Day 7

Well, this will be really short as it has been a LONG day. I started getting a sore throat last night and I have gotten worse today and tonight I have a slight fever and feel awful. Jim is also starting to feel bad and we are both coughing and sneezing. Today we went to a beautiful town north of bogota. It was one of the cutest towns we have been to. I will post pics tomorrow as the internet is really slow and I am going to bed. Leidy has been a little challenging today too. Tomorrow we have our integration meeting where they separate the kids and us and ask us how things are going. It also starts the offical paperwork for us to become a family. Please pray for us to feel better and have a great day tommorow. Sorry this is so short. Luv you guys!

Day 6!

Sorry our internet has been down all night...

OK, Jim again. Jaime has caught what I call a case of the three muchachos. Interpreted for you without 3 or more kids - she is completely exhausted. I think the frustrating thing for her is that the spanish that she knows - although I think is very advanced, is still not enough to keep up with these guys. They talk so fast and not knowing what they are saying sometimes makes it a little difficult. They are speaking a little english now and we are picking up more of what they are saying everyday. It is challenging but very rewarding. We are doing most of our talking in small spanish sentences. We use a lot of hand jestures and really it can be very effective. If needed, we can get with some of the staff and they can help us here but overall we are managing by ourselves. Leidy is especially wanting to learn English quickly so we say the word in spanish and then translate it to English for her and she repeats it.

Today was a long day though. We all were up early to go to the zoo - well actually it was more like a big petting farm. Not really any exotic animals but a ton of birds, pigs, sheep, horses and cows. They had a blast here so I know I can take them to quite a few places in our neighborhood and show them something similar. It was a very nice drive though - about 1 hour north of Bogota. Traffic is very crazy here and cars always have the right of way instead of people. I found this out - almost the hard way.

We were at the zoo about 7 hours, riding horses, seeing pigs race, and running after lots of birds and kids. The trip home was slow but very sweet. The kids fell asleep on us, Jaime had Jhon and Stefani and I had Leidy. It was fun when we got back as they were completely knocked out and we had to carry them into the casa.

Everyone went for a siesta except me. I decided to give the streets of Bogota a try for a run. It was challenging dodging the traffic but probably the more challenging thing was my my lack of exercise over the past 3 months. I stopped in at a phone shop to try and get my cell phone working but to no avail. I was able to amuse the entire store as I was in running shorts and NO ONE wears shorts here. It is amazing to me but in this beautiful weather, everyone wears jeans and sweaters and scarfs. Anyways, I struck up a conversation with Sergio there and he was so thrilled for what we were doing here. He asked me to bring the kids by his shop when I can. It was really amazing to me as he was literally moved to tears when I was telling him about the kids. They really cherish the family here and kids seem to be everywhere.

Can you guys believe we have 3 kids! It is still very hard for me to believe. I think that it seemed like such a dream but now such a reality. If I knew it was going to be this much fun, I would've pursued this a long time ago. I am already trying to convince Jaime to consider this again but she is always the rationale one... I guess it just breaks my heart to hear and see so many kids that grow up without a family and that we can actually make a difference in a few kids lives.

Tonight was jump on Jaime night. I had nothing to do with it, trust me. I taught the kids one of my favorite games - steamroller! I think I like it better then they did but we laughed and laughed and laughed. There are only a few times in my life that I have laughed so much - you know - like when snaught comes out of your nose and you start coughing until you can't stop. Yeah - that was tonight. Jhon has the most hilarious laugh and you can't help but laugh when you hear it.


Tommorrow should be another fun filled day. We are going on a bit of a tour of the city and who else knows what may happen. Our God is a great God and we thank Him everyday for all He has blessed us with. This is an awesome ride and we look forward more and more to each day. Hasta Luego

Day 5!

Alright, this is Jim in charge now. It has been quite the week as most of you can see. I would have to say that it has been the best week of my life! The experience of being in Bogota Colombia is amazing enough but to be able to spend this experience with Jaime and add these 3 precious ninos to our family has been awesome.

Sleeping is a lot of fun. Jhon and Leidy have pushed their bed up against ours and now are moving onto our bed. Jhon is a very active sleeper if that is possible. They both woke up and rolled over and kissed and hugged us saying Te Quiero Mami and Papi. It feels so good to hear that from them!

For some of you that are concerned about this place - don't be. It is very safe here and the people here are amazing. Everyone is very helpful, very sweet and if we ever get lost, they are more than happy to help. Kinda like the South. The weather is awesome here also. It is 70 degrees year round here, basically 24 hours a day, although being right on the equator and so high up, it is very easy for us white people to get burned.

I don't think I can say enough good about the coffee! I don't think I have ever enjoyed it as much as it tastes so much more rich. Joe, I did run into Juan Bondez early this morning at a coffee shop named Juan Valdez Cafe. I will have to get some pictures of this, but he gave me a route of the best way to get the kids back. He told me they often import many things thru this route including some things disguised as coffee. I really am starting to question your choice in friends - although he does serve a mean cup of coffee.

Today we woke up watching some spanish cartoons and then the girls played dress up. Each day, Jaime introduces Leidy to a new outfit and she gets soooo excited! It has been great for them to bond in this way. Jhon and I hung out playing some Jenga and putting a few puzzles together. He loves puzzles but when I pulled out this one that had about 1000 pieces, he said, "no gracias papi." Maybe when we get home to America.

Lunch was fantastic as we went to a pizza place that was like Chuck E Cheeze on Steroids. The kids didn't eat much but they had a ton of fun. Somehow Jaime got confused and thought she was one of the kids as she went down the slides more then the kids. Stefani is really making herself at home now. She picks stuff up and brings it over to us and says something like, "yeahrer." I think that translated in English means, "What is this and can I play with it?"

Mom and Leidy just went out to do laundry. Leidy really likes to clean, wash, iron and take pictures. For all of you asking, we do hire out on a contract basis, but of course all of this will be under the table. Please contact me confidentially as costs vary.

Now that I am a Dad, I think of the 2 most important things my Dad taught me.
#1. If you can't say anything nice, say it.
#2. There are only 2 things that I can't fix. Broken Hearts and Broken Balloons.

Well Dad, I don't think you had to deal with Chinese toys like we do these days. I think the total lifespan of these toys are 3-4 hours max. Good luck fixing this stuff. One thing I haven't seen yet that I think would be great is a gun belt, but instead of having a gun, having multiple magazines of kleenex on it. What do you think Dad, could this be rigged up?

I am loving being a Dad though. I truly love Jhon, Leidy and Stefani and this is a blast. They are incredibly affectionate so if any of you are ever down, come on over to our house when we get back and you will be hugged to death. Of course, you will be coerced into playing some games and maybe a little dress up.
Thank you all for following our journey during this special time in our lives. We are overwhelmed by all your support. We love you all!



Leidy teaching Jim how to read





We are gone to a zoo all day tomorrow so our post won't be until very late. Have a great night everyone...

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.