Juan Pablo

Pool Party

Yesterday was a low key and relaxing day as we swam in the pool in the morning, then went shopping in the afternoon.  At night, we worked with JP on his homework that had been assigned throughout the week.  This marked our final night at the Vista Real hotel.   We certainly enjoyed our stay, and would get our money’s worth the next day.

Friday morning, the children from JP’s home didn’t have to go to school.  We invited the older kids to come over to the hotel to swim and have lunch.  I know that Juan Pablo keeps me busy enough in the water, so I could only imagine adding 4 more!  In planning the event, I asked if I would have some help in the pool, but somebody forgot her bathing suit.  Later, Emily would find out that she didn’t need one after all. 

The children arrived and were so excited to hit the water.  We set the ground rules beforehand, which only allowed them to swim in the mini pool (hot tub that wasn’t hot) and could only go into the big pool if accompanied by John.  During our Hiper Paiz stop the night before, we bought 6 foam water guns and a pair of goggles for the pool party.  Both were a hit for the kids as there was always a stream of water shooting through the air and goggles ne someone’s face. 

Every now and then someone would shoot Abi or Emily who were both comfortably dry and innocently conversing nearby.  Aside from the pool toys, I allowed each of the children to come along with me individually to the big pool.  Each were tickled with excitement as they were carried freely through the cool water.  None of the kids knew how to swim, so I tried to teach each of them the basics.  Danny was fearful of the big pool and only came in once.  As I did with Juan Pablo, I allowed the kids to line up and jump off the side and swim to me.  Alejandra insisted that I stay just a foot away from the edge whereas the boys told me to take more steps back after each dive. 

Our dramatic scene for the day came when I was in the process of transporting Danny and Alejandra together from one mini pool to the other, which is at the opposite end of the pool.  I’m not sure exactly what prompted the group to get into the opposite end, but maybe it was when I took one of the kids for a distant swim at the other end and they wanted to be in that same area.  Regardless, most of the kids were making their way back to the opposite end with Abi and Emily while I swam with the two mentioned before.  Juan Pablo started in the big pool by walking down the steps.  Some had been on the steps throughout the day, which is fine until they walk off the last one.  JP jumped from the 2nd step and cleared the remaining ones to the deep end.  I had been careful to watch each of the kids throughout the day such as to anticipate their next move.  The daring one was underwater with his arms tossing around above.  I began to panic as I had two kids in my arms and wouldn’t be able to make it there as fast as necessary.  Quickly, I turned to set Danny and Alejandra back in the mini pool and prepare for the fastest swim of my life.  As I turned to kick off the side of the pool to start in that direction, Emily leaped into the pool fully clothed and with shades.  He had only struggled for a few seconds before she made it there and pulled him to safety.  Praise the Lord for the rescue and the relief!

After ensuring he was fine, JP was confined to a little timeout and sat on the sidelines as his friends continued to swim.  We could tell he was sad and hopefully learned a couple lessons from this incident.  Pizza had arrived, which came at the perfect time as we had been swimming for a couple hours to create an appetite. 

All in all, the party was a big hit and a great opportunity for the children to do something different together.  I believe we put in a total of 3-4 hours of pool time.  Even at that, it was difficult to get everyone out of the pool.  We are so pleased to have shared this day with JP’s brothers and sister. 

Friday night we are staying at the Buckner office.  Saturday morning, JP is going to be picked up from there to go with the Perry’s group.  That group is taking the same children from the pool party to Antigua to play games with the transitional kids.  We and others have been explaining to Juan Pablo what is going to happen on Saturday when we leave.  He knows that we are leaving temporarily, but will return to see him in a few months, hopefully to take him back to the US with us.  Please pray for us tomorrow in that it will not be as difficult for JP when have to leave and be separated from him again.  We have had a tremendous trip and feel even closer as a family.  We’re thankful for the doors God has opened and the steps accomplished on this trip.  A giant leap has been made in the adoption this week.  Now, we just wait and pray that the case will be delivered speedily through the court and to the judge.  Thanks to all our friends who have followed and lifted us up during this longer, yet valuable visit.

Unexpected Visitors

Wednesday morning we slept in and had a late breakfast considering that this was our last free day before our observation from the CNA.  A surprise call came mid morning from the psychologist stating that she was on her way to the hotel to observe us today.  I was shocked and at a loss for words when she said this as we weren’t that prepared.  Primarily, our room was upside down, we hadn’t changed clothes, or cleaned ourselves up.  I relayed the news to Emily and we quickly scrambled to get everything tidy while throwing out ideas of what we could do during the visitation.  We had to just stop and pray and set the situation before the Lord as our minds were spinning out of control. 

We met the ladies in the lobby, then sat at a round table in the business center room on our floor at the hotel.  The psychologist we met and prayed with on Monday was the same one with us along with another staff member from the CNA.  We brought some homework for JP to do along with some books to read.  They asked us some questions and offered encouraging advice in parenting Juan Pablo.  It was evident to them that JP was very happy and belonged in our family.  They requested to see us do some activity together, so we went to the pool as JP had been antsy to swim anyway.  They remained only a short while, then departed after personally thanking us for choosing to love one of the children from their country. 

We know that God orchestrated it so that we would have our observation today.  He often changes our plans for according to His infinite wisdom and purpose for our lives.  Praise the Lord that everything went so smoothly today and that our short visit wrapped up what was projected to be a 2 day empathy study.  Now, we just wait for the CNA to submit the paperwork to the family court.  Pray that the processes between the following transitional steps will go forward quickly.

For lunch, we took a taxi to the Pizza Hut near the Buckner office.  There we met Karen Perry and her group who also brought along the other children from the babies home.  It was great to see all of the children.  Being a big kid, I joined the children on their adventures through the play place as they climbed ropes and went down the slide (some 4 at a time). 

After lunch, it was back to the babies home for the afternoon.  Emily worked with JP and a couple other boys on their homework while I installed a new webcam on the computer there.  We’ll use this to communicate with JP while we’re away from him.  Jose and other random children would come in the room as I was working.  Jose, who is deaf, inspected me as I worked by running his hand across my arm hair and touching my ears.  I figured he was just in discovery mode in wonder of the differences between us.  I was reminded that our time with the other children isn’t just filling the day, but a valuable investment in their lives.  Though we can’t communicate well, perhaps Jose senses genuine love while gaining the perception of a father figure in me. 

While I waited on some programs to download and install, I went out to the lawn and spent some time with the babies.  While there, I had Krystal, Mili, and Isabel positioned on my lap and legs at the same time.  I moved to a tune and they all laughed at me.  I was thrilled that Mili was now comfortable enough to allow me to hold her.  More than this, she kept talking and smiling.  I could have stayed on that grass for hours with my little friends.

When we left, I noticed that Marvin was dancing to music that was playing on the TV.  Definitely fun to watch…

At night, we went to the bowling center with our friends Jenny, Jose, and their son Andres.  This was our first bowling experience with Juan Pablo.  It was hilarious to watch JP’s different bowling techniques.  At times he would set the ball at the start of the lane, walk back to the ball return, then run up to his ball and push it.  At other times, he would do the standard granny roll between his legs or just toss it down the lane with both hands.  Either way, he’d watch the ball as it slowly traveled down the lane occasionally bouncing off the bumpers along the way.  I remember my second turn, I delivered a strike, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught JP running down the lane next to me.   His feet were swiftly taken out from under him by the greased lanes.  I chuckled to myself, but I didn’t really have to say much to him afterwards as the pain from the fall was enough keep him from crossing the line again.  A night of bowling with friends was a fresh change of events for us as we had never gone bowling in Guatemala before. 

Afternoon at the Mall

We didn’t really have any concrete plans for the day, but at the request of JP, we went for a swim right after breakfast.  We took the whiffle ball bat and balls and he hit a few rounds in from the hot tub.  We also went diving for the whiffle balls that had sunk to the bottom of the pool. Most of the inbound pool objects were thrown in by JP because he knew someone would have to retrieve them.  Nobody else was around but mommy, who was dressed, JP who couldn’t swim alone, which left Papi who willingly took 1 little passenger into the deep to find the lost toys. 

I also tried to teach JP to swim by holding his body away from me and allowing him to kick his legs and paddle his arms.  I think he has the general idea, but we have more time to practice :)  He became daring and jumped off the side of the pool to my arms.  I slowly distanced myself from the edge of the pool after each dive.  He has little fear of anything, but definitely questioned the longer jumps.

Mami patiently waiting by the pool…

In the early afternoon, we took a taxi to the Oakland Mall where we at lunch at a restaurant, then walked around a bit to burn off some energy.  JP wanted to ride on the carousel, so he chose the merry-go-round like seat rather than a big horse or carriage.  I tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted.  My concerns with this seat were true as the ridge began and JP wanted to spin around as fast as possible.  I don’t do well on anything that goes around in a circle very quickly.  After 1 trip around, my stomach wanted to let loose, but I held my composure.  Emily was getting a kick out of watching us as she knew exactly what I was going through.  I think she secretly was hoping JP would choose that seat to make fun of me. 

Next, we went to the movie theater to watch the movie Monsters Vs. Aliens. This was our first experience together at the movies as a family.  The film was an excellent kids movie and was given a 4 of 5 rating for family friendliness on the Plugged in Movie Review from Focus on the Family.  Throughout the movie, JP would let out his contagious giggles and grip us tightly during very suspenseful scenes. 

Later at night, our friend Karen Perry arrived to the Vista hotel.  We met her in the lobby along with the other women she brought along on this trip.  At times, Juan Pablo is timid in front of strangers, but not so much in front of the ladies. He made sure to give everyone a hug, maybe even a kiss while becoming the center of attention.  When we returned to the room, we made a couple Skype calls to family and friends, then called it a day.

Another Milestone

Today is yet again another milestone in our adoption of Juan Pablo.  We met with the psychologist at our CNA meeting this morning.  She explained to us that she had nothing negative to add in regard to our relationship to JP, but merely words of advice.  These included reminders for us to always share with our son that we love him, we are his mom and dad, and that he is safe with us.  Sometimes, JP will slip up and call us John or Emily.  When this happens, we are quick to correct him by saying, “No, what’s my name?”  Then in a confident return he’ll say “Mami” or “Papi.”  Emily and I both love to hear him call us by those new names. 

The psychologist continued by reading to us the official document released by the CNA, which basically declared that we have rights to Juan Pablo.  As she read the words in Spanish, I tried to take it all in passing translations over to Emily.  Tears of joy began welling in each person at this small round table meeting.  Legally, he is officially ours!  After understanding and absorbing all of the document’s content, we joined in prayer together.  It was certainly a blessing to have a Christian as the psychologist involved in our case.  We could sense her passion from Jesus, children, and JP.  We later found out that she will be the one to observe us as a family, which will take place on Thursday and Friday.  We exited the CNA again overwhelmed by God’s goodness this this great victory.  JP gave everyone hugs along the way, not because they asked for it, but rather out of his natural response.  I might add to this that as we were entering the parking garage, we ran into the owner of Pollo Campero.  This elderly woman has a great passion for children and paused to greet us and Juan Pablo.  That was our moment with a celebrity and of couse JP gave her a hug.

We returned to the Buckner office to share the great news and grab some lunch.  As we changed into play clothes, JP decided to try on my pants.  Often he had put on my shoes, which were like ski shoes on his little feet, but now he is aiming for my entire wardrobe.  I’m definitely not ready for him to grow that quickly that he is able to wear daddy’s clothes.  He went out to the office and showed others his new look.

After lunch, we returned to the babies home to visit with JP’s brothers and sisters.  When a group of adorable faces crowd you for attention, it’s difficult to choose only one to focus on, so we try to equally spread our time with each.   I swung Jose around on the grass outside while Danny was tried climbing up my leg as if it were a pole at the playground.  Alejandra followed me and wanted to be in just about every picture I took.  I noticed something neat today as I took pictures.  The brother/sister relationship came alive as when the camera lens was open and ready, the kids naturally came together for group photos.

Then there was Marvin, always up to something when nobody’s looking.  Here, he’s caught being dangerous and daring by climbing up a gate.

Here’s Danny posed as Rambo:

Krystal peers through the barred window, but knows that the positioning of the camera prompts her beautiful smile.

When Estuardo came home from school, I caught a shot of him from the inside of the house walls, which is typically the view they have of us when we arrive or anyone else visiting the babies home.

Emily held onto Mili quite a bit during our visit.  When we first met this precious child, she was very distant and unresponsive to any form of love.  Before she came to Buckner, she was found in the trash.  After surviving that abandonment, she was given the name Mili, which means “miracle” in Spanish.  Mili opened up to Emily’s embrace as they played together.  I don’t think there was a moment where she wasn’t smiling.  This is the miracle of God that He would take a child who was discarded as garbage and renew her heart from the brokenness and abandonment.  She is quickly coming out of the shadows and revealing the love of God in her.

We returned to the hotel where we stayed in for the night.  JP and I went for a swim in the pool and hot tubs.  I should rephrase this to say that we jumped in and out of tubs and pool.  I threw a ball as high as I could from one hot tub for it to make a splash landing into the opposite end of the pool.  I had JP jump on my back, then we’d leap from the hot tubs to the pool in a rescue mission to retrieve the rubber baseball that had been cast out of sight.  This process repeated and over the course of a dozen trips, JP had been swallowing a bit of water.  This was only evident as he’d let out a loud belch when he would return to the surface of the water.  I told him that the water wasn’t for drinking and the he needed to keep his eyes and mouth closed when under water.  He understood this and became better at this, but needless to say, he wasn’t that thirsty when we had dinner later that evening.

At night, we made some calls to some friends and family through Skype, which is an internet based voice, video, messaging service.  I was very surprised at the quality of audio and video we had over the calls made from Guatemala to the US.  I definitely recommend this method of communication provided you have a fast internet connection.  It’s only 2 cents a minute to any land line or cellular phone.  We were able to have a video chat with Kim, Hannah, and Colton.  They showed JP all of their dogs and were able to share a few words with him.  Juan Pablo was being a little shy, but at least they were able to see him.  I also called my grandma and mom.  I had JP take a break from his Spiderman game to say a few words to his new “gran abuela” and “abuela.”  I sensed the joy from the tone of their voices when they heard JP’s voice.  We have plenty of time left on Skype, so watch out, we may be calling you

Mother’s Day in Guatemala

Today was a very special one because we are in Guatemala, Juan Pablo is with us, and Emily can rejoice to finally have her son by her side on this Mother’s Day.  I hoped that she would feel honored and joyous today.  As a mother, I have admired her love, patience, and endurance she has poured into the life of her son. 

Since we are staying at the Vista, their renowned breakfast buffet was first on the agenda.  Emily was very excited to once again fill up on their delicious pancakes, omelettes, fruit, and coffee.  This was definitely a treat for her.  We gave JP a little bit of everything they had to offer this morning.  I finally found someone who can eat faster than I and he is a quarter of my size.  He tends to eat at a very quick pace, which may have something to do with eating alongside 3 other boys at the orphanage. 

After breakfast, we took a leisurely walk around the beautiful grounds at the hotel.  We stopped along the way for some great Mother’s Day photos:

JP found the pools full of tropical fish.  I tried to tease him in believing they had teeth, but it didn’t bother him.  He continues to surprise us with his bravery or maybe he has selective hearing?

We returned to the room to give mommy her Mother’s Day present.  Last night, Juan Pi drew a picture of us inside of a card with crayons and signed his name.  Emily was very pleased with this gift along with a photo frame with a pic of the 3 of us and a Willow Tree of a mother and son. 

Our friends Jenny and Jose came to the hotel to visit with us.   While here, Juan Pablo and their son Mario went swimming at the pool.  Everything was fun and games until someone’s diaper fell apart in the jacuzzi.   I’ve never seen a diaper disintegrate like that before.  It started raining anyway, so what a perfect time to head inside and order some pizza!  It’s a blessing to also have friends here in Guatemala with whom we can spend time and share our lives.   JP and Mario had a great time playing together in the hotel room.  

In the evening, we went to church with Chiqui and Sergio at their home church called “Casa De Dios.”  This was a our second time going there.  Though we are in a different country, our same God is worshipped with the same, if not greater passion.  They played the Newsboys song “I am Free” in the opening during which Emily and I would mix in some English at the chorus.  Everyone was jumping up and down, raising their hands to praise the Lord for who He is and what He has done for us.  We certainly had a lot to rejoice over tonight for the grace that God has given to us this week.  They honored mother’s tonight with special musical performances and dance that were significant to their culture. 

Tomorrow is a big day as we have an appointment with the psychologist from the CNA.  Keep us in prayer this week as we go through the next steps in the process.

Can you identify this spider monkey?

Redirection

Today’s goal was to gather all of our baggage and settle in at a new place for the upcoming week.  Our plans were certain at the start of the day, but later we would take a 360 degree turn.  We found JP browsing through the morning news in the other room as we waited for our driver:

We’re not quite sure why he wears these bunny ears everywhere he goes…… 

We crammed all of our luggage into a truck that William our driver had been using and away we went.  Our first stop was to the Baptist Seminary, the new location where we’d be staying.  This place is one that Buckner had recommended for us as it had all of the amenities needed, but for a much cheaper price.  As we drove through the outside gate, it seemed as if the Seminary was a small community of dorms and apartments.  We pulled up to a single story building with 5 apartments.  We went into our room and unloaded all of our baggage, then left the campus for lunch.  While at lunch, we discussed some concerns with our new home such as safety and level of comfort.  We agreed that it would be best for us to pursue other options for lodging.  I made a call to Amed to inquire of some other places to stay.  He mentioned his connection to the Vista Real hotel and his ability to place reservations for us. 

Since we are going to spend an entire week in Guatemala with Juan Pablo, the Vista was a perfect fit for us.  We don’t usually spend that much money on lodging, however, we’re considering this trip to be more of a vacation.  Our past experiences with the Vista hotel have been wonderful.  Here are just a few selling points that made our decision so much easier:  buffet breakfasts, swimming pool, jacuzzi tub, comfortable and large beds (to jump on), and a very safe environment that allows us to walk around and play.  Need I say more?

Once the decision was made to change locations, we went back to the Baptist Seminary, again loaded all of our luggage back in the truck, and headed out toward our next stop. Earlier, we had made a list of items we needed to pick up from the grocery store.  There are a variety of stores to choose from in Guatemala, but one that is most comparable to Wal-Mart is called Hiper Paiz.  We’ve experienced this store on other trips and felt fairly confident that we’d find most of the items on our list, but did not consider the crowd factor.  Think about your worst experience of shopping at Wal-Mart: people filling up aisles, at every corner, long wait lines.  Today, you could multiply that experience by 10!!  At one point, Emily sent me off with the cart and JP to the toy department while she journeyed out in search of just a few items.  I knew it was bad when she came back with only 1 item in hand.  We tried to fight the crowd again together, but I became a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people and our inability to find anything in an unfamiliar place.  So, we gave up and left with not even a third of our list complete.  It didn’t matter as it was just a relief to escape the madness created by the day being a Saturday and the day before Mother’s Day.  Still love ya moms!

We felt much peace as we entered the Vista Real.  We have stayed here no more than a half a dozen times, but it is JP’s first time.  He bounced from one bed to the other losing no energy whatsoever.  Funny how he fell asleep on the way to the hotel, but once he made it to the room, he came alive again.  JP was aware that wherever we were going to stay this week, a pool would be present.  The pool checked out to be very cold, however the hot tub was slightly warm.  JP and I hit the waters for about 15 minutes, which was enough for the day.  Hopefully it will get a little warmer this week, but it has been raining quite a bit.  The last time I swam with Juan was in Texas in September 2007. 

After returning to the room from our quick swim, JP jumped in the jacuzzi tub where had been twice before the night had ended.  One of the times, I think he stayed in there for over an hour.  This may partly be due to us throwing in some of his toys and a bit of shampoo to give it the bubble effect.  Of course, he managed to cover the floor just outside of the tub with puddles of water.  Now we know how to construct our bathroom at home to accommodate for Scuba JuanPi.

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day.  I had JP work on a surprise for his mommy tonight.  He built a fort around the area we were working on Emily’s gift so she couldn’t sneak a peak.  She has already told me that just being with Juan Pablo would be the greatest gift on Mother’s Day.  I’m excited for her to spend this one with her son. 

Staying another Week

After our meeting with the CNA yesterday, we came back to the office to kill some time before lunch.  Alejandra stopped by and played some games with JP.

After lunch with some friends, we came back to the office, which had been populated with more people and kids than usual.  It was that dreadful time of year again – flu shot.  At first, I thought it was just for the office staff, but many of the children from the transitional homes came.  JP looked on in amazement as the needles were being injected.  He chuckled not realizing that he was about to be summoned to the doc.  He agreed to get the shot this time, so I held him as the doc poked him in the rear.  He let out a short yelp, then was asked how much it hurt.  He responded, “poquito” (a little).  He made mom and dad proud :) 

At night, JP was easily entertained with a wide variety of Nintendo games on my laptop.  We also gave JP yet another belated Christmas gift that contained some basketball pajamas, basketball slippers, and a related movie, Air Bud.

We have decided to stay another week in Guatemala.  From today through next Saturday, we’ll be staying in an apartment at the Baptist Seminary.  We’re unsure as to whether or not our new lodging will have internet access, but we hope to keep everyone updated. 

A great way to end this post is JP’s new school picture, which he gave to Emily for Mother’s Day.  Doesn’t he look so handsome!

May 2009 Trip

We touched down in Guatemala today for the first time in a couple months. We will be staying here through Sunday. We have been missing Juan Pablo so much since our last visit, so we are both excited to spend time with him and to see what great things God may do while we are here. We bring with us what we are told to be the final piece of paperwork needed in the adoption from our side. We hope to have a meeting with the CNA to coordinate the final steps before JP can come home.

Our first stop was the babies home where we would pick up JP and take him with us for the rest of the day. We were greeted by all the familiar faces of the children as we walked through the door, but had our eyes alert in search of our son. A couple of minutes went by until JP finally appeared, running to us with open arms. The time apart over the past couple of months seemed to vanish from our memory as we once again were filled with the unique joy that comes from the embrace of our child. I could feel that he had missed us just as much as we had missed him. 

The other children were quick to give us hugs, then some began to search through our luggage.  Because of this, Emily didn’t waste anytime in unpacking the gift bags that had been prepared for each child. Their faces lit up in surprise and their voices shrieked of excitement as each discovered new treasures in their gift bags.

After gathering JP’s things for his stay with us, we headed back to the Buckner office to settle in for the day after such a long day of traveling.  We just relaxed by watching a movie, playing some video games, and my favorite of all: homework.  JP typically has a lot of “tarea” when he comes home from school, so we made sure he did a little work before play time.  He worked on his cursive writing and some logic questions.  The last of his assignments includes his family tree, which will be great as his family suddenly grew quite large when we came into his life.  Emily enjoyed observing and correcting him as he worked on his tasks:

We learned from Mabel, our adoption case manager in Guatemala, that our new paperwork had been translated and was ready for submission to the CNA. Additionally, she informed us that we had a meeting scheduled with the CNA tomorrow morning to discuss the next steps in the adoption, which may include an actual date and time frame when we’d come back down to complete the empathy study, which is an observation of us and JP. It is such a blessing to be able to not only deliver the last of our paperwork, but to also have this scheduled meeting. Please be in prayer for us tomorrow in that we will have great favor at the CNA and the Lord will order our next steps in the adoption.

A day with friends

Today, we had a great day with our friends Jenny, her husband Jose, and their son Mario.   We suited JP up in his new outfit.  Look at how sharp and happy he looks :)  They took us to a favorite Guatemalan restaurant for breakfast where we were introduced to some of the regular foods served at the beginning of the day here (ie, beans, tortillas, eggs, and plantains).  We had some good conversation with this couple who has a lot in common as we are the same age and Christians.  Jenny has known and loved JP for 3years at the babies orphanage.  Before we knew it, JP devoured his entire plate of beans and eggs and went on to help Mario with his food.

After our meal, we made our way to the zoo.  Again, it was another beautiful day in Guatemala where the temperature was near 75, which is like paradise compared to the cold in Indiana. 

The kids were excited about new encounters with their favorite animals.  When we entered the park, JP and Mario had their picture taken on a donkey.  It wasn’t the most comfortable place for Mario as he became sad and went back to his daddy.   Here are some photos to highlight our day at the zoo:

We had such a wonderful time walking around the zoo today.  On our way out, JP wanted to find the rides he had gone on before when we brought the other 3 boys from the orphanage.  Unfortunately, they were replaced with some attractions that required manual operation.  Regardless, JP still got a thrill out of them.

Oh, how could we forget some “helado” (ice cream)?

After leaving the zoo, we decided to check out the new mall in Guatemala City.  Not only was this place huge and packed full of stores, but had a lot of activities for children.  The first thing we spotted was a carousel on the top floor, so we hopped on it first. 

Next, there was a stand similar to build-a-bear where kids could pick out an animal, have it stuffed, insert an angel, sew it up, then sign an adoption certificate.  JP chose a dog, who he named “Scooby Doo” on the birth certificate.  If only it were this easy to get Juan Pablo’s birth certificate with our names on it.  :) 

This was good as his grandma Kim took her other grandchildren to a Build-A-Bear store for Christmas, but wasn’t able to take JP along.  She’ll be happy to know that he made his first puppy to go. 

After returning the the office in the evening, we passed the time by relaxing with more catch with the baseball, tossing around a styrofoam airplane, hide and go seek, Nintendo, and watching cartoons.  We settled in for bed as Mami and Papi took turns reading a bedtime story, which ultimately put him to sleep.  It’s hard to believe that this trip is almost over.  We’ve been blessed with more special moments with our son.  We’re not looking forward to the plane trip home, but trust that God will allow us to return very soon. 

Spiderman and the Gummi Bear

I wasn’t sure what to title today’s blog entry, so its name is brought by a couple characters that appeared to us today.  We awoke to some familiar faces of the boys and girls from the transitional homes who came to the Buckner office for a morning class.  The last time we were here, the children from the babies home came in the mornings.  I talked to William and Fernando before class started.  It’s hard to believe that the boys we first met at San Gabriel are maturing into the men God desires them to be.  We didn’t want to be distracting during their class, so we played some catch outside with a rubber baseball.  We found that we have a lot of work to do with JP in improving his coordination.  All in all, he’s getting the idea that the ball goes in the glove, but it takes a few attempts before it’s caught.  We took a video of us playing catch to show him how much he improved once he’s an all star baseball player later in life

We brought along a Spiderman game that connects to the TV for JP to play.  It has a fold out mat and a web shooter as controllers that are used in a series of games.  It’s kind of like the Dance Dance Revolution game with the controls, but with Spiderman slinging from buildings and fighting the bad guys.  If you watched JP play it, you would think he were dancing to the DDR game with all of the quick, random movements. 

Our friend Jenny picked us up for lunch at Pizza hut along with her son, Mario.  We had a great time of sharing together over some pizza.  She has been foundational with JP and the other kids at the Buckner babies home.

Afterwards, we went to the babies home to spend time with all of the kids.  The day before, I had told Estuardo and Jose that I had called my friend Spiderman and his schedule was open for him to drop by.  While Emily kept the kids occupied out on the lawn, I was able to get away to and change into their favorite super hero in sneakers.  They swarmed Spiderman for hugs and high fives, then each received a plastic baggie containing an outfit, candy, and a toy.  It was a short visit from Spidey, but enough to bring them hope and smiles to all their faces.  Even Crystal had enough courage to reach out her hand to touch the masked stranger.  I think the kids are catching on that Spiderman is really me, but until my true identity is unveiled, I will continue to visit them.

Inasmuch joy that we bring when we visit these precious ones, they always seem to capture our hearts even more.   How could you not fall in loves with faces like these:

It seemed that whoever was outside on the grass, the kids would quickly surround you on every side.  I looked over at Emily and remember there being a peace about her with 4 little ones either on her lap or sitting next to her.  For me, on the other hand, it wasn’t the same story as I was trampled, sat on, kicked, poked, and pulled in every direction.  The best part is that I’d rather be in no other place

We said goodnight to the kids and returned to the office.  Emily and JP prepared a blue Jello mixture and poured it into 4 separate cups.  When it was ready, Juan Pablo inserted a few gummi fish in the bottom of each cup, then topped it off with some blue sugar. 

This was exactly what Juan needed, especially right before bedtime.  The gummi theme went right along with a new song that we learned called the The Gummi Bear song (thanks abuela Kim).  Here is a video clip of JP dancing to the song, which we heard a half a dozen times that night.