HOME is where the HEART is

We have been home for 12 days now and it seems like we have always been together. Diego and Yerly are doing extremely well at home. They are behaving and listening and so much more relaxed than they were in Colombia.
Thrusday, November 19th, 2009
Our first day home was a blast. Nana and Grandpa brought the other kiddos to Chicago to pick us up in 2 vehicles. It was a great first encounter. After many hugs and tears we were united as a family after all this time in the United States!!! We loaded up in the suburban and started to pull out of the parking lot when Diego said "Papi sabes a manejar?!? (Papa knows how to drive?!?) - we all laughed until we realized that for the three weeks in Colombia neither Mike nor Tristin drove anywhere... We all fit snuggly in the suburban and made our first stop at the McDonalds Oasis near Rockford where we had our first all american meal of burgers and french fries. The impact of having a family of 8 set in as the bill was around $50!!! Olivia drove us the rest of the way home and when we pulled up in front of the house D&Y both shouted "Ya llegamos! (we arrived!) They spent the next hour going from discovery to discovery in each room where they had to touch and feel everything. So much excitement. That night they slept in their bads for the first time. There was some anxiety and it took a while to settle down but what a blessing to have our new family members home snug in bed.
Friday, Nov 20th, 2009
The next day they were able to watch their first American football game as our hometown high school team won the Wisconsin State Championship! That night their Aunt and Uncle came to visit them. This was a special visit for they had adopted their son from Ukraine 4 years ago and their journey through adoption process was invaluable to us. Their three children and our were able to spend time together for the first time. They brought them Build.A.Bears with voices recorded - D&Y listen to them every night.
Saturday/Sunday
Spent our first weekend together at home with some of the kids activities kicking in. D&Y were doing much better for the most part. All of us have been adjusting to the new family dynamics. Patience, patience, patience. Communication is a blast - Ella and Dayne are speaking more Spanish this first month than they learned in the previous year. We went to Pizza Hut and had our first movie night. We went to church and we were warmly introduced to all of our church friends. Diego and Yerly were a bit overwhelmed with all the people at first but slowly warmed up. That evening Grandma and Grandpa WIliams came to visit with Uncle Ryan and Aunt Staci and Greenly.
Monday-Wednesday
School
Family supper table is a wild time of different conversations going on in different languages all at the same time. We have found this time to be very special time of sharing our day for everyone to hear and bond.
Wednesday night we had snow - this was a first time Diego and Yerly had ever seen snow. They were amazed saying "Mira tu pelo" (look at you hair with the snow coverine our heads as we caught snowflakes on our tongues. and listened to their laughs and expressions of joy saying funny things like "pica fria" (spicy cold)
Thanksgiving
We were able to see all of our family on Thanksgiving day. The first half of the day was spent at Williams where they had their first Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings. We were talking about Thanksgiving all week leading up to this because Colombia doesn't have a "Thanksgiving" day. They had fun playing with their cousins. Then off to Rothwells to meet everyone for the first time. They were a bit shy at first but then once the cousins started playing they joined in.
T-Giving Weekend
We cut down our Christmas tree. This was quite an adventure - D&Y didn't really know what to think. We found out they knew about Christmas trees but did not every have one personally before. This was neat to walk through all the trees and pick the one for our family. Diego and Dayne were eager helpers with the saw.
Once we returned home we unpacked and had our first Christmas pizza-movie with home made pizzas that were interesting creations from Diego and Yerly followed by a family favorite "Christmas with the Cranks"
SUnday after church we decorated the house for christmas. We decorated the tree with all the kids ornaments. DIego and Yerly had never experienced this and really enjoyed carefully placing all the ornaments carefully on the branches. At the end when we put the angel on top they spent time just looking at the tree.
Upon our return, our hometown newspaperup wrote an amazing article about our family and the adoption process for a Thanksgiving special. It was very well done and we are really thankful for how well the reporter put the story together.

Ciao Bogota, Ciao Colombia, Gracias Dios por nuestros regalos (thank you, Lord, for our gifts)

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Today is our last day in Colombia…  The time has gone both fast and slow. When  we reflect on how much we have accomplished in three weeks it is really amazing.  Time seemed to go fast due to the business but seemed to go slow due to missing home…

This morning we took Yerly and Diego to a really cool children's hair salon with their friend Sofia. This salon had everything under the sun to entertain children while they get their hair done – dvd, x-box, car chairs…  Diego got his hair touched up but Yerly had a full hair braid complete with ribbons and topped off with a manicure and facial makeup.  She looks like a little doll.  She really soaked it in getting pampered like that…

 

We walked around our neighborhood to a really nice Colombian artesian shop where we found some more nice things that reminded us of Colombia and gifts.  We ate lunch at this great place called “Crepes and Waffles” where they make amazing dishes of every type wrapped in a crepes…  The kids had some amazing sundaes for dessert with the kids meal.

Mike went to the US embassy and received all the documentation and visas for D&Y to enter the US as immigrants.  We then went to validate our tickets and found out we need to get to the airport 3 hours in advance to get our seating reassigned so D&Y can sit next to us.

We made one last run to a Juan Valdez cafe and Exito before coming home for an amazing supper of Ajiaco…a typical Colombian soup.  It is a chicken based broth made with 3different kinds of potatoes.  You then add the following if you like: chicken, avocado,corn, and capers.  This delicious soup was served with homemade empanadas!!! For dessert…passionfruit cored and filled with passionfluff

 

We are all packed and ready to go. We need to get up at 4:30 to leave at 5:15am to start our travels back to the US. This flight will be from Bogota to Miami where we need to go through immigration and customs.  This process is where D&Y have all their documents reviewed and then officially enter the US.  We have three hours to get this done and board our next flight to Chicago.  We will be met in Chicago by the kids and Grandpa Williams for the drive back to Reedsburg.

D&Y are excited to see their siblings and see their new house. M&T and looking forward to seeing the kids and sleeping in their bed!!!

Colombia is a beautiful country with very sophisticated urban life mixed with natural beauty that rivals most countries.  The people are wonderful kind and helpful.  We have met many new people that we are very grateful to have known.  We have experienced some great cultural things to appreciate Colombia. We have enjoyed some great food. 

But most of all we are grateful for our gifts from God – Diego Josee and Yerly Tatiana Rothwell…

~~DiverCity~~

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This morning we woke up and had breakfast. Today Diego sat at the table instead of under the table. :) 

Helena came for us this morning to take us to the US Embassy.  We waited for about 2 hours to apply for their visas!  Tomorrow we can go and pick them up.

This aft. we went for Empanadas for lunch.  They are made of corn flour, stuffed with different assortments and then fried.  The kids had empanadas with chicken.  Mike had a specialty Bogota meat mix, I had some cheese empanadas and we all shared some tamillos which are like tamales.  While walking we got caught in a Bogotan thunderstorm..with buckets of water dropping at a time.  We all had to fit under one (mini at that) umbrella as we made our way through the streets and puddles.  Diego and Yerly thought it was great as we carried them.  They laughed and laughed as we got drenched!!

For the big shing ding today, we told the kids we had a sorpresa….surprise.  We took them to the mall to a place called DiverCity. ( Mexico mission team mates…this was KIDZANIA in Bogota!!!)  Divercity is a small miniature town for kids.  They enter and receive money from the bank and a credit/ debit card.  They can then go to all of the different attractions to work or play.  They learn how to manage money and different occupations at the same time, while all of the attractions are miniature versions of actual businesses that are in Bogota.

There was quite a line today.  We arrived an hour early and we were still about number 200.  The kids were super excited when we walked through the door.  The first place we went was to the miniature coca cola plant.  They put on their little red outfits and went in to make some soda.  They saw the whole process and finished with a coke.  Next they climbed a rock wall( with a lot of help from their belayer)  throughout the 3 hours we spent there, they were airline attendants, made chocolate, gave boat tours, got their drivers license.  There were many other occupations like being fire fighter, EMT, veterinarian, musician…etc.   It was a lot of fun, they were a little overwhelmed but really enjoyed each attraction.  You could tell they were taking it all in!!! 

Tonight we came home and their friend Sophia was waiting for them.  Sophia bought a new hair accessory kit today and wanted to do hair with Yerly. Pics…tell it all below.  they did hair and ate pizza…great way to end the night!!

This little piggy went to market…

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Today was another day of no appointments and filling our time by exploring.

After another delicious breakfast, Diego and Yerly colored with Sophia…a 6 and a half year old American here adopting her baby brother Luke, 4mo.  ( They just brought Luke home on Friday!!)  The kids loved coloring together.

We went to a market (bazaar style) near the house with another American Jennifer and her newly adopted son Xavier, 15mo.( Her husb. stayed home not feeling well.)  This market is only on Sundays.  There were vendors everywhere.  You could buy anything from very nice artwork to really chinsy trinkets.  There was also a ton of food.  The weather worked out great – it was sunny and warm and when we were about burnt to a crisp it clouded over and cooled down about 10 degrees.  We found some really nice paintings and other souvenirs.  We walked back down the mountain down the boulevard.  One really neat thing they do in Bogota is they close one side of every boulevard to car traffic to allow for pedestrian and bikes to use on Sundays.

We went to another market inside this really nice hotel.  This hotel had an upscale bazaar complete with live entertainment (clowns and very good Colombian music.)

When we got home, the kids were eager to play with Sophia again…coloring and playing outside in the garden.

Tonight, we took a taxi to a nice park (Parque 93) that had swings and a nice play set.  There were a lot of people there.  The park took up a city block and was surrounded with cafes and restaurants. 

 

We then went to a nice pizza place (Karen's) that had three levels and the third level was for the kids to play soccer, air hockey and face painting.  The pizza was very good and we topped it off with ice cream for Diego and Yerly, tiramisu for Tristin and brownie with ice cream for Mike.

Came back to Betty's Place and the kids are watching Shrek ..a pajama party with Sophia!   We put a lot of miles on today walking and I think everyone will sleep well tonight.

Tomorrow we are off to the US embassy to apply for their visas that we are expecting to receive Tuesday afternoon.  We have made preliminary flight arrangements to return to the States on Wednesday but have to take late flights due to availability.  We may need to stay overnight near O'Hare because we arrive so late…  still working out the details.

Really wishing we were home…  with our kids and family together and some resemblance of normalcy back into life.  The process has taken quite some time and we are getting home sick…  three more days…

Cerro de Montserrat

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Today we had an amazing breakfast here at Betty’s place.  There are 3 Colombian ladies on staff who do all of the cooking and cleaning.  This morning we had some really yummy Colombian scrambled eggs and a fabulous pancake that was made from corn.  After breakfast we walked to a grocery store and picked up some snacks.  We are very happy with this house and the location.  It is in a safe part of Bogota and has a lot of things within walking distance.

We went to Montserrat 10,000 ft in elevation….you can definitely feel the difference in your lungs!!! Montserrat–  is a pilgrimage site on top of the mountain overlooking the city.  You get to the top of the mountain by a funicular (tram) that takes you up the mountain.  Not for the faint of heart.  There is a big church and a beautiful walk and landscaping.  There is also a flea market and restaurants.  You could see the entire city and the expanse of this city of 8,000,000.  The ride down is on a cable car suspended in the air – definitely not for the faint of heart.

Next we went to the old (original) part of Bogota.  The homes were very similar to the homes built in Santa Fe de Antioqua.  The city was founded 500 years ago and most of these homes were built in the first 100 years of that time.  This is also where the Presidential Palace and Parliament building are located.  We walked through this area and stopped at a big square that was surrounded by the parliament building, high court, and a cathedral.  There were hundreds of people there and pigeons – we bought some feed and the kids had fun throwing the food one the ground and then running through the mob of birds trying to touch them.  Super cute.

We returned to Bettys house and relaxed for a bit and then had another amazing meal of  bandeja paisa, plantains, guacamole, salsa, rice.THE premiere colombian meal!  YUM YUM

Tonight after supper we played chutes and ladders with D&Y – totally funny.  We don’t think they had really played a board game before.  They were wild and dancing and celebrating every move.  Yerly won, which made Diego a little sad..but not for long.

Talked to the kids tonight and were very excited to hear about Reedsburg winning and now on their way to the state championship game – Go Beavers!!!

Tired tonight – combination of the altitude and a lot of walking today.  Tomorrow we plan to go to a big flea market and walk around the neighborhood.  We also plan to make our travel arrangements home – this is a matter of prayer – Monday we will be submitting our application for the visa to travel to the US and it is very certain that we will get the visa’s on Tuesday.  We then will travel back to the US on Wednesday but right now flights and availability are making things a little difficult – both the flight times and costs.  We hope to have this all worked out tomorrow.

BOGOTA

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This morning we woke up and had our last breakfast at the Intercontinental Hotel in Medellin.   Diego and Yerly had a great time saying goodbyes to everyone of the staff ( Gonzalo, Luis, Carlos, Yessica, Estafani –the breakfast gang) and proudly telling each one they were going in an airplane.  Gloria met us in her mini car with our 5 suitcases…all at capacity.  We squished some in front, some in back and a few in the trunk, but we made it!!  The airport is a 45 minute ride from the hotel.  Along the way Diego and Yerly would say…Ciao Casa De Maria, Ciao Hotel, Ciao ninos, Ciao to everything and everyone they could think of.

We arrived at the airport and said our sad goodbyes to Gloria…and off we went.

They were so excited to ride the airplane, especially Diego.  He was dancing and moving like he was going to pee his pants.  We arrived at our gate and were able to watch them load the luggage on the plane and de-board the passengers before us. Which thankfully we were not on that CON AIR flight, as they escorted a Colombian prisoner in cuffs.

As we boarded the plane, they continued to tell the staff, they were riding on an airplane.  We boarded first and they quickly buckled their seatbelts, even though we had to wait another 20 min for everyone to board. 

They both loved the flight, although Yerly said she was a little nervous and thought she might fall out of the plane.  Yerly also told us that we need to be sure to zip up our luggage so the clothes don’t all fall out!!!  They loved drinking a juice box, given on our 28 minute flight and it was perfect for the first trip.

Once we arrived, our driver Patricia met us with her car.  She took us straight to ICBF, which is the social services for children in Colombia.   Once there, we met our worker,Carmen, who took us inside to get the confirmation of the adoption. 

Once that was complete the ladies drove us to our house.  We are staying at Betty’s Place.  http://www.residencebettysplace.com/

It is a bed and breakfast for adoptive families run by a woman from New York who has lived here for 30 years helping families.  The cost is just $65 a night!!! SUPER BIEN  Right now there are 3 families including us.  One family just arrived last night and received their 4 month old son today.  Another family has been here 2 weeks with their new 15 mo old son.  Betty has staff who live here and some who just come for the day.  The staff does the cooking and cleaning.  There are 6 bedrooms all with their own bath and tv.  There are 2 family rooms and a community dining room.

  

After resting a bit, we had an appointment at the medical office for the US Embassy.  It went well and fast, although the kids asked about 25 times if they were getting a vacuna…vaccination. We had enough of those!!

On the way back our driver gave us a nice talking tour while we drove home.  Lots of neat things in this city of 8 million.  It is definitely not as pretty as Medellin though.  It has mountains, but a very flat and wide valley where the elevation is at 8,700 ft and the mountains reach just over 10,000 ft.  Whereas Medellin is in the small valley and the city continues into the mtn…very San-Francisco-like steep roads and mountains reach about the same height but the city is at 5,500Ft ….beautiful!!!

We learned an interesting new rule in Bogota.  People are only allowed to drive their car twice a week.  If they want to drive more they need another car.  Each car is licensed to drive on certain days.  For this reason, many people own a couple of small cars and a little motorbike.  The city tram was packed with people tonight and lines a block long.  This is all done in attempts to improve the complete traffic congestion.  What we saw today it didn't help.  We believe they are planning a major rail transit system – seems like a no brainer to me.

Tonight we were served a barley soup with chicken base and cilantro (a must have recipe), bread and a chicken and meat lasagna and for dessert lemon meringue pie.  WOW

 

Things in Reedsburg are well.  We are so thankful for Skype and the ability to see and talk to our kids daily.  What an amazing thing!!!  The kids have been having fun with Nana and Grandpa and had Kelly and Andrew come for  few days this week too!  We will al be happy to be back to norm again though.  Yerly would not eat the dinner that was served tonight.  We explained that it is like being in a family.  You cannot chose what you want, but we all try and eat.  She loves hearing the word family and melted when we explained it that way.  Hopefully, she will eat breakfast tomorrow!!

Tomorrow we are planning a day trip with another family here.  We are going to Montserrat which is at 10,000 ft in elevation!!!  It is a small antique village. 

There is some hollering,chanting and hitting some type of bell and pots outside our house right now – possibly a soccer match just ended, birthday?  Or people are getting the holiday weekend started with a bang!

CIAO Medellin

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Today was another full day…

We started out very early getting breakfast and on the road by 6:30am.  We headed to the government offices to get D and Y’s passports.  This process was actually very quick from a government process standpoint.  We had passports in hand by 8am.  While waiting for the passports Mike decided to take a few shots outside of the building and general area when an armed police officer told him he can’t take pictures.  Mike decided to argue a point about it is a public place and Colombia is a free country but then obliged and put his camera away – thought since we are this close to being completed with the adoption we don’t need an arrest to slow things down.  Once completed with the passports we were able to meet our lawyer and organize all of our final paperwork for Bogota and get our airplane tickets leaving tomorrow.  Then we went and had the final vaccinations for the bugs – they did very well.  All of this by 10:30am…

On the way home, we saw several Christmas displays!

We spent our last afternoon by the pool soaking in the warm sun and beautiful weather. Diego and Yerly ventured off swimming in the big pool with their rings along…as we stood close by.  They would jump in together and then kick together to get to the side…laughing all the way!!!  We will miss the pool – in fact we will miss this entire hotel… 

For lunch we ate the hotel bakery.  YUM…croissants filled with meat and another filled with pollo and a third filled with queso and the final sample was a huge Buenulo…which is a huge ball like doughnut filled with a cheese/dough filling.  These are traditional for Christmas!!! Y and D enjoyed a Mango drink with their lunch…M and T..cafe with leche!!!

We had one last bit of business at Casa de Maria and Diego and Yerly said some goodbyes.  It was family visitation day where some of the children have family can come and visit.  We also saw what we thought was a newborn being given to the orphanage.  Very sad.  As we drove off I think D&Y understood they were leaving and were shouting “adios””Ciao” out the window to the other kids.

Tonight we ate at the hotel restaurant with our two fav ladies – Gloria and Alba Lucia (“Albanano”). We had a great time laughing and exchanging cultural traditions about Christmas. We had a lot of laughs and one was cute where Mike was telling Yerly about taking the plane to Bogota and pronounced Bogota wrong and Yerly thought he said tomorrow going via a cookie(the words sound similar) and laughed till tears.  While there the Hotel Owner and a group of Colombian military personnel sat at the table next to ours.  I’m not an expert on military ranks but one guy had so many medals on his chest he must have been important.  Also the other guys had anywhere from 1 to 3 stars on their lapel so I’m guessing they were all generals.

We have packed the bags and are ready to begin the last leg of the journey to Bogota. Tomorrow we fly to Bogota and then go to the ICBF (Colombian Govt adoption agency) and then the doctor.  This will be the first time in an aiplane for D&Y – very excited!  We have to wait until Monday to go to the US embassy to apply for the visas and everything. It takes 1 day to receive all the necessary documents and clearances to travel back to the states so it looks like we will return next Wednesday.

We are hoping the place we are staying at has internet (it is supposed to) to keep in touch with everyone on our adoption journey.  It is a bed and breakfast style casita for adoption families.  It is called Betty’s place.  Betty who runs it is American.