More Amor

GOTCHA DAY - One Year Ago Today!

2011-01-13T20:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T11:48:00.001-08:00

The Brothers Are Home!

2010-11-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

Jesus and Victor are at home in the U.S. with their forever family. It is so amazing to see how God has worked in the lives of these children to bring them to a better place and to reunite them. We, their parents, are committed to keeping them connected throughout thier lives. I especially know the importance of keeping siblings together. My own adoption journey involves being separated from my siblings. I am so very blessed to be apart of what God is doing in the lives of these precious siblings from Colombia.

Brothers' Gotcha Day

2010-10-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

Diana and Nicolas' brothers are going to meet their adoptive parents on Wednesday the 27th of Oct. This has been a wonderful and exciting journey which began way back in early 2009. We were waiting to be matched with our children while another family was also waiting to be matched with their children. Nicole from Children's Hope International called us and asked us if we would like to have a boy and a girl rather than the two girls we were asking for. We said, "Yes, we would consider that if they felt that the children would be a good match for us." A few months later, Nicole called and told us about Diana and Nicolas. There were a few things that made their situtation unique. The first thing is that they are part of a sibling group of six that are being separated into three groups. The second thing is that the three families that adopt these children must agree to let the children keep in touch. The third thing is that they have one family that will take the two younger girls, and if we would take Diana and Nicolas, they still did not have a family for the other two boys. They would not release any of them until they had families for all of them. So, we began to pray. The Vanderveen family had agreed to take the two younger sisters and they were also praying along with their family members. This is were the brothers' parents come in. Mrs. Vanderveen's brother and his wife were praying and God began to speak to them about adopting the two brothers. They began the paper work requesting the boys and the other children were released to be adopted to their families. Both the Vanderveens and us traveled to Colombia at the same time in January 2010. We both stayed about three weeks in Colombia, which is record time. We hoped it would not take so long but here we are awaiting the boys arrival in the U.S. nearly one year after bringing Diana and Nicolas home. God is a creative God and has creative ways of making things work out for the best.

Prayers Answered....Brothers Coming Home

2010-10-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

Today Diana and Nicolas are very excited because their brothers new adoptive family is flying to Bogota and will meet the boys on Wednesday. This has been a long time coming. I'll fill you in more as the story unfolds.

Can it be Nine Months Already?

2010-10-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it has been nine months since we had our "gotcha day." Mary and I talk about it all the time. On the one hand it seems as if they have always been a part of our family, on the other hand, they have come so far in just nine months! Imagine spending the first ten years of your life without parental instruction - no rules, no talking about the way you should treat people, learning life's most important lessons from other kids who also had no parental instruction, etc. Then, you suddenly are thrust into a new country, with a new language, and lots of rules about how to act. I cannot believe they have learned the language so quickly. But, they are starting to really settle into how to act. Nicolas does not greet men by kicking them in the crotch or stomping their toes anymore. That's a big improvement.
They also can go to a restaraunt now without acting like banshees. Sunday, we went to Olive Garden with some friends and they acted like normal kids. They didn't eat off others' plates, they didn't eat so fast, or with their mouths open. It was nice.
They have a long way to go. Nicolas still does not like to be told no, and he does still throw a fit if you give him some consequence for his wrong actions. Diana occasionally still will resist and throw a fit, but neither of them last as long or are as frequent as they were. Diana is starting to think about what she is doing. She will start to have problems, then rethink her actions, weighing out the consequences, and then decide to calm down and do what her Mother asked of her. Nico is still learning this process.
In nine months, they have come a long way. I can 't wait to see what happens in the next nine months.
A bit of advice - if you are adopting, or have just adopted, it is going to be tough. Don't kid yourself. But, it won't last forever. They do change! They do grow and mature. It just takes awhile. Be patient.

Opening Up

2010-08-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

In the past few months the kids have been opening up and sharing bits and pieces of the their past. There are many things that trigger these little memories, like a storm in the early morning with thunder and lighting or a picture of their siblings. They come out when your walking along, lying on the trampoline resting or eating food that reminds them of someone. Each little tidbit is a piece of their past and makes them who they are.

2010-07-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

Nicolas' front tooth has been loose for a month

and was just barely hanging on.

Today on the trampoline the tooth came down on

Chris' wedding ring and out it came.

How cute is this picture?

Summer Daze

2010-06-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

The kids are enjoying summer. We have traveled quite a bit and done alot of fun things - swimming is their #1 fun thing to do. They are adjusting and attaching more and more every day. One of the amazing things is how quickly they are learning English. They almost always speak full English sentences to us. In fact, Diana does not want us to speak Spanish to her in public. And the funniest thing to me happened on Mother's Day. I took them to Kroger to get some flowers for Mary. We stood looking at boxes full of Roses, and I realized that like most flowers sold in the US they were all from Colombia. I thought that would be special for them. I asked Diana, "Where are you from?" I figured she would say "Colombia" and I was going to pull out some flowers and let her see the Colombia on the tag. I said "Where are you from?" and she answered "Mississippi." There you go.
The pictures are of their recent trip to Indiana.

MOTHERHOOD

2010-04-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

What does motherhood feel like? I don't know. Is it a wave of exhaustion at the end of the day? Is it a well of emotion when you least expect it? Is it a shared joy of a new skill being mastered? Is it the pain of achy muscles? Is it the joy serving a meal that is devoured in minutes with pleas for more (even if it is noodles)? Is it seeing little people enjoy the simplest things in life? Is it feeling like you are an employee at a laundry service? Is it feeling like a motivational speaker who is substituting in an elementary school class? I wonder often if I feel like a mother. I don't know what other mothers feel like. Is it a constant feeling or does it come and go? Can you forget that you are a mother? I think some people do. I have become very observant of other mothers lately. How do they respond to their kids? What do they consider to be important things to teach their kids? How do they teach those things? Do all mothers have the same fears, failures and shortcomings? Is it ok to make mistakes? These are the things the fill my thoughts lately as I approach my first official Mother's Day. Will I feel different that day? I hope so. It is hard to say what I will feel like. I can only imagine how other mothers feel. I know that on that day I will have something to celebrate. I will celebrate the fact that my two ninos are safe and sound and loved. They are precious gifts that I cherish and thank God for every day. I nearly cry when I think of what they have lived through and experienced in their lives. I want to make every day a joyous celebration of life for them. They are my joy, my reward, my life!

Jesus Alive?

2010-04-18T05:57:00.000-07:00

The chldren really enjoyed Easter. We dyed 24 dozen eggs on Friday and Saturday. Most of them were given away. They loved doing it and I don't think they had ever done it before. They went to the Church egg hunt on Saturday and had a blast. But, the best thing about Easter was our discussion about the resurrection. When I was showing them the week on a calendar they came to Good Friday and they both became sad and said "Jesus dead." As we talked I realized they were thinking He was still dead. So, I said "You know, Jesus is not dead." They both did a double take and said "What do you mean?" I got their Bible out and showed them a picture of His death, and then turned to the resurrection. They got so excited and started yelling "Jesus alive! Jesus alive!" Now, whenever we mention Jesus they say "Jesus is alive!" I even heard Diana saying that in the shower last night. We all should be that excited!

Palm Sunday

2010-04-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

The kids sang in the Children's Choir on Palm Sunday. They wore their new clothes that their aunt Katie bought them. They love to dress up and love to sing. They had been practicing for several weeks. Nicolas learned the chorus to "There is a Redeemer." He sang really loud, "Thank you, Oh my father for giving us your son," and hummed and mumbled the rest.

So Cute!

Baseball

2010-04-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

We have been teaching the kids to play baseball. Diana is a switch hitter. Nicolas is usually laying in the out field picking flowers when the ball comes by him.

Papi's Bithday

2010-04-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Papi's birthday was a great day. He got hand made cards complete with Spiderman stickers and original art work. Our friends came over and we grilled steaks and had chocolate tort.

Road Trip

2010-04-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

New cousins!

Diana, Lori and Nicolas

We took a trip to Indiana for the kids to meet thier family. They met nearly all of their aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides including my brother Roger and my sister Katie from New York and brother from Ohio who came just to meet the kids. They even met their Great Grandmother who is 94.

Diana, Momo and Nicolas

(Great Grandmother)

We stayed at my parents house. The kids were so excited to meet their grandma and grandpa that they had been talking to on the phone. They kissed and hugged them. My mom has very limited mobility. Diana was so sweet. She wanted to help with everything and kissed and hugged her all the time. Nicolas lost his second baby tooth in the car on the way. He got $1.00 dollar for it under his pillow and one from grandpa. My dad kept joking with him about pulling the rest so he could get more money. Nicolas loves jokey around so they hit it off well.

Uncle Brian

Our First Trip To The Zoo!

2010-04-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

It was beautiful day and we had a great time at the Jackson Zoo. The kids were especially excited to see the monkeys and the aligators. Diana is still worried about aligators living in Mississippi. We saw two new baby animals. They have a baby giraffe and baby chimp just a few days old. One of the other highlights of our trip was a giant blue snowcone which makes your entire mouth blue. Here are some pictures of our day.

The Great Swing Set Adventure

2010-03-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you Aunt Reba, Cousin Shannon and families for the swing set. Papi and the kids worked hard for three days. Then our friends Ric and Peggy came and helped us. Mami and Peggy took the kids on a couple of long walks and bike rides to keep them out of the way. The men finished the slide section and the next morning the whole family put the swing section up and anchored it all down. We just have to put the canvas coverings on. The kids love it!

Highlights

2010-03-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

The kids were invited to a skating Bithday Party.

They both got the hang of it after awhile with a little help from some friends.

My sister Reba, her daughter Kate and grand-daughter Abbey came to visit. They brought among other gifts, a Spiderman Bingo game, which was a big hit.

Gift Card Shower

2010-03-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

Our wonderful church family gave us a gift card shower. What a wonderful gift. We recieved nearly $1,400.00 in cards, cash, and gifts. They have been a great support to us throughout the entire adoption process. We love and appreciate each and everyone of them. These children and adults who have prayed and waited for two years to meet these children from Colombia are as excited as we are to get to know them and be a part of their lives. It is a wonderful thing to see your prayers become flesh and blood. What a great testimony to God's faithfulness. To think that you are the answer to someone else's prayer is an even greater testimony to God's love and care for us all. What did Diana and Nicolas pray for? It makes you wonder. Why did God place them in our care and in the care of our loving church family. It is a great responsibilty and it is only with God's help that we can face this task.

Reflections

2010-03-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to be a mom. It seems to be the most natural thing I have every done. From day one and the first hug it seemed to be exactly what I was meant to be. I did not expect it to be this easy to make such a huge transition in my life. I thought it would be emotionally difficult for me. Not so, I love what I do. I have a purpose and I feel a sense of accomplishment everyday. I love cooking, cleaning, and laundry because I have the time to do it. It still gets backed up at times, but it is not overwhelming. I am learning to say "no" to many of the extra activities I was formerly invovled in. That does not bother me so much. Although, I do feel that my friends may be disappointed that I cannot spend as much time with them. I know that this will change as the kids get more settled and I am able to leave them more. I am however, committed to spending as much time with them as possible during this first year especially. I think the hardest thing is not getting to go places with my husband that I have always gone. We have always done things together and now we have to divide and do things separately - which is working well. He has been great. He does the grocery shopping and helps with anything that I need him to do. We have become a great team. He cooks breakfast. I do the lunches and get the kids dressed. He helps with dishes and entertains while I cook supper. We both do bath and bed time. So far, it is working like a well oiled machine. (As long as we stick to the schedule.)

The things we like to do are bike riding as a family, long walks to the neighbor's pond to see the geese and watch our dog Gal chase them into the water, visit the neighbor's miniture horses, ride bikes with our neighbor's son, Christian, and jump on the trampoline. We talk about the animals and plants as we walk and say their names in English. We come home and look at animal pictures on the computer and talk about the ones that live here in Mississippi. We told Diana that there are aligators in MS and showed her a picture on the computer. Today she did not want to go see the geese. We finally figured out why. She was afraid of the "Crocodiles" in the pond. We had to convince her that there were none in that pond. Convincing Diana of anything is a great accomplishment. She does not trust anything you tell her. She has to see or experience it herself before she will believe it.

The most frustrating thing for me is dealing with selfishness and ungratefulness. I wonder how children who have had nothing, can expect everything and not be happy with anything. It seems like the more you do the less they appreciate it. Were they spoiled in their foster homes? I don't know. Parents, is this a kid thing or is it unique to their situation as adopted kids? I need some advice. My mom was very serious about us being polite and making sure we acted appropriately, saying thank you and showing our appreciation for what anyone did for us. I have never seen children get something new and complain that someone got more or that it wasn't good enough. "Where are the other gifts?" He got four things and I got three so I will cry and throw a fit. So much for, "Thank you mommy. I love my new clothes or toys." They end up getting in trouble and ruining any pleasure they could get from their new things. Suggestions welcome.

Learning to Ride Bikes

2010-02-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

Our First Snow Day

2010-02-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

The kids had their first snow day after only four days of school. A snow day in Mississippi is unheard of, but we got eight inches of snow in our town. That was more than anywhere in the whole state. I think it was just for my little ninos. They had never seen snow and it was an exciting day. They woke up at 5:30am and started getting dressed. We had to convince them to put on more clothes. They had no idea how cold it was. They still can't understand why they have to wear long sleeves and layers of clothes. Papi played in the snow with them all day long. Snowball fights, snowmen and even some of Papi's famous snowcream. We are from Indiana and grew up with lots of snow in the winter. We always made ice cream out of snow. The kids loved this because ice cream is one of their favorite food groups.

Another highlight of our snow day was that our electricity went off Friday morning and did not come back on until Saturday night. We had to sleep in the living room by the fireplace and snuggle up under all the blankets in the house. We cooked chicken and dumplings, mashed potatos and biscuits on the grill. Our neighbors came to the rescue and brought some firewood and a generator. We are very blessed to be a part of a great community.

The First Day of School

2010-02-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

The kids started school yesterday. They were so excited. We dropped them off at 7:45 and I picked them up at 2:45pm. They came out of class and Nicolas was yelling, "School tomorrow," in spanish. They were very happy and the teachers said it was a good day. We decided to send them to school right away because they were in school in Colombia and loved it. They are extremely social kids. They play well with others and need to be exposed to as much English as possible. They are learning so much already. Diana is picking up on things that I say and repeating them to Nicolas. Everyday our communication is getting better. Nicolas is starting to express himself more without Diana. The other day he was trying to tell us he wanted to play the Doctor Game. (Operation) We all thought he was saying that he needed to go to the doctor and get more shots. His gestures looked like injections, but he was acting out the tweezers taking the parts out on his own body. Even Diana did not know what he was asking. Mami was the winner and figured out what he was asking.

Chicken Dinner at the Lohrstorfer Corral

2010-02-05T22:45:00.000-08:00

Today was Mami's Birthday and Immunization Day for the kidos. So, this meant an ugly morning at the doctor's office. Five shots each and lot of screaming later, we were done. Diana was not one bit happy and I did not know if she would forgive me for letting this happen and Nicolas gave one of his well earned Spiderman stickers to a little boy in the waiting room as he left the office. This is the reason, Mami decided to fix dinner and celebrate her first Birthday at home with the ninos, Papi, Tio Ric and Tia Peggy.

After a few hours of lying on the couch watching Scooby Do and a nap for Diana, the ninos were ready to go. So, Diana and Mami started peeling vegetables. (That girl can peel a carrot in no time flat.) Papi and Nicolas decided to resume their gun fight, since Nicolas earned back his pistols. (He lost pistol privilege for a couple of days.) There is nothing like preparing a chicken dinner with an excited 10 year old peeling carrots and running out the door with them to see what Papi and Nicolas are doing or with a 7 year hiding in the laundry room and yelling, "ARRRIBA!" when he surprises Papi with his pistol drawn. You gotta love it!

Settling In

2010-02-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

Well, we are settling in to our life. The kids get up at 6 in the morning and are hungry right away. They want eggs! After that they have to go and see our neighbor's horses. We clean their rooms, play a few games and then eat lunch. Again, they like to eat. They eat supper at 6 or so and want to put on their pajamas right away. After some tv or games or puzzles, they go to bed and I read to Nicolas and Mary spends some time with Diana. We have discussed switching that around a bit and me taking Diana, etc. It seems that she wants to spend some time with me, but Nicolas won't allow it. We have to work on that. She needs some Papi time.

The kids went to the doctor today and got 5 shots each! They did not appreciate that a lick! But, these were important because they are going to be starting school Monday. They will be enrolled at REBUL Academy just 7 minutes from the house. The classes are small and the teachers and students are excited about them coming. Several of our Church kids go there.

Tonight we celebrated Mary's birthday - the kids were very excited and couldn't hardly wait to give Mary her card from them. Our good friends Ric and Peggy Thompson came over and had dinner with us, and we had a good time.

We will see how school affects them. We hope that the structure is going to help. Stay tuned...

Papi Day

2010-02-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Today was Papi Day. Mami was so sick when we got home and she had to go to the doctor early Monday morning. We were anxious to see how this would go. Papi can leave because he usually brings back food. But, Mami cannot even close the door to go to the bathroom without knocking on the door her name being called over and over. So, I got up and got ready to go to the doctor. Chris was up and had yogurt waiting for the hungry ninos. Then I took over and got them in the shower and dressed while Papi got dressed. Then they joined Papi for his morning walk with our dog Gal. Today they went to the neighbors to feed apples to the horses. I finished getting ready and had fruit and pigs in blankets (left by our church ladies) waiting for the rest of their breakfast. Then they wanted to go to church. So, Papi took them to church and they wanted to have Mass. So, Papi called a student to translate and let them know that we have church only on Sunday and Wednesday. (Papi is the pastor of an Independent Methodist Church.) Meanwhile, I went to the doctor and then to Walmart to fill my prescriptions and do some shopping for jeans, Leggos, a baby doll, (Diana has been making everything her baby including Nicolas, so I thought she needed a baby doll.) and some army men. (The army men were for Papi more than Nicolas.) Papi showed Nicolas how to set them up on opposing sides and take turns shooting each other's men with a rubberband.

While I was in Walmart the kids had to call and talk to me. They said, "Come home now!" So I got home as soon as I could. I expected them to be waiting and run to meet me. But, no greeting. I opened the door and saw three sleeping beauties. Papi on the floor and Diana and Nicolas on the couch. They had a big day with Papi. He took them to their school and got a tour, met their teachers and classmates, jumped on the trampoline, and had corn dogs for the first time. Papi Day was a big success. Oh, and did I mention that they cleaned their rooms, made their beds and Nicolas took out the trash with Papi's help. Wow, I like Papi Day!

The Trip Home

2010-01-31T23:36:00.001-08:00

We landed in Jackson around 10 Saturday night. The trip home was long (we left the hotel at 6 Central for a total of a 16 hour day. Our preparation for the return payed off on several levels:

First, we prepared the kids for the travel. We spent some time talking with them about flying and what it was going to be like. Once we started explaining our travel plans, the kids would go outside anytime they heard a plane and look up in the sky and yell "Avion!" They got excited about travelling. When we left Neiva we looked out the window and said "chow Neiva!" The kids started saying "chow Bogota. Hola United States!"

Second, We prepared them for their new home. One of the best pieces of advice we got from blogs was to make a video of our home. We made a video the week before we left. One of our South American students from Wesley College translated for us. We had kids at the Church give messages, and we went around the house, especially their bedrooms. The day we got the kids we showed them the video. We watched it almost everyday while in Colombia. They got really excited about their bedrooms. They also got to see our dog Gal. We were afraid they would be scared of her. She is a 90 pound Border Collie and she gets real excited. Seeing her on video, they would kiss the screen and yell "Perrito" rolling their R's in a real crisp way. When they got home, they were very excited to see her and to see their rooms.

When we got to the Jackson airport, there were several people from the Church and College waiting for us with balloons and gift bags. The kids loved it. They were blown away! When we got to the house some of the ladies had decorated, brought food, and put up a welcome banner. And of course our neighbor had bought and put up a trampoline for us. Wow!

Church on Sunday morning went well too. They were accepted and loved by all the children, and the adults made a big deal of them too. They were really in their element (these kids are hams!).

How are they adjusting? Well, they have slept in their own rooms each night. That is good start. In Colombia we had to all be in the same room and Nicolas told me he couldn't sleep alone in a bed. They were so excited about their rooms they were looking forward to sleeping in them. They are still exploring the house but they seem very comfortable here. We'll see how this week goes, but I feel pretty good so far.

P.S. Today we went to our neighbor's house to thank them for the trampoline. Our dog Gal always chases behind us to their house, but expects a ride home. Today our car was full so she didn't get her ride home. So, Gal stayed up at the neighbor's house. This is not unusual, and we know she will eventually come home. But the kids were so upset we had to ride back to the neighbor's and get the dog. Gal got her ride home, the kids got their dog.

Coming Home

2010-01-29T11:46:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I want to get home. Chris and I have been sick for the last week with a severe sinus infection. Wednesday when we arrived in Bogota I started breaking out in hives. This was most likely due to stress and the many bed bug bites I got from the cot in our hotel room in Neiva a few days into our stay. I have been in a battle with the little buggers ever since. I am anxious to get the kids home and establish a set routine. They need a settling atmosphere. There has been a big difference here in Bogota in just the short time that we have been here. They are much more calm and they have more freedom. There are a lot of kids here to play with and this has been a break for us.

I want people to know that adopted children come with a lot of baggage, even though we recieved them with only the clothes on their backs. We are just beginning to unpack their luggage. It is hard to remember that they are not typical children. They have deficits that you just don't think about until they are apparent. In many ways they are like toddlers. You have to watch them every minute. They put everthing in their mouths. We started saying, "Adios," to any food that fell on the ground to let them know that it was gone and not to be eaten. We have a lot of work to do. We try to tackle one thing at a time. It is a daunting task, but we are committed to them and cannot wait to see how they transform.

Home will be an exciting experience. They can't wait to get there and I can't wait to get them there. I am ready to begin our life together as a family in our community.

Party at the Plaza Hotel

2010-01-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

The management and staff at the Plaza Hotel in Neiva were the best. They took great interest in our family. I think they knew we were in over our heads a bit, especially since we did not know the language very well. They would take it upon themselves to correct the children when they were acting up. We wanted to thank them for all their help with Diana and Nicolas so we bought a Tres Leche Cake to share with them and translated our sentiment to them.

Packing Up

2010-01-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

We are leaving Bogota Saturday morning after a little more than 2 and 1/2 weeks in Colombia. Wow! I cannot believe it has gone so fast, and that it has happened so fast. I was fully expecting 4 weeks and hoping for 3 and 1/2.

Bogota Update

2010-01-28T05:35:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Bogota yesterday, got the kids passports, they saw the doctor and we have the papers from him to take to the Embassy to apply for their Visas this morning. If the Embassy is open Friday we will go back to get them and fly home on Saturday.

Back to Bogota

2010-01-26T19:40:00.000-08:00

We are leaving in the morning for Bogota. We have all of the things that we need. We have both birth certificates. We thought that they would have to be sent later, however, the lawyer brought them both today. This means we can get started on our business in Bogota sooner. It is sad to see the children leave their native Neiva, but they are excited and so are we. The change in scenery will be good for them.

Sentencia!

2010-01-26T10:56:00.000-08:00

We signed our sentencia today! The kids are officially ours. We are going to Bogota tomorrow and will finish out our paperwork there. Being there will also allow us to get out and play a bit. Hopefully then, we can go home by next Thursday.

Siblings and such

2010-01-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been interesting. On Monday we recieved our integracion - so we are on our way to the courts. That also means we could let the kids see their sisters who are also being adopted. We all met and went to an amusement park for some fun and then ate at the mall. We went home to find the kids having some issues. Diana takes on the Mommy roll around her sisters. So, when we got home the kids did not want to mind and basically threw a huge fit. The next day we met at lunch and the same thing happened. Diana is dealing with 10 years of stress and lack of needs being met. This is painful for her - and for us right now. But, we will get through it with time and discipline. We have given more time-ins on the bed in the last two days than we did the first week.
Meanwhile, we are still learning the kids and them us. We are waiting for our Sentencia, which coud be any day. It has been a great process and we are ready to see it in action at our own home!

The Magdelina River

2010-01-22T06:49:00.000-08:00

Court!

2010-01-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

We met today with our lawyer and it seems we are in a good court. She said that Nicolas' Birth Certificate is going to be a little harder to get, so she thinks by Tuesday at the latest we should be done and going to Bogota. There, we will have a few items to accomplish, maybe a few days.
The process has been interesting, but I am ready to be home and see what life looks like in our routine.

Tonight we went to the Mexican Restaurant down the street. The kids did pretty well. They may be the slowest service in a Mexican joint on the planet, though. When we left there, the kids had to go "chi chi." We wanted to stop for ice cream at the store anyway, so we looked the bano there. Diana had to come up with the pesos for her bathroom though. After that, we stopped to say good night at the shoe store (we have to stop there every time we pass by) only to find that Mary had put Nicolas' shoes on the wrong foot! We both said "What kind of parents are we?"

1-17-10

2010-01-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

Today I think we are seeing the true personalities of our ninos. They are getting stir crazy and so are we. I can't wait to be able to get out and go to a play ground. They are needing some time to run and play. We had about four time-ins today. Diana shared two of them. Two for fighting and two for disobeying. We are not doing bad considering the communication difference. They are literally like kids in a candy store. They want to eat, drink, touch and experience everything. It is all new. They have huge appetites, but their eyes are bigger than their their bellies. They play hard, eat heartily and love with passion. The social worker said they have high expectations of us and I can totally believe that. They have high expectations of everything. We love them as much as we possibly can. It seems as though they have always been with us.

1-19-10

2010-01-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

Today we slept a little later. The morning was pretty slow until Papi the Hulk was sqeezed between the crack in the two beds and covered with pillows. Then it was time for breakfast in the Hotel restaurant. Even that went well. We are limiting the juice and sugar intake. It is making a big difference. After breakfast we went to the play ground at the supermarket. This has been great for us and them. We both get a break from each other. They make friends easily and love to play. Afterwards we swam again we had lunch in room (ham and pineapple pizza.) Then we watched our video of their rooms a couple of times. They began role play with Nicolas being the waiter. They played this off and on serving us Chocolate bread, soft drink and water. In the middle they played in the sink with the scuba Spiderman and Diana washed her Barbie’s hair. This is the first time that they have played together and did not need our constant attention. I consider it a break through. Today they just floated in the pool and relaxed some of the time. They have been getting the consequence thing. Diana has been having to choose between disobeying and consequences. But,they are getting it.

Neiva, Colombia

2010-01-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

Family

2010-01-19T01:50:00.000-08:00

At 4:30 a.m. I am thinking - family is complicated. I was amazed at how the kids did not hesitate to see us as their family when they walked in the room that first day. They had been well prepared to see us as their mami and papi and did not even consider it other wise. I would have been saying "let's wait and see." Not them. They were looking for a family.
They mentioned their two sisters Monica and Kelly the other night in prayer. The family adopting them (just down the street) had a good integration yesterday too. Hopefully that means we can let them see each other now. During our intergration meeting the social worker told the kids that they will see their brothers and sisters in the US. Diana's eyes filled up and she looked at us for confirmation. When we said yes she smiled.
The kids love to talk to "Abuelito and Abuelita"(Mary's parents) on the phone. Mary's Dad's birthday is today and they have practiced singing happy birthday (half English, half Spanish)and we will call him today and sing it to him.
These kids will be well loved because we have a large extended family. They will soak in!

Integration

2010-01-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

We had our Integration meeting today. The purpose of this meeting is to determine if we are all happy with the adoption and if we are ready to proceed to the court process. We met with our interpreter, lawyer, and two ladies from the Family Services deptartment. We met in the restaraunt of the Hotel and we had water (for Mary and myself) and fruit drinks. They asked a few questions about our daily routine, the kids' behavior, and whether we were happy with the process. They asked the kids some questions along the same line. When they were done they said we all were happy and we were doing a good job with the kids. That means tomorrow we start the court process. Pray for a fast court! The kids are anxious to get to the USA. They ask every day if we are going tomorrow.

More Fun Than a Barrel of Monkeys

2010-01-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

These kids are more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I'll give you the highlights of our trip so far. We have shopped every day. We needed jeans and shoes. Of course we needed juice, yogart, and chips, which Nicolas calls cheetos, no matter what kind they are. This boy loves his cheetos. They are a great bargaining tool along with the pool and the pesos that Papi gives them everyday. They collect them up and fight over them. When they fight I get them,"Awww Maammiii." Diana says and Nicolas pokes out his lip and tries to squeeze a few tears. Time-ins are starting to be needed. We sit on the bed and watch the five minutes pass on the phone clock. We eat lunch out or Papi gets something from the Cafe. Then another walk and the pool before supper.

The first day we were out Nicolas saw a lady on the street with a sick baby. I could not understad what she was saying, but Nicolas looked up at me and with a sad face said, "Awww." The next day he gave her a gumball for the little boy, even though he had put it in his mouth already. Then later both he and Diana put coins in the cups of the people they saw in front of the grocery store begging. Nicolas gave the lady with the little boy a peso as we went home that day.

Another day we were about to cross the street when a mouse came running at us. Nicolas, Diana and I all jumped and screemed. The people around us started laughing and the mouse ran down the middle of the street.

Shoes and other things

2010-01-15T04:15:00.001-08:00

Yesterday went well. We ventured out to buy shoes. Nicolas informed us yesterday that he was going to need some shoes. Diana, following in Mary's well-heeled footsteps bought three pair for herself. We went to get an ice cream after that and they were excited, but behaved well. (Sometimes Nicolas can't sit still so he runs around.) Diana is much more controlled. She is a fashionista though. She has to have her sunglasses on, clothes just right and hair fixed. Saturday we are going to the Magdalena river and do some running around. We'll see how that goes. Meanwhile, Monday is our integration meeting. The psychologists are coming by our Hotel to see how the kids are getting along. If that goes well, we are on to the court stage.

The Lohrstorfers After

2010-01-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

This is our first family photo.

Gotcha!

2010-01-14T05:41:00.000-08:00

Our meeting with the kids was fantastic! We met with the people who have been working with them - you can tell they really love these kids. We talked for about 40 minutes, asking questions and talking about all the details. Finally, some lady came in and said, "we have to stop, the kids want to meet you." Right after that, the door flew open and there stood Nicolas, a big cheesey grin on his face and he said, "Me papi!" and started hugging and kissing me. Diana was right behind him with the same. The kids are very happy and excited. They are also qite a handful - they are bossy and very active.
We went swimming last night, and afterwards ate supper. They were tired early and wanted to go to bed. Nicolas had told me at the meeting that he might be afraid to sleep by himself - they decided to push the beds together and all of us sleep together. It was quite interesting. Nicolas had to have me right in front of him and he would hug and kiss me until he fell asleep.
We had to have a 2 a.m. change of clothes (too much water at supper)and then they went back to sleep. Mary and I stayed up and tallked most of the night. We were up at 6:30 and I went to get them breakfast. These kids eat like a horse! I will go broke trying to feed Nicolas.

Arrival

2010-01-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Bogota on Monday night - late. The VanderVeens met us in Atlanta. They are adopting the younger siblings of our kids and they were great to be with- they speak Spanish! Andres (our guide) was waiting on us and we went immediately to buy tickets for the next day's flight to Neiva. What a rocky flight, by the way. Andes Mountains plus wind = bumpy. We stayed the night at the Casa de la Lantana. Great people there and I look forward to going back there after sentencia.

Once we landed in Neiva we were met by our lawyer and our translater. They grabbed us right away and told us were being split up. It seems Diana is "strong" and they want to split up the younger girls from her so they can be more comfortable to bond with their new family. I totally get that. So, now we are waiting for our time - 2 p.m. We will meet with the social workers and our lawyer and then we get the kids!!! Oh boy. We have gifts for the kids and we will take a few minutes to get to know them and then we come back to the hotel with them. Oh yeah, and we have ordered cake and drinks for the meeting. That should make them smile.

Taking Flight

2010-01-11T04:15:00.000-08:00

It has probably been 20 years since Mary and I first discussed the prospect of adopting some day. The thought of reaching out to those who have no hope of a family and taking them in was always a romantic idea I guess. It is funny how you get used to a dream. But, after all these years of dreaming of adopting I find myself getting on a plane today - heading to Bogota Colombia where my dreams will take flight, and I will meet my kids. This is going to be a crazy week.

Nesting?

2010-01-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

Only two days to finish all the details. I have had two years to prepare for this trip. What have I been doing? It seems like I would be ready. I just keep finding more things that I want to do before the kids come. Although we did spend the last year remodeling the parsonage. I think I am nesting. After all, I am pregnant on paper and about to experience birth.

Travel Phone Call

2010-01-06T06:18:00.000-08:00

On Monday the 4th. We had our 2 hour travel phone call. Nichole from CHI went through every detail of our trip with us. There was a lot of information to get down. I took notes and had our travel manual at hand. The only thing that really worries me is having all the paper work needed. I will be checking this over and over to make sure that all is in order.

THE VISAS CAME!!!!!!

2010-01-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

I spent the morning calling and emailing the consulate. Their voicemail was full they were saying to call back later and then hanging up. Of course it was all in Spanish. So I had a Puruvian Student call and verify what they were saying. Ready to spend the day calling again and again. I heard a knock at the door. A quick glance out the window revealed the UPS truck. Could it be? Yes, it was the VISAS!!!!!

Still No Visas

2010-01-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

Starting to worry a little. I checked the tracking number on the UPS website and our visas have not been sent yet. The Colombian Consulate website said that they would be closed from the 25th of Dec. through the 1st of January. Even though the lady at the Consulate said that the lady doing special visas would be back on the Dec. 28th. I am praying that she will be in on the 4th and I will call early that morning.

Visa Adventure

2009-12-28T18:34:00.000-08:00

Last Monday we went to the Colombian Consulate in Atlanta. Our instructions were to bring all the needed paperwork, show up, take a ticket and wait for our turn. They open at 8:00am and close at 1:30pm. So, we got to the Consulate and opened the door to find 70 Colombians shoulder to shoulder in a tiny room with two windows and two ladies behind them. Only one window was open for business. The ticket number machine was empty and the digital number display said #89. I knew we were in trouble. There was no indication of a line, just a crowd. So we started to make our way to the window. It was obvious that we were not Colombian and this little white hair man seemed to be interested in that fact. He sized us up pretty quickly and when we got next to him he blurted out, "Do you have a number?" He showed us his and we replied, "No, the machine is empty." He and the lady next to him then informed us that you have to come at 5:00am to get a ticket number and they only give out 100 tickets. If your number is not called then you come at 5:00am the next day. The lady had been there since the Friday before. "We live 400 miles away. We can't do that." we told them. "So do we." they all replied. Then the lady asked,"What are you doing?" "I just need to leave these papers for an Adoption Visa." I told her. "Why don't you ask them at the window if you can leave them. They can tell you whatever they want." she said. So, with determination I made my way to the window, got a lady's attention and explained my situation. She said that the lady who does the special visas would not be in until the 28th. So, I explained that I had a return envelope for her to mail the visas to me and that all the papers were there. She took my phone number and the date that I was traveling. She said it would be fine, then she winked and sent me on my way. Thank you Lord for the nice lady at the Colombian Consulate.

Time to Pack

2009-12-10T04:09:00.000-08:00

Everything is now coming together - our paperwork is in order and our tickets are purchased. All we have left is to go to Atlanta next week to the Colombian consulate to get a Visa for our court business, and of course the biggest challenge yet -packing.

It is just as I predicted. We have been waiting and waiting. Time seemed to go so slow. Now that everything is moving, its moving fast! We are feeling like it is slipping through our fingers. But, boy is it going to be good to get to Colombia and get our kids! We better get to packing.

Introducing!!!

2009-11-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

The moment you have been waiting for.....Diana and Nicolas Lohrstorfer.

Officially-Offical

2009-11-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

We received the official acceptance from Colombia. We will be traveling on January 11th to Bogota and the next day on to Nieva the birth city of our children. We will meet the kids on January 13th. From there, the adventure begins! We are very excited about this process coming to a close. We have been waiting and working for a long time - and it is finally here! Just about the time you think it will never happen... we get the call! The next few weeks are going to be crazy.

Sending Acceptance Letter!

2009-11-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

We are sending our letter of acceptance asking the to meet the children on January 13th. We will be waiting for the official response from the ICBF.

Referral!

2009-11-16T09:48:00.003-08:00

Today we got the call... THE CALL! Nichole from CHI called to tell us we have been referred to Nicolas and Diana. That means it is official - we are waiting now for the travel date, probably early to mid January. Oh boy... so many things to do before we get there. We will post their pictures as soon as we are allowed.

The clock is ticking

2009-10-01T04:57:00.000-07:00

Things are really getting excititng! We are just waiting on the stamp of approval from the ICBF - the Colombian Government - and then we prepare for travel! While we wait we are doing some last minute arranging. We have Nicolas' room painted and are decorating it now. Diana's room has been painted for some time but we are finishing the decorating. We are doing some organizing of the house in general. The kids are described as energetic and outgoing. With that in mind, we have to be prepared. These past 23 years we have lived pretty loose in the sense of our time and life. But no more. If we are not on top of it all we will be behind it all. So, we are trying to organize and arrange things so that we can stay in control even with two monkeys running around.

So, when do we go? Soon I hope. In fact, Diana's birthday is November 8 and I hope we can be there for it. In order for that to happen we have to have some movement in the next week. We are surrendering it all to God's hands - that is the best place for it to be.

News from the South

2009-08-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

We heard today from our Program Director who is in Colombia this week. She told us that the governmental agency (ICBF) may be moving or already has moved our paperwork to the region for our kids - that means its on the way to happening. She actually feels we definitely could be travelling this fall. Its interesting to me that all this time we have worked for this but now it seems so real. Maybe it is more than a dream. We'll keep you informed when we find out more.

The News

2009-07-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Here is how things are progressing: Some time ago our agency was asked to find three homes for six siblings ranging from 3 to 12 years old. They have been deemed adoptable for two years now, and it was decided that their best bet was to be split up - however, they wanted them placed in homes who would let them see each other occasionally, and interact with each other as they grew up. We were asked about a 7 year old boy and his 9 year old sister. I must admit, they are a perfect match for Mary and me - extroverted, adventurous, a bit mischevious. We told our agency we would do it! But, the only hold up was that two of the siblings did not have a home yet. Now, we are told that all siblings have homes! The other four are to be adopted by two families that are related to each other. They will live in the same town, basically as cousins. So, now we are waiting to find out when the Colombian government will release the kids to us. As soon as we are given the green light, we will go get them.
Stay tuned... it's about to get interesting!

Acceptance!

2009-07-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we have a bit of news - the Colombian governmental agency that approves people for adoption (called the ICBF) accepted our dossier on May 21st. That means we are good to go when all the details are worked out. Keep praying! We are getting closer.

Finally... Action!

2009-06-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

After quite awhile, we have heard something! Our agency has asked us to consider the adoption of two siblings - a boy and a girl. That is a bit different than when we started this journey. Originally, we had thought of two girls, but we are open to whatever the Lord has for us. Pray for us as we prayerfully consider this option, while still waiting for the Colombian Government to contact us about our acceptance.

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

2009-03-27T04:39:00.000-07:00

Well, we are waiting. It has been right at a year now since we decided to adopt. Last March we made our application to Children's Hope International to adopt in their Colombia Program. You know, I understand everyone's impatience when they adopt. When they decide to have kids, they want them now. But, I can honestly say, its a good thing to wait a bit.

Generally speaking, when you have a vision for something, you don't have a good idea of what the vision is going to really end up being. You either start out too big or too small. It takes a while to develop a vision, to roll it around on the tongue, to shape it into its final form. The same is true with adoption. This past year has been a great time to think and plan and figure out who we are and who we are going to be as parents.

Now we are coming to the end of the process. We are ready (as ready as you can be) for our kids. Whoever they are, whatever we need to do, it is time, and we are ready and waiting. Hopefully any day now we will receive word that we are fully accepted. Meanwhile...

One Step Closer!

2009-03-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

Well, we have sent all our paperwork in now. We just have to wait for the Colombian government to give us full acceptance. After a whole year of doing paperwork and meetings and jumping through hoops, we may be done. The good thing is, we should be accepted in just a few weeks.

All this past year I have tried to not get excited. I guess I didn't want to hold that level of excitement for too long - that's how people get depressed when things don't go according to their timing. But now... I am starting to get excited!!!!

Hurry Up and Wait

2009-02-16T16:27:00.000-08:00

Well, we have been putting together a few extra things for the Government Office in Colombia. I got my Doctor's stuff quick enough, now we are playing phone tag with our social worker. She is really busy. As soon as we can get our stuff from her, we will send it back. Our Program Director says that once we get accepted we should get our referral quickly. That makes it seem a little more real. We have alot to do before we are ready for two kids to bust up in our house! The bad/good thing is that we don't even know half of what we need to do yet. Oh boy.

Yes, We Have Heard from Colombia

2009-01-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

Yes, we have heard from Colombia. They are asking for three more pieces of information and we are working on those. Of course they all have to be obtained through other people and they all have to be notarized and apostilled. This is a good thing and as soon as we get these documents to them hopefully we will be approved. Pray for us as we get one step closer.

Home for Christmas

2008-12-31T07:41:00.000-08:00

I smelled the fir tree and admired its perfect shape. I had spent nearly an hour picking it out while Chris was shopping in Kroger. After stringing the lights and garnishing it with ribbon, I pulled out each ornament and reminisced about where I had gotten it before I hung in the perfect place on the tree. All of our ornaments have a history and I remember the people who gave them to me and places from which I got them every year as pull them out one by one.

There is one particular ornament that caught my eye. It doesn't have some great history. I bought it at Cracker Barrel a few years ago. It's just a little round mirror with the statement, "All hearts come home for Christmas." It ocurred to me that my children would not be home for Christmas this year, at least not in their forever home.

Chris and I had a great Christmas. We shared the true meaning of Christmas with our church family and attended lots of parties. Then we traveled home for Christmas and spent lots of time with our families. We even got to visit with my 93 year old birth-grandmother and my aunt. We hosted parties, cooked a lot and even prepared and shared a Birthday breakfast with my mom on the 27th. We returned home and de-Christmased the house.

This Christmas was an exciting time for me. I wanted to buy toys and clothes. I checked out all the latest and greatest toys, wishing I knew who my kids were and what they would like. I CAN'T WAIT!

On the other hand, I wondered where my children were and what they would get for Christmas this year. I wondered if they got a hug and a gift of their very own. I wanted them to be, "Home for Christmas."

Bye Bye Ram, Hello Papimobile

2008-11-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

We are still waiting for word about our paperwork. We hope to hear it made it to Colombia soon.

We traded my Dodge Ram for a Dodge Journey, a crossover with room for more women. My truck was 10 years old and needed some work, and we knew we would have to expand our travelability, so we took the plunge.

This is a symbolic move toward parenthood - to put away the power and testosterone of a Ram for a papimoble. Papis make sacrifices. It's what we do.

We Have Movement!

2008-11-13T05:41:00.000-08:00

We have some movement on our paperwork! We have sent everything in, it has been examined, and it will be moving to Colombia today. Woohoo! From here it will be translated and then sent to the proper government officials who will give it the look over. Pray that it will move through with no complications - and that it will be approved quickly.

We feel very patient at the moment. We know we have several projects to finish before we get there. In the meantime, we are preparing for the holidays. Between our families in Indiana, our Church, and the College, we have a lot to do.

Welcome to our blog!

2008-11-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

We are creating this blog for our friends and family as we make our way through the adoption process.

After 22 years of marriage and no biological children, we decided to pursue international adoption with Children's Hope International. After considering several choices we felt led to adopt sisters from Colombia, South America. God is giving us "more amor" as we prepare our hearts and home for children.

We have sent in our completed dossier (stacks of paperwork detailing our life and parental possibilities) and are now awaiting further instructions. Hopefully, we will get news of our paperwork passing the intitial inspection and moving to Colombia soon.

Pray for us as we continue this rollercoaster ride toward parenthood.