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

Tonite's log

My brain is so tired.  I had things to say but I can't remember anything.  The El Refugio remains a great place to stay.   The help here is very nice and likes to horseplay.  The food is kinda like our food except better.  We hope to incorporate Colombian cuisine in our home.

Even though we were family from the start, each day it feels like more and more like we were never without each other.  The boys are extremely affectionate and the girls are warming up nicely.  It is difficult to love and discipline, all in the same breath,  children you've only known a week that don't speak your language.   God gives us strength and we count on the prayers of our friends and family.  We have been told amazing stories of how some have lifted us up in prayer.  We feel it and are tremendously blessed!  Thank God He never closes His ears.

More footage

Here are links to posts on You Tube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyVp8vDliBO &

                                                                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SY_zLwQ9J8

Sebastian laugh

Mamacita

Out and about

Today has been a good day.  We went out shopping at a local artist store with two other American families.  There were 7 children that ranged in age from 4 months to 10 years.  The children were very good.  We then continued on and played at the park.

Yesterday, we met with the psychologist from the Colombian government and she asked very few questions, but it was good for her to see us and the children.  It was just one more hurdle for us to leap across.  We have already found out that we are in court #7.  We know that it is not a slow court, and that we SHOULD be home in a month (total time in Colombia).  Nate and I actually slept last night fairly well.  He has been fighting insomnia so the 6 good hours that he slept was welcomed. 

He is so very excellent at multi-tasking.  He can add to the blog, flip children over, reward a job well done and get the attention of the children when necessary.  One of his daily sacrifices is to actually be in the shower with the children to wash their hair and rinse them off.  He is in there, somewhat dressed, and then hands them out one by one.  I am the dryer.  While he is washing, I am laying out clothes and getting ready for the tag-team.  

If you have not already figured it out, Nate is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

The kids beg and push to get into line to play with Papi.  They say "A mi Papi, a mi." (to me Papi, to me).  He makes sure that each one gets many turns.

Lucia, our representative here, told us that she will come and take care of the kids so that we can go out to eat.  That is very nice of her, but I am not so sure that I want to go.  I do know that we need to go on a date, so it should be very nice.  

Keep the comments coming!!!

Nate here.  We have not posted as much because we have been quite busy.  Rena was herself (graciously nice) in the above comments of me......I'm not so bad sometimes.  Rena's better!  Sunday we were invited to a fiesta for Lucia's grandchildren's school.  It had many fun things for kids including a rock climbing wall that both boy's conquered (with the help of the rope guy pulling them up).  It was an hour away in a small town in the country.  It was very beautiful with clean air.  The mountains reminded us of Hawaii by the way they were green and jagged.  The town was having a massive celebration in honor of some election.  We got caught in a traffic jam where everyone was honking their horns,  shooting big fireworks, music and dancing.  It was very interesting.  I am so bummed out that I forgot to video it.  

I hope to get Sebastian's laugh on the blog somehow.  It is hysterically funny!   I am having much trouble getting video to post.  I posted a video on You Tube called "The Renate kiddos".     Watch the antics of Alex.  He is crazy (in a good way)!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-Tqqr-N0qE

Please pray

We meet with the Colombian government officials today at 1:30 to see if we can get full custody of the kids and start the adoption process.  Please pray!

More pictures

Did you know?

Did you know that it is not a good idea to wear white when your children are eating chocolate ice cream?  Or...did you know that, when all of your children have a balloon, and one breaks in the middle of the mall, you go and get another one, so that there is continuous flapping of 4 balloons?   Did you know that you can actually do a few loads of laundry every day and that children rarely wear the same article of clothing without a washing in between?  

We went out to eat for the first time, and our kids were excellent!  Everyone was just watching, ok staring, to see what they would do.  They made us very  proud!  Of course when we returned to El Refugio, they returned their ACTIVE selves.  I know what you are all thinking, and yes, I would rather them behave in public and be loud at home then visa-versa.

Papi does have the favor of the girls.  They went shopping and they were so good.  In the meantime, the boys and I solved the worlds problems through the use of balloon talk.   

More pictures

It was the best of times...

It is so interesting how all in the same day we can feel like there is no wrong in the world and an hour later it is crashing down. Then repeat 4 to 6 more times for the day.

Alex is mucho inteligente with his school work.  He thrives on positive confirmations of his abilities.  He cares for, loves and protects his sisters.

Sebastian is a fun machine.  He needs mucho work on obeying.  Rena and I will "movie kiss" each other in front of the kids all the time and they get the biggest kick out of it.  Sebastian then runs to Mami and begs for kisses.  It's cuter than cute.  He is gonna slay the women folk!

Sharing is our biggest hurdle.  They go loco if they don't get treated equally, down to the smallest details.  I wish so badly that I spoke more Spanish.  I get by and Rena does very well but they talk so fast and probably use slang.  They are learning please and thank you and some other words I can't think of right now.

I am SO proud of Rena.  It is as if she has been a mom forever.  The children adore her.