We've been really busy since I last wrote. On Saturday, we took the girls to the doctor for a physical. We were not surprised by the results. Both Donna and Veronica are ok, but Loren is a underweight. When we get back to the states, I'm sure we can get her up to normal weight. Veronica has discovered peanut butter, and wants it at every meal.
Saturday night, my brother-in-law, John Preissing, and my nephew, Michael (who was adopted from Peru 17 years ago) came to the orphanage to meet the family and to help out. John and my sister lived in Cost Rica, Ecuador, and Peru, as Peace Corps' volunteers for several years. So, John speaks Spanish very well, and was quite helpful as a translator for us. Unfortunately, he and Michael left to go back to Lima tonight, and from there they will head to Cuzco on their way to tour Manchu Picchu.
On Sunday, we went to church with one of the workers here at the orphanage named Alex and his family, and Janie, who is a volunteer at the orphanage. Our whole family, John, Michael, Janie, Alex and his family, all piled in a micro bus which is quite an interesting mode of transportation. Afterward, we all went to Roky's restaurant which is very kid friendly, and is pretty good food as well. Later on Sunday, we took some of our kids as well as some other children from the orphanage up on the sand dunes for a hike.
On Monday, we went to Trujillo to sign the document that would make Andrea and I the girl's official guardians. When you sign this document, you also have to put your fingerprint next to your signature just in case you wanted to deny you signed it. The girls got to sign it and put their fingerprint on it also. And since our boys were there, the SNA social workers had Josh and TJ sign it and put their fingerprints on it too. The guardianship marked the beginning of an eight day observation and bonding period. If all goes well at the end of the eight days, the adoption will then be finalized. After the big signing ceremony, we ate in Downtown Trujillo, and then visited some of the local shops.
Tuesday, we got the first of two visits from the SNA psychologist, Jacqueline. She came to watch us for just about a half hour or more while we were bonding as a family. It was really nice to have John here since he could talk to them, and get a feel for what was going on. They seemed to be satisfied with us in the end. They will again visit us, for the last time, tomorrow morning. Tomorrow should be about the same thing as Tuesday.
After the observation period was over, John and Michael moved on to the David Miller school, which is at the orphanage, to do an art project with the kids. My sister, Peggy who is a teacher in Wisconsin, sent down a ton of art supplies. She had had her kids from school do some artwork of animals that could be found in the states, and sent down pictures of the kids and their art. The idea was to have the kids down here do the same thing. Later in the afternoon when the rest of the kids came back from the school that they attend, John and Michael again held a giant art class in the main dining hall of the orphanage. It was quite a production.
Once the art class was over, our family all walked over to the ocean where the kids had a fun time playing in the freezing water, and a not so fun time walking back in there cold wet clothes.
Today we took advantage of John and Michael's last day with us, and our first free day, to got to a nearby archaeological site called the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna. It was pretty interesting, and was just long enough to keep everyone's attention. From there, we went to Huanchaco, a local fishing and tourist area, to have lunch and visit the shops.
I'm attaching some pictures of the previously mentioned events. Sorry, didn't have time to do today's outing.
Chau for now,
Timoteo
Veronica and Donna getting some English lessons.
Donna and T.J. killing time with gameboys
Andrew and Veronica
Loren watching her dad working.
Tim and Loren sitting on the wall.
Playing in the sand holes next to the orphanage.
Everyone loves to be with Andrew.
Loren, Donna and T.J. with the lizards they caught.
The girls get their first physical in Trujillo.
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