We're so sorry about not keeping you all up to date. One day led to another and now here we are 3 weeks later. But we do make it up to you - we have video of the trip! (links below)
Things have been pretty uneventful. We are really settling into life as a family. The 'family rhythm' that I talked about when we were in Colombia continues to get stronger. The real question, though, is - what's been keeping us busy? Well our days start about 6:30-7a.m.when Anji wakes up. Donna or I will get up and bring her into bed with us and she'll keep us pretty entertained with singing, clapping or telling us an enthralling tale in a mixture of Spanish, English and some kind of language we really cannot identify.
Jhon-Fredy is usually the next one to get up and he comes in to visit. He is quite loving in the mornings and has plenty of hugs and kisses to go around. Donna then gets in the shower while I keep Jhon-Fredy and Anji busy wrestling in our bed. Carol is the last to get up and is just like, Papi - not too much of a morning person.
After Donna is done getting ready she takes the kids down to eat and I get up and get ready for work. When I finally get downstairs there is a lot of activity going on but when I go to leave for work everyone runs to the front window to wave good bye and shout well wishes for my day.
During the day, Donna has been doing a great job of keeping the kids active. They've also been getting a lot of visitors. Donna's best-friend Heidi and her sister Linda have helped out immensely with grocery shopping and the kids have had 'play-dates' pretty much every day since we've been back. So the days have been going by pretty fast. Every once and a while I'll get a call at work from Carol giving me updates on the day. They have even been to the office to meet everyone!
So that brings us to the evenings. When I get home from work it's really awesome to be greeted by the kids. They are SO excited to tell me about their day (even though most of the rundown is in Spanish). They have been doing really well with dinner time. We are still discovering their tastes for things but believe me they are not shy about letting us know when they don't like something.
Bath time is pretty exciting. We start off with an in-depth discussion of who will be going first, second and third. And what the expectations are for activities afterward. Carol really likes make sure she has the schedule of events SOLID before we engage in them. There really is no big argument to getting them to take baths. They are pretty cooperative. However, sometimes getting them OUT of the tub is a problem.
After everyone is dried off, in their PJs and in their respective beds it's then reading time. We draw heavily on the Dr. Suess collection with Carol favoring the Berenstain Bears while Jhon-Fredy enjoys the livelier "Hop on Pop". Anji...well she really has no patience for Mami and Papi actually READING the books. She prefers to rifle through them at her own pace - then remove her diaper.
Jhon-Fredy is usually the first to fall asleep, then Carol. Anji tends to want to spend more time with Mami and Papi during the evenings so she is generous enough to grace us with her presence (and commentary) for about a half an hour to forty-five minutes AFTER the other two fall asleep.
And that's about it. Those are our days so far. Again, we have been so blessed with help from others. Help has come in all different forms too. From grocery shopping for us to clothes that their children have grown out of to dinners. I cannot tell you folks how much this has been appreciated - we really couldn't have done this without that.
Lastly, I'd like to share with you something else that we have been busy doing. We finally got around to organizing the video from the trip and have gathered some hilites into a quick timeline of the trip. This should give you a good overview of the events that took place. Basically it's timeline of our trip down to Bogota...our trip to meet the kids...and yes the actual footage of when we all met...then just some shots that I thought were pretty cool of how we spent our time between court stuff and returning home. I started to put subtitles to explain - but I found they were taking away from the footage. So I have left some in for the first half but the second half - the half with all the video of the kids - I took them out. I wanted to just focus on the kids. So without further adieu - here you are - we hope you enjoy it:
**** FEATURE PRESENTATION ****
Our Kids - the Movie
(DISCLAIMER: If you have popup blockers enabled for popup windows this may not launch also if you don't have the flash player installed you'll need it - get it here. And lastly - it's a pretty big file so depending on your connection speed it may take a few seconds to start up)
**** BONUS FOOTAGE ****
Jhon-Fredy's first Steeler Game
Here's my son watching his first EVER Steeler Game...I'll have you know he was glued to the set for all 4 quarters and he did this pretty much for every play - waiting patiently for them to hike the ball...and lastly I did NOT give him any instruction on how to do a '3 point stance' he picked it up all himself!
Scott & Donna,
I just have to say how magnificent God truly is!! Thank you so much for sharing the movie -- we enjoyed it so very much. To be able to view some of the actual places we'll soon be at, and to share in your experiences just melted the both of us. It brought the reality so much closer into perspective that we'll soon live out a similar dream as we go get the 3 children God will bring into our lives. After watching the episode of the cartoon Arthur on PBS last week (new episodes where Binky's family goes to China to adopt his new baby sister) I thought I was done with the tearing up of adoption stories & "gotcha days", but guess not! Your touching movie brought on a need for a few kleenexes, and we joyfully give it a big thumbs up! Take care and God Bless you all!
Genece & Rick
Bob and I are so very happy for you all. An amazing God surely makes amazing families. just watching your joy is a praise to Him. Thank you so much for sharing the video. My kids are coming from Florida next week. I want to show it to them in person so that we can rejoice together. Our precious little boy, Elliot is 4 now. He has been our since he was 3 months old. Love you all, Bob and Gail
Hi,
So nice to read another update!
It was so nice meeting you in Colombia, even our kids still talk about it.
Gino still loves Jhon Freddy, those two had so much fun, inspite of the age difference.
It is lovely to read that everything is going great.
I hope it stays like that, me having 3 teenagers, love to think back at the time mine were smaller ;-)
Enjoy them as much as you can (i know you do) you two deserved to be a mami and a papi, we've seen you became like that and you were doing great.
Lots of love from Curacao
Gert-Jan, Diana, Naomy, Javier and Gino
Scott and Donna,
Congratulations and good luck. What a wonderful thing. Your new family looks beautiful. (And by the way, Scott, call me a wuss, but the video made me cry.)
Talk to you soon.
-Matt
What a testimony of God's faithfulness. He truly does care and answers prayer. Thank you for sharing your lives with all of us. Your family ROCKS!!!
p.s. thanks for the great music!!!
Exodus - Bethany Dillon
Come fallen ones
Dance in the healing stream
He has faithfully kept you
Brought you out of captivity
Rejoice with all your hearts
Sing Him a new song
That's heard high on the windswept mountains
It will resound
Lead, Lord, with unfailing love
Those that You have ransomed
And we will sing out as we go on
Our God is faithful
Reflect on all your days
You weren't so free then
Once you were all called slaves
But now, blessed children
Move your feet
Dance before the Lord
On to the Promised Land
On to your reward, sing
Our enemies are at the bottom of the sea
what a great video and it was such a pleasure to meet your new family on Sunday! We are so happy for you!
Hello Krebs Family! My name is Lynn Pizzo and I am friend of Laura Krebs who has been sharing your special gifts from God with me. Your video of adopting your children had me crying tears of joy for you and also brought back wonderful memories of the day we adopted our daughter, Mikayla, from Bogota. She is now four. God is so faithful and I wish you all God's richest blessings! In His love, Lynn
I just showed Dylan the video! He loved seeing the kids again. He had so much fun being with them at church on Sunday.
It was so moving to see the video. Being a newer mommy, I was imagining and sharing in your emotions of how it felt/feels to be parents of small children, their innocence, and their desire to be the center of your world! God is good! What more can be said. He has blessed the 5 of you. You are a precious family knit together before the foundations of the earth. Can't wait to spend more time with you.
Love,
The Franks
A note to Anji from Dylan...
hh.00000001 h
h nhb
Donna & Scott,
You don't know me, but I am a friend of Heidi Fortwangler's and I have followed your story through her. We have an adopted daughter from Guatemala who is 2 and hearing updates, reading your story and seeing pictures and watching the video just brings back so many memories, it brings tears to my eyes.
Congratulations to you both and your beautiful new family.
Andrea Burns
Given that Jhon-Fredy threw about 5 running full speed head-butts into my chest, I think this football video gives an accurate portrayal of his personality!!!
(Kelly kept me updated.) My heart is so full of joy for each of you! At the end of our longest journeys, we realize that God answers our prayers in His own time and in His own way - and we see that His plans are by far our greatest blessings. Your video brought back cherished memories of my trip to Russia...welcome to the club! :-) God bless!
Thanks Donna & Scott for the update...and the videos...it was worth the wait!
I have to go find some Kleenex though b/c I can hardly see what I am typing...tears of joy at the beauty of your children and your forever family...and tears of anticipation of our similar memories just waiting to be made...
Blessings & Love,
Holly
That's awesome Scooter!
I think the bath/bedtime routine must be universal!
Thanks so much for sharing, and congratulations again. :]
love ya, Karen and all