Dinner with Baby K's birthmom
G at the talent show
Aunt M and the girls
Friday, July 10, 2009
Good News!!!
We found out yesterday that our papers have left Manila-that means they could arrive here early next week and we could be on the Wednesday night flight out. That would put us arriving home on Thursday. At the latest, we would leave Friday night and be home on Saturday. Assuming this all goes my way, we would have been on this journey less than 30 days-that's almost unheard of.
I'm not sure why HI and Manila processed so quickly, but we're very thankful!
Last night we went to a Marshallese talent show. There was a lot of dancing and singing. We had a great time and I managed to get some video to show Baby K later.
We also had our last dinner with Baby K's birthmom. She was leaving for one of the outer islands and so we said our farewells. I wish she had of been able to stay longer but I know it must have been very hard for her.
Have some great pics to share but the connection is not cooperating this morning. Will try again later.
I'm not sure why HI and Manila processed so quickly, but we're very thankful!
Last night we went to a Marshallese talent show. There was a lot of dancing and singing. We had a great time and I managed to get some video to show Baby K later.
We also had our last dinner with Baby K's birthmom. She was leaving for one of the outer islands and so we said our farewells. I wish she had of been able to stay longer but I know it must have been very hard for her.
Have some great pics to share but the connection is not cooperating this morning. Will try again later.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
We're still here!
We're still here and everyone is okay. R left on Monday evening and it's been a bit of challenge to update the blog without that extra set of hands but Aunt M arrived this morning and now we're back up and running.
It was hard to see R go but fortunately, Maddy, our facilitator, was there to cheer us up and she drove G, Baby K and myself back to the hotel.
All went well for the past two days, meaning I was able to get us all up, bathed and out of the room by 9:00am but it was definitely easier when R was here.
Aunt M's arrival was kind of like Christmas. Grammy and D-daddy sent all kinds of goodies for G. I hope we're here long enough to eat all the supplies!
On the paperwork front, our papers made it to Manila on Monday. That means they were in HI less than a week. We're hopeful that they clear thru Manila as quickly. It would be nice to think we could be home in less than 10 days from today.
Will try to get some pics up later. Family #2 gave us this great sling that has revolutionized the way we move around and I'd like to show you a pic of how content Baby K is riding around in it.
It was hard to see R go but fortunately, Maddy, our facilitator, was there to cheer us up and she drove G, Baby K and myself back to the hotel.
All went well for the past two days, meaning I was able to get us all up, bathed and out of the room by 9:00am but it was definitely easier when R was here.
Aunt M's arrival was kind of like Christmas. Grammy and D-daddy sent all kinds of goodies for G. I hope we're here long enough to eat all the supplies!
On the paperwork front, our papers made it to Manila on Monday. That means they were in HI less than a week. We're hopeful that they clear thru Manila as quickly. It would be nice to think we could be home in less than 10 days from today.
Will try to get some pics up later. Family #2 gave us this great sling that has revolutionized the way we move around and I'd like to show you a pic of how content Baby K is riding around in it.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Our first Marshallese Party
Last night we went to our first Marshallese Party. Baby K’s foster family invited us to their home to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. The party started at 7:00pm and we weren’t sure if that was the US 7:00pm or the Marshallese 7:00pm, because there is definitely a difference. Marshallese time is at least 30 minutes later than what is stated.
We arrived a little after 7:00pm and were the first guests. I have never seen so much food-rice in an 18 quart plastic container, large platters of grilled chicken and chicken wings, freshly husked coconuts, sliced breadfruit, fried fish, roasted pig, and other things that I couldn’t identify.
Most everyone here cooks meat on open grills outside over wood. You can almost always smell chicken grilling wherever you go. The fish was red snapper that Len had caught that day as part of a fishing tournament. Fisherman’s day is July 3rd and each year they have a big fishing tournament.
Mary and Len were so gracious and showed us around their home and more importantly, the home where Baby K spent the first 10 weeks of her life. They were so happy to see her. It was really touching to see how Len held her. It was so obvious that they cherished this baby while she was in their care.
My Dad would have been so impressed with Len’s garden-he had coconut trees, six different varieties of banana trees, cantalopes, melons, and some beautiful tropical flowers. He also had chickens, a pig and the biggest sea turtle that I’ve ever seen. Russ estimated that she probably weighed 125 pounds or more. In the Marshall Islands it is legal to eat sea turtle, you can’t sell the meat or parts, but it is traditional to eat it.
Mary gave all of us hand woven necklaces and two really beautiful shells for the girls. As we were leaving, Len gave us a bag of freshly husked coconuts and told us to look for “the face” on each one and then use something sharp to open what would be “the mouth”. Russ and I have looked at all of them and don’t see “the face”. We haven’t given up on them but we’re going to have to find something pretty sharp to open them with. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes:-)
The other day I tried a traditional Marshallese dish called pumpkin rice-delicious! The Marshallese eat it as a side dish but it is sweet like a dessert. It reminded me of rice pudding. We’ve made friends with the manager at Tides Table and I’m hoping to acquire the recipe before leaving. It would be an excellent addition to Thanksgiving dinner.
We made another trip to Laura Beach and enjoyed it even more than the first time. It’s hard to believe that this place isn’t crawling with tourists. I’ve posted some pics of the sea turtle, and of the girls at Laura Beach.
Baby K at Laura Beach
G at Laura Beach
Len and Baby K
Mary and Len's Turtle
We arrived a little after 7:00pm and were the first guests. I have never seen so much food-rice in an 18 quart plastic container, large platters of grilled chicken and chicken wings, freshly husked coconuts, sliced breadfruit, fried fish, roasted pig, and other things that I couldn’t identify.
Most everyone here cooks meat on open grills outside over wood. You can almost always smell chicken grilling wherever you go. The fish was red snapper that Len had caught that day as part of a fishing tournament. Fisherman’s day is July 3rd and each year they have a big fishing tournament.
Mary and Len were so gracious and showed us around their home and more importantly, the home where Baby K spent the first 10 weeks of her life. They were so happy to see her. It was really touching to see how Len held her. It was so obvious that they cherished this baby while she was in their care.
My Dad would have been so impressed with Len’s garden-he had coconut trees, six different varieties of banana trees, cantalopes, melons, and some beautiful tropical flowers. He also had chickens, a pig and the biggest sea turtle that I’ve ever seen. Russ estimated that she probably weighed 125 pounds or more. In the Marshall Islands it is legal to eat sea turtle, you can’t sell the meat or parts, but it is traditional to eat it.
Mary gave all of us hand woven necklaces and two really beautiful shells for the girls. As we were leaving, Len gave us a bag of freshly husked coconuts and told us to look for “the face” on each one and then use something sharp to open what would be “the mouth”. Russ and I have looked at all of them and don’t see “the face”. We haven’t given up on them but we’re going to have to find something pretty sharp to open them with. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes:-)
The other day I tried a traditional Marshallese dish called pumpkin rice-delicious! The Marshallese eat it as a side dish but it is sweet like a dessert. It reminded me of rice pudding. We’ve made friends with the manager at Tides Table and I’m hoping to acquire the recipe before leaving. It would be an excellent addition to Thanksgiving dinner.
We made another trip to Laura Beach and enjoyed it even more than the first time. It’s hard to believe that this place isn’t crawling with tourists. I’ve posted some pics of the sea turtle, and of the girls at Laura Beach.
Baby K at Laura Beach
G at Laura Beach
Len and Baby K
Mary and Len's Turtle
Friday, July 3, 2009
Happy 4th of July!
Happy 4th of July! (It's the 4th here in the MI)Hope everyone gets to see some fireworks back at home!
Two weeks into our adventure and poor G is just about bored out of her mind. She loves being with and playing with the baby but it's hard to be in an unfamiliar place without her friends and her things for such a long time. Aunt M is coming next week and hopefully bringing some fun supplies from home.
Last night we took G to see the new Ice Age movie-yes, the Marshall Islands has a movie theatre. The really great thing was that it was opening day for Ice Age and there was hardly anyone there. The tickets and concessions are much cheaper here than they are in the states (one more reason to adopt from and visit the MI :-)
When we got back from the theatre, the birthmom was waiting outside our room with a gift. She brought us a shadow box that has shells in it that are found in the MI-the really nice thing is that it was something that belonged to her father who passed away about 6 months ago. I can't tell you how honored R and I are that she chose to give this very special gift to us.
For all of our friends thinking about adopting, I had an email from our agency saying that wait times are down for Marshall Islands adoptions. That's great news since it seems like all the other international programs have lengthening waits. Anyone looking for info, just email me.
One more thing, I found a shop that will make traditional dresses for the girls. So I picked out some cute tropical fabric, pink of course, and they should be ready in about a week. I'll post pics when I get them.
Family #2's little girl will celebrate her first birthday here in the MI and they are having a kemen party. It's a traditional party that marks a child's first year of life, or rather their survival for the first year of life. I've got my fingers crossed that our dresses will be done in time for the party!
This picture is of G standing in front of a banner for the US Embassy/Majuro. She saw the State Department seal and thought it was the Federal Reserve seal where R works-
Two weeks into our adventure and poor G is just about bored out of her mind. She loves being with and playing with the baby but it's hard to be in an unfamiliar place without her friends and her things for such a long time. Aunt M is coming next week and hopefully bringing some fun supplies from home.
Last night we took G to see the new Ice Age movie-yes, the Marshall Islands has a movie theatre. The really great thing was that it was opening day for Ice Age and there was hardly anyone there. The tickets and concessions are much cheaper here than they are in the states (one more reason to adopt from and visit the MI :-)
When we got back from the theatre, the birthmom was waiting outside our room with a gift. She brought us a shadow box that has shells in it that are found in the MI-the really nice thing is that it was something that belonged to her father who passed away about 6 months ago. I can't tell you how honored R and I are that she chose to give this very special gift to us.
For all of our friends thinking about adopting, I had an email from our agency saying that wait times are down for Marshall Islands adoptions. That's great news since it seems like all the other international programs have lengthening waits. Anyone looking for info, just email me.
One more thing, I found a shop that will make traditional dresses for the girls. So I picked out some cute tropical fabric, pink of course, and they should be ready in about a week. I'll post pics when I get them.
Family #2's little girl will celebrate her first birthday here in the MI and they are having a kemen party. It's a traditional party that marks a child's first year of life, or rather their survival for the first year of life. I've got my fingers crossed that our dresses will be done in time for the party!
This picture is of G standing in front of a banner for the US Embassy/Majuro. She saw the State Department seal and thought it was the Federal Reserve seal where R works-
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Just hanging out
Yesterday was just a hang out kind of day-the first of many I'm afraid. The girls colds have gotten better, but now R has come down with it. I seem to be the only one who has missed it.
We're starting to think about R leaving on Monday and so we did some more handicraft shopping. We've gotten some great woven bags for the girls and their friends and I've gotten a couple of baskets that I really like. R found some shirts with the Marshall Islands flag on them that were a great find and price, so we all got shirts, even Baby K.
We utilized the taxis for the first time since we've been here and it was quite an experience. The taxis here are all small cars and most of you know that R is not a small man. He literally had to fold himself in the car. The taxis here are also not exclusive, meaning that they will keep picking up customers until they are full. Last evening when we left the Tides Table we happened to get a taxi who picked up our family and one more guy. The additional passenger was the same size as R and when the driver pulled into an alley to let the other big guy out, the car was dragging the road really bad. It was a wonder he was able to get the car out and back on the road in one piece. He and R shared a chuckle over how the "big guys" are hard on the cars.
G and I had a little "mommy and me" time today, which we've needed. She's doing a great job as a new big sister but it is still an adjustment to not be the only child. We walked down to the lagoon area at the hotel and I got a few pics of her. I'm still amazed each time I truly look at her, how blessed R and I are to have such beautiful, smart girls! We're already assuming that Baby K is going to be as smart and funny as G-if that isn't a parents bias, I don't know what is.
Sleepyheads
To Binky or Not to Binky
G at the hotel Lagoon
We're starting to think about R leaving on Monday and so we did some more handicraft shopping. We've gotten some great woven bags for the girls and their friends and I've gotten a couple of baskets that I really like. R found some shirts with the Marshall Islands flag on them that were a great find and price, so we all got shirts, even Baby K.
We utilized the taxis for the first time since we've been here and it was quite an experience. The taxis here are all small cars and most of you know that R is not a small man. He literally had to fold himself in the car. The taxis here are also not exclusive, meaning that they will keep picking up customers until they are full. Last evening when we left the Tides Table we happened to get a taxi who picked up our family and one more guy. The additional passenger was the same size as R and when the driver pulled into an alley to let the other big guy out, the car was dragging the road really bad. It was a wonder he was able to get the car out and back on the road in one piece. He and R shared a chuckle over how the "big guys" are hard on the cars.
G and I had a little "mommy and me" time today, which we've needed. She's doing a great job as a new big sister but it is still an adjustment to not be the only child. We walked down to the lagoon area at the hotel and I got a few pics of her. I'm still amazed each time I truly look at her, how blessed R and I are to have such beautiful, smart girls! We're already assuming that Baby K is going to be as smart and funny as G-if that isn't a parents bias, I don't know what is.
Sleepyheads
To Binky or Not to Binky
G at the hotel Lagoon
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Some great finds....
Yesterday was a day for great finds. First, we found a french bakery within walking distance of the hotel. So the five pounds I lost coming over, will probably turn into a ten pound gain by the time I return home. The second great find was a laundromat. We can do laundry at the hotel-it's $4 to wash/dry and it takes about 2 hours to do one load. We dropped 3 loads off at the Good Earth Laundry and with a tip it was only $11-now that was a great find.
I also found a fabric store-lots and lots of tropical print fabric and it was only $4.95 per yard. I'm hoping to find someone to make some traditional dresses for the girls and then I'll use some of the other fabric for quilting.
There are a couple of restaurants here which are completely "safe". You can drink the water, the ice, and eat the salad. Small things I know, but a really big deal as we are starting to be "vegetable deprived". The hotel restaurant is called Enra, and last night we were there for the "Pizza and Pasta Night". It was amazingly good and reasonably priced. Friday night is Mexican Fiesta night so we are looking forward to catching a few tacos. I know some of you are probably laughing since we are on a beautiful tropical island and have fish/seafood at our disposal for every meal and here we are eating pasta and tacos! Old habits are hard to break!
We are planning to go to the Tides Table for dinner this evening where the internet connection is much better so I'll try to post a pic or two later.
I also found a fabric store-lots and lots of tropical print fabric and it was only $4.95 per yard. I'm hoping to find someone to make some traditional dresses for the girls and then I'll use some of the other fabric for quilting.
There are a couple of restaurants here which are completely "safe". You can drink the water, the ice, and eat the salad. Small things I know, but a really big deal as we are starting to be "vegetable deprived". The hotel restaurant is called Enra, and last night we were there for the "Pizza and Pasta Night". It was amazingly good and reasonably priced. Friday night is Mexican Fiesta night so we are looking forward to catching a few tacos. I know some of you are probably laughing since we are on a beautiful tropical island and have fish/seafood at our disposal for every meal and here we are eating pasta and tacos! Old habits are hard to break!
We are planning to go to the Tides Table for dinner this evening where the internet connection is much better so I'll try to post a pic or two later.
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