Most of last year was a blur, with paperwork and legal obligations keeping us busy at every turn. We made two trips to Guatemala in November of last year and finally came home on December 2, 2004 with our beautiful Anna (the day she turned 3 months old).

This has been a glorious year for our family and we are so thankful for the gift that God and the people of Guatemala have given us--a gorgeous, intelligent, loving child to spend the rest of our lives with!! She truly is a ray of sunshine--her quick wit and bubbly, shining personality instantly attracts people to her wherever we go. Without sounding biased because I am her mother, i can honestly say that every moment away from her is a painful one and I am always anxious to hold her in my arms and see her wonderful smiling face again. We are constantly amazed at how quickly she adapts and learns new things and are looking forward to the many years of triumphs and sorrows that lay ahead of us as parents.

Johnnie and I endured years of doctor's visits, painful medical procedures and constant dissappointments but now realize that God had a different plan for us in life. We cannot imagine life without our Anna...nor can we remember what our life was like before she joined us and completed our family!!

To Margaret Cole and the entire EAC staff - I have intended to sit down and write a "thank you" to all of you so many times this year and yet have been unable to find the words to express how deeply grateful we are for your help throughout this entire process. You are responsible for making our dreams come true by helping to create a family for my husband and me. From the very first day that I called your office to receive an information packet through the moment that we stepped off of the plane in Kansas City with that precious baby to bring her home, I never once felt that a single thing was not completely under control and organized as much as possible.

Just being able to receive our daughter before the age of three months was amazing in itself. Those first few months at home with her were a completely unforgettable time of bonding and love and will fill me with the most wonderful memories always. I could go on forever about the details but will just say that we would have never imagined this going as smoothly and quickly as it did and we owe it all to you. My heart aches for the many families that we met in Guatemala that had no assistance from their agencies and were completely lost during their stay. All we had to do was concentrate on bonding with our daughter and enjoying the entire experience; you guys took care of everything else and we will be eternally grateful for that.

Specifically, Matthew, Tom, Lauren and Lisa - Thank you so much for your patience, guidance and understanding during the many phone calls that I made to you. You helped me to survive one of my most emotionally exhausting and exhilarating times of my life. For our trips to Guatemala, I cannot say enough about Rob, Tricia, Tori, Hector, Cynthia and Claudia. They were all so wonderful and helpful. They made sure that we never wanted for anything and that everything during our visit went smoothly and perfectly. We even had a "scare" in the middle of the night during our first visit with the baby and we went straight to the hospitality suite where Rob, Tricia, and Tori remained calm and located a doctor immediately, despite the fact that we had just awaken them from a deep sleep! After the doctor left, they even took the time to talk to us until we were comfortable and made sure that we had everything we needed before we went back to our room. I will remember their kindness and sensitivity forever.

From the meals together, to the trips to the store, teh market, and that unbelievably smooth trip to the embassy, Tori and Cynthia were the best!! They took the time to answer every question we had and explained everything to us in detail, never making us feel intrusive or irrational for questioning the things we did, no matter how personal. We learned many new things about Guatemala and the people there from these two. Since our return home I have talked to several couples about international adoption and I always tell them about all of the extra things, big and small, that we received by going through your agency. I would never recommend anyone else!!

Best wishes to all of you.
Forever yours,
Johnnie, Monica, & Anna Johnson

Editor's Note: Comments and opinions made in all stories may not reflect the current climate of adoptions in the foreign countries. While EAC does their best to maintain the highest level of care during your adoption, we cannot guarantee the exact experience.

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