Passing the Time!

We are currently waiting on the courts to process Michael's paperwork, so I thought I'd share some pics of a typical day. We go for coffee at Juan Valdez (their equivalent to Starbucks) and to the park for some fresh air then back to the house before the afternoon rain.  It's enough to keep us busy with having a little one in tow.  I must say having a cleaning service and meals prepared daily is very nice however being in our "own home" will be even better ;) 

We have booked our return tickets for the end of February, once all the paperwork is complete we will know if we get to change them one way or the other.  The Colombian court system is known for taking it's time and  has almost an entire month in business days to go through it all.  We are just thankful that this waiting time is with Michael. 

You might have noticed from the recent pics that Matt is absent due to his return trip overseas. We thank you all for your prayers as we are so grateful he was able to come.  We miss him already but should be able to Skype which makes a world of difference for all of us.  My parents are still here and my Mom will be flying back with me when the time comes.  Thank goodness for Grandmas ;)  We miss you all and hope that you are doing well.

Enjoying the mild weather in January :)

No, Dad did not see the hat Mommy put on me ;)

Love this little man XOXO

Enjoying some Colombian cafe!

Parque

Today we took a trip to the park.  It was nice to get outside after being cooped up the last two days with thunderstorms.  Bogota has very warm mornings (i.e. sunscreen needed) and rainy afternoons.  Locals say you can look to the mountains to see if there are any clouds overhead.  If so, then it will most likely rain that day.  Mikey enjoyed the walk and sun and we felt like we got some much needed exercise.  Bogota is at 8600 feet so even the simplest task can be more challenging.  I hope you enjoy some of the photos from our outing :)

  

Yesterday he had a play date with his friends at El Refugio

Sending Luv Your Way XOXO

My Boys!

FANA Tour

Where to begin....a tour of FANA was an experience I will never forget.  The current building is not where I actually stayed but newly built a little over 18 years ago.  It was built by Mercedes (director of FANA) husband with his engineering background.  The building is amazing with plenty of room for infants, FANA children who reside there permanently, and local children who come there for school.  It is hard to believe that is was built by 100% private donation.  FANA does not receive any funding from the government and was established by Mercedes after having adopted two daughters of her own.  Out of the kindness of her heart she has created a home for children that is loving in every aspect of the word.  Don't get me wrong it was very hard to see all the babies alone in their cribs but that is just a stop to their "Forever Homes".  FANA is also located in a poorer part of the city where families need more help and that is why a school is also run out of the facility.   This upcoming February there will be a celebration of FANA's 40th Anniversary.  It will be very special to be able to participate and meet others like myself.  Flor (another founder) spoke with all of us on our visit and was so touched that I had come back.  She was also working at FANA at the time of my adoption.  She said that I was the 7th adoptee to come back and adopt.  FANA has placed over 9,500 children and has helped a total of 14,000 whether through schooling or with family social welfare.  I could go on and on but will let some of picture below do the talking for me:

 Some of the FANA children

 My Family with Flor

 The Room where all the decisions are made :)

 Nursery

 A room similar to where Michael would have stayed

"Tree of Life" a symbol of FANA

I hope the above post makes what adoption is all about a little more real, it did for me.  I am so grateful to have the life that I do and pray that Michael will grow up feeling just as blessed. Speaking of Michael he did not accompany us on the tour due to the germs he might have picked up and would bring back.  He was well cared for none the less.  He will get to return with us for the 40th Anniversary celebration.  Until then...Hasta Luego!
Luv, Kristin

Museo de Oro

 Recently Kristin, Chuck, and I went to visit the Museo de Oro (Museum of Gold) while Jamie stayed home to play with her wonderful grandson.  The museum contains pre-colombian artifacts from before 800 b.c. until the discovery of South America by Christopher Columbus.  These priceless artifacts are mostly made of gold using an ingenious process of forming molds using other metals and wood lined with wax.  The gold melts the wax to create the desired form.

Here are some of the more complex designs.

 Helmet

 Breast Plate

 Mask

 Statue

The pre-colombian inhabitants believed gold represented the most powerful god of the sun because of its brilliance and strength as it did not fade, corrode or tarnish like other metals.  The Shamans and Chieftain wore breastplates, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc to demonstrate their social standing, power and authority as one chosen by the gods.

Full body decorations

 Full body decorations

 Earrings and noise rings

 Various earrings, face decorations and trinkets

Later on, pre-colombians discovered how to make gold sheets that they would cover ordinary objects with.  Below is a sea shell that had been covered in gold sheets.  The shell itself is long gone, having deterioted over time.  What remains is a beautiful gold shell.

We really enjoyed the gold museum and recommend it to anyone visiting Bogota.  The beauty and awe of the objects mixed with the rich history and antique methods used to create such fascinating pieces cannot be captured on camera.

Here are some additional photos of stonework and of course, more gold!!!

Stone statue

 Figures made by using the melting wax method

 "wall of gold"

We will update you all later with more photos as our journey continues.  Take care and love you all.

Matt, Kristin and Michael

Parents are Here!

My parents arrived this past Tuesday and we have been on the go since.  I feel very blessed to have the extra help for when Matt leaves.  Michael is a very social and happy baby and took well to the new faces.  The past few day have included the Gold Museum, FANA tour, ICBF interview, and Notary trips.  We will have to create different posts to tell you more about them in detail.  Needless to say, "GiGi" (my Mom) has helped with the babysitting due to Michael being a little under the weather.  He is doing much better and we hope to all make it to the Flea Market again this Sunday.  We hope all of you had a great week.  All our luv, Kristin :)

Flea Market Time. Bogota Style!

Hola Fmailia y nuestro amigos! We haven't posted much lately, mostly because we have been either resting or out exploring the city of Bogota; this of course leads us back to more resting. We will try and catch you up on the last few days, mostly so we don't forget. (You thought this blog was just for you?)

The day following our adventurous trip to Chicaque and the next day we decided to take "down days" and hung out around the hotel spending quality time with Michael.  Matt really enjoyed this as he had someone else to watch sports with on TV (albeit in Spanish).  Now that Kristin is finally outnumbered two to one, Matt can actually watch sports instead of the usual Kardashians or Real Housewives of ....... (enter city).  Our only venture out was to Juan Valdez (think a Colombian Starbucks) for some much needed caffeine with some of our friends at the hotel and the quick walk to the pharmacy.  

Already loving Florida State!!

After our restful days, we spent yesterday on the go again exploring Bogota some more and checking out the weekly outdoor flea market.  On Sundays in Bogota the city closes two lanes on the main roads from 8am to 2pm and EVERYONE in the city comes out to rollerblade, bike ride, jog, walk, socialize, etc.  It is a great idea and gives the entire city a very friendly, family-oriented feeling.  It just happened that yesterday was also a beautiful day out, slightly cloudy and no smog (most likely due to everyone outside on foot versus the normally dense traffic).  We could see the green mountains and the sunlight lit up all the colors of the city.  And of course the street performers were out entertaining the few cars that were on the road.

Once we arrived at the flea market we discovered blocks and blocks of booths selling every piece of merchandise you could imagine.  There were food vendors selling delicious grilled corn, creamy yogurt topped with ripe mango and papaya, the popular local dish of paella (rice, meat or seafood, onions, garlic and spices paired with sauteed mushrooms), empanadas, hand made ice cream, coconut slices and pastries galore.  Kristin purchased a few items to include a hand made leather wallet and some local designs.  Matt put his pesos to better use and pigged out on the food sold by the vendors.

In addition to the vendors, there was also everything from an Irish music group, more street performers, classic american muscle cars and capoeira practitioners putting on a demonstration.  We also visited a beautiful church at the top of the hill overlooking Bogota with the largest palmetto trees we have ever seen.  This church is also home to a convent of nuns.

After being completely shopped out, we stopped at a local restaurant for a few energy boosting appetizers and to sample the local cerveza brewed there on site.  Michael loved the outing and has the best personality.  Like his momma, he sleeps whenever he is pushed in his stroller or carried (in Kristin's case whenever she is in the car, train, airplane, etc. Although petite, she doesn't quite fit into the stroller).  When Michael is awake, it is giant, toothless smiles and laughs. Before returning to the hotel we stopped off at a local ice cream parlor to sample the cold, creamy deliciousness. 

This final picture has no purpose other then to display the absolutely adorable cuteness of our son, Michael Kenneth Ives.

Until next time, hasta luego!!