Day 4 !

His shirt says it all!



My Little Monkeys







Well last night we all slept pretty good! Jhon has a little cough, but slept through the night.
We had a lazy morning and Jhon decides he wants to plug the drain in the shower with his towel and before we knew it he had made himslf a little pool. Well, Leidy decides she wants to get back in the shower and swim around in the water too. They were so cute :) We went to frisbys again for lunch and they got this really cool windsurfer dude with the kids meal. So, they were trying to tell us something , but we didn't understand and as soon as we got back to the B&B clothes went flying and the water came on again for round 2 except they had a toy to play with this time. Oh my!
Sorry I forgot to take a picture of it :( Next time!
Some of the people organized a trip to the mall to go bowling so I took Jhon and Leidy while Jim stayed with Stefani as she slept. Well Jhon didn't like bowling b/c he didn't like that his balls went into the gutter and there was an arcade that he wanted to play in. So we only bowled for about 15 minitues then played at the arcade. I was happy to see that they were content going to all the different rides without asking for money to acctually make them work :)


We then went to get shoes for leidy to wear with her dress and Jhon found these flip flops that he really wanted and made the sad face until I caved in to get those for him too. Man was he excited and saying gracias mami! He is such a cutie. We took a taxi back to the B&B and the driver got lost. We were close and Leidy was telling him to go one way as I was telling him to go the other. It was kinda funny. Good thing the driver was nice and had a sense of humor.
This evening has been a little tough as Stefani has been fussing and screaming. I think her ear is hurting her so I gave her a little medicine and put her to bed. So far so good. I may have to have the doctor come by tomorrow and check it out. The doctors make house calls for about $20. How cool is that!

Also, at dinner they had some thick red juice and Leidy was drinking it and it went all over her shirt and pants. We said "oh man" and she had this sad smile on her face and after about 3-4 mintues she says she'll be rigth back. Jim went to check on her after about 5 mintues and he found her in a new outfit scrubbing her clothes with a bar a soap in the sink. It brought tears to our eyes. She got all of it out of her clothes though. What a sweet child :)

So until mannana!

Day 3

Last night was another great night! Jhon and Leidy both fell asleep in Jims arms. It was precious! We then put them to bed and we all slept until 7am again.

Today was another full day. We played for the morning around the B&B and then went to this mountain top in which I won't even attempt to name. We took a cable car to the top. The kids were ohhhhing and awwwwing the whole way up! We got to the top and there wa a church. It was quite a site from up there. You could see the entire city of Bogota from there. Pretty amazing scenery!


I think Leidy had been there before as she seemed to know her way around. Jim got the kids a little present when we were up there. He is such a pushover. Leidy puts on this little cute face that I don't think anyone could resist. She got a little makeup kit and has been playing with it all day. At one point she thought we left it behind, and she was freaking out but we didn't know what she was freaking out about. We had her tell someone who could understand her, and when we found out what the problem was, Jim gave it to her. The look of relief on her face was more than enought to make you cry and she hugged Jim for quite some time.

We took a taxi cab thru downtown Bogota on the way back. The kids got very quiet, and Leidys personality really changed. We got back to the B&B and Leidy went right to bed. That is very unusual for her as she doesn't take naps. I think she may have seen something that brought back some unpleasant memories when we were driving downtown. We don't know where exactly they lived when they were on the streets except for the fact that they were living under a railroad track overpass. It is so sad for us to think of the way she has lived and some of the memories that she has in her head. She is so adorable and we love her so much. She is really attaching to Jim but she still is very good with me. Our hearts break for her and sooo wish we knew what she has been thru but for now, we will just love her and smother her with hugs and kisses.

We went to a place called Frisbys for lunch. It had a really nice play area for the kids. I'll tell you what, whoever came up with a play area in a restaurant is a genious and should at least win a Noble Peace prize. Leidy really started to perk up after dinner after she was listening to another adoptive girl talk about going home to the US. It was great to get an email from Lona's daughter Hannah. We translated it for Leidy and I think it really helped her think that when we get home, she will have some friends. Thanks Hannah!

We roasted marshmallows tonight and the kids had a blast. All the kids were running around talking a mile a minute. We then came back to the room and danced and jumped on the beds for about 5 minutes. Jim likes to egg them on and get them a little extra hyper before bed. He will pay for that someday, but for now, it sure is a lot of fun!

The kids love to wash their hands. Jhon plugs the sink up and lets it fill up until he can completely submerge his arms in it. He is quite the character. He is always saying Mami or Papi. It is very surreal. We are soaking it up!

Overall, another great day. We are loving the comments and they bring tears to our eyes. It is tough being here so far away from family and friends and can't wait for the day we can come home with the kids. And Jim says that thanks BJ for the comment about the California Rocket fountain repak job. I don't know what that job pays, but I'm sure we'll be up for it to help pay for how much these guys eat!!!!

Love you all!

Day 2 !

Well, so far so good! Last night all the kids slept from about 9:15p to 6:45 except Mami and Papi as we kept waking up checking on the kids. Jhon is such a bundle of energy and has not stopped talking, even in his sleep he talks :) It was so funny when about 15 mintues after all of us had been trying to go to sleep we hear this vaaaarrrrrooooommm. Jim and I just laughed as it was Jhon playing with his car in bed. We told him no and to go to sleep and he did! This morning he woke up saying that his stomach hurt and he hugged the trash can for a few mintutes but nothing came out. It was so sad and cute at the same time poor kid!
I think stefani is coming around today as she smiled a lot more and was very active. Not like yesterday where she seemed like she was in a daze all day. She has congenital hip dysplasia and has to wear a brace only when she sleeps. It was a tug of war trying to get her to wear it last night so I finally said she has been through so much today so I'll let it go and we will try it again tomorrow night. Well she let me put it on and only cried for about 1 minute then fell asleep :) She may have to have surgery, we will see when we get back to the states. She can move her leg in some pretty interesting postions. But you wouldn't know she has a problem, b/c she climbs and runs around just like a normal kid, so we will see. I can not believe the size 12 month clothes are too big for her. I had to roll her jeans to get them to stay today. She is so tiny. Actually all the kids are so tiny. They are so cute!!!
Today we didn't do a whole lot. We went to the bank where it took Jim a least 30 mintues to exchange some money, then off to the grande parque again. The kids don't like to eat lunch so I had some lunch and we did a few things around the B&B. Then I took a nap when I put Stefani down while Jim took the other 2 out for a walk and ice cream. Jhon continued to complain of pain in his tooth but when I looked it was a sore so I got some medicine and he was a trooper when it stung. One thing that is great here is that alomost everybody delivers from the pharmacy to mcdonalds 24 hours and it is usually free!
Well we are getting the other 2 into bed so more tomorrow!





You can see Leidy brushing my hair and Stefani is copying her and trying to brush her hair. :)

Family of 5

Words cannot describe the day we had today. It was unbelievable. We were so nervous this morning but when we arrived at the adoption agency, we didn't have time to be nervous anymore. We had about 1 hour to sit down with the nutritionist and counselor. We found out all the information they had on the kids and we quized them as much as we knew how.




Then the magic began! They brought the kids in and they smothered us with hugs and kisses. They are sooooo affectionate! They brought us flowers and a gift and immediately called us Mami and Papi! They have been calling us that all day and telling us the love us!

Yesterday, while I was at the Market, there was one Colombian candle gift that I really wanted to buy, but didn't since I knew I would be back later. Well, amazingly enough, the gift that the kids brought us was that exact gift. How cool is that?

We spent about 1 hour at the agency with the kids and then we took a taxi back to our lodging. The kids never let go of us. All they want to do is hug and kiss us! We love it. We played some games and then we went to the park. Hand in hand the whole way. We had a great time climbing, swinging, running and kicking a soccer ball. We stopped for ice cream on the way back and then played some more games.



Leidy got with Jim on the computer and she showed him Disney.com. She is very affluent on the computer and we found out she was #1 in her class at school. Jhon will not stop talking. That kid has enery plus, and has already taken all the toys from the entire bed and breakfast and placed them strategically around our rooms.


Estafani is very sweet. She loves to be held. I think she is a little shocked right now but is embracing us completely.

From all the crazy stories we have heard, our day has honestly been a perfect day. I really don't think life can get better then this. We have been hugged and kissed to death and the kids are excited about going to the United States on an airplane and meet Jasmine our dog! They love to swim, dance, sing and run around until they completely colapse on the ground.

Tears have come to our eyes so much today. The prayers have been heard and we have read some of the comments to the kids. They are so happy. The Bed and Breakfast had a small party for them as they now are part of a family. It is great to have their support also.


As amazing as the day has been, we are exausted. Sleep was very short last night but we need to get used to that I've been told. Our kids are ready for bed now and we are tucking them in and saying some prayers with them. They have been to church here and are familiar with praying. Another God moment today was holding hands around the table praying and thanking God for the food and for our family. Jhon and Leidy both thanked God for us! Talk about something that you will never forget.

They don't know English at all but we can already tell it won't be long before they pick it up. We brought some English/Spanish books with us and Leidy is reading both languages. They are very healthy kids and eat all their food.

I really wonder what they are thinking though - as they are now in our custody. They seem so happy and calm and it is really tough to think of their background. We were explained of their tough conditions and health when they came into custody of the state. The pictures of before and after are pretty extreme.


Good night to you all and I will post more when I catch my bearings, if I ever do... Everything has been so amazing and our day was much easier then I ever dreamed! Love you all.

Arrived and Anxious

We arrived no problem last night and met our driver,Andres to our lodging. We were very glad to hit the hay around midnight though... Today we met most of the people in our bed and breakfast and the Hollis and Calderaros who are with our same agency and I have communicated with over the internet for a bit now. We all went for a 4 mile walk to and from a flee market and had lunch at a great hamburger place. It was very nice and I got a couple little things. The weather was very nice, a little warmer then we expected as we both look like we spent a few hours at the beach.

There are quite a few other adoptive families here from the US, Canada and France. Very multicultural experience. Jim was able to communicate to the people from France a little so we had fun with that. Others are from California, Ohio, Virginia, Minnesota, and Manitoba.

Tommorrow is the big day. There are so many things going thru our minds but the best way to describe it is, like we need to throw up. I know that's a little crude, but I am sure those of you who have done this know the feeling. People here are so excited for us and I know that will be a great support for the first few weeks.

Anyway, I am going to put some soothing music on and Jim and I are going to get on our knees for awhile tonight for the last time as a family of 2. Will you please join us as we thank our God for all that He has blessed us with? If some of you can, we would love for you to comment some prayers and thoughts to this post. We will share them with our kids tomorrow!

We will post our pictures of the kids in our arms as soon as we can, but it will probably be late tomorrow night. Love ya lots

crazy wonderful

OK, here we are sitting in the Atlanta airport where we get to hang out for 5 hours! What a whirlwind it has been the last few days. Let me start with the wonderful... Thursday my Mom#2 and I spent the entire day out shopping, picking up gifts, and getting all the meticulous things we need for the next 4+ weeks, Whew! The good thing about the day was that I planned out all the stops and exactly what I needed to get. Jim was very proud as he terms this "purpose driven shopping". That night, my sweet friends from our old church, "the Brook" gave me a kids shower at Ruby Tuesdays. I again am overwhelmed by their generosity for our children and their love for me and Jim. On my way home, I teared up thinking of them and how wonderful it has been knowing each of them and the support they have given us. Thanks for everything guys!

And then.... Friday happened. I left to get my hair cut and while I was gone, my inlaws were working around the house when they heard a large BOOM! While this noise is a very familiar sound around our place as Jim works for a Fireworks company, they knew he was at work so it must be something else. After some quick running around, they realized that one of the water pipes in the basement had forcefully disengaged and was pouring water rapidly into our new house. Some quick thinking by my DAD#2 found the water cut off valve and was able to get that stopped. After multiple trips by different plumbers and a new water heater, 10 hours we had water again...

The day was quite hectic as packing took us most of the day. It is amazing how much it takes to pack when you are traveling for a month and for 3 expectant little muchachos... Somehow around midnight we were able to rest our heads for a few hours until we left early this morning for the airport. Since arriving in Atlanta, we found a nice little corner that we can chill and just meditate on the next few days. Oh yeah, we just found out that we are staying at La Zuetena as there was a Chicken Pox outbreak at the place we were going to stay.

This is Jim writing now. I am finally making an entry! Anyway, so far so good. Everything has been a complete blessing and we thank God for all the things that have taken place this last week. (Even the pipe bursting!) It all makes for some great laughter - especially after it is done.. This reminds me of one of my favorite sayings... "Life is a storm...One day you will bask in the sunlight, the next you will be shattered on the rocks. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes". We have been thru many ups and downs these last 2 years, but would not change anything for this unbelievable ride. It has changed our lives, strengthened our faith and brought us closer to so many people in our lives. We love you all and can't wait to share with you the next few weeks! Thanks to all that have supported us thru this, for friends at TNT, Church, Huntsville, Florida, Canada, Yahoo groupies, Liberty alumni buddies, Missions friends and to our awesome family. This is what life is all about... You have all become our extended family!

Last weekend!

Well, it was our last weekend at the house just the 2 of us. Thursday went great getting the Visas. Everyone was so nice and they loved looking at the kids pics! We also had "The phone call" with Julie. The phone call consist of going over everything from what to expect with the kids and the process to gift giving and money. It was so helpful and encouraging and really put my mind at ease! Yesterday we were very productive doing things around the house and getting things ready. What a great feeling that is! I have to say a great big thanks to Beth and everyone else for organizing a shower for us at our church tonight! We moved recently and are now going to a church that is close to us that the kids can get involved with. It was very hard leaving our other church and friends, but really felt this was best for our family. We have only been going to this church for 2 1/2 months now and everyone has been so welcoming and sweet to us! Tonight after church they gave us a shower and we are so overwhelmed by every ones generosity. Most of the people we have not met yet and others we did meet tonight. What a blessing they have been to us. Thank you guys! Jim had some Key Lime cake that was new for him and he hasn't stopped raving about it. I guess I need to get the recipe. :) Jim also put together a power point with the kids pictures, pics of Bogota and facts about adoption and Colombia and had it going the whole time. It was great!