-mart inside the mall. We asked for pictures for a visa and they took Justin picture. After shopping in Wal-mart for groceries we returned 30 minutes later and were handed (4) 3x3 pictures for $7.00. We did not even notice that the pictures were too small. Apparently they like at least a 4x6 size.

In the our hotel lobby 

Cascadas Mall and Wal-mart

Birth Certificate and Passport (Sept 22)

After landing back in Tegucigalpa

Passport Office

He also had his picture taken for the passport.

We waited in the small line of empty chairs upfront along the half, white wall.  

Wednesday after we landed in Tegucigalpa, our translator called to tell us that our lawyer would be picking up the birth certificate Thursday morning, the 22nd, and that we would be able to get the passport also. Little did we know what was waiting for us here back "home". Wed around lunch we were in Roatan being told that our connecting flight to Tegucigalpa was cancelled. We had checked out of our hotel, and returned the rental car in hopes of coming back. As Bob was returning the car everyone was eager to help me with our 3 suitcases and 3 kids standing there. One man took me, the kids, and our suitcases to the bus line. I managed to get us to the Taca Airlines counter where a lady in Spanish told me of the cancellation. I had no clue what she was saying so she brought over an English speaker. When Bob arrived in the terminal the same lady, who spoke only Spanish remember, told Bob in ENGLISH that our flight was cancelled and they would put us up for the night and the flight would leave Thursday around 1 pm. She could not give us an exact time and scratched his cell phone number on a 3x3 piece of paper. I was so irritated at this point all I could do was fake smile at this english speaker/Honduran in hopes that she would call us. Well I only envisioned the worst happening so we bought 1 way, direct flight tickets on CM airlines back to Tegucigalpa. They only had 4 seats left and my husband asked if the little one could ride on our lap. His size worked in our favor because after the CM employee looked Justin up and down he declared him small enough for our lap. They only charged us $50.00 for him, made up a price for the rest of us and we were on our way. So glad we chose to make this decision because the birth certificate and passport wouldn't of happened on Thursday.

We met Marta, our lawyer, at the passport office at 10:45 a.m. In the waiting room there were around 50 people waiting in chairs and another line of chairs for the elderly, expectant mothers, and families with small children. Luckily we qualified for the much shorter line. Our total time in the passport office was 45 minutes. After a guard summoned us we followed him back to a cubby in the corner where a lady told our lawyer she wasn't sure how to process Justin's passport because she had never filed adoption papers for a passport before. Our lawyer showed her which papers to enter and then in 10 minutes we were finished. We were told to return in 90 minutes so we went to KFC for lunch. Ninety minutes later passport in hand we were ecstatic! Onto the U.S. Embassy on Friday!!!!!!!!!!

Roatan

We were so fortunate to have the time to visit Roatan while waiting for paperwork. Friday, Sept 9th our entire family flew to Roatan on Toca Airlines. We were getting the run around all week on when we would actually sign our adoption decree. Our plan was just to leave and fly back whenever they were ready. Finally on Thursday, Sept 8th they set a date for Monday, Sept 12th to sign the decree. Luckily for us my younger brother and sister-in-law decided that they wanted to visit us there so a month prior they set a date to meet us in Roatan (much guessing of dates when into this plan but it worked out perfectly). We landed in Roatan the 9th, they came the 10th, we flew to Tegucigalpa, the 11th, signed the adoption decree  on the 12th, flew back to Roatan the 13th, and then flew "home" to Tegucigalpa yesterday, the 21st. Our oldest 2 stayed with Uncle R and Aunt S while the 3 of us flew to Tegucigalpa. It was so nice to see family and experience life with them in such a beautiful place. Especially at a crazy time like this.

It was heavenly and almost felt like a vacation. Infinity Bay had the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. White, sandy beach with clear water. Perfect for snorkeling. Four of us enjoyed it, and the youngest snorkeled, but on the beach. Every day we enjoyed swimming in the ocean or the pool, and explored the island. We went swimming with the dolphins at a marine biology park, and visited an iguana farm. The island is very expensive with prices being comparable to a U.S. resort. The grocery store was a bit more pricier than the U.S. but they did have Coffee-mate vanilla liquid creamer, which was a treat on this trip. I did "cook" with dinner consisting of pancakes, grilled cheese, or peanut butter/jelly sandwiches. Ok and a night of cereal, but no one complained and neither did I :)

For 4 of the days we stayed in a home on Brick Bay. The home was on a hill overlooking the Bay. The water was not conducive to swimming because of the trash that had accumulated there, but it was a nice break to play outside with Leo, the kitten, or look for mini-crabs. One night after the kids climbed in bed we were about to say our prayers when all of a sudden the fans stopped, the AC in the room turned off and the lights went out. We were in total darkness and silence. Immediately it started to thunder, and rain. A lot of crazy thoughts went swirling about my head. Our lives are about to end, we are gonna be robbed, who will even know? We were in the middle of nowhere by ourselves. Bob tried the caretakers phone and couldn't get a signal. It was a scene out of horror movie for sure. After about 5 minutes of freaking out together, silently of course. We just tried to lay they and not think about the sweat that was starting to accumulate on our brow. Forty-five minutes later all was well. We were not going to be robbed, we were not going to sweat to death. We would be alright.

Justin will be swimming in no time. He loved the water. Brett said, "Mom, this is really,  really cool" as he was snorkeling for the first time. Madeline just took it all in and loved everything new and Bob and I said this place could be romantic. Maybe we will go back just the two of us.

playing in the ocean for the first time

                                              

Uncle R styled the boys' hair before walking to dinner.

                                      

A wild monkey was chained up on the property so we felt sorry for him and gave him a mango from the tree.

                        

Maddie caught a crab on the beach

Family Update

Twenty four days into being a family of 5 and it is starting to feel a little bit more "normal". My patience is being exercised more than ever with all three of my kids. The last 3 nights at bedtime our oldest cries telling me that she wants to go back to being a family of 4. Brett and Justin still don't understand each other. I always thought that "play" would bring the boys together, but in our case it doesn't seem to be true. Brett is frustrated with Justin because his first instinct is to be aggressive at play. Brett says he doesn't know how to talk to him. The list goes on. As for me I often have to remind myself of what used to be his circumstances just 3 weeks ago. He has a lot more adjustments for sure, but he has made incredible strides in such a short amount of time. I never thought he would come along so quickly. At first there were minor food issues, grabbing toys, food, etc. out of ones hands, fits of anger, running away, not wanting help with his shower or in the restroom, but now that is 99% gone. It seems like what we deal with more now are "normal" kid behavior with all 3 of them. At first I felt like we were correcting and guiding him more, but now it seems like all 3 of them are on an even playing field. Our day used to consist of waking up at 5:30 a.m. and Bob and I wondering how we were going to pass the day, but now we feel like we don't have to jump from one 10 min activity to another to keep the kids occupied. It almost feels "normal". Our trip home is in the near future (I think) and I really cannot wait to see the good it will bring to all of us.

Random Things To Do in Tegucigalpa

Thank you to Illeana (a Honduran native, Buckner employee) for helping us discover ways to pass our time and have fun as a family. We went bowling- Our older two kids had fun, but Justin thought he could bowl on any lane and really was not into waiting his turn. I think it might be a while before I try this outing alone. Swimming - Illeana's son belongs to The Country Club in Tegucigalpa so he went with us on a Friday to get us in on his "guest pass". They have a kiddie pool, olympic sized pool, and a playground. It was so nice to be able to play outside and swim. I was most excited to see Justin in his new Spiderman swimsuit. We ordered lunch poolside and stayed for 5 hours. It was heavenly. The older two kids swam while Justin monkey climbed the sides of the bigger pool. He seemed to really like it.  Arcade games and rides - on the top floor of the mall, (not one we had been to before and probably won't go to unless its for the games and rides) there was an open-air arcade game center with games, rides, and bumper boats. It was 17.00 for all 3 to have an 2 or 3 hour pass to unlimited games/rides. Maddie wanted to try every game, Brett followed her, and Justin wanted to play the drums over and over and over. He gave the drumsticks a work out. It was funny to see. Of course like everything the kids have experienced on this trip, they want to go back to every place and every restaurant. (and the Chiminike Museum. pictures in earlier post)

It's Official - Finally! (Sept 12)

L to R - General Secretary, the notary, us, Marta - our lawyer. 

Bob signing the decree

adding our fingerprint after our signatures

Today we signed our adoption decree two weeks to the day since we first arrived. Our appointment was set for 1 pm, but we were delayed until 3:45. It lasted about 45 minutes. She read the decree and then we signed and fingerprinted the papers. We arrived Tegucigalpa on Monday, August 29th. Judge signed the papers, Friday, Sept 2nd, and now its Monday, Sept 12th. We were close to signing last Wednesday, but then the excuses came and we were basically getting the run around as to when we would actually sign.  It was very frustrating to say the least, but I knew our turn would come and I am so glad to finally be able to say "ITS OFFICIAL". We can now start on the rest of the paperwork. Birth Certificate will be filed tomorrow (up to 3 weeks, not likely though), then Honduran passport (1 day),  I600, and then the Visa (1day-3 weeks). I would like to say we will be home in 2 weeks, but it is a waiting game at every step. For now I will enjoy this moment.

Fast Food, Bleh!

Pizza Hut

KFC

KFC - the kids made some sweet friends while playing.  

Santa Lucia Resort/Restaurant

Santa Lucia Resort

Las Tejitas

Breakfast and dinner are always at the hotel/room. But for the past 2 weeks we have eaten fast food for lunch. I think all my kids are enjoying it because we actually go inside to play rather than going through the drive-thru. The fast food playlands are very popular here. The plan amongst the kids is to find the best playland. We have visited McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Pollo Campero, Burger King, and KFC. So far KFC is going to be hard to beat. It is a 3 story playland with a small soccer area at the top. DFW friends, just think of Going Bonkers, but maybe 1/4 of it. We spend an average of 2 -3 hrs eating lunch to kill some time away from the hotel. The kids actually enjoy it. Why am I surprised? Of course we have visited some local Honduran restaurants, such as Tacontento, Las Tejitas, or Santa Lucia Resort. Our best meal so far was at Las Tejitas. It was an open air restaurant with a playground. The teeter totter was a hit. Every time we leave a place the kids say, "We HAVE to come back"!