Coming Home

Saturday, October 17, 2009: We flew home from Bogota to Atlanta and Atlanta to Columbus. Andres did pretty well on the airplane. Thank goodness he didn't have any ear problems. He just got a little bit grouchy when he was sleepy-the usual. Ha, ha. Besides that, he did really well. We think he will be quite the little traveler. We are so excited to be home, so that Andres can settle into his new home and nursery.

Received Andres' Visa

Thursday, October 15, 2009: Yeah, we received Andres' visa. He is ready to come home to Columbus, Ohio! We are so happy and relieved that the process here in Colombia is now final. We travel home to Columbus on Saturday, October 17th. Yippee!!!

Andres and I went shopping with my cousin, Mateo, this morning at Unicentro. In the evening, we went shopping with Daddy at the Andino mall. We had a nice time and met up with my family for dinner in the T Zone. We had a delicious Italian meal at "La Luna."

American Embassy in Bogota

We went to ICBF in Bogota today, to pick up the letter that was sent from Chiquitines in Cali. This letter confirms that the adoption was finalized and that the process has met all the requirements. After ICBF, we drove to the American Embassy to ask for Andres' Visa. We had 2 interviews there and waited only 45 minutes for them to give us the okay. They asked us to come back to the embassy tomorrow, October 15th, to pick up the visa. Once we have the visa in our hands, we are set to bring Andres home to the United States. Yeah!!!

Traveling to Bogota

Andres went for his first plane ride to Bogota, Colombia. He behaved very well as he enjoyed reading the Avianca magazine with daddy and looked at the clouds through the window. Thank goodness, he did not have any problems with his ears due to the altitude. We arrived safely at my Aunt Lucia's house.

Lago Calima

Sunday, October 11, 2009: We drove from the farm to Lago Calima which was less than an hour away by car. We traveled through the mountains and enjoyed the beautiful views. Andres loves car rides! He is a wonderful travel partner which is great because Doug and I love to travel all over. The weather in Lago Calima is chilly with very strong winds. It is a popular place for windsurfing and sailing. It rained most of the day, but we did get a chance to take some great pictures while the sun was still out, at the beginning of our drive. Most of my family traveled with us.

El Recreo

Saturday, October 10, 2009: We drove to "El Recreo," which is my uncle's family farm, just outside of Buga, Colombia. It is located about an hour away drive from Cali, Colombia. It is a beautiful drive near the mountains. We spent the night at the farm amidst the sound of birds only. It was so peaceful, and a beautiful experience for Andres, as he was able to see chickens, dogs, and birds. "El Recreo" stands for "The Retreat."

Daddy is Back

Doug arrived in Cali, Colombia today. Andres and I missed him, so we are happy to have him here with us again. Andres was so excited to see Doug when we picked him up at the airport this morning. We are headed to my uncle's family farm soon where Andres will have the chance to enjoy nature and meet chickens, cows, and horses. We will spend the night at the farm and head to Lago Calima tomorrow afternoon. Lots of fun!!!