Giradot

Christmas morning we packed into Johnny's taxi for a 3 hour car ride to Giradot. We had no idea the scenary was going to be so amazing! The mountains and valleys were like none I've scene. It was also a sobering car ride passing through some very poor barrios...we rode up and down and all around, dropping from a high altitude down into a low valley...we also discovered something new about Caroline...she gets very car sick. Ugh! Yes, in 90 degree weather, and vomit all over myself and Caroline, the last 30 minutes in the car proved to be challenging...but, we made it! All the kids could think about was getting into the pool!

Katya's "hot" house was nice...

...that is...once we got passed all the little creatures living inside with us...


...the pool was the real highlight of the vacation...

...just footsteps from our door...

...we saw the special connection between Caroline and Marta...they definitely are bonded together...

...we witnessed Caroline overcoming another fear in the pool...going down the slide...(that is with Daddy or Mommy catching her at the bottom)...

...brother and sister beginning to actually enjoy each other, and admit it...at least once a day...

...Marta content just watching everyone play in the pool...

...and most importantly, more trust being built between daddy and Caroline...not to say they still have a ways to go....in 4 weeks, they have come so far!!!

One day we thought we'd venture to the large "resort" pool...

the food was great...

...the views, specatcular...

...and the kids loved the grande pool! That is for an hour, at least...we were told we needed to pay $75 to swim there...we naturally opted to go back to our wonderful little pool at the house...

...Isabel mastered her dive...

Silas still wishing he could do more than put his feet in the beautiful grande pisina...

...Caroline loving the new outfit that Tia's Isabel and Carmen gave to her for her birthday (this girl loves clothes, especially dresses)!...

...Marta not at all liking the camera, but, I still like this picture, even though she is on the verge of crying...

All in all, it was a great time of bonding, hot sunny weather...not to say we didn't have our moments, with the little creatures in the house and, not having the golf cart for a few days...we had 2 very long hot walks to the resturaunts with 4 little ones (quite the site I'm sure)...But, with the pool and golf cart, and rides to get pizza and ice cream it was a nice change of pace from the big city!

Our return home went smootly, the views, again spectacular...there was a lot of policia out on the roads...fun to see...

...and yes, we came prepared for the return home, this time, putting John in the back seat with all 4 kids (he deals much better with the throw ups then I do)...and a baggy for the little one who gets very car sick...poor thing, she threw up again, and when she was all done, full of smiles and laughter...so ends another Colombian Adventure that we will remember forever!!

This morning John left for home bright and early! So, I'm flying solo for 12 days! I do have sisters and my parents that would come if needed, but, I think it's going to go just fine...not to say that we won't have some "meltdown" moments...that is part of being a mom! I really don't have it that bad, at the hotel, I do not have to make any meals, clean or do laundry...the challenge will be trying to go on another Bogota adventure with 4 kids (we like to get out once a day)...today, we are keeping it simple, and walking to a nearby kids salon to get Caroline's haircut!

Happy New Year Family and Friends!!

Christmas Eve in Bogota

We had a nice quiet Christmas Eve being the only family at the hotel...it felt really good to have the hotel to ourselves. We had a nice traditional Colombian lunch served by Katya herself. She once again spoiled us with gifts for everybody. At night we went for a little walk to see some lights. Not a lot of lights in Bogota, but, we found a place where several families came to walk around and see all the decorations and lights...in Bogota, Christmas festivities with families do not start until at least 6 or 7pm, gifts a Midnight, and celebrating into the wee hours of the morning for some...

I love this...palm trees surrounded by daisies lit up all down the street...

Silas' favorite Christmas present came from Katya...a scary dinasour, making lots of noise. He really enjoyed chasing Caroline around the hotel with it. Oh she was mad!

Daddy did a wonderful job sharing the Christmas story in English and Spanish before we opened presents...of course, the kids distracted by the gifts under the tree...

By the afternoon we had some very tired kids...

We were also blessed to have Abuelo Julio and Abuela Margarita, and their son from Canada come and visit with us...bringing more treats and goodies for the kids! They are so kind and gracious, making it known to us that if we need anything while in Bogota, they would like to help!

It was a wonderful day celebrating our Saviour's birth and enjoying our first Christmas as a famiy of 6!

Feliz Navidad!!!

We enjoyed celebrating Navidad Colombian style today!!!

Tia Isabel and Tia Carmen invited us to Isabel's Casa! It was such a rich time with Isabel R.'s sister, daughter, and grand niece! We experienced it all...

Good fellowship...


...lots of singing of Colombian Christmas songs, and American Christmas songs...below our Isabel sang to Tia Carmen, "Away in the Manger" and she thoroughly enjoyed that. Tia Carmen loves music, has a beautiful voice, and taught our kids the traditional Colombian song they sing while reading the "Novena." In Colombia, families gather together to read, sing, and pray together every night, 9 days before Christmas. We experienced this today...


...and they again, generously gave our children each an authentic Colombian Christmas gift. Silas was thrilled with his new "caballo!"

The kids also were entertained by Tia Isabel's grand niece, Carolina...

...below you see Tia Isabel reading the "Novena..."

...they passed it around to all of us. Isabel really enjoyed reading it, and was the only one in our family who understood it, seeing it was all in Spanish. She explained it to us later that it was about "Maria y Jose" coming to the hotel and found out their was no room in the Inn...tomorrow the reading will be about the birth of Jesus...and between each paragraphs we would sing "Come, Come, Come...Jesus come into our souls..." Except it has a better ring to it in Spanish!

Our Isabel kept wanting to sing more Colombian Christmas songs, so, after dinner (well, I guess, it wasn't actually a dinner...Colombians feast each night for 9 days throughout the night of reading the Novena, singing, and praying...

...below, Isabel is finding yet another song to sing...

Muchas Gracias Tia's Isabel and Carmen for making our stay in Colombia so wonderful...letting our Colombian/American family understand more of it's rich traditions, warmth, and culture from our children's birth land! This is a day we will never forget, and so blessed to have been in Colombia just once to celebrate Christmas!!

We also said good-bye to our dear friends (even though we could not communicate very well, we grew to love them)! They headed home to Italy today! The hotel is now completely empty, as 2 families, from the Netherlands, who came back for a heritage tour, and meeting of birth mothers also returned home. So, the hotel is quiet!!

We are glad to have the hotel to ourselves tomorrow so we can celebrate our own family Christmas as we would at home! Katya is bringing in the famous Colombian Aijaco soup for lunch (my favorite), as it is tradition to have that on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Day (as in Colombia it's just another typical day-everything is celebrated throughout the 9 days of Novena through Christmas Eve ) we are taking a 3 hour taxi ride to Girodot. This is Katya's vacation home that she is letting us stay at (I think it's easier for her to close the hotel down and not have it staffed over the Christmas break)...so, we are fortunate to have a 5 day vacation where it is very hot (90 degrees) and a pool! The kids are beyond excited, asking every day how much longer...so, we are signing off for a week!! We'll share more when we return!

Prayer requests...that we all stay healthy...John and I both feeling the icky stomach something come on tonight... Our prayer is that time in the pool would be a wonderful way for our kids to bond more, as Silas and Caroline still really struggle with each other!!

Have a Merry Christmas! We love you all!! And appreciate all your prayers and emails as we work to bring our girls home!! Until next week...

Caroline at Pisingos

Thought I would share a photo that Familia Oldenkamp sent us of Caroline at the orphanage in early November before she joined our family! (Yes, she is the one sticking her tongue out!) Some things don't change...that is...our wonderful little girl loves life, fun, and being silly! She knows how to get attention like none I've seen...

She also has a very big heart. In Colombia, we are always told to mind our own business on the streets, don't make eye contact with anyone, just look ahead, don't give $$$ to the poor...it is not safe. We found that to be true with Silas, as once we gave a little money, we were followed by many...and so on...Well, after a few days of walking by the same little boy, a blind man begging, dirty babies with their moms...our sweet Caroline asked (in Spanish of course)..."why do you not help them?!" And we couldn't answer her...instead, agreed it was time to stop walking around like we do not notice the poor, the homeless, the dirty child...It's Christmas...and it is God's way to help those in need...even if it goes against everything everyone tells us and even if it's not safe! You should see the joy on our kids faces when we give them the oppurtunity to help those in need! This is the heart of the gospel! Glory to God that He continues to take the scales off our eyes, and allows us to see a bit more of Him each day on the streets of Bogota!

It's a Girls Day at the Paris!

La Familia Vander Maas shipped the boys off to the park and ice cream today so the girls could have some special girl time (the boys needed it,too)!!! See for yourself...

...Isabel wanted her nails to match her swim suit for Katya's "hot" house...

...Caroline is a "pink and pretties" little girl...

...totally enjoying all of it...

Isabel pleaded with me to have her hair done for our Navidad Fiesta tomorrow at Tia Isabel's house...for $6, how could I say no!?

It was a fun day at "Salon Paris." The girls very happy, the boys returned happy...

...and it didn't even break our pocket book! (3 manicures-that would be a french manicure for me), 3 pedicures, and one beautiful hair do for a whopping $40! Now we are ready for Navidad and our trip to Girodot!!

Happy 19 Months, Marta!

Today Marta turned 19 months! We are so blessed to have her as our daughter!

She has a very fun personality to her...her buck teeth (from sucking her thumb so much) and giggles totally melt our heart! We do think she is going to be our strongest-willed child when she begins to talk! She knows what she wants (which is mostly Daddy, Mommy, and leche-milk)...and if she does not get it, she throws a huge tantrum!! Oh she can get mad!

She continues to progress, seriously gaining weight (this probably needs to slow down,) strolling along walls and furniture! She is a joy, and it has been so much fun to see what 2 1/2 weeks in our family has given us, and what she has accomplished in such a short period!

Thank you God for Marta Tatiana!!!!

Amigas from Pisingos

Thank you Charpentier family for hooking us up with Greg and Ann! We had a fun afternoon watching Caroline play with her friends that she lived with at Pisingos with for a whole year!

That would be Gabriella, Laura, and Francy! 3 very precious sisters who are heading home to MN on Christmas Day!

Hotel Paris

Here's a glimpse at our "home away from home..."

Below, Isabel and Silas with owner, Katya. She has gone above and beyond for our family...

We have grown to love the Paris. Not because it's such a beautiful hotel. Honestly, many that would walk through the doors would be rather dissapointed with what they would see. It's the people we have grown to love. We have known many of them for 6 years now. They have treated our family like royalty. They are more than workers at the hotel, many have become very dear friends!! In Colombia, it is our "home" and we couldn't imagine staying anywhere else...

They have given us the largest room at the hotel, seeing our family is the largest one here! Below is the view from our room...

Our room...




...our wonderful cook, dear friend, dancing partner to whoever wants to dance...JAUNITA! We love her so much! She is so happy, makes the best empenadas, and spoils our kids!




...and Isabel's favorite, NANCY! She cleans, she serves, she is always interacting with the kids...

...Nancy's smile lights up a room! Unfortunately, the owner only keeps the maids every 6 months, and her time is up. She is a young gal who has had a very hard life, and really desires to have an education...my heart brakes for her, and we pray for her everyday!

Carolina, another maid, is coming with us to Girodot, the vacation house over Christmas. She adores Marta like none I've ever seen. She has a quietness to her, and has really grown on us...

...Guillermo!!! He's our man! We all just love him. When Marta was up screaming in the middle of the night he's running to the kitchen trying to help me find some milk. He is always smiling, and our whole family is taken by him! We've known him (like Juanita) for 6 years now!

And yes, one of the most precious workers at the hotel is Camilla's mom, Valeria!! She makes us laugh, she has a huge heart, very willing to offer advice, wipe a tear, feed a crying baby...she touched our hearts when we adopted Isabel, and she was the one we could absolutely not wait to see when we returned!

This is just a small glimpse into the people we love at the Paris! They give of themselves to our family everyday...it is our hope that they can experience the love of Christ this Christmas in and through us, and that we can bless them as much as they have blessed us!