Growing Up So Fast!

Michael will be 7 months in fives days and he has already grown so much since we have had him.  I wanted to share some of the things he has learned so far.  This post is especially for Daddy overseas. WE LOVE YOU!

 I can sit up on my own!

 I interact and laugh a lot!

I decided I wanted to try to eat on my own!

 Cereal and apples taste good to me!

 I reach for Mommy in the morning. Yes I am this happy when I get up!

 I can get up on all fours and will push up on my toes.  Eyes have to be on me at all times now ;)

 My legs are strong. I can stand!

 I can entertain myself with toys!

 I hope to play soccer one day!

We Miss You Matt!  Love, Kristin & Mikey

Monserrate

So we are the only American family left at this point.  The family from Minnesota left this morning and they got here a week before us.  Praying that we will hear something this week ;)  In the meantime I thought I would share with you a must see Bogota site.  "Monserrate is the main symbol of Colombia's main city, not as a ecological icon but it's religious nature, whose Sanctuary was visited by thousands of people and pilgrims, since 1640 when it was founded."

It's location is 3.152 meters high with a clear view of Bogota and can be reached by cable car, train, or on foot. Matt and I got to go before he left but it was raining on the only day we could make the trip.  Below are a couple of photos of when Matt and I went.  

My parents then visited Monserrate this past Monday as an early Valentine's day outing and got much better photos of what the view  really has to offer.  They also had an open air market up top.  I wanted them to go again even it is was just to get better photos.  Mikey and I stayed behind due to the elevation.

Bogota has changed quite a bit since they were here 28 years ago.  The city size has more than doubled, there is a better infrastructure of the roads, it's safer, and the poverty level is not as prevalent.  It was a nice day for them to get out and reminisce.  They even got to stop by their old apartment to take a photo.  

Time flies, so enjoy every minute of it!   

La Fontana

Sundays are always relaxing days, with little traffic, families outside, and good food to eat.  We don't get served lunch on Sundays so we are usually all out of the hotel enjoying what Colombia has to offer.  This past Sunday we visited the flea market at the "La Fontana Hotel".  The hotel is a little more upscale and tends to attract tourists which leads to them having an open air flea market on Sundays.  The Fontana is about a 15 minute walk from our hotel and many of the streets are closed to allow for more walking room for the families.  The courtyard to the Fontana was even breathtaking due to the amount of foliage.

Colombia has a perfect climate for plants, a gardener's dream ;)  The market itself had very nice quality gifts from Colombia but with that came very little bargaining room.

My Mom and I purchased a couple of bracelets and we enjoyed some quiet time away from the house.  We have six families here at El Refugio now, with 12 adults and 8 kids (6months-10years).  It's getting a little noisier to say the least ;)  We have quite a representation of families with Italy, France, Spain, and the U.S. all being under one roof.  We even seem to communicate quite well with all the language boundaries.  It's a "God" thing to see so many people from different walks of life adopting children in need.  Before closing out today I wanted to share with you some of the different faces of Mikey I got to take on Sunday as well.   

I think he is adorable, but I know I am a little biased ;)  He sure does have quite the personality!  Sending lots of Love this Valentine's Day XOXO

FANA Celebration 2/4/2012

Where to begin...you might think we planned to be here for the 40th Anniversary celebration but it was all in God's planning.   Due to it being the 40th Anniversary no expenses were spared and it was a very festive day.  We woke up and got ready and were out the door around 9am.  For those of you with little ones, know that wasn't an easy task but we did it, along with numerous other families in town.  I must admit I was surprised how few infants were along for the trip.  Besides the other family staying with us, all of the children were older, 5yrs and up.  I don't know if those children were being adopted at this time or were just visiting for the celebration but it reminded me of how fortunate we are to have a healthy little one like Michael :)

Once we arrived at FANA we were seated for Mass.  And yes we were asked to sit in the second row from the front, an anxious experience for a new mom ;)  Michael did very well reading his book for over two hours.  It makes me smile to see him being entertained by something as simple as a book at this point, with all the technology available I hope he can retain some of the simplicity of life.  You might be in awe of a two hour Mass but that was only part of the presentations.  We had a video shown, Thank Yous, and a picture was taken of every FANA baby there, no matter what the age ;)

It was a very humbling and honoring experience for me to stand up with all the other FANA babies and know that this is where I came from and how far I have come.  All of us were given up in hopes for a better life and by the looks of it we are all so blessed.  To give up a child for adoption is one of the greatest expressions of love I can ever imagine.  To know you can't provide all you want to for that child and being completely unselfish to give them more is "Agape".  The essence of "Agape" love is self sacrifice (1 John 4:8). 

It is so incredible that FANA was founded by one couple after having adopted two daughters on their own.  The accomplishments and self sacrifice that they themselves made has enabled them to touch childrens lifes in such a meaningful way for 40 years now. 

 

The reception that followed was beautifully catered and decked out in Colombian colors.  They had a petting zoo, jump houses, coffee stations, full buffet, Colombian dancers,etc...The dancers were a real treat as they preformed dances from all of Colombia's various regions.

Mikey even got to see some of his previous caretakers.  It was such a neat experience to look up at the windows of FANA and seeing nurses above asking me to turn the stroller around.  I know they wanted to see who I had tucked away after caring for so many little ones.  In my heart I want to say they knew exactly who he was and how well he was being taken care of now.  It is rare for the infants to return to FANA during the adoption process due to outside germs so it was a very special moment for all of us.  I really can't say enough about this day but that I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into what FANA is all about.  Sending all of our love!

One Month!

We have gratefully had Michael in our arms for One Month now!  It's doesn't seem like that long but at the same time I don't remember what it was like without him.  He brings so much joy into our lives everyday and we are so thankful that the Lord chose him for us.  It has been neat to see over time how all the babies here seem like a perfect match for their families.  Sometimes it may seem like the Lord works in mysterious ways but his ways are greater than ours.  Adoption is a "Faith" journey.  You never know what is around the corner or what obstacle you might face, but the reward in the end is worth it.  I will never say it was easy or that paper chasing was fun, but I can say the blessing we have received is beyond words.  Being a parent to a child who needs a home is a calling from God.  Not all people receive that calling, but if you do, it is a journey you will never forget.  Over the past few years I have had friends create families through foster care, embryo adoption, and domestic adoption and we all have different stories but so much in common at the same time.  To share this experience with other families is humbling and comforting at the same time.  We weren't the only ones waiting and for now our wait is over.  I am so glad you are sharing it with us along the way. 

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Nemecon

This past Friday my Dad and I got the opportunity to travel to a typical small town called Nemecon.  The trip was arranged by FANA as part of their 40th Anniversary celebration weekend.  My Mom and Michael stayed at the hotel due to it being an all day event.  I am so glad we went.  The countryside was breathtaking and I was able to see more due to being in a very high tour bus.

 They had a tour bus for 40 people but only seven of us went so it ended up being a very personal tour.   The other families that went consisted of two mothers and daughters both FANA adoptees like myself.  One daughter was adopted at 11, just a few years ago and the other was visiting for her first time after 18 years.  It was very meaningful to share the experience with them.  They were all from NY.  We also had a French gentleman who came for the celebration alone.  His wife and adopted (3yr old) daughter stayed in France.  He was very friendly and spoke all three languages (French, English, and Spanish) very well.  The highlight of the trip was the Salt Mines ( http://www.minadenemocon.com/sitionuevo/ ).

 It is still an active mine supplying 15% of the product it originally produced.  The mine was closed for seven years due to instability but recently reopened in 2003.  The trip down into the mine was about a mile and half and we had a tour guide the whole way.

 After the mine we walked down to the town Plaza where children were getting out of school.  In the center of the plaza was a Church which is very typical for Colombian towns.  It was so neat to be out of the city walking on the cobblestone roads and seeing what the Colombian countryside is all about.

On our way back we stopped at a local restaurant and had a very nice meal.  The decor of the restaurant was very unique and I was so glad they chose it for lunch.

Overall the day created amazing memories for me. I wasn't sure I would get to see this side of Colombia while staying in Bogota and I feel so blessed that I did.  Luv, Kristin

Adoption Tax Credit

After my long post below and now that I have your attention I would like to ask you to sign the "Adoption Tax Credit Petition" to the right of this post.  Every year they talk about not extending the credit to adoptive families and it is much needed.  If you would be so kind to take the time to sign the petition by clicking on the link it would be much appreciated. Thank You :)