Thursday, September 27, 2007

The Good and the Not as Good

We have had a pretty typical day today. The usual - Juan doesn't like to listen (so he gets to sit on his bed or with Mama), Maicol whines about schoolwork (so he has to finish it or no computer), Andres has completely forgotten potty training (so diaper changes), and eggs, bananas and milk for breakfast. Maicol was very careful about where he rode his bike today. Juan was not, so he lost his big wheel for the day and then his car to push around and then the privilege of playing outside for awhile because he can't remember where he is supposed to play. We did go to McDonald's for dinner. They had to eat before they could play. No problem for the older ones, but for some reason Andres didn't want to finish his chicken nuggets. We told him he had to before playing, so he made a pouty face, closed his eyes and ate one. He can be just hilarious. He finally finished so he could play. Maicol of course was more interested in the computer games there, but did play in the playplace too.
We took Juan to get new shoes, but he didn't like what we had chosen and wouldn't try them on, so we didn't get him any shoes. He was not a happy camper. Hopefully next time he will be more cooperative. Andres didn't have an opinion on his, so that was easy.
Just so you don't think it's all bad:
1. Juan was very diligent about doing his schoolwork
2. Maicol is really improving in his bike riding
3. Andres thinks that Juan is hilarious when he acts silly and belly laughs with his antics
4. Maicol loves to play soccer and thinks his Papa is hilarious when he tries to play with him
5. Andres could push a car around the driveway and sidewalk for hours
6. Juan looks so cute with his baseball cap on
7. The cardboard diaper box has provided hours of entertainment
8. The black cat is letting Juan pet him. (actually I think he kind of cornered him in the "cat
house" so he didn't have much choice, but Juan was thrilled)
9. Maicol is using more English words without being prompted
10. Juan and Andres both want to help me with the dishes and laundry

Have a good Friday.

Karen

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Wednesday

I'm afraid there's nothing new and exciting to report. Maicol has been unhappy on and off because he can't ride his bicycle. He didn't listen to his Papa about where he could ride and so he lost the privilege for one day. Juan had the same problem and so couldn't ride his big wheel today. I made blueberry pancakes for breakfast and none of the boys would eat them - with or without syrup. They're crazy! They either want eggs or cereal and milk.
I went to my part-time job for awhile today. The software has changed since I was gone, so I needed to go and learn it. I also did a little shopping by myself. That has become an unusual thing suddenly. :)
We have a toddler bed and set it up in the boys room tonight for Andres. It's a little further away from Juan, so hopefully that will solve our bedtime problems. It took awhile, but he did finally go to sleep in it. Juan went to sleep almost instantly, so that took care of tonight.
We are going to our niece Christi's wedding and to introduce the boys to everyone this weekend. We're looking forward to it. Do you think it's possible to dress-up three little boys and keep them all clean and happy for about an hour? I sure hope so!
Have a good Thursday!

Karen

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

No, No, No

My sister called to check on me today, so I must have sounded like I had had a rough day yesterday. Not that she doesn't call just to talk to me too. :) Dan says I need a button to push that says "no, no, no". It would save me alot of effort. Sometimes I do feel like I say it alot. You know what it's like - "no, don't hit your brother in the head with the bucket", "no, don't touch my computer", "no, don't use the pen to write on the wall", "no, you can't have Pepsi with every meal", etc. So, sometimes it is a day of "no's". But, on the plus side I didn't have to chase any naked children back inside after their baths (and they did have baths today) and they were fed three times today. All in all, a better day than yesterday.
Maciol went to work with Dan and the other two stayed with me. We did take lunch to them. They both took a nap this afternoon. It took awhile to convince them it was a good idea. Tonight Dan was sitting on the couch watching TV and they were trying to sneak up behind him. They would crouch down and crawl up behind the cough, touch his neck and then giggle and run. It was hilarious. They thought they were really tricking him into thinking no one was there. That sure helps to balance out all the no's.
Sounds like a rainy day tomorrow, so we'll have to find some things to do inside. We've had some issues today with riding bikes and big wheels (going where they're not supposed to) so it will be good to have a break tomorrow.
Good night.

Karen

Monday, September 24, 2007

Monday

I wanted to post pictures, but will have to wait until Bethany sends them. She was home this weekend and took her camera back before I got to download the last pictures. We had a good time with her and her friends. They played with the boys, which gave us a little break and the boys alot of fun. Bethany called after they got back. After getting gas she took the highway North instead of South, so she was about two hours late getting back. Oh well.
We took Juan back to the doctor. She thinks his lungs don't sound too bad, but did change his antibiotic. I kept him inside today since it's so hot and humid. We'll start the Augmentin and hopefully that will do the trick. Dan went with me, so we took all the kids to meet the girls (and Doug) at work.
It has been a long day it seems. Juan has been trying me today. Andres too. I finally finished emptying the last suitcase and put them away. I've been trying to get the laundry caught up and arrange things in the boys room a little. Between that and saying "no" about a thousand times, I think I'm tired. We did manage to eat at the Chinese restaurant for lunch and it went pretty well. Andres didn't leave nearly the mess he did last time. Maicol has learned to make a "suicide" drink from the soft drink fountain. Juan got to try out a booster seat.
Hoping for a smoother day tomorrow. (at least the laundry is done)

Karen

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Sunday

It has been a long, but good day. We all made it to church for the last service. Of course none of us really lasted the whole time. Andres made it through most of the singing before I took him out. Juan and Maicol took turns going in and out. We sat in the back because we figured that was the way it would be. It was still good to be back though. We all managed to eat lunch together and then the visiting "big" kids tooks turns entertaining the little kids. I think everyone took a nap at some point. We even went to our home group tonight. The kids were pretty good considering and everyone is very understanding and helpful. All in all a pretty successful day on our way to "normal". :)
Juan's cough still sounds terrible, so if he's still like this tomorrow I'm taking him back to the doctor. She thinks I'll need to get a nebulizer to give both of them breathing treatments. I think I probably will too. They're too young to use inhalers and if they're already having trouble and it's not cold and flu season I'm sure we're probably going to need one. Might as well get it now and get started.
Dan is off tomorrow, so hopefully we can get things caught up and get a school schedule started. I think they need the structure. Maicol definitely needs it. He wants to play the computer or ride his bike all day. Everything you read says structure is good, so I think we're going to give it a whirl.
Talk to you tomorrow.

Karen

Wheezers

Just a quick update. I took Juan to the doctor yesterday morning because he had a sore throat and was wheezing. Looks like maybe he has a little pneumonia. Picked up an antibiotic and some medicine for the wheezing. Andres was wheezing last night, so I took him. He has an antibiotic and a different medicine for the wheezing. Fortunately they both take the medicine pretty well considering how it tastes.
Bethany is here with a couple of her friends from school. The boys were up early entertaining them. Wish we could have gotten a little more sleep, but not when there are people to entertain! They have been really good about playing with them this morning. In spite of being sick, they are playing and having a good time.
We're off to church in a little while and then home for lunch with everyone. Jonathan is coming over too. Can't wait to have them all together.
Have a good Sunday.

Karen

Friday, September 21, 2007

Friday

The pictures are in reverse order since I did it tonight. Dan's the smart one who thinks to do it correctly. Just a few shots from the last few days.
We have had a good day. Juan only had one little incident where I had to prove to him I mean what I say and that was it. It is so warm we took them to the lake to play in the water and sand. They had a great time and now my car has sand in the back seat. Oh well. Maicol saw some people with jet ski's and now he thinks a jetski would be a good idea.
Dan took Maicol with him to work again today. Work isn't that exciting but he just loves to be with Dad by himself. It gives me a little more time with the other two. We were able to find the black cat and pet him a little. Juan has been trying to do that since we got home. We bought a little ride-on toy for Andres at a yard sale today, so I took him out to ride on it and got the scooter out for Juan. They said the boys like to ride bikes, but I'm not sure that Juan can ride a bike. He couldn't balance the scooter, but he worked at it for a good while this afternoon. Maicol can ride it very well. He saw our bikes in the garage and wants one. Juan wanted to help we wash dishes again today and Andres does too! I need a stepstool so Juan can reach the sink easier. If he thinks it's a neat thing to help, I certainly don't want to discourage him.
It's beginning to feel like a more normal life. The suitcases are unpacked, the clothes are put away and we're doing "normal" things. Yeah!!
Dan's off to bed and I'm ready to follow. Have a good Saturday.

Karen
We love our big brother!
Trying to coax the cat out.

A $600 hotel room and have to sleep on the floor!

"I've been waiting in line for 3 hours, where's the stinkin' plane?"



The El Dorado Airport in Bogota.




Thursday, September 20, 2007

Juan and Mama

Wish I had some pictures to post, but we didn't get them ready tonight. It has been a good day. We had the boys favorite breakfast - eggs and milk. I tried to get one of them to eat toast with honey, but he just ended up trying to feed it to the cats outside. It has been a good day. Less chaotic then yesterday. We went to a hardware store contractor's lunch (Dan does some jobs through them) so Dan could show off his boys. He is so proud of them! We stopped at Sam's Club to get some basic workbooks to start the boys on and then Dan and Maicol went to do a garage door job. I took the two younger ones home with me. They did very well. I did some things with Juan while Andres tried to take a nap. Papi is obviously Juan's favorite, so this was a good day for us. We did watercolor painting and playdough. Then I had him help me peel carrots and potatoes for dinner tonight. I also had him wash a couple of glasses in the sink and start the dishwasher. He seems very proud of his accomplishments. I walked about a block with both of them before turning around and coming home because they didn't want to listen. I think that's pretty good.

Jonathan came over tonight to spend a little time with his new brothers. They think he is just terrific. We do too. Juan talked non-stop through dinner. He had a difficult time sitting and eating because he was just so excited. They have been asking since we got home when he was coming over. He and Maicol played with a toy we bought in Bogota and played with the Lego's also. Andres looked at him alot and let him play the I'll jump or fall and you catch me game. I'll try to get the pictures of all of them tomorrow.

All is quiet, so I think we'll try to get a little rest before tomorrow too. Take care.
Karen

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Wednesday

Our first full day at home. Of course Juan was up first even though he was asleep last. I finally woke Andres up. I'm not sure how long he would have slept. They were really tired from the trip home over the last two days. We went to Chinese for lunch. The boys weren't crazy about it, but they behaved pretty well and did get enough to eat. After Andres took his nap we went to the park. There is a spray park there also, so they had a great time. Glad it's still very warm here so we could enjoy it.
Dan's putting a couple of locks on the outside doors. Juan was up and outside this morning before we knew it. We don't think he went too far, but he doesn't understand the yard boundaries yet. It will also keep Andres from getting away. He can't open the door yet, but I'm sure it won't be long.
We were able to sit down and have dinner together and everyone did very well. I'm teaching them to put their dishes in the dishwasher. We haven't used it yet, so I don't know if they really understand it or not. We had baths tonight, but they are having a hard time getting to sleep. We think we are going to have to put Andres in a separate room. Juan has a hard time getting to sleep and he seems to want to bother Andres. Last night Andres cried that evidently in some way Juan had hurt his foot. Tonight a toy was thrown and Andres got a bloody nose. Not sure who did what, but we are going to have to do something for tomorrow night. Bethany- I think we're going to have to put Andres in your room. Maybe we can get them all in the same room again after they settle down a little. Maicol and Juan did ok together when we were staying in Ibague, so I think we're going back to that.
Well, enough bedtime talk. All is quiet and we're going to try to get some rest too. Dan has a job tomorrow and Friday, so I need all the rest I can get!
Goodnight.

Karen

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Home

We arrived in Indy @ 2:30pm today. A day later than planned, but such is life. We got to Miami after midnight last night. By the time we got through immigration and customs it was at least 2am. We were promised a hotel for the night by the airlines, but by that time there was no one in sight. Dan finally did track down a couple of AA employees who were able to arrange a room, meal and breakfast this morning. By the time we got everyone to bed it was 3:30am. We slept until about 8 or so and started getting everyone up and ready to go back to the airport. Our flight to Indy was on time and the plane was barely half full. The boys did very well today and it was a pleasant flight home.
When we finally got home I told Dan it's kind of a "free-for-all". They were going from room to room checking things out, going outside and in, and looking and touching everything. I think it all seems ok to them. :) I see a little more "Andres" proofing that I need to do. They just need to learn a few boundaries.
They are in bed at 9pm and all is almost quiet. I guess it's a little hard to settle down on your first night with your new parents in a new house in a new country! They're all in the same room, so hopefully they'll feel more comfortable.
Thanks to everyone for all of your help. We were meet by some of the people from our adoption support group at church today at the airport with balloons and gifts. It was nice to see friendly faces of those who have "been there and done that". Jonathan got the truck to us to get home and did a little grocery shopping. Our home group decorated, cleaned, provided car seats and gifts. Our neighbor Scott has been keeping the yard mowed and the cats fed. Thanks to those of you who added comments to our blog while we were away. It meant so much. Thanks for reading the blog and praying for us. You have no idea how much it means to us that you care.
We are excited to sleep in our own bed, take a hot shower with lots of water pressure and drink our Diet Coke with ice in it and not fear getting dysentary. It was a great trip, but we're glad to be home.
Hoping to get a little rest before we start all over tomorrow.

Karen

Monday, September 17, 2007

Glitch

Our first and hopefully only glitch. We arrived at the airport here in Bogota to find that our flight was delayed. They hoped it would leave at 5pm. It's now 5:05pm and no plane in sight, so I'm guessing it's going to be later than 5pm. Our flight to Indy has been rescheduled for tomorrow. We leave about 11am and arrive at 2:45pm. I don't know what the flight number is right now, but it's still American Airlines.We will stay the night in Miami at a hotel.
Talk to you tonight or tomorrow.
Karen

Sunday, September 16, 2007

The End....and the Beginning

Today is our last full day in Colombia. We went to a street market to do a little souvenir shopping. Mostly handmade things there. The boys of course want to touch and purchase everything they see, so it is not leisurely shopping. We did get a few things though - both for gifts and a couple of toys for the boys. All Andres really wanted was an airplane, but the wooden ones they had were not nearly durable enough for him. We bought them puppets and a little wooden toy. They also got beaded bracelets that say Colombia which they like very much.
We went to another Bed & Breakfast that is associated with ours for lunch to celebrate Valentine's day, which was friday. They grilled chicken and steak and plantains. It was very good and gave us a chance to meet another family adopting 3 children. The kids had a great time playing together. We enjoyed the adult English-speaking company.
Everyone is in bed and asleep (I think). Andres fell asleep at dinnertime since he didn't have his regular nap and the older boys are either asleep or faking it very well. They should be tired also. They played alot at the Valentine's day celebration.
Our flight information is as follows:
American Airlines 916 from Bogota to Miami
leaves 2pm arrives 6:45pm
American Airlines 4454 from Miami to Indy
leaves 9:10pm arrives 12:05am
If you'd like to come meet us that's fine, but it is a little late. Jonathan is bringing the truck for us to drive home.
We are excited to be coming home, but it's hard to believe we are done already. All the dreaming and planning we did for months has resulted in this amazing journey that is coming to an end, but it is also a beginning. We are excited to start this new chapter in our lives. Thanks for following along with us and praying for us. We have enjoyed our time here and hope to continue blogging.
Dan & Karen
Barbeque for the Colombian Valentines Day.

Souvenir shopping at the Sunday street market.


They are just...
little angels when...
they are asleep!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Field Trip

Not much to say today. We went on a field trip today to the Salt Cathedral. It wasn't a really interesting place to go, but I really enjoyed the ride there and back. Seeing the area surrounding Bogota was nice. We have primarily seen the city here and in Ibague, so seeing some of the country was good. Andres and Juan loved seeing the horses and cattle. We also got to talk to Julie from CHI and I got to talk to another family here adopting three children.
When we got back this afternoon, we walked to the mall. It was a good 30+ minute walk. The boys thought they were going to die on the way back! It was very crowded since it is Saturday. All we went for was diapers, snacks and Coke. When we were in Ibague Patricia would only take us to the mall on a weekday because she said it was too crowded on the weekend. Now I see what she meant - you could barely even walk in the mall and I was trying to push a stroller with bad front wheels and Dan was trying to keep track of two boys who have their own ideas about where to go and what pace to get there at. While we were at the mall of course both the older boys had ideas about what items we should purchase. They of course wanted toys. We said no. We did buy a couple of snack items for the next couple of days. Maicol was very disappointed that we didn't get what he wanted. That's the first time we've seen him in a bad mood. As we started our walk back home we got out the Cheetos and gave each of them a small bag. That did the trick for him. He was happy the rest of the night. Who knew Cheetos could work such miracles.
After we got back we let them play in the tub again. It only took 3 towels to soak up the water that escaped the tub enclosure. They really have a great time together. It is nearly impossible to get them out. Dan had to grab Andres and just take him out because he wasn't coming willingly. He told the other two if they didn't get out they couldn't have a shower tomorrow. That worked. I just hope they don't think this is the way they are going to take a shower every day when they get home. I only have a shower curtain, not glass doors that pretty much enclose the space so you don't have too much water leaking out.
Tomorrow is our last full day here. Not sure yet what we're going to do. We haven't bought any real souvenirs yet, so maybe we'll try to find a place for that tomorrow. If you think we're bringing you home something you'd better hope we find a place tomorrow. :)
We've got about 36 hours to finish a 3 litre of Coca-Cola Light, so we'd better get to it! Talk to you tomorrow.
Karen
Security in Bogota - broken glass imbedded in the top of the walls.
Bein' silly for the camera.
Cheese twists do a lot for a sour mood.
A familiar sight, but not worth waiting for.
A little too much to do.

Friday, September 14, 2007

DONE!!!!

We really are COMPLETELY DONE! Dan picked up the visa's today. Tomorrow we are going on a field trip to the Salt Cathedral here in Bogota. Lucia has arranged a trip for the CHI families here. We leave in the morning and will come back in the afternoon. We haven't been out much in Bogota so it will be nice to go.
We went to a park today to get out for awhile. The boys had a good time and we got some nice, cool fresh air. It was a nice park with playground equipment to climb on. We of course had to buy the obligatory ice cream/popsicle while there also. They don't know yet that there are not ice cream vendors roaming the parks at home. Juan tried to do his little trick of sitting down in the middle of the street because he didn't want to go. Fortunately Maicol and I each had one of his hands and "helped" get him across. He and Papi had some quality time together when we got back.
While Dan was gone to get the visa's they seemed a little bored, so I filled the tub and put all of them in to play. I don't think they had ever done that. They had a very good time and of course didn't want to get out. The tub has glass doors to enclose it, so the amount of water on the floor was somewhat limited. We used up a couple of towels soaking up the water, but on the plus side they are very clean!
We had the opportunity to meet the CHI Colombia Program Director, Julie, today. She is in Colombia for her yearly visist and it so happens that we are here too. We have talked to her on the phone, but never met her. It was nice to meet her in person.
We took several pictures today and put some here for you to see. Hope you enjoy them.
Talk to you tomorrow.
Karen
Good clean fun after the park!
We do have health insurance, don't we?
Just hangin' in there.

Our super hero.

Our little climber.

Our big climber.

Everybody at the breakfast table.

Getting a beard like daddy's.







Thursday, September 13, 2007

Visas

We got everyone up and ready to go to the US Embassy today to apply for their visas. While it is a very important part of the process to coming home, it is rather boring. We were picked up at 9:30am and returned to the B&B about 12:30pm. The process is Lucia talked to someone at Window Number 1, she had us sign a paper for each boy, we waited til they called our name, gave them some papers, gave them some money, waited again for our name to be called, signed a paper for each boy and were given a slip of paper to return tomorrow at 3:30pm for their visas. Alot of waiting and a couple of signatures and it's done. Now we just relax for 3 days before packing again and coming home. The kids are really loving it here. They have a roomful of toys to play with and a couple of other kids to play with part of the time also. There is a small area outside they can play in also.
We have not ventured out yet, but I think we will at least try to walk to a park tomorrow. They need to get out some. We really spent the majority of the day inside here. It was cool, but we really prefer it to the heat and humidity of Ibague. The boys were complaining about being cold this morning and having to take showers. I hate to tell them, but this is nothing compared to what's coming!
No pictures tonight. We didn't take any today and honestly we are too lazy to pull up any old ones. I feel like we've been running a marthon and we're almost to the sprint for home.
Take care and have a good evening.
Karen

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Back to Bogota

It has been a long day. Maicol and Juan were so excited they could hardly get to sleep last night. They were still wound up today. We got everything packed and then just waited around til it was time to go. Patricia drove us to the airport, got us checked in and stayed until we were sure the flight was going to leave. Andres was VERY excited to see the plane come in and he practically ran up the stairs to the plane. The other boys were excited too. They listened intently to the flight attendent and checked the emergency information folder. Maicol looked out the window the entire flight I think. Andres did too until he fell asleep.
When we got to Bogota the driver met us and took us to a Bed & Breakfast we'll be staying at until we leave Monday. There are several other adoptive families here (most speak English :)), so there are people to talk to and a few other kids for ours to play with. They also have a playroom with lots of toys, so our boys are nearly beside themselves with excitement about that. They were not happy to go to bed tonight. We went to the doctor to have their required medical exam. That probably took 2 1/2 to 3 hours to finish. The doctor wasn't very quick in doing the paperwork, but it is done. We go to the US Embassy tomorrow to apply for visa's for the kids. I think that will take most of the morning. After that we just wait to go pick them up. So, we should have some free time until we leave Monday.
Not much else going on. It is hard to believe we are almost done here. This trip is something we were looking forward to and planning for and now it's almost over. Now the rest of our lives begin.
Thanks to our friends for taking care of getting car seats for the boys. We are so grateful for your help and support.
Time for a little rest before we do it all again tomorrow.
Goodnight.
Dan & Karen
Goodbye to our good friends Miriam, Patricia and Carmelita
Hello Ibague airport.

This plane trip's gonna be a blast!

I'm not so sure. Does this seat recline?

Coming into Bogota.

Are we there yet?





Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Some Real News

We finally have things set. We were able to get the boys passports today, so we will be leaving for Bogota tomorrow. They will have their medical exam there and then we go to the Embassy on Thursday for the Visa's. We should be all finished up byFriday, but I wasn't able to get a flight until Monday. We leave Bogota at 2pm, stop in Miami and arrive in Indy at 12:05am. A long day, but at least we don't have to get up before dawn to leave.
Maicol and Juan are wound about as tight as is humanly possible I think. :) I assume that they will go to sleep at some point, but I'm not positive. We've been up and down the stairs many times trying to quiet them down. Andres is oblivious to what is going on, so he went to sleep without much trouble at all. It has been a cool, cloudy, rainy day - which means good sleeping weather for us.
Today was our 25th Wedding Anniversary. How many people do you know that got the gift of 3 children in another country for their anniversary? Dan got up this morning and made omelets for all of us. Then he took me to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. And another surprise tonight, we had a cake for dessert. I just realized that all the surprises today involved food. What does that tell you about us?
We are excited to be done here in Ibague, but sad to leave. It has been a memorable experience. Patricia has been invaluable and we will miss her. She says she "works miracles and doesn't charge for them". I think that is almost true. She can talk to the boys and get them to do things we can't. I'm sure it's just that they understand the Spanish, but sometimes I wonder. :)
Well, we're tired and ready for bed. We didn't take any pictures today, so this will be "good night".
Talk to you tomorrow from Bogota.

Dan & Karen

Monday, September 10, 2007

News, but No News

We don't have any specific news to report. Dan did go and sign the official adoption papers today, so they are ours. When we told them it didn't seem like a big deal. Maicol is trying to learn to say his new last name. The long "a" sound is a little difficult for him. We did tell them we were going in a plane to Bogota and then home. They do seem excited about that. We did buy tickets back to Bogota for Wednesday, but it is still up in the air if we will be able to go or not. We are waiting on a second signature on their new birth certificates. The other lady that needs to sign is in Bogota due to a family emergency. They are trying to get an exception and just go with one signature. This would allow us to still get their passports tomorrow and go to Bogota on Wednesday. If not we will have to wait a couple more days. In the perfect scenario we would be to Bogota Wednesday, get visas Friday and come home on Saturday. But, we just wait and see. Such is the world of international adoption. We want to be home, but do enjoy the time here and the help that Patricia is to us.
We went to the pool today. The kids enjoyed it much more this time then the previous times we went. They actually spent almost the entire 2 hours in the pool. They were definitely tired tonight. Everyone is a little cranky. Patricia says that many times the children will act up when they realize they are leaving. I think that is definitely the case. They are not terrible, but just a little more grouchy with each other and us. We are a little anxious too with the uncertainty of how the timeline will work out, getting money for this and that and going places. In the end, I'm sure it will all work out and the time will have just flown by.
We are still looking for a car seat and a booster seat. If you have one we could use, please let us know. Hopefully, we'll need it by this weekend!
Waiting to see what tomorrow brings.
Karen
PS: GO BENGALS!!!


The view from the hill behind our house here.
The hill behind the house.


Juan "reading" to Andres.

Just hangin' out with my brother.



Sunday, September 9, 2007

Tour

Here's the tour you asked for Bethany. (After all it is your camera)
Our best friend in Colombia - Patricia

Our home in Ibague.

The front garden.

Maicol and Juan's bedroom.

Bedroom of Mama, Papa and Andres.

Living room

Kitchen

View of garage from kitchen

Dining and rear courtyard (open air)

Upstairs (we get lots of excercise going up and down)

Front door

I don't know that there's much to add from what Dan wrote this morning. I would say it was a good thing we were done with breakfast and sitting down when Patricia told us that we could sign tomorrow. We will see about changing plane reservations tomorrow after we know a little more about the Bogota timeline.
We went to the big park this afternoon. It was very crowded since it was Sunday. Most of the little storefronts we pass are closed on Sunday and it seems everyone goes to the park. Andres chased the chickens - which is evidently great fun if you're 2 1/2. I personally don't see the fun in it. :) Andres is a climber. He likes to climb up the ladder to the big slides by himself. He can barely stretch his leg from one rung to the next. The other parents at the park think he's too little and want to help him. We did splurge and have ice cream instead of popsicles today (about $1 more). I think Maicol spent the whole 1 1/2 hours on the merry -go -round. There were too many big kids playing soccer for him to play today. Juan did alot of swinging. I must have pushed him for at least half an hour.
We're hoping to go swimming tomorrow afternoon if the weather cooperates. It was a little cooler today and misted a little rain this morning. I think it's cool enough tonight that we should be able to get to sleep easier - if we can just shut our brains off and quit thinking about the busy days ahead of us.
Have a good evening.
Karen

Goin' Home!

Hey!
Just got word this morning that I will be going to sign the adoption papers tomorrow morning (Monday). That's at least one or two weeks earlier than expected. Praise be to the All Mighty!! That means we should be able to leave for Bogata around Wednesday and home Monday or Tuesday of next week. That's two weeks earlier than our planned October 2 flight.

This is a very emotional morning. On one hand we are very happy to be going home early. It will save a lot of money and give Karen more time at home with the boys before having to go back to work. On the other hand it's a little scarry leaving the support of our friend and B&B keeper, Patricia, for Bogata and then home. Patricia has made life here so much easier. She has been our guide, enterpreter, encourager and all around friend. We thank God for Patricia!

Just wanted to let everyone know the good news as soon as possible. More tonight!
Dan

Saturday, September 8, 2007

New Hats

A hot Saturday here in Ibague. Not sure what the temperature was, but it seemed pretty hot to me. We only went to one park today and that wasn't until 4pm. Dan went to the store this morning and one of us (Maicol) was very slow to get our shower and clothes on today. The paperwork said if you wanted him up you had to get him up and I'm beginning to see that's true. Dan is watching Tarzan on TV with the older boys and Andres is entertaining himself by running back and forth through the house. Their personalities are so much more apparent now. Andres runs and plays and makes much more noise than he did the first few days. Juan has had no time outs today. Close, but not quite. Maicol is funnier and much less reserved than a week ago. The boys generally do play pretty well together. There is the usual sibling stuff you might expect which many times is the result of Andes trying to take something from someone. All in all we have had a good day together.

I have to say this is not something you do alone. It would be impossible without the two of us working together. I'm more the planner and Dan is more the get it done guy, but we have taken turns doing just about everything. When I've had enough of someone, he takes over and vice versa. When he's tired I watch them so he can rest and he does the same for me. I'd rather stay here than go to the store, so he goes. Get the picture? Anyway, after he said such nice things about me, I had to give him a little credit. :) He certainly deserves it. I knew I was pushing him in the beginning, but I knew he would be glad he did it in the end.
That's it for tonight. Have a good Sunday.

Karen
Juan and his new hat. :) (see below)
We love our Papa!

The end of a serious game of Uno. Dan actually won this one.


This is what you do when your plastic soccer ball pops after playing with it about 15 minutes.