In the last 3 months we have gone from studs to a new kitchen and dining room. We actually reused the cabinets we had - just rearranged them and put them in a different part of the room. Now we have a much larger kitchen, more counterspace, a larger dining room and an overall more open area. Without a couple of walls I can now keep an eye on what's going on much easier. When it seemed it would take forever to get out adoption tax credit refund we decided to go ahead and do the remodeling instead of adding on. We still plan to do the addition, but not until at least next spring. The kitchen still needs a little bit of work, but it's fully functional and we don't have to eat hamburger helper every night and wash dishes in the bathroom sink! Dan did a fantastic job. And we did finally get out refund about a month ago!
Since the boys came home they have always slept in the same bedroom. They have balked at being split up and so we have just let the three of them stay together. With Bethany now married (and therefore the other bedroom empty) and gone and the boys getting bigger we decided it was time to put Maicol in his own room. He's only a few feet away, but it was quite a big deal for him to not be sleeping in the same room. They have all adjusted pretty well, but Juan Pablo in particular misses having Maicol right there with him. Juan Pablo moved to the upper bunk and Andrew got the bottom. He had been sleeping on a trundle type bed and was very excited to have a bed with a little bookcase at the end to put all of his treasures.
One of the most exciting things for us has been the arrival of our first grandchild. Aidan Jack arrived in October. Our son and his wife aren't getting much sleep, but Aidan is. :) He seems to prefer to sleep during the day and stay up at night. They would prefer he do the opposite. He is a joy and the boys are very excited to see and hold him.
In November we celebrated Juan Pablo's 10th birthday. We actually had to wait a little after to have a cake and go to Chuck E Cheese. Hard to believe he's 10. He was just a little boy of 5 1/2 when we met him in Colombia. He has grown so much.
Here are some pictures from this fall. They are growing and changing so quickly. Hard to believe it's been four years since we were meeting them for the first time.
Maicol played flag football this fall and had a great season. His team made it to the championship game, but came up a touchdown short. He enjoyed playing quarterback. Initially he was all about playing soccer and not really interested in any other sports. Now he has completely changed. No interest in soccer - baseball and football are much "better". They all spend a lot of time playing football and baseball in the backyard with whomever they can find.
Dan's mom passed away in November. She had not been in good health, but it still happened quickly. We were able to be there and see her before she died. School continues to move along. I have changed things a little, but still use the workbox system. It seems to work well for us. They still each have their own individual areas that are difficult, but they all continue to make progress.
Only two days until Christmas. The holidays have gotten much easier for them. The first year or two was miserable for everyone, but as they have grown and become confident that they are here to stay we are able to celebrate special occasions. Yeah!!!!
See you after Christmas!
Karen
