[carterj6]

Do any of you who went through the Hague remember this time last year? I am sure you do remember as vividly as I do. I looked back in my adoption journal and it was Sept 12 (I believe) that the Hague being unconstitutional was published in the paper. (last year) I can remember how down in the dumps I felt one year ago today. It truly felt like Elia was NEVER coming home!!! My mom and I were talking about it tonight. It is just amazing that she is here now after everything we went through. Anyway, I was just taking a trip down memory lane and counting my many blessings!!!! Jenny

[Shoshana]

I remember. And this time last year I had been waiting 9 months for a referral and had completed a dossier for Russia. Then **the call** came on 9/19 and I accepted the referral. I'll never forget. How much can change in a year is truly amazing!

[szumbiel]

I am right there with you! This was such a roller coaster of a few months last year and now Marty is tucked away in his bed like this has been home forever. I honestly don't know how we all made it through! I know I about lost my mind at times. Without the support of the forum and other adopting families, I think I would have just fallen apart at the seams.

I was in Guatemala when the Hague was overturned last August. From that time on, I had faith that our little guy was coming home, I just worried it might be for his high school graduation!

What a time we all went through. To all of the people who lended support and were not sufficiently thanked in the craziness of it all, thank you now!!!

[DKIM]

I've been reliving last summer each month and each stage, and every time I just pinch myself. It's hard to believe that we almost lost our baby girl (our POA was one that wasn't registered until July after the supposed cut off date) and now she's here happy and thriving and a Forever Member of our family.

We accepted Maggie's referral about 3 weeks before they stopped giving them, and took our attorney until October 17th to get our DNA Authorization from our Embassy. There are days where that still irks me and I know it shouldn't. We are so blessed and so thankful to have our sweet angel home!!

In some ways last summer seems like yesterday and others it seems like a lifetime ago.

We know that we only made it through with the prayers and support of our family, friends and our cyber family!! If you still out there we too thank you for all of the support along the way.

[snshaner]

Hi Jenny - I was thinking of this the other day - of where a lot of us were at this time last year and the frustration that we all felt. It is truly amazing that our children are home now because there was a time when we thought it would never happen.

Abigail has now been home for 4 months now and we feel blessed that she is tucked in her bed sleeping down the hall.

Some folks say that once your little one is in your arms - that all that we went through is forgotten - altho I would say that that is not entirely true - I would say that it does get a little better with time.

One very happy and blessed momma!

[Kimberj71]

I remember last summer too. We were completely paper ready and just a few weeks away from a referral when the referrals stopped. I'll never forget our agency emailing and telling us that they would help us switch countries if we wanted to.....what an awful day that was. We were so drawn to Guatemala from the very start and we so much wanted another child. Fortunately, we decided to wait it out....not knowing if we'd ever be allowed to adopt a child from Guatemala.

And here we are, one year later...and we have been blessed with not one, but TWO Guatemalan angels.

I will never forget the moment we heard the court's ruling. I was at the dentist's office and came home to find a note that Susana Luarca had sent to the big list taped to the door. I just stood there in disbelief and then utter joy....I KNEW we'd eventually adopt from Guatmala and that all would turn out right.

Thank God, that those days are over. I hope, though, that I never forget the agony we went through because that is what spurs me on to want to help keep adoptions going smoothly. It is now serving as a great source of motivation for me.

Kim

[Kate'sMom2B]

It seems so long ago, but yet the feelings it brings up are still so strong for me. The Hague...what loaded memories for so many of us. And the relief when the ruling was officially published, WOW. For our family there were many twists, turns, and tragedies-- and I know there are still some out there whose journey still continues after all this time.

So happy for all those who have their children home now. And for those who don't, I continue to pray for their strength and for the children who haven't yet made it to their forever homes yet.

[becky]

While I wasn't personally affected by the Hague as far as my adoption goes...it was certainly a difficult time to be a 'support person'. I had so many private messages last year from desperate families wanting to know if they should 'give up' or if they should 'accept a referral'...it was such a hard time for you all.

I have tremendous respect for all of you who waited it out with such patience (well maybe not so much patience some times)...and now for the most part you all have beautiful children in your families...and I'll bet you appreciate them more than you would have ever imagined!

[zkmgmom]

Oh, the summer of 2003. I too was just thinking of the Hague monster last night. We accepted our referral just 10 days before our agency stopped giving referrals. Our attorney was one of the first denied (on July 1) at the US Embassy from receiving our dna authorization. From July 1 until the publication of the cc ruling in the newspaper, we had no idea if we would be able to bring the baby home.
I remember my husband holding me in his arms as I sobbed and saying "this baby will become our son and we will wait for him however long it takes for all of this mess to clear up". Imagine our surprise when traveling the week before Christmas to bring him home!
In some ways the Hague is a distant memory, but in others just the mention of the word gives my heart a jolt. I am so thankful that our family decided to stare the Hague right in the face and dare it to mess with us! I can't imagine our little one not a part of our family. I'll quote my 10 year old daughter: "Mom, our life was boring before we brought Marco & Gustavo home!"

I am so happy that these phrases are no longer part of our daily lives:

*pre-March 5/post March 5
*Central Authority
*no more foster care
*Constitutional Court ruling

Ugh! How many of us were up frequently at 3 am on our computers because we could not sleep??? I am still up during the night, but it is because there is a precious little boy who has awoken and can't get back to sleep.

Aimee
blessed mama to 2 bio kids and 2 Guatemalan cuties

[Gingerella_68]

I surely remember. I was really down low too during that period, after one year of waiting... Those news came to me just later, I was not reading this board yet, I found out reading The Hague Website and could not believe it! But then we had some more struggles because my country closed (and is still closed) for adoptions from Guatemala. But God is above it all and a window opened for us and Elias came into our lives and we could not appreciate him more!!!

Thanks again to this board who gave me the push I needed at that time, I was one of those becky mentioned... posting PMs. And thanks to Kevin who definively inspired me!!

[csw]

Hi
I think it was a hard time for all of us..but esp. since we accepted our referral June 26th and did not know about the Hague..then when I was packed and had my plane ticket in hand and was at the airport with my son..getting ready to foster in Antigua for the "4 months" we were promised our adoption would take...I decided to call home and check our answering machine and there was a message that "we are not sure if you are ever going to get your daughter home"...needless to say we left the airport and went home crying...my son said he was never going to get a baby sister...then after 7 long weeks of not knowing if we could adopt Ana or not..the Hague was overturned and I was on the plane the next week to see her...
If I had not checked the messages I would have been on a plane with my son...I am still angry that our facilitator was not truthfull with us and was actually going to let me fly down there, take care of Ana..not knowing if we could ever adopt her...
We all made it through...though there we certainly alot of hard times...my dream of having a newborn and fostering was not realized, but I do count my blessings every day for our precious daughter...

[foxl]

As a post-Hague-delays adopter (though I happen to have had my own adoption waiting fiasco last summer ...), I appreciated hearing from you all -- it changes our perspective on our own, current waits! Things DO get better. And I am so happy for those of you who persisted.
Linda

[KevinK]

I've been working on a book about it and other adoption stuff for a few months now and it brought back many memories. What amazes me most now is to see that the whole fiasco didn't really last that long (real trauma was mostly July-Sept), but at the time it seemed like an eternity.

One thing that all of us Hague survivors can get a kick out of is to go back and read all of the Thursday Updates from Susana. They take on a new meaning now that it has all passed. The updates are still posted at www.guatadopt.com under "ADA Updates" for anyone who is interested...

Kevin

[Gabby's Mom]

We, too, were caught up in the Hague fiasco. It really hit me when we were at the beach in August. Last year, we were there when the Hague was overturned... and I knew that Gabby would somehow become our daughter!! This year at the beach in August, it was an indescribable feeling being there with my whole family---and seeing Gabby's delight in the beach!

It was definitely a crazy time---one I couldn't have made it through without the help of some dear friends who were also adopting, and the support of my forum buddies.

Maria
Mom to 4, including Gabriella from Guatemala

[Bonnee]

What a difference a year makes. I know that last year was the hardest year of my life - the wait went on forever. Our POA was registered on 3/6/03 - one day after the retroactive cutoff!!! It is amazing how the memories do begin to fade - our lives are all so busy taking care of these little ones.

I do know that I still look at Tia in awe just reaching out to touch her to be sure that she is real. I still get emotional at times over silly things. For example, football season is a huge deal here in the South, and I bought Tia the cutest little Auburn cheerleader outfit to wear on game days. I literally got choked up at the checkout counter b/c I was so grateful to have Tia home and be able to enjoy this time of year with her. Last year I was so sad that she was not with us and I wanted so badly to be able to buy that little outfit.

I just feel so blessed everyday!! It was so worth the wait and I would live through it all again in a hearbeat!!! (and I know that you all feel the exact same way!)