The Hoods

Nov. 1993 - Sue and I begin dating

July 1996 - Sue and I get married

March 2010 - Our family grows by 1

Didn't get much sleep on Wednesday night. Too excited about the events of the upcoming day (Thursday). Yes the adoption was made official the day before, but on Thursday it would feel official. She would be in our care. We picked her up at her host mom's house about noon and the journey had begun.
Let me just stop there and say Kathy (host mom) and the rest of her family have been very gracious. They have allowed these complete strangers into their home multiple times and for long stretches of time. They have been great about allowing us to have alone time with Ella and Kathy has been great helping us learn Ella's schedule. THANKS!!
After picking Ella up, we didn't have any grand plans. We just wanted to be together. We ate lunch and then came back to our temporary home at the Residence Inn. One concern was nap time. How would she adjust to sleeping in a new space. With some familiar blankets and her good friend the stuffed hippo. She fell asleep after a little crying.
In the evening we took her to the mall. 1)we needed to eat 2)we thought she would enjoy the play area 3)Sue wanted to see if Ella enjoyed shopping as much as she did.
Well all three were accomplished and Sue was happy with the results of #3 (I was not).
As I said yesterday, Sue and I were stuck in limbo with El Salvador for over 2 years. During that time we always felt nobody at our old agency cared about us (EX. the mother's day card they sent Sue last year). LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AGO our good friends, the McClintocks, put us in contact with a lady (and her agency) that was looking for a home for Ella. In the first 8 days of trying to adopt Ella, Karen Nissly (new adoption agent) called us more than our old agency did in 3.5 years!!! In the last 7 weeks a ton of hurdles have come up with Ella's adoption. Karen never flinched and just kept fighting (for Ella and the Hoods). Sue and I kept remarking, "this is what it feels like to have an advocate". THANKS KAREN!!! (and Graceful Adoptions).
I know, long post but now its over.