Levi Douglas Bradley: Come on pink!!

Our Adoption Story

Levi was born on April 21, 2007 in Chinautla, Guatemala, a small town known for pottery. He weighed 6.7 pounds and was 19.7 inches long. He was in private foster care in Guatemala City where he lived for 10 1/2 months with his foster mom, her son and daughter and Isaac, his foster brother. Throughout our difficult adoption journey, Isaac's mom, Nancy and I became very good friends. God placed our boys together and had the perfect plan in place long before we ever realized it. When I was undecided on an adoption agency, I joined an online forum where Nancy provided me with information about her agency and recommended them to us. We decided to sign with the same agency and I emailed Nancy back to let her know. Over a few months we emailed back and forth to learn we were both from TN and lived only 30 minutes apart... we thought wow, it's a small world. Little did we know a few months later we'd both get referrals, earlier than we expected, of 2 beautiful Guatemalan angels. When they turned 2 months old our agency called and decided it was time to tell us that they were in the same foster home together and had been since they were 1 day old. We were amazed they were together. Even more so, God amazed us once again when we learned shortly after that they were born on the same day and were from the same town... no longer a coincidence that was for sure. We were being told by the foster mom how attached they were and acted like brothers. But, Nancy and I got the chance in January '08 to go to visit them and see it for ourselves. It was an amazing time of bonding with our boys that we will never forget. After that trip it seemed when one of us would reach a roadblock in the crazy process of international adoption the other would be delayed with something else. We stayed right together until the very day we picked them both up. We had our US Embassy appts the same day and we flew home through Atlanta on the same flight on March 11, 2008 when they both entered the US as citizens! It was an awesome time for us in the Atlanta Airport when we rec'd the congrats they were official! We've made friends for life with Nancy, Eric, and with Isaac's extended families. We look forward to many years of watching them both grow up so close together. Over the past year, as we went through battle after battle to bring our boys home, Nancy and I both would never think of one without the other in our endless prayers to keep them safe, happy and healthy until they could be home with their forever families. We're finally parents and it's what we've both waited for, for so many years.. our families are finally complete!!!

Friday, February 15, 2008

Come on pink!!

Hey, wanted to post an update that our 2nd DNA results was just delivered by Fedex to the US Embassy a few hours ago. Nancy's was too and a few others from our yahoo adoption forum. We're bound to have our appts at the same time with at least some of them. Anyway, we're now going to be hovering over Steve's laptop awaiting our travel date. Typically, you get your appt for pick up emailed to you the day after your results arrive. However, today is Friday so, they're of course like any other government office not there on Saturdays. AND, Monday is a holiday... President's Day. So, they will not be back in the office until Tuesday. Nancy and I are still hopeful and praying that they have mercy on us and give everyone an appt before they leave today knowing they ahve a 3 day weekend ahead. That is probably nothing but wishful thinking but, stranger things have happened. Will for sure post as soon as I get the travel date and know when to book our flight. Do pray that the funds come through for that because these last fees we sent wiped up out. We have been checking on flights since the DNA was done to see what kind of prices are out there right now and they literally doubled since the first of the week. I am not sure if that is because of Spring Break coming up or what but, we're hoping and praying to get some good rates when we book. God didn't bring us this far through all of this for us not to have the money to go get him that is for sure. Blessings- Tracy (aka Levi's mommy)