They had an awful ordeal getting the daughter from Mexico out of the country -- talk about red tape and corruptness in the system . . .
Yes. Mexico is nearly impossible. We had $900 in the bank when we started and the $10000 we ended up spending just miraculously appeared (long story there). It took 14 months and 14 trips to Northern Baja to adopt Brenda. It was worth every step and every mile and every hoop we went through, but we never considered attempting a second Mexico adoption. > I have this hang-up about the earth being over-populated and not wanting to add to it. This is exactly why we began to adopt. There are already huge numbers of children on the planet who need parents. > > By the way -- what's your secret to escaping to ride? Do you have > someone that comes in and helps you during the week? Even before we adopted, I paid a neighbor girl to come in and sit with the young kids for a couple of hourse so that I could ride. Of course, now our child care needs are at a different level. It helps that Bruce is retired, but even he needs to be away from the house sometimes. We have an absolutely outstanding young woman who comes in two days a week to be with Brenda while I ride. It makes a huge difference that all of the other three are in school. Bruce takes the other days. Just in the last two years, we've put together the dream team. Christina and a second young woman plus Christina's brother who come in for one weekend a month during the endurance season. Nate takes care of the anumals and the girls double team the kids. This worked very well until late last summer. We arrived home from a ride on Sunday evening and Ron had to be flown to Portland on Monday afternoon for an emergency shunt revision. Usually once fixed, the shunt is safe for years. So, we went to a ride at the end of Augst, arrived home Sunday night and Ron had to be flown to Portland for a second surgery on Tuesday. That really shook our confidence in the safety leaving, so the next ride, Bruce stayed home. I still haven't sorted out whether this is the Lord telling me not to leave or the Lord telling me He can handle things in our absence. Anyway, God bless you for giving daughters loving parents and the benefit of being raised in the States. You are in for a very fulfilling life. Advice from a long-time mom: make sure it is a balaced one. Go ride. Nancy
