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Celebrating Adoptions Family Photos
Last night we had a family photo shoot. It turns out there is a group out there called Celebrating Adoption that helps adoptive families get a free photoshoot and pictures from a professional photographer within the first year that the child is home. Its really a great program and the photographer we connected with was awesome. Angela Pursell did a great job interacting with the kids and taking some amazing shots. She has posted a few …
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An Adoption Sermon
Intro: Below is the sermon manuscript that I preached on August 10, 2007 after my wife and I and our new son Mason got home from Guatemala. I meant to post this a long time ago, but I had to make a few edits. I didn’t really make all the edits and I am fairly sure that what I actually said is different from what I wrote here but the general idea is here (I never follow my …
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Guatemala Adoptions in Trouble…
Most of you know, we have recently adopted our son from Guatemala. It was an amazing experience. We are excited to have our son home. Unless you have adopted, you can’t even imagine what its like.
While we were down in Guatemala we met many families who were still in the process and were only visiting their children. They were still waiting for the process to finish so they bring them home. I can’t imagine how hard …
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Guatemala Adoption Process Questions
Since our family finalized our adoption and brought our adorable son Mason Carlos home from Guatemala we’ve obviously received a ton of questions about the process.
The first thing people usually ask is: “How long did it take? ”
The answer there is: A LONG TIME! We started the process in January of 2006 and Mason came home to Philadelphia in August 2007. We had a number of stalls and a ton of waiting for it … -
A Special Future & Redefining Greatness for our Children
Tonight, my parents hosted a little get together for all of their friends (many were friends who have known me since I was just a little weasel) to come and welcome Mason into our family. It really was a neat time and we were excited to have so many people be so excited about this kid.
One of the things that I often hear now is the statement that “God must have such a special plan for Mason.” This …
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In Chicago This Weekend
Melanie, the two boys and I are headed to Chicago this weekend to introduce Mason to our family and friends back there. I grew up in Chicago and my two brothers and their families all live in the area still. It is always great to be in Chicago (if for nothing else than the food!) and it will be even better for my family to meet Mason.
My parents are throwing a welcome home party on Friday night so …
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Adoption Trip #15 - Cole, Meet your little brother
So, we got home last night after a long 12 hour day of travel. But, it was way worth the trip! It was awesome to see Cole again. Its funny, after you have been holding a child who weighs just 14 pounds, you realize just how big your four year old really is!
We’re settling in here as best we can. I am taking the next day or so off and trying to get a play room set …
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Adoption Update #14 - In Dallas
We are officially in the good old US of A. We got through immigration with no problems and we’re sitting in the D concourse at Dallas / Ft. Worth waiting for our flight to Philadelphia.
Since I had been sick on Tuesday, I hadn’t eaten anything at all. Mostly because i was scared to… It seems strange to say this, but I can’t tell you how excited it was to see a McDonald’s!
Well, we’re almost home…
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Adoption Trip #13 - Headed Home…
So, sorry for the lack of updates that last two days. I’ve been laying in bed since Monday night at 8:30 with some kind of food poisoning.  I threw up four times Tuesday. Yeah, that was a good time.  But, I think I finally have it out of me so I should be good for the ride home.
Our flight leaves Guatemala City at 8:40am and then after we fly through Dallas and then make our way to Philadelphia. Hopefully we …
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Adoption Trip #12 - Embassy Appointment Is Done
So this morning we woke up at 5:00 am and headed down for an early breakfast. After that we found our ride to the US Embassy to get approval for Mason’s Visa (no, not the credit card - the document he needs to be able to travel back to the US).
So, long story short, the Embassy was easy. Went through security. Waited. Went into door number 10. Answered three quesitons or so. Waited. Went …
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Adoption Trip #11 - Write Mason a Note!
So, I was thinking, here I am writing all these letters to Mason and I know that there are a bunch of people reading this blog who are so very excited about him being part of our family lives.
So, I wanted to invite you to write something to him as well.
Just click the “comments” link under the title of this post and then write Mason a message that way.
I know you want to, and I know that he’d appreciate it …
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Adoption Trip #10 - Dear Mason #4
Dear Mason,
So, today is the third full day we have known you. It still doesn’t seem real. When I look at you I can’t believe you are with us and we are here and that we don’t have to give you back. So many of the other families are down here to visit their children. Then they have to leave and wait till the adoption is done to be able to bring them home. …
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Adoption Trip #9 - Pictures…
We hung out at the pool for a while today and then its started to rain so we headed inside. Right now we’re meeting the many new couples that are coming for the week.
More updates later. But click on this picture to the left, or one of the ones at the top right, to view some more shots from today.
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Adoption Trip #8 - Dear Mason #3
Dear Mason,
Hey there buddy. I figured I would put a little picture of you in this note. Its always helpful to see what you looked like when you were a kid. So here you are.
This is actually one of the rare images we have of you not sleeping! Like I wrote yesterday in the last note to you, you’ve been a little sick. We think that’s why you have been sleeping so much….
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Adoption Trip #5: A Quick Update.
So, a quick update. We met Mason this morning around 9:50 am (mountain time) and we’re spending the day sitting around the pool. He’s been sleeping in the stroller for about an hour now and I just came up to get a good book (Embracing Grace by Scot McKnight - seems fitting).
More later, but this morning was acutaully one of the hardest things we have ever done before. Amazing. Wonderful…and hard.
No time to blog though…
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Adoption Trip #1: And We’re Off!
The trip has begun. Melanie and I will be on the road in 15 minutes (10:00 am Eastern Time).
Hopefully we’ll find some internet access along the way or when we get there and update you on things…
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Guatemala Adoption Schedule
So, in less than 48 hours we are going to be holding our new son. (In case you are new around here, my wife and I are adopting a son from Guatemala). We started this process in January, 2006. So, as I am sure you can imagine we’re just a tad excited. Truth be told though, I have barely been able to process the idea in my brain let alone my heart. I am not too …
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Guatemala, Here We Come!
So, I’ve pretty much gotten no work done today what-so-ever. That’s because I’ve been fighting the annoying service known as Feedblitz which we USED to use for our weekly updates at The Well. But, since their service stinks, we’re now trying out listbox.com for sending out updates. We’ll see how that goes…
Oh, the other reason that I have gotten nothing done today is because I’ve been trying to find …
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Processing Loss…and blessing…
It is painful to share, but my wife Melanie had a miscarriage early Monday morning. She is physically doing alright and will have some minor surgery on Tuesday morning.
I was just observing yesterday with a friend how our family has gone through a roller coaster of emotions with the news that our son Mason is almost ready to come home from Guatemala in addition to recently finding out we’re pregnant.
Little did I know that this roller coaster was far from …
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Our Adoption is D-O-N-E!
Yep, that’s right. Its been a crazy two weeks around the Hiestand house. First comes news of another new baby and Friday night we heard from our adoption agency that we are officially done with the final part of the adoption process. (Actually, the papers were signed off on May 11 and they sat on a desk till yesterday to officially signed off on - sigh).
Anyways…since we are out of PGN (that’s what they call the last process) we are …