The Fall Duewel Family Fix

WOW!!!  What a time we have had.  Our children are amazing and we love all of them so dearly.  They are learning things so quickly and then again, old habits die hard.  Alex, our oldest son is so handsome and loves his Mami and Papi so much.  He is Papi's buddy and it thrills my heart to see Alex just soak up everything that Papi teaches him.  He will start school in January and is very excited to do so.  Sebastian, is our charmer.  He bats his eyes at everyone and they melt.  He also teases his sisters until they have had enough.  He is our little mimic, so we have to be extremely careful with everything that he sees and hears.  He sings his own songs in the car so we can't wait until he begins to sing in English and sing songs that we all know.  Erika is most definitely a 3 year old.  She is absolutely beautiful and laughs often.  She cracks herself up and it is so cute.  She has picked up the most English and corrects her little sister when she uses a word in Spanish that she knows in English.  Erika loves to eat and is willing to try everything at least once.  She loves to dress up and has the "spinning in the dress" move down pat.  Luisa, who is now attached to Mami's hip, is such a good girl.  She also likes to scream at the top of her lungs when her brothers act like lions around her.  I don't really think that she is scared, I just think that they are in her space.  She is such a serious little girl so it will be quite exciting to watch her personality bloom.

The kids love snow.  They use the word for ice, in Spanish.  The boys have been out a few times with Papi to go sledding.  This past Saturday, they went sledding with their boy cousins.  My younger sister and her husband also have 4 children.  So between the 2 families, we have 8 that range from 1-5 years of age.  So there were 5 boys and 2 daddies playing in the snow while the 2 mommies shopped with 3 little girls.

Nate and I had our first night out without the kiddos, a few nights ago.  I believe that it was harder on me than Luisa.  Abuela and Abuelo were with them so that helped calm my nerves.

We are looking forward to Christmas and are praying that the kids will very soon, begin to understand the true meaning and life of Jesus.  

Thank you to those who encouraged us to post.  We will try to update more often. 

 

Merry Christmas and Blessings for an amazing new year.

 

As we are very busy with our new life, we probably will not be posting much.  Things are going very well.

Thank you all for tuning in to our momentous occasion of adoption and for all your prayer/support!

Things are really going great.  We have been showing the kids off to scores of family and friends.  They are worth the price of admission, I guarantee.

We are now in Branson with the kids and Rena's parents.  Later we will go to Silver Dollar City.

Just a quick note to say that we are home.  We got a quicker flight in (got in at 7:30).  Everything was great.  No drama and we owe it all to everyone's prayers.  Thanks again.

It has been so fun to watch the kids go crazy with all their new toys in their new house.  They give tons of hugs and yell, "Thank you, Papi...thank you, Mami!"  

Today was our last hoorah.  We visited the Botanical Gardens, ate lunch at The Hard Rock Cafe, then picked up the visas, then ate supper with about 30 people who were adopting or being adopted.  We ate at this super cool pizza place.  The kids made their own pizzas. They put on chef outfits, kneaded the dough and put all their own toppings on.  Then they got to throw flour on each others faces.  Tons-o-fun.  Have pictures but to tired to upload them.  

Still packing.  Waking up at 4:45 to leave for airport.  Suppose to be in K.C. at 11:17 P.M.  Long day, huh?  

Lauren - No fall colors because in Bogota they have the same season year round.

Kaitlynn - Hey girlfriend...Your new cousins go to bed around 9 P.M.  Bogota is one hour ahead of KC now with the time change.  We were the same but Bogota doesn't do daylight savings time change. 

News flash...We will be home Friday night!  Everything got done this morning and we pick up the visas tomorrow afternoon.  Flights booked and everything.  The CHI team down here is out of this world awesome.  They have all the hook ups and pushed us thru in record speed.  We had heard of horror stories at the embassy...it was a breeze for us.

I can't sleep.  Erika woke up a couple of hours ago cuz she was hot and now I am wide awake.  

We visited the Dr. yesterday afternoon.  It went well.  Pray for Alex because the Dr. said he still has a heart murmur.

It is conceivable that we could go home Thursday if everything goes perfect and flights are available.  Hopefully, we will be home no later than Saturday.  If we could get Erika's birth certificate early in the morning, get her passport, get the Dr. to sign off, get to the embassy by late morning; then we could pick up the visas in the late afternoon and then we would be done.

Everyone please pray for my sister-in-love Dru.  She has gone thru and is going thru much big time physical ailment.  She has been SO awesome to us and she needs the blessing of your prayer.  Thanks!

These kids are kids.  They are not perfect but I am so proud of them after all they have been thru.  I absolutely can not wait to show them off to everyone at home.  Again, we have been blown away from the support of our family and friends.  By the grace of God, mankind still has many kind men (and women).  That last sentence could only be thunk up from me at 4 in the morning!

This morning we found out that we will not get the last birth certificate today so we are off at least one more day.

All these answers are subject to negation cuz Rena is at the store with the girls and I am prone to chronic wrongness.

Steph - I think we still plan on Alex going to Rising Star in January.

GRR - No, Rena and I have not had our date.  The closest thing to it is that we ventured out for a 45 minute walk when the kids were napping 3 days ago.  It felt really weird.  17 years of it just being Rena and I and then 2 weeks with our kids and all of a sudden it feels wrong to be without them.  Huh.  It must be love.  

p.s. Rena and I find ways to snuggle (if you know what I mean).  My family calls it...going to Wal Mart.

Packing for outings is no big thing for Rena (dtr. of a Silver Beaver Boy Scout leader).

I don't know what to register more for other than high chairs, kid's videos, more books and thousands of dollars in college tuition.

What is Love and Logic?  Sounds like bunk to me. Ha ha.

KS - Yes, that is Nataly.  She is so stinkin' cute.  The boys are smitten with her.

Beth - Mamacita is loosely translated...hot mama.

Today we went to the top of a mountain and we were able to see all of Bogota.  What a spectacular view.

Linda - We will start Alex in ESL after the new year.

Parks and Playdates

Hello All.  Rena, here.

We have been to parks, met new families, been to parks, reunited with families that we have known, and been to even bigger parks.

Yesterday, the kids witnessed an amazingly huge hail storm that made a special TV channel break-in. They kept using the word for ice in Spanish instead of the the word for hail.  We took video of it.

We also went to a toy/game store that had some great buys for the kids.  We found fun bath toys, and cool Colombian things to decorate their rooms with, at home.

They have started to ask us about their house in the United States.  The boys are excited that they  get to have their own bedroom, their own bed and that the girls are not in there with them.  They also were excited that there was a room that had books and toys for them. 

One of the families that we flew in to Bogota at the same time with, is now at El Refugio.  Jen, her mom and her beautiful daughter Nataly are here.  Our boys were giddy at the sight of Nataly. It was quite interesting to watch.  They were embarrassed, but were able to give hugs when she came in.  Of course, Jen and I squealed and hugged each other.  For those who do not know, Jen and I met one time before, in person, at the airport in Bogota.  Yet, previous to traveling to get our kids, we have been talking through the great CHI yahoo site.

Today we spent most of the day at an enormous park.  It was a zoo, amusement park, museum, and pony riding place all in one.  The kids were wiped out as were the parents, but it really was fun.  The boys loved the lions and tigers, but the girls climbed Papi like a tree to get as far away as possible.  We met another family in Bogota, who happens to live in Atchison, Kansas, who is adopting a sibling group of three.  They are great.  We are all to go eat pizza this week.  They already have two boys.  That means that 13 of us will converge on this pizza place like a pack of Kansas wolves.  It will be great!!!

We have the kids on a basic routine.  Now they sleep until around 7:00 to 7:15 in the morning.  We eat breakfast here around 8:00 and then it is time to take our pseudo bath/shower.  This is one area that our tag-teaming is great.  Papi washes hair and then hands the kids out to me.  The ledge that is at the opening of the shower is too tall for the kids to cross.  We usually try to go for a walk, go to the store or a nearby park, until lunch at 1:00.  After lunch, all of the kids take a nap.  There are some days that either Sebastian or Alejandro just rests, but the girls always sleep.  Since dinner is not until 7:00 at night, the kids eat fruit or crackers around 5:30.  

I have tried to do school with Alex, but with other kids here, doing school is hard.  He is learning to count to 10 in English.  I think that that it good since he can't count correctly to 5 in Spanish.  Papi bought the boys cards that have colors, numbers and shapes on them.  We played with some of them today.  They liked it.  Turning learning into a game may be the key.  We will see.  

Our kids are great eaters.  They eat everything.  They will fit right in to their new home.  We really don't know what their favorites are, yet.  Luisa loves anything sweet.

Tomorrow is a holiday, again, in Colombia.  So that means that we will hit the ground running on Tuesday to get everything completed.  We will let you all know when we get the flight go ahead.  Keep praying.  We are clicking our heels and waiting for our hot air balloon to take off.

Muchos Besos to all.

This morning we got the kids haircuts.  Each one was so good in the chair.

I posted more videos on You Tube.

Answering ?'s:

Tia Chito - Without going into details, the Colombian government said the kid's biological parents were not good parents.  We believe God had Rena and I in mind when He created these beautiful children.  We are the ones who get the blessing.

Ellie - Rena does well with speaking to the kids but there is still alot we don't understand.  We keep the Spanish dictionary handy.  My computer also has a cool widget where you just type the sentence in in English and it immediately translates it to Spanish.  The dialect is mostly the same as Mexican Spanish.

Sherrie - We were told to pack light.  We packed too light.  We have purchased some clothes for ourselves down here.  They told us not to where jewelry or watches.  I should have brought a watch.  I can't stand having to reach in my pocket to look at my cell phone.  I am mucho lazy sometimes.  I personally would be lost without my laptop (Mac) and the Internet.  I wish we would have brought more videos.  The kids love anything (even in English).   

Passing time is no problem.  Between eating, naps/sleeping at night, playing, sightseeing and doing adoption paperwork the time goes quickly.

Everything is mostly comparably priced.  Junk food is cheaper.  Clothes are about the same.   Going out to eat is a little cheaper.  Today's haircuts were $6 as was Rena's French manicure...that's cheap!

The coffee here is perfect for me.  They make it strong at El Refugio.  Juan Valdez Cafe is just like our Starbucks/Caribou Coffee(Caribou is the best - Turtle Mocha).

Katie - Regarding attachment...I feel we are strongly bonded already.  I believe all the prayer going up has been answered.  Every day feels more and more like we have been together forever.

The Woods - Alex is still trying to find out who he is.  Is he the leader of his siblings or is he the follower of his new parents?  Sebastian is a cuddle bug.  He hates letting go of us at bedtime and he climbs in bed first thing in the morning to love on us.  Erika has fits all the time.  She tests us to see if we mean business.  Even though she has turned 3, developmentally  I think she is in the terrible 2 stage.  Luisa is the only one who is not extremely active.  She is more phlegmatic.  The other 3 are sanguine in nature.  All 4 get very, very fidgety 15 minutes before thet go to sleep.  They don't go down voluntarily.  We have to make them lay down and stay still/quiet.  They all have dreams all night long.  They laugh/cry in their sleep.

The Colombians spoil their kids.  They give them anything they want and expect us to do the same.  We don't agree.

ks-Deanna is a fun worker here at El Refugio.  Every morning she styles the boys hair and they have a blast and are so proud of their doo.  

Speaking of hair, I have a bit of tragic, personal news.  Colombia is making me loose mine like crazy.  Yikes!  On the other foot, I have had no heart pains down here.  Unfortunately,  I would rather choose the latter.

Today we got news that the court we need won't be open till next Tuesday so we probably won't be home till Saturday.  That would still be less than a full month so that is o.k.

We posted more videos on You Tube.  Type in nd4367.

To answer GRR's ?:  The kids are in hog heaven because all they do is eat, sleep and play.  We talk to them about their new house, pool, toys, school, family/friends.  I don't know how much they comprehend.

I pretty much have exhausted new things to talk about and we don't get many comments so it is hard for me to want to post.  Please ask questions if you have any.  It will give me something to say.

Splish-Splash

Yesterday was more of the same.  We are in a good place so we are not terribly anxious to get home.  On the other foot, home is home and we are ready to move on with our new life.  

In the above picture:  I found out that if I sit on the drain, the shower becomes a mini-pool/piscina.  It made the kids extremely contento/feliz!

Yesterday, Oscar the attorney and I traipsed all over town getting 2 birth certificates during the morning.  Then we spent the afternoon at this huge park/playground and then at this very upscale mall.  Last night there was a big party at the B&B celebrating adoption.  VIP's from FANA were there.  We partook in delicacies from a French connoisseur including quiche and many fancy gourmet desserts.  The kids behaved for the most part.  All in all, yesterday wuz a ton-o-fun.

This morning Jaun guided us thru the Salt Cathedral.  It was an hour outside of Bogota.  We saw salt mines and the Cathedral was underground and everything was made of salt.  It was really neato.

O.K........BIG news!  The kiddos are officially ours.  This afternoon we were surprised that I was asked to immediately get in a taxi with Andres (our adoption escort) and go downtown to sign papers to take the kids for good.  There is a big name for it but I don't remember it.  Now starts a bunch of formalities but we were told that we will probably be able to catch a plane home next Wednesday.

Please pray for all the paperwork to go thru properly and for us to be able to catch a flight at a good time for no extra $.   Thanks.

We got to video conference with both Rena's parents and one of my brothers and his family yesterday.  We have already done this with my sister and her family in Hawaii a few times.  It is so much fun to watch the kids react to family elsewhere.  They say Hola, Te amo mucho, and give kisses.  Oh, and I can't forget that they show off their all too famous "Mamacita" dance.  Technology is just crazy these days.  The picture when we webcam is so clear!   Thank the Lord that He shares some of His brains with us so we can do amazing things.

I posted a cute little video of Erika on You Tube.  Look it up under nd4367.

Funny moment:  Luisa pulled a "Caddyshack" pool scene in the bathtub this morning.  Erika, who shares the tub, was extremely disgusted and dissatisfied.

Erika's birthday party

Princess Erika turned 3 yesterday and boy did she have a big day.  The El Refugio threw her a HUGE shebang.  Lucia our contact, Oscar our attorney, Andres our driver were all there.  All the other families were there.  Everyone showered her with many wonderful gifts.  She was sung Happy Birthday in English, then Spanish, then in French.  The staff dressed up in costumes.  Carmen also suggested the kids be in costumes.  Erika had a Dora pinata.  It was a smashing success.  The Colombians REALLY know how to fiesta/party!

In a few hours we will take the kids for their passport pictures.  The adoption process is moving along quickly and we should be home in less than 2 weeks as per Lucia/Oscar.

Today the priorities finally got straight.  I got a Harley Davidson t-shirt from the Bogota HD store.  I was upset that they didn't have any shirts for Rena or the kids.  I really wanted a picture of us all in HD shirts.  

We hired a tour guide/driver named Juan who was just excellent.  He showed us all around Bogota and shared all kinds of historical information about it.  We visited the huge square where you see the pigeons.  We visited an art gallery that had all kinds of famous artists from all around the world.  They featured a Colombian artist who only draws fat people.  I felt quite at home.

The kids are up now.  See ya.

Seeing the town