Love the Beach

We have been going to the beach often
since we have been home. Mya loves it.
She loves playing with her family and
running in the sand. She is so good about
picking seashells and putting them in her
bucket.

She doesn't even care if the wave knocks
her down. We have to keep all eyes on
this one.

Mya is doing so well. We are growing
closer all the time. She lets us snuggle and
rock her so much more. She is doing really
well with talking. She now imitates a lot
of words and says a few independently ie.
bye-bye, down, hey, uh-oh, cat, duck, dog, drink
mama, dada, and a few other family members
names.

We are beginning the post adoption requirement
paperwork. We have received her Citizenship
paperwork a few days ago. I really haven't looked
at a lot of this stuff because I am just caught up in
relaxing with her. I can see how people miss their
deadlines.

We are waiting to hear from our lawyer here to
complete our readoption. I will fill you in more
when I educate myself a little more.

BIG NEWS
As many of you know, we have been trying to contact
Mya's foster family. They gave us emails and were a
little upset that we wouldn't contact them while in the
country and didn't stop to see them at the park. Well,
they have responded and seem to be okay with everything.
This is such a huge weight off my chest. I really wanted to
keep in contact with them. I enjoy sending them pics of Mya and
they also have sent us some pictures of her when she was younger.
I am such a picture person, so this is helping me to not
grieve the time we missed with her so much.

I can't even express to you how blessed we are. God has had
his hand in every part of this adoption. Even though I did
not see it, he knew exactly the perfect fit and time for our family. I feel
like we have had Mya her whole life. It doesn't seem as though
we only have had her for a couple of months. She knows without
a doubt that we are her family. It is such a great feeling. I just
pray that God continues to keep his hands on our family. I can't
imagine life without God being the one in control.

More Pics

Swimming at the pond for Mya's Welcome Home Party.


Uncle Travie and Mya

Now that we are settled...

We are now getting into the rhythm of being
home and getting into a little routine. I started
back to work this week. I only work 2 days a
week. Mya has a Spanish Speaking babysitter.
She cried and threw herself on the floor when I
left the first day. That was good to see. Sounds
terrible, but I was wondering if she would mind.
At church, she goes right into Sunday School without
a problem. She got over it quickly. Today, when I
got home she ran to me and hugged and kissed me.
Then she went back to our babysitter and wanted her
to hold her. She didn't want to come to me. I immediately
felt threatened and just took her away. She was fine, and then
wanted me to hold her for a while. This was odd because she
typically doesn't like to be held. I made sure our babysitter
knew that I want her to love and care for Mya, BUT
I am #1. :) She was laughing at me. So, we will keep you
updated on this.

Things have changed so much since being home. Mya is now
listening very well. She is signing a lot as well as verbalizing
some basic words. Her imitation has really picked up. Today
she let me rock her only when I turned the TV on. I put on
"Signing Time" which she loves. We imitated the signs together
as I rocked. I think it took her mind off of being held down.
Tonight she laid in bed while I read a few books. This was
huge for us. It just felt good for us to just lay together and
hang out. We hope one day she will enjoy snuggling.



My mom and Mya

Hangin with the girls


Playing "London Bridge" and loving it!


Mya is feeding a deer Justin's cousin is raising because
something happened to its mother. She loves animals and
wasn't afraid at all. She jumped right in and wanted to feed
the deer.

There is no place like the USA!!!

That's right! There is one more US citizen today. Horray!!!! There is nothing that feels better then being home with my family. I can't believe that I am actually here. Thank you God for guiding us on this trip and blessing us in so many ways. Thank you to my amazing friends who have made Mya's room look adorable and place pictures of her around the house. I just love them. I feel like everything is complete. We loved the welcome home sign. Thank you also to my family for everything they did while we were gone. We are fortunate to have such a supportive family.

Please pray for the other families that are still waiting to adopt and those that are in Colombia. There are many that need our prayers. You couldn't imagine the pain that these children and families are in.

I will blog more later. We are just so thankful Thank you for all of your prayers and support.

Embassy Done

Today we went to apply for Mya's visa. It went very smooth. I didn't realize it was outside. There were so many people there that we stood the whole time. It was a cold and rainy day. I really enjoyed meeting other families that I knew from there blogs and emailing. It was great to hear their experience and meet their children. There are so many families here. It was nice to know that everyone is kind of going through adjustment periods ie. tantrums. In our case and some of the others that are staying with us, it almost seems as thought they feel like they have to fight or scream for food, drink, toys ect. It is sad to see. I haven't put my finger on it, but most of our problems are around eating and drinking.

Other than that, Mya is amazing. She is very loving and has the best smile and giggle. We are so in love. God has really blessed our family. Tonight, they had salsa dancing for the kids here at the hotel. It was really nice. Mya thought everyone was crazy. She just liked watching and running around mainly.

We had a hard time again today trying to change Mya's name on the plane ticket. I messed this up from the beginning. I bought round trip tickets and told them I would have an infant coming home. I would recommend not doing that. Just add your child later. See, we didn't know if we were going to be able to change her name here. They were going to tell us when we got here. We did change her name, so I had to change the name on the ticket. It took 3 trips to Avianca and a lot of waiting to get it done. Try to avoid this frustration. Also, book your round trip about 2 weeks after you anticipate coming home. This will prevent you from changing your tickets twice.

Mary, a blog friend of mine, asked if it would be wise to send a package to the hotel prior to arriving. We actually had this idea. I think it would be a great idea, but we were not told for sure where exactly we would be staying. They do not get reservations for you ahead of time. So, you will not know for sure. There are plenty of places here that you can buy anything you need. They even have my shampoo and makeup here in Bogota. Cucuta has very similar to a Walmart (EXITO) as well. Try not to over pack. We didn't need any of our dress clothes or shoes really. I wore my dress clothes for Integration and the Final Decree. Other than that, you will be walking a lot. Everyone in Cucuta wheres jeans. We were told when we were there, that people with dress pants stood out to be wealthy. You will want to be comfortable. Bring shorts also. In Bogota, people where jeans and they also dress nicely. Still where comfortable clothes. Anytime you go anywhere with Andres, you will be running.

I haven't had a chance to shop or really enjoy Bogota. I am going to the gift shop that you guys told me about. It is walking distance from the hotel. So, we will do that tomorrow before picking Mya's Visa up at 3:00. We then will go straight to the airport to catch our flight.

We are so glad that it is time to go home, but we have really enjoyed spending time in Mya's birth country. We are glad that we stayed outside of Bogota for a while and really were able to experience Colombia and spend time in the town where Mya was born.

I will blog again from the United States. YIPPEE!

Change of Plan

We were not able to go to the Embassy today. We had to go to ICBF to get a form signed prior to going to the Embassy. Cucuta had made several mistakes to the document and it had to be sent back for corrections. We went this morning because we were told it was ready; however, it needed to be signed by the Bogota's ICBF director. She wasn't able to do it until later on today. So we went back. Andres had a little fun with me today. I was signing my name and had to write my passport number down. He then said something else for me to write. I didn't understand and he just kept saying "a dot a dot." I'm thinking "Where the heck do I need a dot." He was trying to say "Date." We laughed about this for a good while. I was yelling at him because he runs EVERYWHERE. It is hard to keep up holding a baby. He just laughs at me. We have fun messing with eachother.

Earlier today David, Lucia's son, took us back to the hotel. He had his two boys with him. They are so funny. I enjoyed talking with them. It is nice to have some people to cut up with while we are here. David to us to Baby Ganga (i think that is the name). We got a potty chair that I will leave here. This store has EVERYTHING you would need for a baby. It's similar to Baby's R Us. He showed us where to walk and go. I like Bogota. It is so much different then Cucuta. I wish more of our trip was here. But, I don't want to extend it just to see more:)


So, we will change our tickets to Thursday evening instead. We are having some trouble with getting Mya's named changed for the ticket. I had to give a copy of a birth certificate and the final decree. We will know tomorrow if it gets approved. I thought that was strange. I wasn't sure what the big deal was. They had all of the information.

The Embassy will be tomorrow, then on Thursday we will pick up the Visa. We are going to check in at the airport and then leave and go to the Embassy to pick it up. That way we are checked in 3 hours prior to the flight. TRICKY!!!!

I just love Zuetana hotel. It is so cozy, and everyone here is adopting. It is nice to see other people going through the same struggles as us. We enjoy seeing and talking to all of these wonderful families. Another Integration was today (which is when the parents get the child), and the hotel had a party. It is so great, they have all of the flags of the different countries here at the hotel at the party, cake, balloons, streamers. What a nice jesture. The staff and owner of this hotel is just great. We are blessed.

Teaching the Dog to Talk

 
 
 





We watched Mya do this for such a long time. She would howl and then the dog would howl. When the dog would stop, she would get him to go again. It was so funny. We have it on video. She was so afraid of him at first. Then little by little she would pet his back and then got closer to his head. She even finally kissed and hugged him.

See the pancho. It is chilly in Bogota. I never would have thought. Make sure you bring a jacket for the kiddos.


Today's news:
WE ARE IN BOGOTA!!!!!!! YEAH!!!! We had to work for it though. This morning we got Mya's passport. We waited in line outside before it opened at 7:30. They were asking for things we didn't have. It was stressful because her new birth certificate says my maiden name not my married name. This is how it is done in Colombia. Our attorney's secretary came and they were able to work it out with the help of Lucia and Mercedes. The people in the passport office said that when we arrive in Miami, they would make us fly back to Colombia because it was wrong. I was really worried. I wasn't sure who to believe. We are just trusting that Lucia and our Attorney know what they are doing and the other people are wrong. Nichole is sending me my birth certificate and Marriage Certificate just in case I need to show something with my maiden name. This is a great idea. I would just go ahead and make a copy of that and put it with your papers. It wouldn't hurt.

Then we flew to Bogota. Andres was there to pick us up. Traffic was unreal. It took us over an hour to get out of the airport. I think some light poles fell down or something. Mya and I went to the Dr.s appointment. This was easy. We just needed our passports, immunization records, and any other records you have. You also need a picture for this visit. We had to get additional pictures prior to the visit as well as for the Visa. Apparently, you need slightly larger pictures than the ones I had for the passport. I had some extra left over from the passport, but that didn't work. Take a note of that.

We are staying at Zuetana. I really like this place. I haven't really looked around yet, but it is nice and cozy. It is a bed and breakfast type place. There is a play room next to my room. This is great. I will tell you more about it when I see more. The man at the front desk speaks English. That is helpful and dinner was great. It is nice to eat something different.

We are waiting for a form for Cucuta before we can go to the Embassy. They sent it earlier, but it had many mistakes and had to be redone. We hope to get it in the morning. If so, we are on track.

Someone had asked why we chose Avianca. We wanted a straight flight and be able to change the tickets. We called Delta, and they would not honor the adoption change ticket deal. So we went with Avianca. We have been very happy. Also, there are many places in Cucuta and Bogota where you can go to an office. We flew Areorepublica back to Bogota. We chose this because I needed the earliest time after 2:00 to be able to make a Dr.s appointment. Very nice airline. Everyone was REALLY kind and helpful. I have never seen that from an airline before.

Pray for a smoothe Tuesday. We are so thankful that we were able to get everything done today. We know that God has his hand in this because we keep coming upon these road blocks, and he sees us through.

Sunday at the Cabin

 
 
 
 





We went to Marly's parents cabing agian in Chinacota. This was our last day before we flew out, and we wanted to break the day up. It was so nice and relaxing.

Uncle Tom

My Uncle Tom just passed away this morning. I am grateful that he is no longer suffering. He was such a good man with a great since of humor. He is going to be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his children and Aunt Norma. I know that this is so hard on then. We love you.

Flights are Booked

We booked tickets for Monday at 2:35pm with AeroRepublica. We are hoping to get a Doctors appointment when we arrive, but we are not sure yet. Our tickets were inexpensive. The were only $150 per person. Much better than flying to Cucuta. We have to get Mya's passport early Monday morning. Please pray there are no hiccups so we can catch our flight. How long did it takes others to get passports in Cucuta? Our attorney says we will get there at 7:3o and we should have them no later than 12:00. Was this your experience?

We went to the mall last night to buy some clothes. I didn't have any pants for Mya. Justin said it was pretty cold in Bogota. So we each bought a little jacket or sweater as well. You might want to add that to the list. Also, we have used the rain cover for the stroller. You can purchase this at Baby's R Us (not sure where else). They work great, and a lot of people use them here. It was hardly sprinkling in Pamplona. So, I hadn't put it on yet. Two women said something to me in just a 1/2 of a block. Make sure you have that. I just packed it in the pouch of my stroller so it didn't take up so much room in my bag. You check your stroller with your luggage.

We are just so happy and excited to be coming to the end of our journey. What an experience it has been. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we have a busy week ahead and travel.

Thank you

Final Decree Day Pics Cont.

 
 
 
 

Final Decree Day Pics

 
 
 
 

Mya was not about to take a picture today. So, I get what we can. She is always on the go.

SHE IS ALL OURS!

Signed Sealed and Delivered, Baby she is ours. It was a great day. We had so many road blocks, but everything is great. The judge was very kind. They wouldn't allow our interpreter in the Final Decree, so it made for a lot of Si's and Gracias for me. They actually wanted me to read the Final Decree (4-5 pages) out loud. I know my family and friends are laughing. I did when they asked. I thought it was a joke. Then my attorney said just look and basically pretend you have read it. So funny. All I know is that Mya's name and we were listed as the parents. Not sure about the other stuff. I just trust our Attorney. When it was over, we walked out of the room and Mya jumped in my arms and said Mama Mama Mama with the sweetest smile and laugh. It's like she knew that we were a family from that point on. SOOOOOOO cool. I will never forget that moment.

Mercedes, our Attorney worked her tail off today. The judge was giving her a difficult time with paperwork. I don't know all the details, but we were in Pamplona from 8:00 until 4:00. Mya was car sick on the way there and back. I felt terrible for her. After the day she had, she is just as sweet as ever tonight.

We are getting her passport Monday, and then flying to Bogota at 3:00. When is the latest Doctor's appointment you can get. Someone told me before, but I can't find it. We are hoping to get that on Monday, Visa on Tues, and then pick up Visa on Wednesday. Hopefully we can find tickets for Wednesday night. So excited to get home and show our baby girl off. God has really blessed us.

When we were done at the court we hear fireworks and everyone blowing their horns. They were helping us celebrate. Actually, it turns out that Pamplona'a, not Colombia's, independence day is July 4th as well. They were getting the party started.

Oh, I also saw Mya's foster Dad again today. He didn't see us.

Diane asked last night if it was worth it. YES it is.

FINAL DECREE!

We just got word that we will go for final decree tomorrow and leave at 6:00am. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited and ready. We just got an email from Marly saying we need 3 passport photos for Mya. So we are going to go to the Exito tonight. Marly said they do them there. We will keep you posted. Please pray the trip goes well.

More info

I should probably go back through this blog and just make a list of suggestions. It would probably be easier. Until then, take some notes I guess. I wish I did. It's funny, because I remember now Genece telling me that the laundry was expensive, but I couldn't remember how much. When you are getting ready, it is so hard to think of everything. Yes, pack less.

We only brought 1 large bag, 1 carry on luggage, (per person). We also each wore a book bag (which doesn't count as a carry on and a laptop). This was more than enough.

Things I use:
pool float for Mya (it was easy to pack and very necessary)
umbrella stroller (add a little extra pouch on the back- $5 at babies r us, target- very handy)
Tide
detergent soap (you can buy it here if you need- we use it to wash out plastic bowls and spoons we brought for mya. we put leftovers in the bowls- works out great
blow up balls- gave to the orphanage, bubbles
anything deflatable
iron
laundry bag
sponge for dish washing or bottle cleaner
sunscreen
PediPed shoes (these are such a great idea because you don't have to have the exact size. These shoes are sold from 12-18 months. 18-24 months. You have a better chance of them fitting. I would definetly bring something, because she came with tight dress shoes. There are places where you can get shoes, but not this cute:)
blow up bath tub- we bought it here for $30 at the mall ( bring it if you can)
crib sheet

Things I wish I had:
more crossword puzzles for Troy and Diane
DVD player with movies (not sure it would have fit, but would have been nice) Mya sleeps a lot
more jeans- i only brought 1 pair. in cucuta, you mainly see jeans. at the hotel, you see it all right down to a g-string.
sweater for myself and at least 1-2 warmer outfits for Mya for days in Pamplona. It is cold there. Also, when we got off the plane in Bogota, it was breezy. It felt great!
my pillow- I would have done without some clothes to have my pillow right now. the ones here are ok, but i miss that pillow
*pack and play- be sure that you don't put young babies in the packnplay. Mya gets stuck down in the side all the time. I'm always pulling her out. I'm sure they have more than this one, but it is also really slanted. Poor things slides all around. She is safe in it, but a baby younger than her would not be. I know I have mentioned this before.
OH BRING your flash drive when you get your children. ICBF usually has pictures on their computer of the kids that you probably haven't seen. They just saved them on our attorney's flash drive. We were so grateful. What a gift. I am such a picture person. It hurts to miss out on all of those first pictures.

I haven't used yet:
blow dryer- have one here
converter kit for outlets- most outlets are fine here
umbrella- it has rained a few times though- we just haven't been caught yet

Things we do to keep busy:
pool- we were shocked at how cold all of the pools are here (oh, there is a pool in the back of the hotel that is more private)
go to mall
exito
make a shutterfly book about the trip- i love shutterfly
read
eat
play
sleep
computer
work out- there is a really nice gym with awesome spin and aerobic classes. If you can talk hubby into holding down the fort, then your golden.
journal

Someone asked if I was able to get souvenirs. Funny you should ask. Justin would say absolutely. I say, no. There are not a lot of stores that have Colombian souvenirs. There is one in the big mall that has 3 stories. It is on the 3rd story. There is 1-2 downtown, but you won't be able to get a ton of stuff from any of these stores. I am hoping to get more in Bogota. Oh, Pamplona has an awesome store with hammocks, Pancho's for adults and children, and wraps. This was awesome. I definitely wanted a pancho for Mya. I have posted a picture of her in it. I wanted to get 18 presents for her and give her 1 every year. The problem is, I am horrible with surprises and want to give it all to her now. So, that's not going to work out. Plus there is no way I can find 18 gifts unless I do a lot of jewelry.

I think I am going to do the shutterfly book, a few keepsakes, and we will celebrate her Gotcha Day every year. Do other families do more? What presents did you just love?

Some days Cucuta is REALLY HOT, but for the most part you get a great breeze and really nice weather. We love to be outside for the most part.

Well, I need to get to bed. I just wanted to take advantage of the WIFI working in the room and Mya being asleep.

Orphanage Cont.

 
 
 
 





Mercedes and Mya looking playing with the children. Mercedes mother runs this orphanage, she is standing in front of the refrigerator. She also works at another orphange called "The Farm."

The last picture is a statue of Jesus Christ. You can see this statue pretty much anywhere from Cucuta. I love that He is the center of this city. How cool!

Orphanage

 
 
 
 

Mercedes, our attorney, took us to the orphange where her mother works. We were so impressed, this place was really nice. All of these children have special needs and have been abandoned by their parents. I'm sure many of the parents just didn't know how to take care of them or wern't able to financally. The orphanage is provided through ICBF. They have physical, occupational and speech therapy. ICBF gets there money through taxes here in Colombia.

Most of the children were older, but there were a few that were young. The children have a nice area out back so they can play outside and have therapies. The picture above is the central area that is also opened. We love this feature here in Colombia. I love the open air houses. Just beautiful.

The little girl in the crib just smiled and smiled the entire time we were there. She was precious. All of the children greeted us several times and wanted hugs and kisses. They just seemed to crave it. I couldn't imagine not getting hugged by a mom and a dad everyday. The workers all seem to have a great relationship with the children. Everything was so clean and pleasant. They have a good system set up.

The Judge has until Wednesday

We met with our attorney today. We don't know when we will be going for the Final Decree. He has until next Wednesday to sign. We will keep you updated.

Difficult day and More Need to Knows

Today has been difficult. I know that it's not the end of the world and people do have to sometimes take a little longer. I guess the reason I was so worried and confused today was that I had my bags packed, money ready, barf bag and clean up towels ready to go. We were waiting for the call this morning at 8:00am to tell us either what time today or worst case Wednesday. At 8:00, I get an email saying that we will know by 11:00. At 11:00, we were told Thursday because the judge was in a criminal case. Around 2:00 we were told probably Friday.

My concern and tears came from not knowing when it would end. I wonder what kind of criminal case this is and how long would it really take? I was thinking how the judge had to have known this before today. Why wait until now to tell us? We have been told that the judge is against this adoption. I don't know if that was our adoption or American adopting Colombians in general.

It is really hard to understand the translations that I get online when it has to do with court. I do like that our Attorney is emailing us updates. We then translate it using a Spanish translator. But, sometimes it is better than trying to coordinate calling your translator and her getting a hold of the attorney. It is hard for Marly to understand all of the legal terms as well. Nichole, Lucia, and Julie have really helped us to understand things. We really appreciate them not getting mad every time we email with questions and freak out. It is sometimes difficult when there are changes and understanding why. I never knew how Type A I was until I came here.

Don't get me wrong, everything is going well other than just the worry of why the changes. We have been told that the judge has until Tuesday to sign the decree. So, there is an end. I thought today, that it was possible to be here until whenever he felt like signing. I just don't want to scare anyone. This is the process.

I just pray that God opens this judges heart. I pray that even before he sees us, that he sees the love we have for one another. I know that our family will be together soon.

Need to Knows:
Well, I have learned a couple more things since being here that might help everyone. I talked earlier about laundry. I don't remember what I said, but SCRATCH IT!
We got our bill for 3 different times doing laundry. We were told it was expensive, but we paid $75 each time. We didn't have anymore than 1 regular laundry bag (mostly baby clothes). CRAZY. For some reason, we thought it was like $15
My recommendation- bring tide (which I did) and wash your own clothes. I have no problem with that. I just have a hard time paying that much money. You also need an iron. The lady at the front desk said there may be something else we can do with laundry. So look into that before your first load. As for me, I'm doing it myself.

Bring your own lumfa's (washcloths). You have to pay for the ones here for $1.50. Then pay to have it washed. It is easier to pack the lumfa's. That is an easy fix.

The pizza place around the corner across from Tropical Pollo. Marly's parents know the owners really well. When you go there, tell them that you are the Americans (they call us Green go's for fun- not sure on the spelling of that). Tell them your room # and what you would like on your pizza. Get there card. Then when you call from the hotel, we just say Hola. Green go's. and they come with pizza just like we love it. This is so funny. Just remember to have the exact change because he will not bring any money with him.

Airline Again= We use AVIANCA. We like this airline because there offices are everywhere and honor waiving the change fee (with a little persistance because everyone doesn't know this who works there). We had to change our tickets today from Bogota to Miami. We needed to back them up. When I originally got the tickets, they assured me that we could change our tickets without being charged a change fee. This is for Adoptions only. At home, I confirmed this 2 different times. Both times they originally told me that there is no such thing. You have to be persistent for them to ask their supervisor. Then you will get the go ahead.

When you are in Cucuta, you have to go to the downtown main office. Here is the address Principal Av. O Avenida O #13-84 phone # is (57) (7) 5 716 151. The hours are Monday-Friday 8:00am -12:00pm then 2:00pm-6:00pm. Sat. 8:00- 12:00 (i think it is 12). Make sure you get there when the doors open. It was so busy. We were first and the room was packed after us.

It took us 1 hour to get the changes. We were told no. They called Bogota and again told no. I said please ask a supervisor. They called Bogota again and said yes. They kept telling me to do it by phone, but I knew that I had to do it in the office. Turns out that was correct. So we did get the change. They assured us that we would be able to change it again in Bogota if we needed. They couldn't give me anyone specific to talk to other than to ask for a supervisor. Make sure you do this 2 days prior to flight.

Well that is all for now. I am sleepy :) Have a good night.

Final Decree Canceled

Our attorney just informed us that we are not going to Pamplona today or tomorrow. The judge is now in a criminal case and can not see us. She said Thursday maybe. She is waiting to hear. I am so upset. They had to have known that there was a criminal case. There has to be some kind of schedule. A criminal case can go on forever. Please pray for us.

Final Decree Tuesday or Wednesday

This is posting on June 29th. I still haven't figured out how to fix things.

Anyways, we were suppose to be meeting the judge for just a meeting on Tuesday or Wednesday. We were concerned as to why and how that would delay us. Nichole help figure out the situation. She contacted Lucia who then contacted our Attorney. We are in fact going for Final Decree. This is huge. We went from being on track for a 4 week stay to possibly a 5- 5 1/2 due to falling on Friday's and Weekends. We are ready. Please pray that the judge likes us and proceeds with the Final Decree. We hope we can go on Tuesday. This would get us in to Bogota to possible get the Doctor appointment on Thur.

What did the judge ask other families during the Final Decree? How long did it take? Was it stressful? I have never been in front of a judge before. I am nervous my husbands not with me. Genece, if you are reading this. I would love to hear from you as well. I am thinking we probably do have the same judge.

Thank you for your prayers.

Having problems with my blog

Im not sure what it is, but I am unable to sign into my blog anymore. Occasionaly I can get on, but I don't see the last 2 updates I have done. I know other people see them because I can read their comments; however, I can't publish them. Has anyone else had this problem. I even have an ERROR message at the top of the new post page saying "your request could not be processed."

Please help; it's driving me nuts. Playing on the computer is what I do when Mya takes naps and at night. I should have brought some good books to read. She sleeps a lot.

Our WIFI is broken at the hotel, and it won't be fixed until Tuesday. I can blog when I go to the lobby if it starts to work for me.

Going to talk to the Judge

We were asked to drive to Pamplona again to see the judge. He wants to talk to me and ask questions. Marly said she has done this before here in Cucuta. She said he tries to see what kind of Mom I am. No pressure! I have never heard anyone talk about this. What questions does he ask? I am nervous. I wonder if our paper has even moved. Two other officials have to sign of after him.

Please pray for us.

More info

I should probably go back through this blog and just make a list of suggestions. It would probably be easier. Until then, take some notes I guess. I wish I did. It's funny, because I remember now Genece telling me that the laundry was expensive, but I couldn't remember how much. When you are getting ready, it is so hard to think of everything. Yes, pack less.

We only brought 1 large bag, 1 carry on luggage, (per person). We also each wore a book bag (which doesn't count as a carry on and a laptop). This was more than enough.

Things I use:
pool float for Mya (it was easy to pack and very necessary)
umbrella stroller (add a little extra pouch on the back- $5 at babies r us, target- very handy)
Tide
detergent soap (you can buy it here if you need- we use it to wash out plastic bowls and spoons we brought for mya. we put leftovers in the bowls- works out great
blow up balls- gave to the orphanage, bubbles
anything deflatable
iron
laundry bag
sponge for dish washing or bottle cleaner
sunscreen
PediPed shoes (these are such a great idea because you don't have to have the exact size. These shoes are sold from 12-18 months. 18-24 months. You have a better chance of them fitting. I would definetly bring something, because she came with tight dress shoes. There are places where you can get shoes, but not this cute:)
blow up bath tub- we bought it here for $30 at the mall ( bring it if you can)
crib sheet

Things I wish I had:
more crossword puzzles for Troy and Diane
DVD player with movies (not sure it would have fit, but would have been nice) Mya sleeps a lot
more jeans- i only brought 1 pair. in cucuta, you mainly see jeans. at the hotel, you see it all right down to a g-string.
sweater for myself and at least 1-2 warmer outfits for Mya for days in Pamplona. It is cold there. Also, when we got off the plane in Bogota, it was breezy. It felt great!
my pillow- I would have done without some clothes to have my pillow right now. the ones here are ok, but i miss that pillow
*pack and play- be sure that you don't put young babies in the packnplay. Mya gets stuck down in the side all the time. I'm always pulling her out. I'm sure they have more than this one, but it is also really slanted. Poor things slides all around. She is safe in it, but a baby younger than her would not be. I know I have mentioned this before.
OH BRING your flash drive when you get your children. ICBF usually has pictures on their computer of the kids that you probably haven't seen. They just saved them on our attorney's flash drive. We were so grateful. What a gift. I am such a picture person. It hurts to miss out on all of those first pictures.

I haven't used yet:
blow dryer- have one here
converter kit for outlets- most outlets are fine here
umbrella- it has rained a few times though- we just haven't been caught yet

Things we do to keep busy:
pool- we were shocked at how cold all of the pools are here (oh, there is a pool in the back of the hotel that is more private)
go to mall
exito
make a shutterfly book about the trip- i love shutterfly
read
eat
play
sleep
computer
work out- there is a really nice gym with awesome spin and aerobic classes. If you can talk hubby into holding down the fort, then your golden.
journal

Someone asked if I was able to get souvenirs. Funny you should ask. Justin would say absolutely. I say, no. There are not a lot of stores that have Colombian souvenirs. There is one in the big mall that has 3 stories. It is on the 3rd story. There is 1-2 downtown, but you won't be able to get a ton of stuff from any of these stores. I am hoping to get more in Bogota. Oh, Pamplona has an awesome store with hammocks, Pancho's for adults and children, and wraps. This was awesome. I definitely wanted a pancho for Mya. I have posted a picture of her in it. I wanted to get 18 presents for her and give her 1 every year. The problem is, I am horrible with surprises and want to give it all to her now. So, that's not going to work out. Plus there is no way I can find 18 gifts unless I do a lot of jewelry.

I think I am going to do the shutterfly book, a few keepsakes, and we will celebrate her Gotcha Day every year. Do other families do more? What presents did you just love?

Some days Cucuta is REALLY HOT, but for the most part you get a great breeze and really nice weather. We love to be outside for the most part.

Well, I need to get to bed. I just wanted to take advantage of the WIFI working in the room and Mya being asleep.

Corrections to Blog- Please Read

There are a few corrections to previous blogs that I need to make. First of all we would like to say that we know a lot of things are in the hands of the courts and plans change. We are okay with this. That is part of life, and we have learned this early on with the adoption. Our purpose of the blog is to inform our family about what we are doing daily and to have something for Mya to cherish when she is older. We also have received numerous emails from families that adopting to provide as much information as possible.
We just want to give information to help other families. This does not mean your trip will be the same as ours.

We are also grateful for our attorney and interpreter. I can’t imagine having a better team. They have been on top of things from day one and go above and beyond. Marly has made our trip. We know that without her, we would be sitting at the hotel everyday. We really enjoy her company and cutting up with her.

The first thing that I would like to clarify is at the beginning of the trip. We were supose fly to Bogota on Saturday and stay in Bogota for one night. Sunday we were to travel to Cucuta and Monday meet Mya. When we arrived in Bogota, Andres was there and very helpful. We realized at that point that we would be flying to Cucuta on the same day. We were glad for this change because we could finish traveling in one day. The tickets for Bogota to Cucuta were $394 per person.

We were greeting by Marly and our Attorney at the Cucuta airport. When we met they told us that we would not meet Mya until Tuesday. Not because of a holiday like I said, but because ICBF needed to reschedule. Nichole did tell me the holidays before we got here. It was every Monday in June but the first one. That was a mistake when I blogged. We were trying to just make the point to try to get the baby soon upon arrival (travel one day, meet your child the next). Some people may need to acclimate for a day or two, so this would not be for you.

Our Attorney also told us the day we got to Cucuta that we would need to travel to Pamplona to get Mya. We certainly would have gone regardless whether we new in advance or not. I was just concerned that things were not going as planned and the area we were traveling. At that point, I wasn’t sure about things. However, everything worked out just fine.

The other thing we discussed was the plane tickets. I wasn’t clear on some #’s and want to clarify so there is no confusion. Justin always knew he was coming home after 2 weeks to go back to work. So, it would have been less expensive to by a round trip to Cucuta. We bought him a round trip to Bogota, but the agency likes to handle the flight from Bogota to Cucuta and back. There was some miscommunication due to a language barrier and Justin’s tickets were not booked. When we realized this all the flights other than an early flight was sold out. That was keeping him in the Bogota airport for 10 hours. We didn’t want him doing that so we purchased him another ticket from Bogota to Miami for $650. It was expensive, but we were uncomfortable with him sitting in an airport for so long. This was our doing as we chose to by a ticket so he didn’t have to wait so long. So his price for plane tickets were $1081 plus $650 (which was our choice).

Power of Attorney: You do need to do the Power of Attorney in the states as well as well as one in Colombia if a parent is leaving. This is not a big deal.

The hotel rooms are great as we have said. We were needing a larger room for when the Grandparents arrived. Julie thinks we had trouble due to a prearranged price for adoptive families. We weren’t aware of that. It did end up working out.
I hope this clarified any mistakes or misunderstanding. Please feel free to ask me any questions.

Tid Bits

We love using Skype. Troy is talking to Phil now. He wears
the headphones so it is a little more private. Although
Troy got so excited, I think everyone in the hotel heard him.
They don't know what he was saying though.

You can use Skype to instant message people, call them on their
phone (anyone). They don't have to download skype, for free,
unless you want to see them on webcam. You can buy the
unlimited calling for $12 a month then cancel when you get
home. No obligations. We are on it often.

We have wireless computer. The hotel gives you a user code.
There is not a plug in area for ethernet. I have never used that, but
we did bring it in case we would need it. Maybe in Bogota.

Sometime the Wifi service isn't so good. You can just go to the lobby to
get better signal. I notice on the weekends that the service is bad. I haven't
really paid attention though. If you need to, there are 2-3 computers
in the lobby that you can use.

TAXI'S:
We rode in our first taxi today. Marly called one from her house and
then picked us up to go to the mall. She then called the taxi service
to pick us up. They gave her the # of the taxi that would pick us
up. This is a good system. Then you know you are getting in a cab
from an agency. Know that the cab ride will only cost 4,000 pesos.
Usually. You ask how much as soon as you get in. Make sure he says
about 4,ooo pesos for a fairly short trip (5 minutes or so). Marly
says that you do not tip. Nichole had mentioned in our briefing
that you could a little if they were helpful or something.

TIPPING:
I told you about the hotel tips are already included, right? At first
we were tipping everyone like we would in the states. Marly told
us not to because it makes us stand out more. You never want to
put a target on yourself. Even when you only tip $2-4, Marly tells
us no. She tells us when it is okay to help people on the streets and
when it is not okay. It is just for safety. You will want to do so much
more. I think that I heard other people say they tip well at the end
of the trip. Good idea.

A day in the Pool

"DON'T TOUCH MY TURTLE'S HEAD!"
This is Mya's first time in the turtle. We tried it before,
but she screamed so loud that we took her right out. I just
left it in the hotel room so she could get use to looking at it.
Diane was holding her in the pool and Mya wanted to do it
all by herself. We got the turtle; she loved it!

She was just cruising around the pool having a blast.

There are very few times where she we let you hold her.
She has to be tired, in a car, or cold and wet. I told Justin
that we are going to have to drive around the house so I can
hold and snuggle her more.

We found these panchos in Pamplona. Mission
complete. I knew I wanted one for her. They
are hard to find and didn't have any other than
this one really. I love it.

UPDATE ON TIME FRAME:

We are now waiting on the final decree. Our
attorney emailed us back with more information.
Nichole and Ashley helped us translate it. Basically
what it said is that we will get the final decree in
about 10 days. We were thinking from the integration
to the final decree would only take 1-2 weeks.
Integration was on the 12th. 2 weeks from there is the
26th, but it is looking more like July 3rd. This is a
Friday. After the decree, we have to stay 2 days here
for her birth certificate and passport. So we will
probably have to stay July 4th weekend here. Then,
Monday and Tuesday to get birth certificate and
passport.

Travel on wednesday the 8th to get back to Bogota.
We need to stay there 3-4 days for her Visa at the
Embassy and Doctor visit. The thing is that the
Embassy is closed on Friday. So, hopefully we
can do that as soon as we get there. We don't
know what order any of that comes in. Do any of you?
Would we be able to go to the Embassy the day
we get there? What takes 3-4 days? Did it take you
that long.

This is looking a little tight. It is looking more like a 5
week trip. We are just going to try and stay busy.

Let me know if you have any more questions about
the area, food, trip in any way. I would love to fill you
in as much as possible. Also, contact me if you want
Marly's information.

Important Bano Information

I decided to take a picture of one of the
bathrooms I used when I was out. It important
to learn the word toilet paper. It took me a little
while to get across that I needed toilet paper.
I usually keep something with me in case of
emergencies. This is the first time they gave me
a whole roll. This one like most is typically clean.
There are no seats. You don't flush the paper here.
At the hotel, it is no problem to flush toliet paper.