We are thankful to be home!

He doesn't know yet that dogs pee on these

The day after getting home we headed to a new park nearby. Erick loves steering wheels!



There were still a few leaves left for us to play in :)




Strolling around the neighborhood with Grandpa Glade after Thanksgiving dinner

It's GREAT to be together!!

I can't believe it's finally here. There is truly no place like home! We had such a nice welcome at the airport and it's seems like it's been a celebration ever since then. Even if it's just the three of us cuddled on the sofa reading books or watching cartoons, it's been a celebration.

Erick has jumped right in and hasn't seemed to have skipped a beat. He's met so many people at church, family at Thanksgiving, friends at work and holiday gatherings, and has given out hundreds of kisses and high-fives. We've decided he's going to be a politician.

Life at home has definitely been an adjustment for Pat and I both...still in a good way. Although I've been with Erick for the last 10 months, it's different having him in our house at my feet all day! I'm learning that it takes alot longer to accomplish any one thing around the house, much less several things. And I've started the clean-out process. I remember a few moms who fostered in Antigua returning to what seemed like a ridiculously jam-packed house. I'm feeling the same way. It's been hard to unpack suitcases of STUFF when all my closets and drawers are already packed with STUFF! So I'm going at it, hard core, these next few weeks. Our pastor always talks about the unhurried, simplified life. I want to get better at both of those.

I'll probably go back to work part-time in January. In order to take care of Erick, Pat and I have cut back on our schedule at work and will share a full-time schedule between us. It's really like him working full-time and me being home, but we'll each work part-time. On the days I work, Pat will be home with Erick, and vice versa. It's one of the fun things about sharing the same profession!

The Lord has blessed us tremendously with the experience of this whole adoption process and with little Erick. As long and hard of a journey as it has been, we wouldn't trade a second of it for having our own child. It's made our marraige even stronger and it's allowed us to share our story and struggles of infertility with other couples going through the same. We've learned so much about the joys of domestic and international adoption and will be huge proponents of adoption. Not to mention, we have one of the cutest darn little boys ever! Much cuter than the two of us could have produced :) Do I sound like a proud parent?

Several years ago I learned Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." We started trying to get pregnant in 2000 and just assumed our little "desire" would come quickly. God had a different path for us, but he kept his promise. He didn't answer our request for a family at the snap of our fingers, but asked us to be patient and faithful. Isaiah 55:8,9 talks about how God's ways are so much different than our ways. "As high as the heavens are from the earth, so are My ways higher than yours," says the Lord. Time after time we have personally seen Him deliver in our lives and the lives of friends and family. He has taken us on an amazing journey. We pray that He has been and will continue to be glorified through our lives and Erick's life.

As far as I know this is my last blog entry....at least for a long while. Thank you all who have followed our journey and have been supportive of us. Thank you for all of your prayers!! WE ARE HOME AND HAPPY!!!

Oh, and also...

.....we have had a few requests as to our flight info. We will be flying in on Continental(out of Houston) at 3:20. We would love to see anyone who would like to welcome Erick but completely understand as it is in the middle of a workday.

We're outta here!!

Aside from the runny nose and diaper shot, can you read the shirt? It says "I'm oouutta here!" Thought it was appropriate for today :)

This was the last time we'd have to skype daddy(last week)! It's great to have him here in real life and not on computer screen anymore!


Sorry we haven't posted updates this week(for those who are interested). Pat got here Sunday and we spent quality time with my mom before she left Tuesday. We had a great time together and celebrated her birthday at McDonald's...complete with a candle in the pancake breakfast. I was trying to post her birthday picture but the internet is extremely slow tonight and after an hour the pic still had not downloaded. Sorry mom. It was great to spend you birthday with you!

Then we had 36 hours of no electricity. Then we had to make two different trips to Guatemala City to the US Embassy and just today got our visa allowing us to go home! Nothing is expeditious in this country. We got everything done just in time as we are going to be able to fly out tomorrow!!!! We had booked our flights with some "buffer" and thank goodness we did.

It was VERY difficult saying goodbye to Maria(our babysitter) and Virginia(the house manager). They both loved our children very much and not only was it a sad farewell, but now Maria does not have a job. Jobs are hard to come by here. It was a real tear jerker.

It's getting late and we have to wake up at 3:30. Erick has been sick with a runny nose and has been a little cranky.

Thanks again and again for all of the prayers and support. We have a wonderful family, church family, friends, etc., etc. and feel VERY blessed to say the least!

SO, SEE YOU ALL VERY SOON!!!

God bless,

Lee Anne

Message from the Whitworth's

Hi all, this is Emily reporting for the Whitworth's! In true Guatemalan style, the electricity is down in the house in Antigua until tomorrow, so Pat called and asked me to post a note for them.

Lee Anne talked to the embassy today and they assured her they are still holding a spot for her on Wednesday. This means that the Whitworth family comes home on Friday!! Pat said Lee Anne is so excited she couldn't even take a nap today!

I know I am only one of many who are so excited to see them HOME! Personally, I can't wait to squish Erick's cheeks. Out of all of the boys in the house, he has the best cheeks!

I think we have pink???

Everyone talks about getting "pink." It's sad that I don't know what it exactly is, but I think it's a pink slip the embassy gives you at your final exit visa appointment. Or it's when they notify you of your appointment, something like that. Anyway, the embassy is reserving a visa appointment for us for next Wednesday, pending all of our paperwork being at the embassy today. And it was, although some just made it to the mailroom today and the embassy was actually closed. So, not really sure how that works, but I'm assuming we may be "PINK!" All of the adopting moms shriek at that word. I won't shriek quite yet.

It's good to be at this point, regardless of whether or not we make our flights on the 21st or not. The last few days were stressful, being told our paperwork wouldn't be there on time, or that we weren't going to get an appointment, etc. And most of the employees at the embassy speak in rapid Spanglish so conversations can be tough. So I've spent hours making calls to FedEx and the embassy trying to get things squared away. The big blessing is that my mom has been here this week and has given me great physical and moral support. She calmly set a coke on ice on my desk as I was having a fitful phone call with FedEx and several times I practically threw Erick at her as I dashed for the phone so as to not miss an important call. Moms truly are the best! Thanks, Mom! Not to mention, we've had some fun shopping.

Where I was going with that last paragraph is that the stress we often put ourselves through, usually just isn't worth the anguish. If we are here a few more days, it'll really be OK! That's that many more days of 80 degrees and sunny! It's good to be at the point of decisions being out of my hands. I've done what I can and the rest will be fine.

So...Pat gets here Sunday and that's the last time he'll have to leave Erick and me! It'll be a great week. Thank you, everyone, for your post, encouragement, and prayers. I can't wait to get home and hug everyone!

And then there was one....

The "other" Whitworths left us on Nov. 2

Angie & Milo headed back to London on Nov. 3

Emily & Samuel left for KC yesterday and are back home now :)

and now it's just ME!

but I have a passport that says Erick Whitworth and I'll be home soon, too!

Happy Halloween!

flying kites in Santiago on "Day of the Dead"

Gretchen & Ana, Emily & Samuel, Angie & Milo, Shane & Marilyn Whitworth, Beth & Rachel Ann, Amy Whitworth & Noah (in front), LA & Erick. On our way to see the kites.