...the six year old at free skate...

Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd is an amazing song.

So we are continuing to break in our new found parenthood here in Midvale. Things have been going pretty well, and we have been enjoying this week of hanging out together and getting a varitey of things done. Shirley went for her shots for school and went today to register; she will be starting next week. She really doesn't seem too excited, and she could possibly be nervous (who could blame her), but hopefully she will soon make some good buddies and enjoy the rest of the year of school. The boys have been having fun, too. They are still loving the balloons that we found at our house upon our arrival, so to all those who brought the balloons, they are a HUGE hit with the kids. It is always funny to hear them say "frio" when the door opens, too, as it is much colder here than Colombia. Shirley doesn't mind so much, though, as she already has taken part in shoveling sidewalks and making snowmen. She loves the snow. She also likes walking the dog, although it doesn't always agree with her schedule. The adjustment has continued to be good.

We hosted our friends Josh and Becky for ice cream and a "get-to-know-you" night with the kids last night. The kids have responded well to our times of visiting, as we have tried to do most all our visiting at our house as they slowly become accustomed to our lives here. We have not really introduced them to too many people since our arrival (and the wondeful reception at the airport), which is deliberate as they continue to adjust. Like I said, though, they have done well and have been friendly with everyone once they have gotten past their initial shyness. And who wouldn't like Josh, with the grizzly adams beard and all...

Still haven't gone out for a vehicle yet. I have spent hours (literally) online researching and looking for different places to shop. I am pretty sure that I have narrowed it down to six automobiles: Honda CRV, Honda Pilot, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Highlander, Ford Freestyle. I have the years that I would purchase as well, so it is now becoming easier to look in the million different places possible. Hopefully soon, as the issue is driving me nuts.

In local news, the condo diagonally across from us went up for sale today. I have no idea what the asking price is, but the realtor contact is Lori at 598-5153, if anyone is interested. It would probably be best to not mention that you are affiliated with us, just so they don't think we are trying to take over the complex (which we are;)). I know that some of you have talked about moving into the neighborhood...here is a great opportunity...and to be able to borrow a cup of sugar and stick of butter from either the Clemens or the Shinns! And to walk to church! Think about it...

Work. Maybe Monday. I am not motivated for it yet, as I would like to take care of the automobile first, and relax, and play some hockey. All you who have played/play now who read this: Hockey on Saturday at 9 AM. I have not played in a long time and would really like to play, so show up. Or I will punch you in the face!

The Flyers have made some good trades recently. I think that they are looking to improve, especially defensively, where they are absolutely atrocious. I still don't get why they bring in these big defensemen, though...I thought they would learn with Rathje and Hatcher, neither of whom can skate faster than the six year old at free skate at the local 'Y'. Here's to next year!

Anyhow, I just thought I would drop a line. I hope all is well.

THe song for the day is "Hard Times" by Gob Iron....

at home

It feels weird to not go to work. I really don't mind it right now, though, as it is nice to have time around the house a little bit, especially since we seem to have plenty more to do before we can actually get settled in. Yesterday was a pretty good day, as a couple of our friends stopped by and visited for a while. It was nice to have some adult/non-spanish conversations for a while. It is also nice to allow our friends/family to be introduced this way, a couple at a time, not overwhelming the kids. Most everyone we know is busy here (work, etc.) so we will see how we will be able to continue this process of acclimation.

Today Janine went to Costco and is now out with Shirley getting some other goods/clothing at Target and Old Navy. We are continually restructuring around here, moving things around in the kitchen, trying to figure out seating arrangements, and other little things. It is really nice to be back at home, though, even though it is such a drastic climate difference from where we were a few days ago.

So the kids think it is pretty cold here, but they all seem to love the snow and mountains. They also get along very well with Pakak, which is nice. Shirley especially loves to play with Pak, and they seem to be quickly becoming buddies. We are trying to figure out school for Shirley, as we need to get shots and immunizations done before she goes, but we are having slight problems locating a doctor who can do it sooner rather than later. I also need to make some phone calls regarding insurance, too. Hopefully it will all go quickly.

We have been looking at vehicles, too, as our Corolla is not big enough to fit us all comfortably, especially for those times when we also take Pak with us. It just wouldn't work. So I have been on the internet searching, reading consumer reports, and looking to find something that will work for our family and be at least somewhat smart and economical. No gigantic vehicles for us. Any suggestions? I know some suburban fans in AK, and some Explorer fans in PA, so I can guess what some suggestions might be.

I got to record last night, too. I actually wasn't planning on it, but after everyone was in bed early, I decided to play a little bit and ended up recording a new four minute song. It is interesting enough and stemmed from an idea I have had in my head for a little while. This morning my brother in law told me that the day would soon come that I would only be able to record after 10 PM...well, that day has come. I didn't end up in bed until 12:30 and am a little tired now. I am not complaining, though, as it was fun to sit and record again.

I have also been able to watch hockey again, too. It has been nice, as the four sports channels in Colombia were always filled with soccer. I have nothing against the sport, but does it really need four+ channels all day every day? Maybe some people would say so, but I could have used some hockey some time in there for sure.
And the Heels lost to Maryland. I am ashamed.

Anyhow, I just wanted to drop a post to let all know that things are going well. The kids are having fun, still adjusting to the house and the climate (Shirley's lips are pretty chapped right now) and to us, of course. But it is good to be home.

Bogota to Midvale in 16 hours...

We made it. We are home. Yesterday was quite a long day, as one would expect with flying from Bogota to SLC, but it was relatively good. We woke up early, rousing the kids from bed so we could get something to eat before we left, and headed to the airport at 7 AM. We needed to get there 3 hours early to guarantee us enough time and I thought we had plenty of time. But really, we didn't. After getting to the counter quickly we were held up for several reasons: first, the change in tickets confused the counter attendant. Second, they hand searched one of our bags, which took longer than I thought it would. Third, there was a mix-up at immigration in which they looked for our papers in our folder but did not find them. So I was sent back to the counter to check with anyone I talked to about getting the paper back. Nobody had them, so I went back to immigration only to find them with the papers! They didn't look hard enough. Five of them could not find it until after I left. Anyhow, we got through with no problems, but with only a few minutes to spare before boarding. Janine quickly got all the kids to the bathroom, and the time we planned on spending our last Colombian pesos were spent shuffling the kids to and from the bathroom. Anyhow, we made it on the plane, sitting in the fron row, which was very nice, as we had plenty of leg room and space for the kids. Juancho started fussing as we left the gate, and he fussed for about 40 minutes, but finally calmed down. I know that both he and Andres were pretty tired, and Andres proved as he fell asleep shortly after take off. Juancho found that his favorite place on a plane is on a blanket on the floor. He did wonderfully as long as he could stretch out and lay down on the floor. Andres and I had no one next to us, so he was able to stretch out on the seat as he slept. So 4 1/2 hours later we landed in ATL and were shuffled through customs and immigration. We ended up sitting and waiting for a while as they went through our packets of paperwork, but finally they approved everything and let us know that our kids were now welcome to the U.S. and would be able to become citizens when we go through the proper channels. We were sent on our way with little time left to catch our flight to SLC, so we hustled through more security (ATL security is not friendly!) and had to pull our kids out of the way of a thousand jerks whose time was more important than the safety of our kids (seriously, how can you just run over kids?!?). Anyhow, we made it to our gate with little trouble and even less time. Janine again got the kids to the bathroom (really not an easy task at all) and when she was finished I got a bunch of grub at Chick Fil-a', as we were informed that there would be no meal on the plane. Oh yeah, we didn't have seats together at first, so I talked to people at the counter and got moved up from row 23 to row 10, got seats all together, and moved from zone 8 to zone 1. It was nice that they worked with us so easily. Anyhow, we ended up boarding with zone 3 because the food took so long to get ready, but we made it on and ate before we took off. Juancho did much better taking off this time, and we thought the boys would sleep early on, but they were up for much of the time. We were all very tired and a little cranky, but we managed to make it through this flight, too. The boys had different times of fussing, but really did very well considering how long of a day it was and that it was only their third flight ever. It always helps (when they are fussing) that everyone thinks they are so cute (they are).

So enought about jets. When we touched down at SLC, we were anxious to be done with a day of flying and anxious to see our friends and family. After the long walk through the terminal ( I think our gate was actually in Ogden!) we were greeted by our friends and family in baggage claim. It was so nice to see everyone, to share hugs, and for everyone to meet our children. The boys were so tired they didn't really care, but Shirley enjoyed seeing people and even cracked a couple of jokes (displaying her wondeful sense of humor). She got to hang out with Arleth and Nohemi, girls who she has already talked to on the phone during our time in Bogota, so that was nice. There were about 15 of our friends/family there to meet us, which was so nice. Thanks to all of you who came! It was awesome. 7-UP: whose the chump?

After we collected our bags and had our fun greetings we left for home. The boys liked their car seats (as they could sit higher and see everything out the windows) and I explained to Shirley that in the U.S. she needs to be buckled in. We will need to get a new car, though, as ours is pretty tight for the three of them (with car seats) in the back. We made it to the house (my driving was not at its best, after not driving for a month) safely and the kids loved the greeting we recieved (balloons, welcome signs, etc....thanks all!) and toured the house with balloons in hand. They explored their room for a while, and the rest of the house for a bit, but it was late and they were tired, so off to bed pretty quickly. Our heating bill will now go up as we try to keep the kids comfortable (imagine, a guy from Alaska being comfortable in temperatures colder than kids from Colombia, hmm.) Anyhow, it was so nice to get home, to sleep in our own bed, to eat a bowl of cereal, to see friends and family, to wake up and drink coffee from home (good coffee!). I am so happy that the kids seem to like it here already. It will be fun to see them today when they are rested. We may try to see how they react to Pakak today, at some point, and we will need to get some shoes for the boys at some point, so we will be somewhat busy today. We are just so happy to be back, to have our kids at home, to begin our lives together here as a family.

Thank you all so much for your comments and for reading this blog; you don't realize how valuable your little comments on here were.

Thank you to all who prayed for us, as it was felt so often and seen in so many ways.

Thank you to those who participated in the Valentine's Day fun package, as it was a wonderful taste of home.

Thank you SV for keeping our house from falling apart. I really hope you enjoyed your stay. You should move to the neighborhood!

Thank you Chocolate family, for being our contact, for paying bills, for being so much more to us than you could ever imagine. We will walk the dogs together again soon!

The Shinn family is home, it is hard to believe, but it is true. God has blessed us in so many ways, with our children, with our trip, with our friends and family. Glory to God in the highest.

We know that we cannot see everyone who has faithfully read our blogs and participated in our journey, at least right away, but we look forward to the day that we can meet, that you can meet our children who are even more lively and so much cooler than what we could ever explain or write in our blogs. Thank you all, with much love.

Stay tuned, too, as the fun has only started. The blogs will continue, for sure.

The song for the day is "Conventional Wisdom" by Built to Spill...

I want a bowl of cereal...

Greetings and Salutations! Tomorrow we are going to make the long trek from Bogota to SLC! After spending so much time waiting today, making phone calls, not getting my hopes up, and getting ready for another day here in Bogota, we got the word at 4:15 that we were cleared to fly! So I quickly made arrangements with Delta to get us on the next possible flight, which is tomorrow morning at 10:30. We will leave for the airport at 7 and most likely arrive at home 15 hours later: a long day, but we are ready. I am only hoping that the kids enjoy this flight (this means you, Juancho) more than the last.

So today was a good day. We started out this morning hearing that we were not going to travel. It was not really a surprise, so I began early trying to contact the right people, calling, waiting, etc. After a little while we went to the shopping center to spend time together outside of El Refugio. It was nice, as we walked around quite a bit and were able to get some last minute things that hopefully make tomorrow's flight a little easier. It was a nice time in which the kids enjoyed being out and the change of environs from what has gotten to be the daily activities here. After this the boys napped and we all had a quiet and relaxing couple of hours. When they woke it was play time in the backyard (they love the backyard, which makes me think again about the sixplex...) for a few hours. Hopefully they sleep well tonight, which they should according to how hard they have been playing this afternoon.

It has been a nice stay here, especially as we have gotten to know the other families a little better. There is still the language barrier, but it has not been as much of a blockade as one might think. The kids continue to play together nicely, which makes me optimistic for when our kids have friends at home. Carmen, our host, has been wonderful in trying to find me the right phone numbers and the right contacts here, especially when Lucia is busy with another family. She has also been helpful in letting me know about the banks/money exchange, etc. I know that Julie (from Children's Hope Int.) told us before, but so much has happened since that I don't always remember. Anyhow, a tremendous thanks goes out to our hosts and contacts here: Lucia, David, Andres, Carmen...we could not have survived without you.

Also, in this whole process (specifically the last couple days) Julie, Lucia, Donna...you all have done a wonderful job in helping us out. We are extremely grateful. Thank you.

For all those who called senators and governors...thanks. The Shinn family has wonderful friends who sent shockwaves through the political system. Now if we could only get more liberal people in office...

To the people in the U.S. Embassy...thanks for continuing to answer my five million phone calls and those calls made by those who represented the Shinn family.

I am really hoping customs doesn't take too long tomorrow, but we have already heard horror stories. Pray that it all goes smoothly and quickly.

We are all anxious. Shirley was very pleased to hear that we would be traveling tomorrow. I don't think she knows how long of a day it will be, but she is so good with helping and always makes us laugh, so it will be easier with her for sure. I will just be happy when the luggage is out of our hands. Janine has done a wonderful job in making a months worth of clothing, etc. for five people fit into small spaces, but it is still a bundle of stuff. Tomorrow will be an adventure.

The song of the day is "Celebration Day" by Led Zeppelin...

Any good books on post-conservative evangelicals out there? Just checking.

Jo: Did you see the Waits list on the page? That should help. Send coffee.

Fuller: Thanks for the advice, brother. It was heard loud and clear.

E&M: Next time we all get together it will be quite crowded...go Heels!

Jay: what's with the ducks?

Mom: your grandchildren will be home soon...

DID ANYONE GET "WHAT IS THE WHAT" YET?

Hope all is well. Thanks for all your words and support and prayers.

Soon I will eat a bowl of cereal...

the u.s. embassy likes to waste my time...

It feels like a while since I have written. It actually feels like a while since I have been here at El Refugio. I have spent the better part of two days sitting and waiting at the U.S. Embassy for the approval of three traveling visas for the kids. Everything was going fine yesterday up until after we paid. Then, after waiting longer than normal (according to our helper) we were summoned up to the window only to be told that we had not been approved for three kids, only two. Apparantly our paperwork had some sort of malfunction somewhere along the way. So we were told to go home, to come back this morning to see what was going on. So that is what we did. We made phone calls, we sat and waited, we fretted. Today I woke up at 3:30 and couldn't sleep anymore. I laid awake for quite some time until it was time for all to get up. I was picked up at about 8:30 and made it to the embassy around 9:15. We waited for almost three hours to hear word that we should just come back at 2:00. Not exactly what I wanted to hear. So we went back to El Refugio, where I was met by another worker at 2:30. We again went to the embassy and waited until 4:45, when I was called to the window to be given the news that it didn't look good at this moment, that we would not be issued the visas. My heart dropped. I turned away and tried to avoid any eye contact, as I was mad/sad/etc. So as I was explaining this to my contact, I was called again, and to my surprise was given the visas! We checked over them to make sure that they were okay, and they were, so I called Janine and told her to start packing. The ride home was joyous, I was very happy, excited to finally have clearance to go home. As Janine was letting me know her packing plan we got a call from the embassy: do not travel tomorrow...you do not have clearance. I wanted to puke. I was so mad, so sick. Hadn't they just given me the visas to travel 25 minutes before?!? It turns out that we are waiting for CIS in SLC to fix the problem. Apparently there is only one person in all of CIS/SLC who can work on it and she has been sick for two days. So maybe we are stuck. We will gamble tomorrow, packing our stuff, getting ready, hoping to hear word that we are cleared at 8:00 AM. If so, we are off running to get to the airport and get through all the security nonsense before our flight at 10:30. If not, we change our tickets again, and wait. We have no idea right now, what is going on. It is ridiculous that we are stuck because of one paper with one problem that can only be rectified by one person who happens to be sick. The embassy has all our other paperwork that has approved us for three kids. Our contact here cannot understand how we could get this far, even getting the paperwork cleared to pick up three kids, without it being caught before. I am somewher stuck between irritability, helplessness, and anger, very frustrated with the system that jerks people around. We'll see what happens.

So that is what is going on. Otherwise, things are good. The kids have been enjoying the backyard here, as well as playing with the other kids. There have been a few crying fits, but for the most part I am very pleased with how the kids have interacted and acted within these sometimes crowded confines. The meals are not too big and are not filling for me, but they have been edible. I especially enjoyed the lasagna the other night, and the soups have been good, just not enough of it. The people here are mostly French speaking, but we have managed to communicate on a rudimentary level. We have all warmed up to each other a bit, which is always helped along by kids playing with each other. Like I said, our kids have done well interacting with everyone.

Bogota itself is big. Over eight million people. It can take a while to travel anywhere, especially during the morning commute, and there are some wild drivers out there. It is a bustling city, for sure, with lots of construction and lots of places to shop. It seems that the economy is pretty good. One thing that is interesting is that people sell cell phone minutes on the street. It was explained to me that the people cannot find jobs, so they buy humongous cel phone plans for cheap and then sell the minutes for maybe 100 pesos over what they paid. So any long distance calls are cheaper this way rather than by one's own phone. Interesting.
Josiah: lots of good graffiti down here...it would be easy to spend hours looking at it all, as we pass so much on the way to the embassy.
The weather is cool. It never really feels hot, and has topped out at around 71 since we have been here. The nights can be really cool, but we are not out at night so the kids have not reacted to it at all. I actually enjoy this city, as little of it as I have seen, and might get a chance to see more. It reminds me of Philly in the amount of land that it covers, just no cheese steaks.

I am really hoping that we leave tomorrow, although I do not believe we will. If not, we will make the best of it and hopefully enjoy the rest of our stay. My anticipation to come home has waned, only because of the ambiguity of any plans of a return date. It seems almost arbitrary at this point, but hopefully it will be soon. The last two days have been particularly stressful, and at this point I am resigned to the fact that whatever happens happens. Like I said, we will see.

Anyhow, I hope you are all doing well. Sorry I haven't written in a while. I see that most of you are faithfully checking in to see updates, so here you go. If we are here tomorrow, I will write again.
wanting to eat good pizza and watch hockey,
S.

clowns are not fun...

The fun continues...

Today we went to the Embassy, to sit and wait and to cough up a healthy sum of money for visas for the kids. We were there for three hours when they finally told us that there was a problem: according to their paperwork, we were only approved for two children.
Somewhere along the way there was a mix-up, a misplaced paper, something that for some reason has us in limbo for now, as we try to resolve this problem before tomorrow. We need this done ASAP so we can get our the visas tomorrow afternoon so we can come home. Please pray for this to happen, as we are very anxious and now very agitated (at least I am). I would write more, but it would not be good. I am not too thrilled...

the song for the day is "Something's Always Wrong" by Toad the Wet Sprocket...

soup is not a meal...

In this entry I will leave out all the negative stuff, as I am in a fussy mood today.

We are coming home on Thursday.

The streets here are paved with cheese.

Our kids are awesome.

It was not my day today, but that is neither here nor there as we are coming home early. I called and changed our flights on the suggestion of our contact here. She said we would be able to finish up on Wednesday, so we are happy to be coming home earlier, even if it is just a couple days.

I like my oatmeal lumpy.

Don't play with electricity.

To all those who know me well enough that you can see my bad mood on my face from a mile away: the bad mood is on my face.

Tomorrow morning we hit the embassy for a few hours of fun. I hope that all goes well and quickly, as there is the outside chance that it could only take an hour. We are preparing for 3-4 hours, though, as it could be a long wait. We'll see. This will basically be the last big thing for us here, as we will only have to pick up the visas on Wednesday. Fun stuff. We should have the afternoon off tomorrow, though, which will be nice. The boys can actually get their naps, as they have missed them the last two days. I feel like I missed mine today. Anyhow, the count is now three days to home. Pakak, get ready for three kids!

Anyhow, I hope all is well. I will try to log more tomorrow.

...soup is not a meal...Kenny Banya

closer to home...

Bogota. We left yesterday afternoon from the hotel about 30 minutes later than we wanted to, but it didn't really matter as the plane was delayed 45 minutes, so we got to the airport in plenty of time. Yovany and Emmanuelle stuck around for a little while, keeping us company until our plane arrived. As soon as the plane is ready, it is a mad house rush to the door for anyone flying. It is crazy. We saw our Belgian couple friends there (who were originally supposed to fly at 10 AM, but had it changed to 2) and briefly said goodbye before we were sucked into the crowd of people with tickets. The plane then took off late, as we sat on the runway for about 30 minutes.

The kids were good during this time, Andres a little squirrely, but otherwise they were all good. Then the plane took off. Andres and Shirley did well. Shirley was very excited and smiling the whole time. Andres barely moved a muscle for the 55 minute flight...but there is more to that story. Juancho, however, howled and screamed for the whole flight. I felt so bad for him, and bad for Janine who tried to console him the whole time to no avail. To top it off (for her) she had not taken her Dramamine nor had been able to go to the bathroom before the flight, so she was not feeling so good. Nothing worked for Juan, not candy, not water, nothing. He just screamed the whole time. We will try to figure out what to do for the flight home: any suggestions?
So, Andres, who didn't move, probably didn't do so because he could have filled Lake Michigan with as much as he peed. We didn't notice until we picked him up after we landed, but his seat was wet and he was not very pleased. I couldn't believe how much he peed, and could understand why he really wouldn't want to move around too much. It was not the greatest first flying experience for Juan or Andres, but Shirley had fun:)

So we are now at the B&B, with a few other couples who all speak Spanish and barely any English. Our room is comfortable and nice, and they have a real shower, which is always good, so it is a good change from Club Campestre. Everyone is friendly enough here, and the kids have enjoyed the backyard. Today we are going to go to the doctor for check-ups for the kids. We are hoping that it doesn't take too long, but we have not heard great stories regarding the speed of the doctor. We are holding out hope that things will move along quickly while we are here and that we might be able to leave early. It is difficult to say at this time, though, but we will keep you posted. We also need to get out and buy some laundry soap and some pull-ups for the boys, so hopefully we get a chance to do so this morning. I am not sure what the schedule is like here yet, but we should be receiving a phone call from Lucia, our contact in Bogota, this morning some time. I am now sitting in the front room and have only seen one person this morning, so it is quiet. I am just hoping for good coffee soon.

It is funny, Janine and I both commented on how it was more difficult to leave B-manga than we thought it might be. It was touching to say goodbye to the couples that we have interacted with most, and it tugged at the heart strings to leave. Gladys, the waitress, I think had a difficult time with us leaving. She gave notes to us and to Shirley and just stood by us smiling for quite some time. It was a good stay, in spite of all my petty complaints, made better by those people who made it difficult to say goodbye.

Anyhow, we are getting closer to coming home, something for which we are very excited and anxious. It was difficult to know that this traveling this time was only to Bogota, as I really felt the desire to just go home. I still do. I enjoy traveling, I enjoy other places, but at this point I just want to begin normal life with our children. I think that would be good for them, too. Andres had a difficult time last night, which I attribute to the change of scenery and the change of schedule. So it would be best if we could get home and begin a normal schedule.

Well, I hear shuffling in the kitchen. I should begin to wake up Janine and maybe wash my face. I just thought I would take the early morning opportunity to write. I hope that you are all doing well.

The song for the day is "Wishful Thinking" by Wilco...

so the morning arrives...

So the morning arrives, the last morning of our Bucaramanga stay, and it is cloudy and overcast. The day calls for rain, as it did slightly yesterday (Shirley thought it was great to swim while it was raining), and it feels like a good day to leave. It will be interesting to see where we will be staying during our time in Bogota. We are hoping we have some sort of internet connection, so at least we can keep in touch and continue to journal our time here. It has been fun to document the happenings of this trip and to hear the reactions of our friends and family. Before we left I put a site counter on this page, just out of curiosity; it has been fun to see how many people visit, from where, etc. We set a record two days ago with 70 hits...and now have easily passed 1,000 for our time here. Congratulations! You are the 1,000 visitor and are now in line for the possibility of winning a major award! I have no idea who the thousandth visitor was, though, so...no prize.

Anyhow, we will go to eat our breakfast soon, I will load up on lots of bread and fruit, and we will finish our packing. I know that the food situation here was hit and miss and that it was well documented by this writer, but now we go into the great unknown of a B&B in Bogota. Hopefully the food will be good. I don't know why I am so worried about food. So we will leave for the airport around 12:15, and we are hoping that we will have no troubles with our baggage and the taxi, but Yovany is pretty industrious fellow and I am sure he will figure it out. I am already anticipating Juancho repeatedly saying "mm...avion...mm...avion" when we get to the airport. Perhaps he will wear himself out and fall asleep.
Side Note: You all know Juancho likes elephants, and after last night's dinner at which a local youth was wearing a Mickey Mouse hat, I am pretty sure that Andres likes Mickey Mouse.
It is very exciting to be taking the kids on their first plane trip, much like taking Janine on her first single prop airplane flight in Alaska, although I am hoping for different results (let's just say that she gets motion sickness very easily). Good times.

On a sports note, the Ducks continued their falling apart at the end of the season with a loss to Stanford last night. I have lost hope in the Ducks ever doing anything great at the end of the season, as they have their annual falling apart at the end of every year. The Tar Heels, on the other hand, held off a strong BC team to rebound from there recent loss. I am hoping that they can finish out their ACC season with no more losses, including the ACC tournament. I keep hearing about what a deep team they are, how good they are, but I am still not convinced. They are good, but seem to often lose to lesser teams. I know that Coach Williams took the blame for the V.Tech game, and maybe he should, but this team, if they are as talented and as deep as everyone says, should not lose to V.Tech. They need to learn how to shoot the ball.

On a music note, Both Willard Grant Conspiracy and Son Volt have new albums coming out in the next couple of weeks. I am curious for both, as they promise to be different than previous albums by the artists. Willard Grant Conspiracy lost one of their co-writers before this album, leaving only one to write the songs. From what I have heard, the other writer was holding them back, and this album is supposed to be really good. For Son Volt, I heard that this was their most experimental album from a writing standpoint. That alone makes it interesting, and I am hoping for more than just album filler that has clouded Jay Farrar's solo albums. I also hear that Counting Crows are in the studio now, working on their new album, as is Damien Jurado. Keep your ears open...

Well, this ends my Bucaramanga report, which I at least hope was informative and entertaining. Like I said, we hope that we have access in Bogota so we can keep writing. Today will be busy, so keep us in mind, keep us in your prayers. We look forward to the beginning of our return home and to seeing all of you (although for those who live elsewhere, it will have to be a different time, regretfully). If we do not have a connection in Bogota, I offer farewell, and we will catch you on the flip side. If we do have a connection I will try to write tonight.

keep on rockin'...

The song for the day is "Here is the Right Time" by Josh Ritter...which seems like a good song to fly to...

let's at least be respectable here...

Today has seemed like a long day. We ended up going to the shopping center today, more for something to do than for shopping. It is generally a nice walk and a good chance to kill time. Our theory is that if we can use up half the day, specifically the morning, and make it to nap time, we will be okay. The theory held up today. We had an enjoyable time walking and doing some final shopping here in Bucaramanga. The boys held up well and did not fuss too much. Afterward, we came back and had a small lunch in the room before the boys went to sleep. Shirley and I went to the pool, while Janine started packing (yeah!).

Shirley and I stayed at the pool for a long time today. I figured it would be her last time to swim for a while, so I didn't really mind it too much. It was a nice day, not too hot, and we had quite a bit of fun splashing around and playing. I am going to be glad for a break from the pool, though, as sometime in here my rotator cuff has started to act up. A break will be nice, although it was always nice to know that we had the pool for something to do. Anyhow, Shirley got to see her buddy Gladys who brought us some drinks and chatted with Shirley for a while. Gladys wanted to make sure that she would be able to see Shirley and the boys before we leave tomorrow, so we assured her that we would see her. Anyhow, after about two hours, Janine and the boys came down to see what we were doing. The boys were content to sit on the side, sipping on juice, while Shirley showed off to Mami for a little bit. Janine took the boys back to the room after about 45 minutes, while Shirley and stuck it out for another hour in the pool.

We had our last dinner at the restaurant tonight, although the boys didn't really want to eat. We began to say our goodbyes to staff here, which really brings our time here to some sort of finality. We came back to the room for baths and bedtime stories, and to continue to get ready to go to Bogota. Janine has done quite a bit of packing today, so tomorrow should be pretty laid back. We will need to finish our goodbyes tomorrow, with both staff and adopting families that we have become acquainted with here. Shirley has even made some cards for some of her favorite people, Gladys and Jose...she has really enjoyed their friendship while we have been here, and honestly, so have we. I was able to say goodbye to one of my favorites tonight, Edwing, who has helped us in numerous ways and has made our stay here so much easier. Tomorrow it will be Francisco, who has on different occasions brought me coffee in my room unsolicited, and Jose and Gladys. We have been fortunate to have kids who have made it easy to make friends with these people, and these folks whose hearts have shined brightly when we have interacted with them. We are blessed.

So now, with the kids asleep, the weekend party blasting from the convention area (there are parties every weekend here...that go on until the wee hours of the morning), and the Negro Modelo (La Crema de la Cerveza) beckoning me from the fridge, I feel very relaxed. I look forward to leaving tomorrow, for a change of pace from our daily lives here, and to see the kids as they take their first flight. It will be interesting, to say the least. I am also anxious to go home, to begin our lives in Midvale, as the kids become used to that lifestyle, and we continue to grow as a family. I also want to see our dog, too, to see how the kids are with her, how she is with the kids. It will all be very exciting. I am anxious.

On another note, the Flyers won a game. It sounded like a rough game, according to the AP news. I am sorry to hear that Brendan Shanahan when down, but I guess that is part of the danger of playing the game. Now, if the Flyers could only continue to play hard and win a couple of more games...let's at least be respectable here.

I just reread the paragraph before the Flyers one and noticed that I said that I am both "relaxed" and "anxious" and am wondering how that works...

Anyhow, I hope that you are all doing well. I hope that we get good sleep tonight, especially considering that we will be flying during nap time tomorrow. I really hope the boys aren't fussy.
Buenas Noches, Gorila...

Side note: Janine's blog...she made mention of a stinky morning (literally) with the boys yesterday. I have to give some detail of her morning, since she decided not to. Anyhow, she had to (ahem...cough...cough) "help" Juancho get his poop out. This was not very fun for her, and less fun for Juancho, I can imagine. So let it be known: I know my wife loves our kids very much, what with the extra help for the troubles of Juancho and his movements...just so you know.

Mr. and Mrs. Chocolate and Choco Jr.: Shirley seems to love birds!
Mr. Chocolate: can you please stock my fridge with delicious, cool, frosty beverages?
Jay and 7-Up: The ducks stink...
Huck: don't cut your hair...please...
Lo: Thanks for the kind words.
Gary: you are a preacherman, no?
DAFULLMAN: I am evading toy stepping quite nicely...
Nate: Are you reading this?

last full day

Yesterday we basically finished the Bucaramanga process of our trip. Shirley and I went out in the morning to get passports, airline tickets and to return shoes and were successful on all counts. Shirley did really well in signing her name on her passport and was very excited all morning. It only took about an hour to get our passports done, which was nice, as our attorney was there pushing the process along, making sure we wouldn't have to wait any longer than we should. After that, the airline tickets. We got flights out for Sunday at 2, which is later than we would have liked, but it will be fine. We will arrive in Bogota at around 3, which should give us time to get settled in, pick up our bag that we left at the hotel, and hopefully get the kids acclimated to the new environment. Our interpreter continually talks about how much colder it is in Bogota, how the kids will be cold, but it appears to only be a 10 degree difference in the day time, so I am not sure why the worries. Oh well. I am sure the kids will be fine. We will not be out at 3 a.m. in shorts cruising the streets.

While Shirley and I were out getting stuff done, Janine's day was not as good, having trouble with two fussy boys who were basically disagreeable all day long. The trend continued when we got back, as it seemed that either one or the other was fussing at any given time. The boys can be difficult when they are like this, but it still amazes me how they can have me exasperated one minute and laughing like crazy with them the next. That basically continued all day. We ate lunch in the room, and then Janine and Shirley went to the pool for a couple of hours while the boys napped.

When they returned, we left for the pool side to use a table to make play-doh creations. Shirley really enjoyed it, but the boys were more interested in destroying anything that was made or trying to eat the play-doh. We did manage to have fun, though, and Janine proved herself to be the best play-doh artist, continually "wowing" the kids with her animals. I just made a moustache.

After this we decided to eat dinner, one of our last here at the resort. It was a simple meal, followed by dessert, which the kids enjoyed. We were on our toes the whole time, though, as I had run into Emmanuelle right before dinner and she told me that Yolanda (the attorney) would be coming around 5:30 or 6. Anyhow, she ended up showing up at 6:45, but had our paperwork and explained all that she had for us in the packet and that she was now done. There was so much finality to it, and I felt so relieved that this part was done. I don't know why I had not felt such relief at any other time, but last night I felt that we had accomplished something, so much, in all this time. I know that there is more, but it felt nice. Anyhow, we paid her and got a few pictures, and then she and Emmanuelle left.

We did some things around the room, Janine keeping the kids busy while I made a phone call to our contact in Bogota. Then, with the boys being fussy, we decided it wouldn't be bad to put them to bed 15 minutes early, so with some fussing, some flopping, we got the boys to bed. They cried for a bit, but settled down pretty good. After stories and fifteen minutes of their own time, I turned out the light and they fell asleep pretty quickly. Shirley and Janine did some stickers in the front room, and then Shirley got on the computer for about ten minutes before bed. She fell asleep quickly, too.

Anyhow, today is our last full day here in Bucaramanga. I know that I will look back at our time here with fondness, even through the food and the inconsistency, but right now I am pretty happy about getting to Bogota to finish the process. There is a chance that we will finish by mid-week, so if that happens we will consider changing our flights back to SLC to maybe come back earlier. We will have to wait and see, though, as I am not exactly sure what that would all entail. I know that Janine and I would have to pay a fee, but we were told that the kids wouldn't, so we will see what happens. I really wouldn't mind getting back a few days earlier, to be honest.

So today we will go to the shopping center one last time (to get the kids out) and we will hit the pool one more time, as Shirley will miss the pool the most. Hopefully the boys are in good moods today and we do not feel the added stress of two fussy 2 year olds. I am sure they will be fine, though, as they seem to have slept soundly through the night. It should be a good day.

Maybe I will even see NC/BC game on tv. I doubt it, but one can dream...

The song for the day is "Neverending Math Equation" by Sun Kil Moon...

getting close to Bogota

So yesterday we really did nothing. We thought we were supposed to go out and get passports and such, but we sat around waiting for a call that didn't come. Finally I called Emmanuelle and she told me that it would be today that we would do it, that and get airline tickets to go back to Bogota. So at 7:30 this morning, Shirley and I will go with Emmanuelle to take care of things, which hopefully won't take too long. We whould be able to fly out of here on Sunday morning, and from what I have heard there is a special on tickets to Bogota right now, so that is nice. We should be able to fly the five of us for cheaper than we flew the two of us to B-Manga. Nice.

Anyhow, after the phone call we decided to go to the shopping center for one last time there (maybe). We had a good time looking around, doing a little bit of shopping, getting an americano, and then finally eating at a burger joint that didn't put ham on the burger. It was a good little trip, for sure, and took up a few hours that otherwise would have been spent in the hotel, which is not so fun. We then came back to the hotel, put the boys down for bed (a little later than usual) and Shirley and I got ready for the pool. We went down there while Janine spent time in the room taking care of a few things (some light packing, organizing, etc.). Shirley and I had a good time splashing around and diving into the pool. She still hasn't let go of the side yet, but I thought it might happen yesterday. Maybe today. After a couple of hours we went back to the room.

We decided to eat the local pizza again last night, which was okay, edible at least. I don't think anyone really enjoyed it all that much, but, again, it was something different. Afterward Shirley insisted that she did not want dessert, so we skipped out on that and went back to the room. On the way there the desk clerk stopped me and asked me to pay the bill. So I went back to the room and returned with my AMEX card, only to have it denied three times. I paid with another card, although frustrated with AMEX. After about 45 minutes of trying to find the right number (the desk clerk, Janine and myself) I finally got through to an agent who cleared everything up for us, so hopefully we will have no more troubles. It was frustrating.

The boys were a little restless last night, so they didn't get to sleep at a normal time, although Shirley and Janine got to bed at a decent time. I had many troubles sleeping for some reason, and am very tired this morning. Hopefully things don't take too long, and hopefully we will pass by a place where I can get an americano. We'll see. We are all very excited (well, I don't know about the boys) to fly to Bogota, so hopefully all goes well from here on out. We have no real idea where we wil be staying, what the accomodations will be, etc., but it will be another new adventure. The change in temperature alone will be an adventure for the kids; they are used to 80 degrees day and night, so the 40 degree nights of Bogota ought to be interesting for them. I think it will be nice...but you all know the weather that I enjoy...

The song for the day is "Descending" by the Black Crowes.

The Flyers picked up some young talent in the trade of Forsberg, and hopefully they can resign him in the summer...hopefully the beginning of the upswing and the return to respectability for my orange, white, and black...
Until then, I am happy Jarome Iginla is back and I will cheer on Calgary.

Mike: How was Cancun? How about the Rangers?

Jiminy Lizard

Greetings from la familia Shinn!

Yes, it is true, we are now officially a family. We went to court yesterday to sign papers, and everything went well. We were explained that we now had rights and responsibilities of parents of the children and that their names are now Shinn. It was really easy and really exciting to get it done. The kids got to dress up in their fancy duds and were so excited. The boys were jumping around when they saw their plaid shirts, and Shirley looked so beautiful in her dress. Everything went so well.

Afterward we were able to do some shopping in what I would call a "touristy" place, filled with neat things that are more full of Colombian flavor than most of which we have seen yet. It was good to see the little artifacts and variety of artwork that was there. The boys were most interested in little trucks and the fish and birds in the upstairs room, although neither Juan nor Andres wanted to get within two feet of the aquariums with the fish, no matter the size of the fish. Janine got to quickly shop while I tried to keep track of the boys. Shirley had fun, too, looking at different things, and especially with a water powered chime that she and Yovany found. We were able to pick up a few things that will be nice to have around the house when we return. I know that it will be so different from here that it will be nice for the kids to have some recognizeable things from Colombia.

After this we returned to the hotel for some light lunch and the boys naps. Shirley and I went to the pool where she was more adventurous than she has been yet. I really think that she would be able to swim freely if she just let go of the side, but she still uses that as her safety net. I think it holds her back, though. Anyhow, she was letting go quite a bit more yesterday, moving clumsily through a few meters of water before grasping for the side again. I think she had a lot of fun, though, and I tried to encourage her when she would stretch herself like that. She had a lot of fun jumping into the pool and even went (accidently) without holding on once. When she came up out of the water I asked her if that was good. She forced a smile and made sure she held on to the side for the next jump.

So I got in the mood for pizza, even though the pizza here is not very good. I decided to ask the front desk if they knew of any good pizza. The attendant pointed out a good one and ordered us a large. So 35 minutes later we got our strangely decorated pizza. It had ham and some sort of jerky-like sausage that was supposed to be pepporoni. Anyhow, the kids were all excited and we ate out on the balcony. The pizza was okay, and it was nice to eat something different, and the kids liked it, so it was good. While we were eating I hear Janine scream from the other room. I run in to check on her when she tells me she saw a HUGE bug fall into the trash can and then jump out. I ask her how big. She says 3-4 inches big. Now I am screaming and standing on a chair. Not really, though, but I didn't want to see a gigantic bug that "looks like a praying mantis." So I get tough and start snooping around for this bug. I see nothing. Shirley joins in and is the next to spot it, as she gets really excited (in a scared way) and starts pointing toward the other room (If you can imagine the scene in Signs where the kids in Brazil are freaking out when they first see the alien...that is was it was like). So off we go, the three of us crouched over as if we are sneaking around, looking for Mothra. After moving chairs, beds, end tables, etc. we finally move the curtains to see a little lizard/salamandar type dude. Okay, no bug. We are safe. I could see where one could mistake it, though. Anyhow, we begin the task of chasing him out the door ( I don't want to touch it to pick it up) when suddenly a scream and cry from the other room (Andres got restless and fell between the chair and table in his squirming), so Janine tends to that while Shirley and try to encourage the little dude (hereto affectionately known as Jiminy Lizard) out the door. He wouldn't budge, even if I stomped right beside him. I found a straw (who knows from when) on the floor and begin to encourage Jiminy Lizard by poking him. Eventually I poke JL and prod him enough to get him out the door, where he scurries in the small overhang of the wall to the floor. I checked on Jiminy Lizard a few minutes later and he was gone. He might be back in the room right now, though. That crazy JL.

So after this adventure we decided to cap our special day with dessert. So we went out to get some cake and ice cream. The kids were all excited again, as this was a special day. I should note that before this we gave the kids Valentines Day presents. M&M's for the boys and candy necklace for Shirley. They all loved it...another part of the special day, although we have to moniter all of them with candy or else they would eat nothing else. So dessert. We go and get two ice creams, Janine orders tres leches cake, and Shirley some sort of caramel thing that didn't look very good. She didn't like it, and by looking at it, I couldn't blame her. Juan love the tres leches cake, while Andres would have eaten a lump of coal if we put it in front of him, so the ice cream went quickly between the two of us. It was fun. Shirley and Andres wanted to watch the swim club practice afterward, while Juan just wanted to go back to the room, so Janine took him. The three of us watched for a little bit, but then Andres got a little fussy so we left. When we got back to the room the phone rang. They said we had a package at the front desk. Weird. So I went to get it.

What a special day. Not only did we officially become a family today, not only was it Valentines Day, not only did we go shopping and get to have pizza and a special dessert...not only all that, but our wonderful friends sent us a box of love from SLC! The kids were so excited, we were so excited to see all that was in there. We were warmed over again as we saw all the goodies, all the wonderful things that our friends sent to us, the things they made for us. What a suprise! It was wonderful, to say the least, and such a great cap to a great day. We didn't even get into all of what was in the box because it was such an overwhelming gesture of kindness and love, and the kids probably wouldn't know what to do with so much stuff. It will be nice to be able to stretch the box out for a few days, to get something special over the course of time....Thank you all who were involved. It was wonderful and la familia Shinn is very grateful.

Anyhow, sleep came easily to me last night, as I was tired from the lack of sleep the night before (I guess I was excited/nervous about court). I fell asleep quite early and slept really well. Today I don't know exactly what we need to do. Something with Shirley's birth papers, I think, and then maybe get going on the passports. I know that we need to get tickets to Bogota either today or tomorrow, too. I can't believe it is Thursday already, that we only have a couple more days here. It seems unreal, after spending this time here, that we are now thinking about leaving, thinking about packing, about where we will stay in Bogota. There is still so much to do, but I have a feeling it will all go by so quickly. It is very exciting, and before we know it we will be back in Midvale. Much to do before then, though.

The song for the day is "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" by Sufjan Stevens.
7-Up: The song for the day was almost "Whistle Down the Wind" by T. Waits. Just so YOU know.

Nurse Nan: You should read the book. It is amazing. Blue Like Jazz is a good read, too. Let me know what you think of it.

Gary: You should also read the book. I will send you a box of fun when I get back to SLC. How is school?

Jay: What is happening with our teams? V. Tech is starting to annoy me. How is snowboarding?

Meg: Thank you. I am glad you and Eric had a good V-day celebration, too.
Eric: I want to punch V. Tech in the face...twice...enjoy the Berry book:)

Lo: I haven't forgotten...the Elvis pictures are yours...hope all is well.

Mom: get the internet...

Al and Deb: Thank you both so much. We can't wait to get back east and for us all to meet!

Rex and Deb: Jose...what was I thinking?

Thank you all for your encouraging words and thoughts and prayers. We are always helped along by all of it and all of you. Hope all is well with you all.
S.

practicing my signature

Today is a big day. Today we go to court and the kids officially become our kids. It is very exciting, very good news, and it has happened very quickly. We are very happy. We learned this yesterday, as Emmanelle picked us up to go for our afternoon errands, and she was practically ecstatic. So today we will get picked up at about 9:15 to head to our court appointment at 10. There we will stand before a judge...and I don't know what, but at the end of it, our kids will be our kids. I am not sure how long this will take or what will be involved, but I know that it is a big deal and we have been told to dress as such. This is great.

We most likely will be leaving B-manga on Sunday, wrapping up a couple of things more here, and then hopefully relaxing a little bit before we head back to Bogota to take care of more things. After days of seemingly nothing, now things are moving quickly and it seems like our days are now going to be busy with items of business that we need to care for to get things done. All I know is that it has all been a whirlwind, from the time Janine called me at work to tell me we got the information and pictures of the kids up to now, and my head is spinning.

Yesterday afternoon was quite an adventure, though, as we went to the bank, to exchange Shirley's shoes, and to get passport photos taken. We first started an hour later than we were supposed to (Emmanuelle was working with another family whose appointment started late earlier in the day), so we left at 3 to go the bank. We arrived a little before 3:30, and Emmanuelle got in line for us as we waited until she got to the front. The line moved excruciatingly slow, but eventually she made it and the Shinns rushed to the front with her. There we realized that travelers checks and B-manga do not mix. We had to present out passports (nothing out of the ordinary) and sign some papers. As soon as we signed our papers the teller told us that our signatures needed to be more like the ones on the travelers checks. I couldn't believe it. Apparently, they have much trouble with counterfeits and forgery, so I was made to practice my signature before signing my checks. Janine's turned out good, as she has much better handwriting and is much more consistent than I am, but my signature is always different, and I pointed this out to the teller on my passport, my drivers license, the different travelers checks...she didn't care: the signatures had to match. Anyhow, they also had to call AMEX to make sure that we actually did have these, that they could actually cash them. We were approved, and finally the signatures matched well enough to exchange, but this literally took two hours in an overcrowded and stuffy bank with our three kids. They were actually very good, with a little fussing, but not much considering the boys ages and the circumstance. I was not having a good time, though, and have trouble hiding that on my face. I am pretty sure that everyone in the bank saw that I was not happy with the process. IF YOU ARE EVER IN BUCARAMANGA...DON'T TRY TO USE/EXCHANGE TRAVELER'S CHECKS!!! That's the lesson for the day.

The shoe exchange didn't happen either, as we have to wait for the manager to be in today. We were told that Bata shoes were guaranteed, though, so if they don't exchange them I think Yovany (our driver) and Emmanuelle will raise some cane. We will go back today to find out. The passport photos went fairly well, with only Juan fussing/crying. I can't really blame him, though, as they had short naps yesterday and we were out for quite a while in the afternoon. I am sure he was tired, hungry, wet and thirsty...and he wanted to sit on a rocking horse that we took him off to get his picture. It all turned out okay.

So today we will get up, get breakfast, and put on our nice clothes. I know that the kids are all goint to look so wonderful, so cute. Andres will have a little bump on his forehead from his swan dive off the bathroom counter last night. Apparently, he thought it would be like jumping in the pool. The poor guy bumped his forehead pretty hard, but was okay five minutes later, making his little squeak noises and showing his very, very odd sense of humor. So anyway, after court, after it is all done, we will probably run a couple of errands and then try to find some way to celebrate. Like I said before, we are very excited.

And for anyone who was worried about my eating experience (tongue in cheek), I ate the Suprema Parissienne again last night and had the best dining experience since our first night here. They redeemed themselves last night. They still don't have good beer here, though.

So there you go. Oh, and I finished "What is the What" by Dave Eggers the other day. Janine couldn't believe it, and frankly, neither could I. It was such a good book, though, so good, in fact, that it made my hands numb at times. I knew it would end sometime, but I really didn't want it to. I wanted to hear more stories, to know more of what happened, it was so well written and is such a gripping story. Tragic, though. Heartbreaking. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK, so at least check it out online or something. JO: you would love this book.

The song for the day is: "Measure 2" by Matt Pond PA

I hope all is well.

the days are numbered...

Okay, so we did go to the pool. Shirley was so ecstatic that she was able to go, and the boys didn't really mind that they were not going to get in (I should say that Andres didn't mind, Juancho knew he wasn't getting in). Shirley and I played around for a little while, all the while I am trying to coax her to let go of the side and swim out a little. Still not successful on that one. She had fun jumping around, though, and I did get her to do some swimming-type things while still holding comfortably to the concrete side. Anyhow, after a while she went to the little pool and I went and talked to the Belgian couple with Janine. I have to say that it is wonderful to be able to talk to people in English down here. It has only been a little over two weeks, but we have really not been able to speak to too many people at all. I know that I get frustrated when trying to talk in my extremely limited vocabulary and no grammar skills in Spanish, so it is nice to be able to just say what I am thinking without having to think too hard on it. Anyhow, we had a good conversation with them and Shirley was having a blast with their children (two boys) and her little buddy from the pool (a younger girl). It was fun to watch them all chasing each other, jumping in and out of the pool and laughing a lot. The whole time Juancho and Andres are pushing these cheap plastic pool stools around on the pool side, stacking them up, unstacking them, and pushing them some more. I have no idea why this was fun or enjoyable or what to them, but they did that for quite some time, barely looking up from their task at all.

It was during this time that Emmanuelle showed up with a couple from France who just arrived. She spotted us and told us she had news. She said that our papers were signed Monday, that it was very quickly done, and that we would need to get passport photos done today (Tuesday) and perhaps sign papers on Wednesday. That is amazing. I know by her reaction that it is not ever this quick, so we are very happy about this. It is not set in stone yet, though, so please continue to pray that the process moves along as well as it has so far. We told Shirley that she might be flying in a plane in five days and she said very loudly and emphatically, "Noooo!" I was afraid that she didn't want to leave, but immediately following was her hand holding two fingers up, "dos." She wanted to fly sooner. We laughed around the dinner table. Needless to say, we are excited about this news and are very encouraged by it.

Yeah, I said dinner table. I went last night after pledging to boycott. Instead I ordered a cheese sandwich, at least knowing what I would get. It wasn't that great at all, but it was edible, and they have been consistent with that. When going to dinner, we ran into one of the waitresses who has been serving us consistently during the days when we are at the pool. She was wearing a different uniform and had her hair pulled back differently, so we did not recognize her right away. She has been so good with the kids, so helpful, and I really feel that she has attached to us and our kids in a way that she has not with the other families that are here. It always helps that we have the ever charming and outgoing Shirley and the cute as a button boys. But she was very excited to see the kids last night and came over immediately to recieve kisses from teh boys and to walk Juancho over to our table. The kids have really grown to consider her as a friend, and after two weeks I finally learned that her name is Gladys. There have been a few specific workers here who have made our stay so much better. She is one, for sure, and one of the bell hop boys who is always smiling, always saying good day to us, and who sometimes practices his English on me...plus Jose from breakfast (Rex and Deb, you know who I am talking about) who interacts so well with the children and is genuinely happy to see us daily. There are others who have been nice, but these three certainly stand out. I don't know where all that came from, maybe just a reminder to myself of the blessings we have had while we are here. I don't know.
Anyhow, dinner was good, as we enjoyed a later meal coupled with jokes from all three kids. They certainly all love attention and all are funny in different ways. For some reason they were all a little hyper last night, perhaps they understood the news that we heard earlier...but all three were in rare form. We basically had night at the improv during dinner, which was good for the laughing, but not so good for getting them to eat. Even bath time that followed was more difficult as both boys just wanted to squirm and twist and splash in the tiny tub in which we wash them (I can't wait for them to be in the bigger tub at home). They amazingly settled down pretty well last night, though, with few whimpers and arguments. We first read to them, maybe three books +/- and then let them look at books by themselves for a little bit. Sometimes we hear them crawling around hitting the walls and we have to go check and make sure they are not up playing. We remind them that it is bed time, and they usually settle back down. After a little while I go in and turn off the light. This is not usually met with approval, but if I don't, they sit up and look at their books forever. After this step, it is usually not long before they fall asleep, and last night was no exception, as they were out within ten minutes of 'lights out' time.
After that, we played Shirleys' favorite matching game and then Shirley and Janine worked on Spanish/English for a little while together. It was a very good day yesterday.

Today will be busy as we get passport photos, exchange shoes, and go to the bank to exchange money. Hopefully things will run smoothly, especially considering that Emmanuella is going to pick us up at 2, which is usually nap time for the boys. We will try to get them up a little earlier today and put them down for their nap a little earlier. Hopefully they are cooperative. We need to exchange money to pay the lawyer and Emmanuella and a couple of other things. We have been trying to get to a bank for a while now, but have not been able to do so yet. Today must be the day. This morning we will most likely let Shirley get in the pool again, as the days are now numbered for swimming for her. I am not sure that she totally understands that this is not our home, but just a place we are staying for now. We have showed her pictures of 7817 S. Holden, but I don't think it will set in for any of them until we are there. So we will take advantage of being here for now, and we will swim in the pool and eat lots of fresh fruit and bread.

Anyhow, I have finally written, it seems, after taking a couple days off from actually sitting down and writing. Things are moving along and we are very excited. Please continue to pray as the transition and the things we have left to do can be difficult and draining. It is always difficult to uproot kids who have gotten used to a routine, and that is exactly what will be happening when we leave here.

Anyhow, my iPod is on charge so I can pick my song for the day, so here it is, and this goes out to Joke: New Hampshire by Matt Pond PA is the song for the day...

I hope you are all doing well...

7-Up: Andres is actually the lefty...so we have Juancho and Lefty...

Mr. and Mrs. Chocolate and Choco Jr.: Our birding skills are zero without you...can't wait to eat dinner at your table again!

Frog Brutha, Jr.: Have you disappeared? Are you recording another hit record?

Eric: Dante Calabria might be a better choice...he could stroke it for sure...some days I am not sure what makes me happier: Carolina winning so much or duke losing so much...

Beatrice: I eat nails for breakfast...when you coming back to SLC?

contrary to popular belief...I am still writing on this thing...

Okay, we are still here. I just haven't written in a while. Yesterday we were able to go to a village for a while, to walk around and enjoy being outside of the hotel and the normal shopping area. It was nice to be among the people in a setting that was different, as it always brings out more of the authentic flavor of the culture of Colombia . We had fun walking around and enjoying some very delicious bread at a local bakery. It continues to amaze me how cheap the good bread is around here. We were also able to get some delicious juice with it, along with a piece of cake (fed all of us) for about 5 bucks. It was a good time.

I had a bad eating experience (helped along by my easily discernable bad mood) last night, unable to find much of anything that was desireable, I went with a meal that I enjoyed before. I did not enjoy it last night. It was not what it was supposed to be, and with the language difficulties I was not going to send it back or exchange it. I ate a good portion of it, but swore to give up on the restaraunt. I don't think my words said in futility and desperation are going to stick, but I wish they would...I could easily survive on bread for dinner from here on out.

Today the pool was closed for cleaning most of the day. Shirley was the only one really disappointed, as she was really looking forward to the pool. We are actually getting ready to go now, so I better get going. I will write more later.

Side note: I got my espresso today...

morning swim...

Well, I actually got up and went for a swim this morning. It was nice, as no one was there, so I had full run of the pool, although it had yet to be cleaned after last night's rally of sorts. Anyhow, I was having a good time until I saw the grumpy pool lady coming over with her cleaning supplies. She seemed to not really enjoy my presence there, but I continued to swim anyway. I ended up swimming for only half an hour, but of actual swim time, that was quite a bit of back and forth across the pool. Finally, I relented to the glare and stare of Grumpy and left, just in time to get the bottom of the coffee pot in the lobby. Hmmm. I think I will vomit now.

The only other people up, or at least in any amount of number, were golfers. I was surprised at the contrast of people that I saw from last night into today. Last night there were several handball players descending the stairs, sweaty, fit young lads, all ready to cap the night with cold drinks and who knows what, but this morning came the overweight golfers, certainly not sweating, not even carrying their own clubs (caddies everywhere), but decked out in dry pastel polos and ready to frustrate themselves while walking through well manicured landscapes. It was a peculiar contrast to say the least, as I thought "is this what last night's boys turn into?" I am pretty sure that is how it works.

Question: Has anyone looked at "What is the What" by Dave Eggers yet? If not, you should. If you have any interest in a story that is tragic but very enlightening you should look it up. I have read so much in the last couple of days (mostly when the boys sleep) that Janine thought I was skipping ahead. I am not, it is just that gripping of a book, a tragic narrative, troubling, even, but well worth the time to spend in the 475 pages. If you are interested, let me know, and I can loan it out to whomever when I get back. If you are interested in helping the crisis in Sudan...the proceeds of the book go to help rebuild the protagonist's village and to build schools...100%. Just so you know.

The song for the day is "Beautiful Fool" by Matthew Ryan.

Now I begin the quest for good coffee.

I GOT AN ESPRESSO!!!! (can you tell?)

We did make it out of the resort today. After breakfast, knowing that the place was going to fill up with spoiled brat locals, we decided to relax in the room for a little bit and then head out to the shopping center. Usually the shopping center is the last place I would like to be, but it was a welcome change to being at the resort, for sure. It was a nice morning to walk, not too hot, and not too much traffic. We made it to the shopping center and walked around for a little while, with our first store being a toy store that, for some reason, also sold kitchen ware. We found each of the kids little toys that they liked (an elephant for Juan, a hippo for Andres, and a key chain pig for Shirley) and made it out of that store relatively unscathed. We then walked around for a while, just enjoying being out and doing some light window shopping. Okay, that is totally not me, but it was better than sitting in the hotel room or battling punk kids at the pool. I did manage to find a good shot of espresso at Juan Valdez Coffee, although still no americano (or at least I couldn't find it with my superior command of the Spanish language). The espresso went down smooth, and though it was a warm day and it was a hot drink, I savored it as if it were gold. After we toured the place for about hour or so, we went back to the main grocery store to pick up a few things that we needed before returning. It was a very successful trip to the grocery store, as we found some killer bread at a very low price (I am sure we will return for more before too long). After we were done, we braved traffic and headed home, the boys getting tired, and me wired from the espresso.

When we got home, we had a light lunch and got the boys ready for bed. They fell asleep fairly quickly while the rest of us relaxed in the front room. I was able to read for quite some time, and Janine and Shirley read, worked on the computer, and listened to music for a bit. It was a nice and quiet two hours. The boys woke up in great moods and we played around for a little bit before heading out walking around the campus before dinner. Shirley chose pizza again, although she did not eat as much or seem to enjoy it as much tonight. Frankly, neither did I, which is saying quite a bit considering I didn't enjoy it all that much last night (but it was a good change of pace). We again walked around the golf course a little bit afterward, giving the boys exercise and killing time as we ate quite early. Ice cream was a success tonight, and we ate among the many people by the pool. Even Juan enjoyed some ice cream, a first since we have been here! It was a good overall dinner time for us tonight.

Tonight the kids did stickers with Janine while I was able to watch a little college basketball on tv. It was a relaxing evening, one in which the kids were able to play among themselves for a bit without needing our constant reassuring, which is a good step. We are now able to find bits and pieces of time in which the kids entertain themselves and are able to police themselves in activities to an extent. We hope that we are able to continue to build this up in the kids, allowing them the freedom to play, giving them the confidence they need to just be kids and have fun without always needing Mami and Papi to watch or look at every second of everything they do. They are making progress, which is very encouraging. One of the things that we try to do is to get the boys to exercise, to walk up and down stairs or hills. It sounds kind of strange, but I don't think that they have done much of this before. Tonight was a success in that both Juan and Andres were able to walk up and down a fairly steep incline on their own. Janine and I were both happy to see this and encouraged their bravery (believe me, for the boys, that is really courageous) and their hard work as they walked up and down the hill.

On a side note, we did have a strange encounter with a man with a sawed-off shotgun coming up and playing with the boys for a second. He emerged from the bushes near the resort, an odd looking fellow, approaching us as we played on the hillside. He had no qualms coming right up to the boys and playing with them, too, teasing them, placing their cars on his head and allowing them to take the cars off his head. It was just strange to stand their, watching our children playing with a guy carrying around a shotgun...a guy who just emerged form the bushes carrying a shotgun...pump action, sawed-off, with a pistol grip. If he did not have a Club Campestre emblem embroidered on his shirt (trust me, it was not an iron-on...I looked to make sure of the authenticity), I would have done my best to get us out of there without offending the guy with the gun. But, in the end, it all was harmless. After a few minutes with the boys, the armed man ran off in another direction, carrying his shot gun with minimal gestures. I saw him a few minutes later, as we walked to the golf course, running alongside the resort in a crouched position, holding his shotgun...and I wondered...

We have seen quite a few people carrying guns here. It has been a peaceful time, with the biggest news being the mine explosion, but we have seen the military, the police, with their automatic weapons and batons. We have felt completely safe in every way, though, free to move around, to walk through this section of B-manga, trusting that we are out of harm's way. It is weird, though.

Another side note: the elephant and hippo we got today have suction cups on them so we can hang them on windows or glass or whatever. Anyhow, the elephant was stuck to the television in the front room tonight, and along comes Juancho, all 26 pounds of him, built like a stick...he tugs on the elephant, once, twice, but to no avail. It is stuck. He turns to me and lets out his usual "help me" whimper...immediately, the elephant comes off and falls to the floor. My son cannot pull off the tv what falls off on its own...we need to get him into the weight room!

Anyhow, it was a really good day. There really was minimal crying and fussing today and the kids had a good time without the pool. We are now going to play a matching game with Shirley, which she usually wins (she is really good at it). It should be a quiet and uneventful evening, especially now that the boys are falling asleep. I do hope that you are all doing well.

a cheese steak would be nice...

Well, it was a pretty good night. The boys woke up from their naps refreshed, smiling, and ready to go. They were in good moods, even though Andres was stinky, so after I changed him, we laid on the bed for a little bit, just resting. Mami and Shirley came back after a fun time at the pool, so Shirley and the boys decided it would be fun to watch a video for a little bit before we went to get pizza. So we did leave a little earlier to get the pizza, and we found it with no problem and ordered with no problem. Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal, even though the pizza is far from extraordinary and even far from ordinary. It did the trick, even if it wasn't east coast pizza...which for my money is the best in the world. Ohhh Illiano's...how I miss you! How I miss cheese steaks from the Sandwich Mill! I better stop or I will lose my mind.

After the pizza, we walked for a little bit on the golf course. The kids wanted to see the pond and kinda/sorta wanted to play in one of the sand traps. Of course that was off limits, so we just went to the pond where Janine spotted a King Fisher of some kind...bird watchers, stay tuned, we will try to figure it out...in a tree next to a million mosquitos. It was fun to watch the bird for a bit, even the boys had no idea what we were doing and it was quite obvious that the bird was annoyed. After this trip we decided to begin the long march uphill to look for ice cream.

The trek for ice cream was again a bust. For some reason it has been closed much of the week, although we will one day get some again. I was even going to get some tonight, which is a rarity for me (what with the lactose irritability and all). We decided to just head back to the room and to try to run out some of the boys' energy on the way. They had fine running up and down a ramp and being swung around by either Mami or Papi. Shirley saw the fun and got in on the action, too. It was fun for everyone, although neither of the boys like being thrown high in the air yet...yet. They will sometime. Probably when they are Shirley's size. She likes to be thrown in the air, but is almost to the point of being too big for it now. But tonight was fun, and she did get thrown in the air and spun around until we were both dizzy and walking crooked.

In the room, the kid played contently while I relaxed. Janine gave them little things to do to keep them busy, and we were actually able to watch most of Scrubs and some of Seinfeld for a little while. Emmanuelle called while we were relaxing and let us know that we have plans for Sunday afternoon. She also told us that her daughter was released from the hospital and was given a vaccination for whatever it was she had (Emmanuelle's description was lost in translation). We were happy to hear that she is on the road to recovery. So we look forward to going to a village and walking around on Sunday afternoon. We really need to get out of here, as this place can make one quite stir crazy. There is supposed to be a big swim meet here this weekend after last weekend's tennis tournament and wedding, so we don't really want to deal with all that nonsense. We'll see what we end up doing.

Anyhow, Janine is waiting to get on the computer, so I better get going. It has been a good night and hopefully we will top it off with good sleep. Thanks for the words of encouragement, and I hope to hear from you all again soon.

Buenas Noches.