...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.