HAPPY SATURDAY EVERYONE!!!

MARIA ELENA & MAURICIO TREATING THE FAMILY TO A MARVELOUS DINNER!

BEAUTIFUL MARIA ELENA AND US "THE GIRLS."

Last night we went out to dinner with a wonderful couple: Mauricio & Maria Elena. They are friends & business associates of my brother Fred and they live in Medellin. We had never met them before, but after spending 5 minutes with them, we felt as though we had known them for years. They were so kind, picking us up from the hotel, taking us to an awesome Italian restaurant and treating all 5 of us to a delicious dinner. We can not wait for them to visit Canada or the US this summer, so we can reciprocate their generosity!!!

On a different note, yesterday, the girls already signed their new Colombian passports and we received all the official documents from our attorney. So we are all done in Medellin, which is absolutely incredible, a whole process for 3 children completed in less than 2 weeks. On Monday, first thing in the morning, Michael will be leaving for the US and I will be flying with the girls to Bogota. Please pray that the girls will be OK, they have never flown before and Daniela usually has motion sickness when we go for long car rides, so we hope that the plane ride doesn't bother her too much.

We already have their doctors appointment (required by the US embassy), scheduled for monday afternoon, so if all goes well, we should be applying for their visas at the embassy on tuesday and then, we should be flying home on wednesday or thursday. If that happenes, it means the entire process will be completed in less than 3 weeks, WOW!!!

The girls are very excited about going to Michigan, we believe they feel as we do and are already tired of living off of suitcases in a hotel. Yes, Michael and I are big babies, we long for our own home, bed, food, etc., etc., etc. Oh yes, and clean clothes that doens't cost LITERALLY an arm and a leg to have laundered!!! :>)

We are amazed and humbled at God's kindness toward us, supplying for all our needs and caring in such a loving way for our children. It just never ceases to amaze us how they have gone through so much, yet the Lord has kept their hearts soft to receive and give love. Yesterday, Catalina asked us: "If you ever had a baby, would you forget about us and not want us anymore"? So we explained to her that she is our first and oldest daughter and will always be such, no one can or will EVER take her place. We told her that in our hearts, God created a special place that is just hers, no one else can ever take her place. She started to beam and was so excited that no one would ever take her place!

Then, all 3 of them asked us if after they learn to speak english and we have been a family for a while, if we could get them a "baby" , a little sister? Of course, that is the farthest thing from our minds right now and poor Papi, he is already terribly outnumbered with 1 wife, 3 daughters a mother in law, 3 female dogs and a female cat!!! :>)