Settling In, More Thanks, and The Future

Some pics first:

The Moms and our nephew Blaine:

Out for lunch to Carbon de Palo with Isabel, just before I left:

And last, love at first sight:

Ok, so we're home. We've been asked (multiple times- sometimes nicely, sometimes almost threateningly) when we're going to update the blog again. So here it is! I'll try to run down the last 3 weeks, and give you the 10,000 foot view with some details here and there:

The Saturday that everyone came home was "interesting", to say the least. When we left off last, Beck had received the letter from me allowing Ally to leave Colombia with her, blogging about her flight into Detroit, and sending out thanks to our moms, her smoking-hot husband (the sisters-in-law are gonna love that one!), family and friends, Jen from Minnesota, and our "helpers" who have made a huge difference for us.

So my Saturday started off fine: mowed the lawn, cleaned (and re-cleaned) the house, and just tried to make sure everything was ready (read: clean, put away, and halfway looking like Beck would like it) for "The Arrival". I met up with my family in the afternoon, and off we went to Detroit. And then it got interesting.

Around the Portland exit on 96, Dad got a phone call. At this point everything seemed to be going smoothly, so we didn't want any stinking phone calls. Phone calls now were not good, and this one wasn't good. Mom was calling Dad to let him know that Beck was in immigration with Will and Ally, and it looked like they were going to miss their connecting flight from Atlanta (they flew to there from Bogota) to Detroit. Ugh. I had a feeling that the flight itself from BOG to ATL was going to be ugly for Beck with the kids (I nailed that one! But we'll leave the details out). So we (my fam and me) decided to wait it out at the Lansing Mall (or whatever it's called). We tried to get some food so that it would take our minds off the situation, but that didn't work. So we walked around the mall for what seemed like hours, just window shopping. Nope- that didn't work either. Finally we got a call from Mom saying that they were cleared, and they would have to catch the next flight out. So they missed their first flight, but thank goodness there was another one to DTW after that one. They got on that one and arrived a few minutes early into DTW. Hallelujah!

It was only 2 weeks that I was separated from my family, but goodness gracious did it feel like years. What a beautiful sight to see my 3 favorite people walk out of the elevator and smile at me; our new lives on US soil were beginning.

The ride home was uneventful (thank goodness); Beck and I talked and held hands most of the way and caught up while the kids slept. Man, it felt good to have them back.

So now we're settling in nicely, and thank God- Will is an absolutely GREAT sleeper! He's been averaging 11-12 hours every night, along with 2-3 hour naps in the afternoon. Why he was such a stinker in Bogota I don't know, but you can certainly tell he's doing much better now. The boy eats like every meal is his last- and he's got the belly to prove it! He's certainly healthy, and now is even walking for stretches of 15-20 feet.

Ally and Will are getting along wonderfully. He cries every time she leaves to go somewhere, and he follows her around like a puppy. It's too cute, and she loves on him like crazy. She's a GREAT big sister, and he loves to have her around. Ally is now back at school for a few weeks until summer break; she's doing great as Will is.

(A cute vid of Ally teaching bad habits)

As Beck mentioned on her last post, we have so much to be thankful for, and so many people to thank. I wanted to quickly run down a list of those that have really helped us out the last few weeks and months:

The Moms (and Blaine!): What a huge, huge, huge blessing it was to have you guys there. Never could've done it without you. NEVER.

The families: Thanks for the support, to Sawyer and Lands for watching Alex for Ally, for the trips to and from the airports (especially to my Dad and JT- they know O'hare like the back of their hands now), and for skyping so we could stay sane.

Friends: Many of the emails came at perfect times. It's tough to be gone for so long, and your many notes of encouragement made it possible to push through!

Sue Dykema: Without Sue, Beck would not have made it home on that Saturday. She went above and beyond for us those last 2 weeks, and without her direction Beck might still be there. Just kidding, sorta.

Sarah Zuidema: Sarah is our Bethany rep from Holland, and she has been instrumental in bringing Will into our lives. Many thanks Sarah.

Isabel and Carmen: Without you doing what you do in Colombia, many families in West Michigan and throughout the US would be empty. Thanks for your tireless efforts, all in the name of the children, for all these years.

Hotel Paris: Katya, Juanita, Valeria, Guillerma, Herman, etc. Thanks for keeping us fed, our rooms clean, and a great place to stay.

Hotel Las Palmas: Thanks to Juan Carlos Meyer for an enjoyable stay. I would recommend the hotel for anyone with a small family!

Jen (Papineau) from Minnesota: Thanks for keeping Beck's sanity for her. You were awesome to be there with, and we'll be praying for you to get home this weekend (for those of you reading this, Jen is STILL there. She was there a week before us and ran into some issues. Please pray she makes it home soon.).

Hoekstra: They were great with me being gone so long from work. Most employers wouldn't do that. Thanks!

The Donors: We still don't know who you are, but you have no idea the help you've given us. It's made a huge difference for us, so thank you.

Our church: The prayers were certainly felt. In a church the size of ours, it's rare to see a close knit group of people who care so much.

Pastor Daniel Bud: Thanks for the cards, calls, and meals (every Dutch man likes free food!). Your support was incredible. Thanks again.

Pastor Ron Kool: Thanks from Hoekwater Family Dentistry. Ally has 18 cavities from the 5 lb bag of candy you gave her before we left. I have paid for their ALL of their kids to go to college now :). All kidding aside- thanks for all the offers and support you've given. And Ally is happy to be home too- she talks about you all the time and tells us how much she likes to go to church and see you. To get more candy.

Beck- you were a TROOPER down there. I saw strength like I've never seen from you, and I'm blessed to be your husband. Thanks for being a woman of faith and an incredible mom.

And most importantly, God. He's known from the dawn of time that Will would be placed in our arms. How blessed we are to have Him leading us down the path of adoption and parenthood, and to have Him lead us to the two children who are perfect for our family is just unthinkable. I think I mentioned it in Ally's Caringbridge site when we went through her adoption, but once again God gives us exactly what we need when we need it. We thought we had a chance to go back to Colombia this year, but not this quickly. Adoption has been so much more than we ever thought it would be, and now we have TWO beautiful children who are ours. I have to admit, oftentimes I have questioned some of the paths God has put us on. If you would have told me 10 years ago that our family would be what it is today, I would have thought you were crazy. But then, once again, time after time, He reveals His perfect will (no pun intended) for us. So why is it that we think we have to be in control? Every time we try, He reminds us who's in charge. And so we thank Him for humbling us, and for blessing us in so many ways.

So that leads to The Future. What does it hold? Honestly, we don't know yet. At this point, we're just thankful to have everyone home and get back into a routine. Ultimately, it's God's timing, and we don't feel like we're done having kids yet, but it's difficult to say what we're going to do. Well, maybe we do have an idea, but you'll just have to wait a bit longer until we tell you...

From the USA, with love. To all.

Scott, Beck, Ally, and Will

A Bitter Sweet Day

We are coming home!

The letter from Fed Ex came at 10 am this morning, and we checked it with our representative, and she said it should be what we need. Again, God works His miracles! At this point, it finally hit me...we are going home! It has been a long six weeks, but an amazing six weeks. God has been so faithful, and we have really enjoyed this time as a family. And we have really enjoyed this country. And that's why today is so bittersweet. We have come to love the people here at the hotel...the staff is amazing, and I will really miss Jen, our friend from Minnesota. When you live with people 24 hours a day, you begin to bond with them, and it's going to be sad leaving. I'm also going to miss this beautiful country and this culture. Colombia is forever in our hearts!

But, our time here is finished, and we are also ready to get back to our lives in the U. S. and to see family and friends again. We'll fly into Detroit tomorrow night, and finally be all together as a family of four! So looking forward to it!

I wanted to take a minute to say some thank yous. First and foremost, I want to give the most thanks to God in His constant love and provision for us on this trip, and for blessing us with a son. One he picked for us from the beginning of time. He continues to amaze me. Second of all, I want to thank my wonderful husband. For his time here...honey, you were amazing, and such a wonderful support. Next are the moms. How could I have done it without you? Their support has been amazing, and I really don't think I could have made it through these last few weeks without them. To all of our family and friends, you all have been so wonderful! We honestly can and still do feel your prayers. We can't wait to see you soon! To the donors who offered to pay for our plane tickets and to our church...what a blessing. We are forever grateful. To my friend Jen, who without her company, I would have lost my mind! :) And who helped me have such fun here...thank you!

As you can see, we have been so blessed, and we appreciate all of you. So for now, we're signing off from Colombia. We'll post later from home....sounds good to me!

Con mucho amor,

Becky, Ally and Will

Post Error

Just a quick note....I posted a new post with some pictures, but for some reason, it posted to Tuesday's date, so look for that after the Wednesday post...

A Quick Update

I want to apologize for not updating on what's going on here in Colombia! I had plans tonight to post a lot of pictures, as well as an update, but it has been crazy, Will hasn't slept in so long, and I'm exhausted! So, I thought I would give you the update, and hopefully post the pictures tomorrow (which you will want to see...we celebrated my mom's birthday today at the hotel...yes, I know, it was yesterday, but yesterday, they were stuck stranded at the airport...a story for another time) and I have a great video of her dancing the birthday dance with the men of the hotel...stay tuned!

This week has proven to be a week of ups and downs, as I think all sentencia weeks are. But through it all, we have seen the amazing hand of God, like I have never seen before. Monday morning at 4 am, Will and I boarded a plane for Bogota, and left my mom, Scott's mom, Blaine and Ally in Cartagena to enjoy some more pool time and sun. The day went relatively smoothly, and Will did amazingly well for someone opperating on no sleep. We went and signed sentencia and also got his new birth certificate. (a few glitches with the birth certificate, but we got it figured out). The signing of sentencia was special for so many reasons. First of all, it means that Will is officially a Schrotenboer. Second, the judge personally came in to sign the paperwork (which isn't necessary) and he expressed his thankfulness to us for adopting Will, and told us how much he appreciated us. The whole court staff joined us and we then all had cake and there were hugs and kisses all around. My only regret was that I couldn't convey in my broken spanish, that it is we who are the lucky ones and who have been blessed by the addition of Will into our lives. How I wished I could have let him know that.

As smoothly as Monday went, Tuesday was the exact opposite. I think the lack of sleep coupled with getting about four teeth had finally gotten to Will, and he managed to cry the entire day. We had to go and get his passport and also made a trip to the doctor...both of which were extrememly long and hard for a boy that had had enough. Nontheless, we did get the items we needed and for that I am so thankful. Meanwhile, we discover that we need a letter from Scott saying that I am allowed to take ALLY out of the country. Yes, that is our child with the U.S. citizenship. I, being the lowly mother, can not take her out of the country without my husband's permission. A permission that can only be granted by the Colombian consolate in Chicago. (well, you can also get it here, but Chicago's a bit closer) I'll spare you the details, but we worked on getting that all set for Scott to go to Chicago on Wednesday, and that proved to be quite challenging...we'll just leave it at that.

On to today. Carmen and I went to ICBF this morning to pick up a letter stating that Scott and I followed the rules while in Colombia, and we are ok to adopt Will. We then traveled to the U.S. Embassy to get our Visa for Will. Things went well there, and if all goes as planned, I will pick up the visa tomorrow afternoon. I want to just take a moment to thank Carmen and Isabel who work so tirelessly for the families throught the whole journey, but most of all through this time. They have both been so amazing, and I know that I couldn't have done it without them. Their love for the children and their families show in all that they do, and we are so blessed to have worked with them.

The drama comes in while Scott is in Chicago. At the Colombian Embassy, they ask him for Ally's ORIGINAL birth certificate. Yes, the one from when she was born, when she has a different name. No one has told Scott that he needs it, so that's not something he normally carries on his person. After a call to our agency, he finds out it's not in our file. And here's where we see God's hand (of course we know His hand is working all the time, but it's so amazing when we actually get to witness it). Scott's dad just happens to be home when he calls (which he normally isn't) and can get online to find the number of the hotel here in Colombia. I just happen to be out to lunch...I almost didn't go...but decided to at the last minute. So Scott gets Valarya on the phone and asks her to go through my paperwork in the room. He tells her that it's probably in a black folder. So, she looks through the folder...no birth certificate. So she just happens to look in a file that I had the night before put out, which had been burried in a drawer earlier, and finds it there. I would have not even known that I had it because the orphanage copied that for us when we asked for Ally's file weeks before, but we hadn't asked for that piece of paper, we had only asked for a few other things...we don't even know why that was there. So Valarya faxed it to the Embassy, and Scott had what he needed. If that's not God working, I don't know what is!!!

So, we're not out of the woods yet, but it's looking pretty good that I will be able to travel on Saturday with the moms. The final hurdles are...changing the tickets to a different time as well as a different destination. The airlines are not too keen on this, so we're going to try to find a Delta office here in Bogota and go beg. Second, we need to actually pick up the visa tomorrow. Seems like a small thing, but crazy things happen here in Bogota, and you never know until you have the items in your hand. The third, final and most difficult hurdle is getting that piece of paper that Scott sent out today here before Friday night. Fed Ex said that there are no guarantees, but they are hopeful it will get here by Friday. If it doesn't, I don't leave Saturday, because without that paper, Ally doesn't leave Colombia. So we're asking for prayers that all will continue to go smoothly, and we are praising God for His amazing provision and love for us!

Thanks to all of you for your amazing support, love and prayers...keep them coming for a few more days!

Becky (for Scott, Ally, Will, the moms and Blaine too)

Coming Home and Some Pictures from the Past Two Weeks

If all goes well today at the Fed Ex Office, we are coming home!!!!!!

Yesterday was another day of ups and downs, but we got everything we needed to get...the visas and the plane tickets. So, Johnny, the driver is picking me up today at 10:30 to go pick up the letter from Scott allowing Ally to leave the country from the local fed ex office, and with that in hand we are free to leave the country!

We are so ready to come home and be united as a family, but I honestly leave with mixed emotions. As you can see from some of the pictures below, this country is an amazing place and is the birth place to my two children, and for that, I will forever be grateful. We have come to love this country and it's people, and we will miss it until we return.

I wanted to leave you guys with some pictures from the last few weeks. I'll try to post one last time tonight before we leave.


Dancing at Mom's Birthday Party (note mom schrot dancing with Guillermo :))




Ally and mom with her birthday cake




Ally thinking that she should join Blaine in Guitar Hero at Hard Rock Cafe




Ally and Blaine on the beach in Cartagena

Ally being Ally in Cartagena

A typical scene...Ally sleeping and Will eating. How is it that I have a four year old that sleeps more than my one year old?!

Swimming in the pool

Will enjoying the water

Mom and Will at the restuarant pool side

And the video I know all of you've been waiting for....my mom dancing at her birthday party!

Hope you enjoy the pics!

Love,

Becky (for all here)

This One's Dedicated to the Moms

Cartagena continues to beautiful and sunny and really enjoyable, but the real stars of the day are my two moms.

I wanted to dedicate this post to them for so many reasons, but most of all to let you all know how blessed Ally, Will and I are by them. To fly all the way to a different country, to try to navigate in a land where you don't speak the language, and to do it all with such grace and patience...I am more amazed by them each day.

Today was one of those days where the kids, and living in a hotel room for almost 5 weeks now, was really getting to me. Let's just say I had a bit of a break down in the morning (when Will didn't sleep at all AGAIN last night), so the moms took charge and decided that they would handle the kids most of the day to give me a break. It was so great to know that I had such capable helpers, and that I could relax by the pool for an hour...such a blessing! Ally adores them both, and Will is really starting to recognize them as family. In fact, those two (and Blaine) were the only ones he really warmed up to in a couple of hours. It was almost as if he knew how special and how amazing these two women are and would prove to be in his life.
So I got a little time to recharge my batteries, and the moms were just wonderful. I want to let them know how much I appreciate them, but I just can't put into words my thankfullness and my gratitude. I only hope that someday, when I'm a grandma, I can live up to the wonderful example that they set for me!

Much love,
Becky

Sentencia!!!

Yes, you all read that right! We have sentencia!!! I still can't believe it!
I'm sorry to all of you blog readers that I haven't posted in almost a week. I know that I was going to try to live up to the daily posts that Scott had you all accostomed to, but to be honest, I'm just so exhausted by the end of the day, I just don't have the strength...but sentecia calls for a post! :)
On Tuesday, the moms and Blaine arrived here safely, and we were very happy to see them! It's good to have some family here with us, and we are so thankful to them for coming. Their help and encouragement means so much more than they will ever know! We are always thankful for our family, but our moms have really gone above and beyond on this trip! I know that I couldn't do this without them...we love them so much and are so blessed to have them in our lives!
So onto the sentencia story...well, on Wednesday, we just played it low key. We walked around Bogota, got some groceries for our trip to Cartagena, and started to pack the kids for the trip. While packing, just before lunch, our rep, Isabel, called me. She said, "When are you leaving for the coast?" I aswered, "Tomorrow at 8am." She said, "We have a slight problem with you leaving because the judge just signed the final decree." I couldn't believe what she was saying. Will is almost officially ours, and we get to go home and be reunited as a family! All I could think was God is so good!
So we had some rearranging to do. I changed my flight back to Bogota a few days earlier with Will while the others will stay until Tuesday night. I'm going to start all of the paperwork on Monday (apparently in court one, which is the court we have, they want you to bring a cake and some coca cola to celebrate, so the hotel staff is arranging that for Monday morning...too funny) and hopefully all will be completed by Saturday so that I can fly home with the moms. There is a very real possibility that this will all work out and I will fly home next weekend, but in Colombia, you never know, so please pray that all goes smoothly, and that we can be home in a little more than a week!
Thanks for all of your patience with me in regards to the blog...if I have time while in Cartagena, I'll post some pics of our time here in the sun and heat!
Love to you all and thanks for the prayers,
Becky

A Sad Day With Many Blessings

Well, as many of you know, today Scott left Colombia to head back to Michigan. It was a day that I had been dreading since we arrived, for many reasons. My husband is one of the most amazing men I know, and while we were here, he proved it to me time and time again. His love for his children and for me is evident in everything that he does. He made Ally happy in so many hard situations, and Will has really begun to look up to him as "Dad". He makes everyone in the hotel laugh and feel comfortable, and he just has a way with people like none I've ever seen. But most of all, he is my best friend. I love to go on walks with him, or talk to him late at night...he was a wonderful companion and he will be missed sorely here by everyone...especially me.

His leaving also means that the blogging falls to me. I think we all can appreciate how talented he is in his writing ability, and also how dedicated he was to recording our time here. I only hope that I can live up to half of that, and will try to keep you all up to date as much as I can.

Although today was a sad one, God granted me many blessings throught the day. Our friend Jen has both of her moms here now, and graciously invited us to walk with them to the markets. I was so glad that today was Sunday, as this is one of my favorite days here. We started walking the streets to the markets, and the sun began shining like I hadn't seen it in weeks. I think God knew that we couldn't take the rain today! We had a great time strolling through all of the vendor's booths, and the kids did surprisingly well for how long we were there. We then decided to go out to lunch, and went to Archie's for some pizza. Again, the kids were amazing. Another blessing. And then Will took an 1 1/2 hour nap and was in a great mood for the rest of the day. Blessing again. God is so good.

The day did have it moments, but all in all, God granted all of us his peace. I want to thank all of you who have been praying for us during this transition. I can feel your prayers, and they are appreciated more than you know.

I'm not going to try to post any pics tonight (although Will had his first sucker today, and it was pretty funny...I'll try to post that later) but I did want to leave you all with an exerpt from a great book my mom gave me. It's called, Calm My Anxious Heart, and it's a great read if you're looking for a good book. It's kind of a long quote, but it really spoke to me as I long to go home and be reunited as a family. This is where God wants all of us right now, and I know that He will bring us home in His perfect time. I will rest in the knowledge that this is where I am supposed to be.

"It was spring but it was summer I wanted: the warm days and the great outdoors. It was summer but it was fall I wanted: the colorful leaves and the cool dry air. It was fall but it was winter I wanted: the beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season. It was now winter but it was spring I wanted: the warmth and the blossoming of nature. I was a child but it was adulthood I wanted: the freedom and the respect. I was twenty but it was thirty I wanted: to be mature and sophisticated. I was middle-aged but it was twenty I wanted: the youth and the free spirit. I was retired but it was middle-age that I wanted: the presence of mind without limitations. My life was over but I never got what I wanted."

Just a good reminder that we should live our lives in the knowledge that God is in control and that he has a perfect plan. And for that, I am so thankful.

A Long Drive, Part 2, and Prayer Support

Yesterday when we went out for lunch with Isabel, she asked what our plans were for today. At that point we really hadn't made any, so she suggested that we go to El Corral- a hamburger joint that is about 15 km outside of Bogota. She said that it would be a great place to take the kids because they have a huge playland outside for them. We both agreed that sounded great, and then Isabel said, "I don't need my car tomorrow- why don't you take it for the day?" SWEET! No cabs, which means that I get to drive around again. And for her to let us take it for the day- what an incredible woman to let us, who she knows only through this process, take her automobile through a city where inches separate vehicles from becoming tangled messes! We of course took her up on her offer, and went back and told the news to Jen so she and Gabby would join us.

As we talked to Katya Paris, the hotel owner, she mentioned a park called "MultiParque" that we should also go to. That would work out perfect (weather permitting), because then we could also have something to do in the morning. She gave us the address, and we were all set!

So this morning we woke to a beautiful day- the sun was out, and there were only a few clouds. We were ready for our last outing as a family, and at 9:30 am we headed out.

Isabel had given us directions to El Corral, and then Katya said that MultiParque was off a road past the restaurant. So we followed the directions Isabel gave us, and about 30 minutes later Jen said, "There's El Corral!" And she was right- we now knew where we would be eating lunch, and it looked like they had a great playland for the kids. So onward we went to find MultiParque. And onward. And onward. Aaaaaaand onward.

We took the road that we were on until it ended. It ran directly into the main highway that runs from Bogota out to the surrounding cities. Fortunately we had been out that way before, so we knew where we were, but it surely seemed like the road we were supposed to intersect with that we couldn't find should have been closer than where we were. Well, a (really) long story short, we ended up driving for almost 2 hours. It was a beautiful day for a drive; we'll leave it at that. :)

We went back to El Corral for a bit, waited for them to open up, and then headed in. It was a great time! Ally and Will both enjoyed the weather, the toys, and the chance to just play around:

Here's Will going solo down the slide:

We headed home, and the rest of the day was spent packing and getting me ready to leave tomorrow. After dinner was bath time (one more time before Mom has to do it!) and now the kids are both in bed.

So tomorrow we enter Part 2 of the trip- Beck and the kids without me being here. If there was a person in the world who could handle this situation, it is Beck. She's always amazed me with her strength, and I know there will be times over the next few weeks where she'll be tested. But I also know she will draw on her faith and will be given strength to get through it. Fortunately our moms and one of my nephews is coming Tuesday (Ally can't wait for them to get here!), so that will be helpful. And we'll all be praying for Sentencia every day (and me every hour- all I know about doing laundry is that there are whites and darks. Whites get warm water, darks get cold water. And that's it, right??), so I'm sure she'll be home before we know it. But that's where we're asking for prayer support.

We all know there's nothing more powerful than prayer, and we've felt it from you all since we've been here. But Beck, Ally, and Will need it now more than ever, and we ask that you keep them in your prayers. Prayers for safety, comfort, health, and again, a quick Sentencia. They will enjoy the rest of their stay here (especially next week in Cartegena), but selfishly I'd like them home ASAP, too!

So thanks to all for your love and support. I'm not sure Beck will have the time nor energy to update this every day, but I'm sure she'll do a great job when she does. I've had a riot doing it thus far- my hope in this is that you all see what a tremendous blessing adoption is (and not pay attention to all the media that people like the woman with the son from Russia is getting). Colombia is an incredible country- the people have passion for life unlike anything I've seen in the US, and this is our second love, for it is where we began our family, and now have added to it.

From Colombia, with Love!

Scott, Beck, Ally, and Will

New Jerseys, An Awesome Rep, and a New Worker

Wow. I can't believe I only have tonight and tomorrow left before I leave. In one instance it seems like we've been here forever; in another, it's gone by in the blink of an eye. The same can be said of our trip 4 years ago (although when I came home last time, we came home as a family of 3), but this time feels different. I think the fact that I'm leaving my wife and kids here makes it feel differently, but I'm blessed to know that they're in great hands, and also that the calvary is coming on Tuesday to help out.

Today started off a little slow... Will thought it would be great to wake up at 5:30 am and hang out. The rest of us... well, let's just say the bags were still under our eyes. But breakfast was great, and afterward we headed to a place with Jen and Gabby that sells sports jerseys for cheap. We ended up buying jerseys for Will and me for under $35.00. That would be a hard find anywhere in the states, and they're great jerseys! We didn't get a chance to take any pics- maybe tomorrow we'll see if we can get Will to sit still for a second to do that.

After we got back, we took our representative here, Isabel Romero, out for lunch to Carbon de Palo. We'd never been there before, and we let her pick where she wanted to go. It was a great Colombian restaurant, and we had a great lunch there. We are so grateful for all Tia Isabel has done for us... without her, we wouldn't be the family today that we are:

We had a great conversation with Isabel at lunch about her career choice, how many families she's helped (and certainly there are many of us in West Michigan!!), and how much she means to all of us. We had a great experience with her when we went through Ally's process, but this time we just feel so much closer to her. She is a saint!

After we finished lunch Isabel talked our waiter into giving Ally an apron (both of the kids got aprons to wear while we ate). Ally was SO excited- she couldn't wait to get back to the hotel so she could wear it (apparently she was excited to get to work with an apron on). During Will's nap (Ally's rest time), Ally asked what she could do to work. All of the hotel workers were working, and Ally said, "All of the hotel workers are working, and I want a job. They're all big enough to work but I'm not. But I want to work too, Mommy!" We were appreciative of Ally's gumption, but there just wasn't enough for her to do. So we had to wait until after dinner, when Ally asked me again, "Daddy, can we help them do some work? Can we help them clean up?" So Ally and I went into the kitchen after dinner and went to work washing dishes. The hotel workers kept saying what a great worker Ally was and how surprised they were at her willingness to help. She worked until every last dish was cleaned, dried, and put away. What a great job she did! Here she is, with her Carbon de Palo apron on, and with Sandra, one of the workers here:

Here also is Juanita. I've talked about her quite a bit, but I think Juanita is one of the biggest reasons we love Hotel Paris so much. She goes out of her way to make sure we are taken care of, and we were blessed to spend her 50th birthday with her this past week. I think of all the people here at Hotel Paris, I'm going to miss Juanita the most.

One last post from Bogota tomorrow night for me, and then back home to the Los Estados Unidos. It's certainly bittersweet, but I'm thankful Beck and the kids will be in good hands. Please continue to pray for Beck and the kids, for strength to "go it" alone for Beck, for good health for the kids, for a quick Sentencia!, and safe travels home for me Sunday. I'll see some of you soon, and will be missing this country that I have grown to love.

In Love-

Scott, Beck, Ally, and Will

The Wrong Park & Daddy-Daughter Day

Today was interesting, I would say. It wasn't what we had planned, but wasn't what I would call a bad day, either.

Our intent this morning was to get out and do something new that we hadn't yet done. We have been searching for kid-friendly things to do, and we found a park called Parque de Chico that Kristi Vandermaas had gone to, and so we thought we'd head there with Jen and Gabby. Hermann (one of the workers here) called us a cab, told the cab driver where we wanted to go, and off we went. We drove for about 15 minutes when Beck leaned over to me and said, "Huh. This is the way to Parque 93, too (that's the one we went to yesterday). They must be by each other." And I didn't think anything of it- there are so many parks here there's bound to be some popular parks nearby each other. But when he pulled into the exact same spot we were dropped off at yesterday, we knew we were in the wrong spot. I asked him about Parque de Chico, and he just pointed to Parque 93. Well, looks like we're going to play at Parque 93 for awhile.

So we started playing there, and about 10 minutes into our play time, the rain kicked in. We patiently waited for about 10 minutes (which was a mistake) for the rain to let up, and before we knew it, it started to down pour. I grabbed a taxi, and we made a mad dash over to it, soaked. The ride back to the hotel was pretty grim as well- we had a cab driver who didn't know where to go (we had to tell him the directions: Derecha Senor! Izquierda Senor! Pretty funny stuff!), and his defroster was broken so he just had the heat cranked on high the whole time. We had Will stripped down to just his jeans and diaper- no lie.

The best part about that story is that we actually enjoyed it! We always talk here in terms of getting "out and about", so the things that come along are just part of the trip and make for good conversation later on.

Ally and Beck had a girls only afternoon Monday, so today it was my turn to hang out with Ally by ourselves. At Uni Centro (a huge local mall) they have these "cars" for strollers, and every time we pass by, Ally asks if we can get one. So today after lunch we walked over there together and got one of those cars. Then we walked inside the mall to Dunkin' Donuts, and Ally picked out one donut for herself and one for me. I grabbed a coffee from Juan Valdez, and we sat down and had a "meeting", as Ally likes to call them. We just talked for a bit about whatever she wanted to- I think it was great for her to just be away from everyone for awhile. After our donuts were gone, we walked around the mall for a bit. I gave her an option- either she can pick out a new Polly Pocket, or I would buy her some candy. Wouldn't you know it- she picked the candy. We walked to a candy store in the mall, and she picked out peanut M&Ms for us both. The girl has a serious sweet tooth! After we walked around a bit more, we headed back to the hotel.

Will had a rough afternoon (no nap), so we decided to do an early dinner at Archie's pizza with Jen and Gabby. The kids were bathed and in bed by 7:30 tonight, so Beck and I are doing our nightly routine of checking email and updating the blog. Exciting, huh?? We hope all is well at home- we miss you all.

Scott, Beck, Ally, and Will

Parque 93 & SUNSHINE

Today we woke up (well, Will woke us up), and I thought it was 3 or 4 am. Turns out it was actually 6 am, but it was dark. Usually when Will wakes up, there is light coming through the shades, but not today. It was very dark and bleak outside, and our first thought was, "well, what can we do inside today?" But there wasn't any rain going on, so we scrambled to get ready quickly after breakfast and head out.

We've decided that we're going to try to get out every day until I leave, and so today we decided to head to Parque 93. It's a nice park about a 15 minute cab ride from the hotel, and we went there a couple times when we were here with Ally, so it was good to go back for a while.

When we arrived, the weather started to look better, although we had a few sprinkles. But it was nice to get out and get some air, especially since Beck is feeling much better today (thanks for all the prayers!). Here is Ally at the entrance (with her eyes closed):

Here is Will's first slide (note Ally's excitement):

The view from the park (as from almost every other place in Bogota) is just stunning. I wish it was clear at this time, but it was still cloudy. Still gorgeous though:

After playing for awhile, we headed back to the hotel for lunch, rest time, and work (for me). When the kids woke up, Beck asked, "Who wants to go to Crepes and Waffles for ice cream??" I pushed Will and Ally out of the way and ran out the door. OK, maybe not quite that extreme, but I think I was ready to go in 3 seconds. By this time, the clouds had cleared out and there was this big orange thing in the sky. I think it's called the sun.



Once at Crepes and Waffles, it's always the same ol' same ol': what to get? Beck actually broke tradition and went with a brownie sundae. But Ally and I stuck to our guns and went with the waffle cones. Mmmmm.... so good! But when a 4 year old eats 2 scoops of ice cream, the sugar kicks in:

Lastly today, with apologies to Will, this is what happens when Dad walks away for a few minutes and Mom and Ally have the camera and Ally's pink sunglasses:

Sorry Bud. Now we have pics of a yellow belt and pink sunglasses. I gotta get him in some camo soon!! Once we returned to the hotel, we hung out outside with Jen and Gabby and the 4 of us for a while. It was GREAT to be outside for a few hours today- everyone's spirits were certainly lifted! We're praying for more of the same tomorrow.

Tomorrow we hope (weather permitting) to go to the national park. I've heard it's beautiful, so we're hoping to get some great pics from there. We hope all is well, and we'll talk to you all soon! Love-

Scott, Beck, Ally, and Will

A Proven Theory & The Playland (of Hair)

I've never really considered myself an intellect. I was raised by two parents much smarter than me and have 2 older sisters, one who was on the fast track at a local Michigan bank before starting her family and one who has more schooling in her pinkie than I do in my entire schooling career. However, I did marry Beck, so I have something going for me, right?

I've always had this theory that God made women smarter than men (case in point- the 3 women mentioned above and the one I now call my wife. My dad is an anomaly on the male side). It was proven today. Beck woke up with a bad tummy and a fever, which meant that I got to spend the day being (or more appropriately, trying to be), SuperDad. Now I consider myself a good Daddy, Dad, or Old Man, depending on who's talking to me (and believe me, if ANY of my kids calls me Old Man at this point, there's trouble brewing), but today that was put to the test. I love my kids with all my heart and both of them mean the world to me, but sheesh, how do people take care of children, on a consistent or long-term basis, without wanting to drink terpentine?!? OK, so maybe it wasn't quite that bad, but there were a few hairy moments when I thought, "women are absolutely, unequivocally, and without a doubt, something special. How do they do what they do?" So for all you stay-at-home moms out there- my sincere, utmost, and genuine respect and thanks. You are amazing people, and my wife is the most amazing person ever put on the face of the earth. You all have a gift, no doubt about it!

After Beck broke the news that I would have to put my pride aside for the day Ally, Will, and I went downstairs for breakfast. Ally and I had the french toast, and Will went for the standard issue: peanut butter on bread and eggs. After that we headed back upstairs and got ready- to hit The Playland. The Playland is certainly not something special, but it is a great way to pass the time. What is it? The same thing that's on every 5th block in America- McDonald's. We have a Mickey D's 3 blocks away from us, and they have the playland which, every time we walked past it, Ally would say, "Ooooh, Daddy, when can we go there??" My response (in my head at least) is, "Never". We're in Colombia, and we can experience McDonald's anytime back home, so let's NOT go there. But today that thinking was put aside in order to keep sanity, and we made our way to The Playland:

We did have a good time, although Beck always says she not a big fan because they're gross, not clean, etc. Usually that sort of thing doesn't bother me, but there is one thing that does: Hair. Especially clumps of hair. Have you ever been in a bathroom or dirty house where there are clumps of hair on the floor that look sort of like tumbleweeds in a Western movie? Well, those make my stomach turn. And let me tell you- it takes a LOT to make my stomach turn. So when Will had his back to me, turned and smiled, with a clump of hair in his MOUTH, you guessed it- I almost gave back the coffee that I bought from the restaurant. It still gives me the heebie-geebies thinking about it- I couldn't believe it. So shortly after that we packed up and took a stroll down the road.

The rest of the day was pretty good- a few rough moments, but many great ones too. Don't get me wrong- I truly appreciate our time here together, and looking back on it now, I'm thankful I had the chance to be with both kids all day today, just the 3 of us. Next time I'll know to pack a vacuum cleaner before we go to Mickey D's.

Tomorrow we're going (if Beck is feeling better) to a big park in Bogota. We have a few things we want to do yet before I leave Sunday, and so we'll do our best to keep everyone updated. One cute video of Will- he likes to crawl in open drawers:

Another cute pic of the kids (watching Baby Einstein on YouTube):

And a video of one of our (almost daily) dance parties. The song is the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Hot Dog Song, and Ally like to create dances for different songs:

We hope all is well back home, and appreciate all of the emails, comments, and (especially) prayers. We're surrounded by an incredible group of people!

Love-

Scott, Beck, Ally, and Will