Wednesday, June 10, 2009
I HATE Rollercoasters!!
We got some more info on our time line this afternoon. Our lawyer said that the judge made an appointment for TUESDAY, June 16th (Monday is ANOTHER holiday) to sign the papers to finalize our adoption. As you may remember the 16th is the day we were ALL hoping to fly HOME together. I have to admit that I am 100% BUMMED!! I don't understand God's purpose in this, but after a good cry, I can honestly say that I believe He is in control and His ways are higher than my ways and He knows more than me and He wants the best for all of us. So this is what it is...Darin and 2 girls will have to fly to Bogota on Monday so that they can fly out on Tuesday to come home. Miranda, the two boys, and I will stay here in Cali. Tuesday our attorney will go to court and get the papers and get the birth certificate for the younger boy who was born here in Cali, Wednesday she will drive to Buga to get the other boy's birth certificate, and we will get their passports Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. We will then fly to Bogota Thursday. While there we have to go to ICBF, the doctor, and the US Embassy. That Monday is ANOTHER holiday, so we will probably wrap things up there on Tuesday and fly home Tuesday afternoon (23rd) or Wednesday morning (24th). So that's that.
Three Simple Words Completely Turned the Day Around
You may have noticed that I haven't blogged in several days. Well that's because I've been a bit "down in the dumps" with all this waiting and waiting and waiting. As I think about it I am being a little ungrateful. I have someone to cook my every meal, vacuum my floors, clean my bathroom, and do my laundry (even match my socks!). What do I have to be bummed about? Well I just am. The boys are asking more and more questions about home and getting antsier everyday cooped up in this hotel. We all miss our friends and family back home. Darin needs to get back to work. We are ready to get started with life as a family of 7! Yesterday we found out that the judge has to sign one more piece of paper which he will probably do sometime this week. Then we will be here two more days in order to get the boys' birth certificates and passports. Then we will be able to go to Bogota and stay for not more than a week. And finally we can go home. So what we do know is that we will not all be able to fly home together. BIG BUMMER!!
Then we got our hotel bill for the charges so far...BIG BUMMER!!
Then we were going to walk to a cheaper restaurant for dinner and found out that the students at the university nearby were protesting and the police were shooting tear gas all over the area. When we walked out of the hotel we immediately felt the effects of it because we were downwind. So we ended up eating at the hotel again.
When we tucked the boys in last night we let them watch the video of their good-bye party at the orphanage. They named all the kids and talked about what happened and at the end Darin gathered all the kids together and prayed for them (with the help of an interpreter). At the end of his prayer he simply said, "Thank you, Jesus." Our older son asked, "What's 'Thank you, Jesus'?" I told him in Spanish and then said, "Thank you Jesus for Chiquitines (the orphanage), Thank you Jesus for all the children, Thank you Jesus for you and your brother..." And he piped in and said, "Gracias Dios yo tengo mi familia." In English, "Thank you Jesus I have my family." That completely turned my day around. My son had reminded me that I was in a "funk" because I had taken my eyes off of Jesus and let them fall on my current circumstances.
No matter what is going on I can say,
"THANK YOU JESUS I HAVE MY FAMILY!"
And thank you, son, for reminding me:)
Then we got our hotel bill for the charges so far...BIG BUMMER!!
Then we were going to walk to a cheaper restaurant for dinner and found out that the students at the university nearby were protesting and the police were shooting tear gas all over the area. When we walked out of the hotel we immediately felt the effects of it because we were downwind. So we ended up eating at the hotel again.
When we tucked the boys in last night we let them watch the video of their good-bye party at the orphanage. They named all the kids and talked about what happened and at the end Darin gathered all the kids together and prayed for them (with the help of an interpreter). At the end of his prayer he simply said, "Thank you, Jesus." Our older son asked, "What's 'Thank you, Jesus'?" I told him in Spanish and then said, "Thank you Jesus for Chiquitines (the orphanage), Thank you Jesus for all the children, Thank you Jesus for you and your brother..." And he piped in and said, "Gracias Dios yo tengo mi familia." In English, "Thank you Jesus I have my family." That completely turned my day around. My son had reminded me that I was in a "funk" because I had taken my eyes off of Jesus and let them fall on my current circumstances.
No matter what is going on I can say,
"THANK YOU JESUS I HAVE MY FAMILY!"
And thank you, son, for reminding me:)
Sunday, June 7, 2009
FORTY
You might be wondering what the significance of the title is...
Have we been here 40 days?...no
Do we have 40 days left in Colombia?...no
Have I played 40...thousand games of UNO?...almost
Do we have 40 dollars left?...getting closer:)
Those are all very good guesses, but you're wrong.
I celebrated a birthday today, and actually it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be:) I think being in Colombia helped a bit. I mean how many women get to celebrate their 40th birthday in a tropical location surrounded by family and (new) friends! I had a candle in my pancakes for breakfast and very rich chocolate cake after dinner. I was sung to in English and in Spanish and was wished a happy birthday from the whole hotel staff throughout the day. I certainly got to be queen for the day. And except for my family not forming a Conga line to exit the restaurant after dinner and missing all of you back home, I had everything I could have ever wished for. I have such an amazing husband and children (all 5!) and my most treasured times are spent with them. So turning 40 is not so bad after all.
P.S. No news yet about when we get to come home. We hope to hear something tomorrow. I will keep you posted. KEEP PRAYING!!
Have we been here 40 days?...no
Do we have 40 days left in Colombia?...no
Have I played 40...thousand games of UNO?...almost
Do we have 40 dollars left?...getting closer:)
Those are all very good guesses, but you're wrong.
I celebrated a birthday today, and actually it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be:) I think being in Colombia helped a bit. I mean how many women get to celebrate their 40th birthday in a tropical location surrounded by family and (new) friends! I had a candle in my pancakes for breakfast and very rich chocolate cake after dinner. I was sung to in English and in Spanish and was wished a happy birthday from the whole hotel staff throughout the day. I certainly got to be queen for the day. And except for my family not forming a Conga line to exit the restaurant after dinner and missing all of you back home, I had everything I could have ever wished for. I have such an amazing husband and children (all 5!) and my most treasured times are spent with them. So turning 40 is not so bad after all.
P.S. No news yet about when we get to come home. We hope to hear something tomorrow. I will keep you posted. KEEP PRAYING!!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The Rest of the Story
We got home so late last night that I couldn't even think about blogging, so I will fill you in now on the "Rest of the Story"...
After our fiesta at the orphanage and a nice nap, our attorney picked us up again and took us to the market. It's basically a few streets lined with shops with handcrafts, birds/chickens/goats and other animals, fruits/vegetables/coffee and other foods. We didn't do much walking around because it was raining. It was the first time we've seen rain since we've been here because they are in their summer season. But it was a good hard rain and it lasted all day long. It was in the "rougher" looking part of the city. We are staying in the southern part of the city which is a very nice residential area. This was on the other side of the city and more of what you would expect to see in a third world country. So we purchased a few things so the boys could have something from their heritage to take home with them. Then we went up to a very old church (about 400 years old). It was very beautiful with stained glass windows, cobblestone road, up on a hill with a beautiful view of the city. There was also a convent and Darin checked to see if they had room for three more :)jk. Cali is lined on both sides by mountains and cut through the middle by the Cali River. On top of one of the mountains is a huge statue of Jesus with his arms outstreched and on top of another are three crosses. Our attorney wouldn't take us up to see it because it is too dangerour. The mountains and outlying villages are where all the guerrilla activity takes place. As we were discussing this in the car the girls were thinking "King Kong, really?" We did a little more sightseeing from the car since it was raining and then went to Cali Viejo, a very old (that's what viejo means) restaurant for authentic Colombian food. It was delicious!! We had soup (I forgot the name already), tamales, and I was even brave enough to taste cow tongue! I can't believe I did it, but I have to admit that if I hadn't know what it was it would actually have been pretty good. We also had a big sample platter of all the traditional Colombian desserts. YUMMY!! There was a small group of musicians that played traditional Colombian music, two guitars and a singer. They were fabulous. There are two very different styles of music in Colombia. The music from the Pacific coast is very rhythmic and "Latino sounding" and the music from the Atlantic coast is much more melodic and flowing. It was all very beautiful!
So all-in-all yesterday was the second-best day we've had since coming to Colombia (the first of course was the day we got the boys!) We were all exhausted and even now the boys are still in bed (at 9am-unheard of)! So I'd better get them up and around or we'll miss breakfast!
After our fiesta at the orphanage and a nice nap, our attorney picked us up again and took us to the market. It's basically a few streets lined with shops with handcrafts, birds/chickens/goats and other animals, fruits/vegetables/coffee and other foods. We didn't do much walking around because it was raining. It was the first time we've seen rain since we've been here because they are in their summer season. But it was a good hard rain and it lasted all day long. It was in the "rougher" looking part of the city. We are staying in the southern part of the city which is a very nice residential area. This was on the other side of the city and more of what you would expect to see in a third world country. So we purchased a few things so the boys could have something from their heritage to take home with them. Then we went up to a very old church (about 400 years old). It was very beautiful with stained glass windows, cobblestone road, up on a hill with a beautiful view of the city. There was also a convent and Darin checked to see if they had room for three more :)jk. Cali is lined on both sides by mountains and cut through the middle by the Cali River. On top of one of the mountains is a huge statue of Jesus with his arms outstreched and on top of another are three crosses. Our attorney wouldn't take us up to see it because it is too dangerour. The mountains and outlying villages are where all the guerrilla activity takes place. As we were discussing this in the car the girls were thinking "King Kong, really?" We did a little more sightseeing from the car since it was raining and then went to Cali Viejo, a very old (that's what viejo means) restaurant for authentic Colombian food. It was delicious!! We had soup (I forgot the name already), tamales, and I was even brave enough to taste cow tongue! I can't believe I did it, but I have to admit that if I hadn't know what it was it would actually have been pretty good. We also had a big sample platter of all the traditional Colombian desserts. YUMMY!! There was a small group of musicians that played traditional Colombian music, two guitars and a singer. They were fabulous. There are two very different styles of music in Colombia. The music from the Pacific coast is very rhythmic and "Latino sounding" and the music from the Atlantic coast is much more melodic and flowing. It was all very beautiful!
So all-in-all yesterday was the second-best day we've had since coming to Colombia (the first of course was the day we got the boys!) We were all exhausted and even now the boys are still in bed (at 9am-unheard of)! So I'd better get them up and around or we'll miss breakfast!
Friday, June 5, 2009
A Good-bye Fiesta
Today we went back to the orphanage to throw a good-bye party for the boys. There were 46 children there (that's everyone except the 30 babies). First each child gave the boys a card or picture they had made for them. Then the pop, brownies, and candy which we brought were quickly and eagerly devoured:) For the next hour and a half we played with, took pictures of, held, hugged, and talked with all of the children. They were all so happy! They had so many questions...You have so many big children, do you have a big house/car?, Who is older, Mama or Papa?, Why is your skin so white?, What is your favorite color/animal?, and so many others that I couldn't understand:) They all love having their picture taken so we got tons of great pictures and video for future enjoyment. Many of the older children huddled around Darin talking with him, two older boys in particular. One little boy, who must've been about 6 touched Darin's bicep muscle and then pushed up his own sleeve to show off his scrawny little arm. This started a chain reaction of little boys flexing their muscles! It was hysterical:) At another point Miranda (our middle daughter) was being literally swarmed by a group of little boys all wanting her attention and their picture taken. At that moment our younger son came up, grabbed her hand, pushed all the other boys away, and led her off to another area. It was as if he were claiming her as his sister and rescuing her from trouble. Absolutely priceless! Finally we gathered all of the children back together (no small task!) and Darin prayed for them, for the orphanage, for the staff, and for God's plan for each of their lives. We had such a wonderful time! I will pray daily for a loving family for each one of those precious faces!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
An Awesome Day!
Today was an AWESOME day. I really had my doubts after what happened last night...
Our older son decided to challenge Darin's authority at bedtime which ended in an hour-long test-of-the-wills. Of course Darin won, but we were both a bit concerned that he might decide to run away in the middle of the night. So, needless to say, I slept lightly. But this morning we were rewarded with the confirmation that the lesson sunk in when he asked me to read the chapter in his story Bible based on the commandment "children obey your parents..."
This afternoon we went back to the orphanage for a meeting with the entire staff. This included the social worker, medical doctor, psychologist, and the boys' school teachers. They gave us every piece of information they have on the boys past and every detail of their lives since coming to the orphanage. We got their school records, medical records, shot records, dental and eye exam reports...They have been EXTREMELY well cared for while living there. They all love the boys dearly and got teary-eyed when giving their reports. We are so grateful for the love they all gave the boys over the past four years. They answered all of our questions. We shared many stories from the past 12 days and they were all very much convinced that the boys would excel in our family. Then they showed us around the orphanage. We saw the boys' rooms, lockers, showers, dining area, play area, and classroom. We also went through the baby area which caused quite a delay on our tour because we had to play with all the babies:) We also got to meet all of the boys' friends. They were all very excited to meet us asking, "Are you the Mama?" to each of the girls. They liked to touch our hair and hug us all. They all seemed very happy for the boys. I think all of the girls decided that they want to come back next year for more!!:) We get to go back on Friday to throw a "Good-bye" party complete with brownies, candy, and pop. The hardest part for me was looking into each of those precious faces and wondering if they thought, "Why can't you be my Mama?"
And now they are sleeping peacefully in the other room, so I'd better do the same.
Our older son decided to challenge Darin's authority at bedtime which ended in an hour-long test-of-the-wills. Of course Darin won, but we were both a bit concerned that he might decide to run away in the middle of the night. So, needless to say, I slept lightly. But this morning we were rewarded with the confirmation that the lesson sunk in when he asked me to read the chapter in his story Bible based on the commandment "children obey your parents..."
This afternoon we went back to the orphanage for a meeting with the entire staff. This included the social worker, medical doctor, psychologist, and the boys' school teachers. They gave us every piece of information they have on the boys past and every detail of their lives since coming to the orphanage. We got their school records, medical records, shot records, dental and eye exam reports...They have been EXTREMELY well cared for while living there. They all love the boys dearly and got teary-eyed when giving their reports. We are so grateful for the love they all gave the boys over the past four years. They answered all of our questions. We shared many stories from the past 12 days and they were all very much convinced that the boys would excel in our family. Then they showed us around the orphanage. We saw the boys' rooms, lockers, showers, dining area, play area, and classroom. We also went through the baby area which caused quite a delay on our tour because we had to play with all the babies:) We also got to meet all of the boys' friends. They were all very excited to meet us asking, "Are you the Mama?" to each of the girls. They liked to touch our hair and hug us all. They all seemed very happy for the boys. I think all of the girls decided that they want to come back next year for more!!:) We get to go back on Friday to throw a "Good-bye" party complete with brownies, candy, and pop. The hardest part for me was looking into each of those precious faces and wondering if they thought, "Why can't you be my Mama?"
And now they are sleeping peacefully in the other room, so I'd better do the same.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Boys are Different Creatures
Nothing exciting happened today and there's nothing to update on our paperwork status. But I do have a few questions that some of you may be able to help me with since I only have eleven days of experience as a mother of boys...
*Do little boys always miss when they get up to potty in the middle of the night?
*Does everything make noise and cause some kind of destruction?
*Is every moment in life a competition with your brother?
*Does every competition end in wrestling, punching, and possibly name-calling(I'm not positive on this one 'cuz it's all in Spanish, but the body language and tone of voice are a clue)?
My daughters did none of these things. Sure Sydney had a brief time of biting, but that was when she was really young and it didn't last long:) These other things are foreign to me. Why does it matter who drinks the most water the fastest or first to push the elevator button? Are these really important things in life?
I'm sure this is just the beginning...
*Do little boys always miss when they get up to potty in the middle of the night?
*Does everything make noise and cause some kind of destruction?
*Is every moment in life a competition with your brother?
*Does every competition end in wrestling, punching, and possibly name-calling(I'm not positive on this one 'cuz it's all in Spanish, but the body language and tone of voice are a clue)?
My daughters did none of these things. Sure Sydney had a brief time of biting, but that was when she was really young and it didn't last long:) These other things are foreign to me. Why does it matter who drinks the most water the fastest or first to push the elevator button? Are these really important things in life?
I'm sure this is just the beginning...
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