CRAZY LIFE

As I typed in the title beginning with "Crazy," I realize that I've used that word in more than one title throughout this journey. I love my 4 kids, but with twin 2 year olds the terrible two's are EXTRA TERRIBLE and CRAZY!!!

I haven't updated here in over 3 months and I'm sorry!!! For starters in May we learned finally that we would not be returning to the US for our missionary furlough. This was due to the fact that after entertaining the girls with my pulled out hair, (see the last post) that we could not get visas for the girls to enter the US for more than 6 months. This would have made furlough virtually impossible and separated the family for a long time. It also would have cost us over $13000 in airfare for only 6 months and all the separation. Therefore, along with our pastor and regional administrator we have decided to stay here in Chile for another year and a half before heading back to the US for an extended time of reraising support.

Since we weren't moving to the states, I stopped packing up the house in May, only to find out June 4th that by July 4th we would be moving across town into the home of fellow missionaries to care for their home and our new church plant. Then the month of July was spent readying the old house for the new renters and storing all of our furniture and non daily use items in storage.

Now that we've entered August, I might have a bit more time to update you all on the girls. First of all, we've learned through contact with the embassy that the girls won't be able to have immigration visas until they have been in our custody for 2 years. Therefore, when we go back to the states in January of 2013, they will land on US soil and be citizens. We'll still have to readopt them in the states, but they'll have dual citizenship!!

As for right now, since April, they are growing like WEEDS!! They are talking in Spanish and English, but now that they spend most of their time with me here at home, mostly in English, but they FULLY understand everything spoken in Spanish too. Here are a few pictures from the past few months.

Eliana (left) and Esther (right) ready for preschool. They attended preschool 2 mornings a week so that I could pack a bit. They loved their school and look forward to going back once we move back to that side of the city. This was great for their Spanish and good for mommy to get a little break two mornings a week.

Eliana playing at an activity center for her friend's birthday. Eliana is constantly smiling, but has become more and more bossy as the older sister. One day her bigger yet younger and more easy going sister is going to really give it back to her.

Esther playing in the ball pit at the activity center for her friend's birthday. I think she played in this pit the whole 2 hours we were there. She is the hardest to catch smiling on camera although when she does her whole face lights up and she glows. She is SO BEAUTIFUL when she smiles!! Esther is my quiet curious one who will look right at you after you say, "NO!," and do it anyway.

Eliana (and Esther) LOVE(s) peanut butter. They may not be US citizens yet, but they are well on their way with their love of peanut butter!!!

When the girls first got home we had hours upon hours of listening to Esther's screams. Well we finally figured out what would calm her down. This position. She seems to have some MAJOR issues to digestive gas. At least that's what it started with. Now, whenever she can't communicate what she wants or needs she throws a temper tantrum and usually ends up in this position. We are working more and more with her on communicating her needs to us and we are gradually eliminating these temper tantrums.

The girls are learning how to pray too. For meals now they will repeat our prayer and sometimes they will even pray on their own.

Thanks for walking this journey with us and I hope to keep you updated more often. God bless!!

Pulling My Hair Out to Entertain the Twins

This past Wednesday, I ventured out alone with Eliana and Esther. I had to investigate getting them visitor's visas to enter the US for our furlough. Praise God we have a double stroller and the girls sit quite well in that! It helps to keep them constrained and some what occupied while we wait for something. Well, on this particular day, I had brought and tried through out the wait...Baby keys, Monster Truck match box cars, snacks, sippy cups, and stickers. Well, after all the normal things were exhausted and I STILL stood waiting for an answer about visas, Eliana happened to get a hair stuck to her sticker. She had SO MUCH fun dangling her sticker that when that sticker and the hair, which was really just a fuzzy strand of something or other, "died," she began to fuss. That gave me the BRILLIANT idea of pulling my own hair out, sticking it to one sticker and then laying another sticker on top of the other. She then had a "magic" star that dangled quite a distance. When Esther saw Eliana's "magic star," she wanted one too. SOOOOO, yes I pulled out more hair. "Pulling my hair out" with these girls has never been this easy!!!

First Haircuts

The girls had their "first" haircuts this past Saturday. We aren't ignorant to the fact that we're pretty sure that Eliana had had a haircut while she was in the orphanage and that Heather had cut Esther's bangs shortly after they came home, but as for a full blown haircut since they're now Amundsons, this was "IT."

Esther quietly went first without fuss...

First Haircuts

Then came Eliana with as much fuss as she is well known for. You've got to love those crocodile tears!!!

Parents only??? - NO!!!

Adoption isn't just a PARENTS thing - It's a FAMILY thing!!!
This is my background on our desktop computer. Hannah loving on Esther during the twins' birthday party. Hannah is SUCH a blessing and she truly loves her new sisters even if that means a little less time with Mommy and Daddy.

Thanks to Jenn Rubin (fellow missionary) for the picture - black and white and all!!

"Croc - s Pot"

So is this the up and coming new "Crocs Pot?" You've got to love Eliana's creativity!!

By the way, that's cereal in her crocs pot.

The B-I-B-L-E

We all remember the children's Sunday school song, "The B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the book for me. I stand alone on the word of God. The B-I-B-L-E." Well, it's one of the regular songs that we sing with Eliana and Esther, that and "Jesus Loves Me." The girls have caught on really well to the tune, but now Esther sings, "B-I-B-I-Me." I love her enthusiasm to sing her special song and so I do hope that one day the B-I-B-L-E is the book for "me," meaning Esther.

The adoption

SO SORRY that we haven't posted about the adoption last Wednesday. Everything went VERY well!! Normally the children aren't allowed in the courtroom, but all 4 of ours were asked by the judge to be there. Soooo, even though the girls were EXTREMELY fussy and the older two were EXTREMELY board, the judge was VERY nice and even took a photo with us afterward. Out in the waiting area to celebrate with us, we had our national pastor, his wife, some close Chilean friends of Heather's, Jenn Rubin, a fellow ABWE missionary, and some of our personal supporters and friends the Kollerts. It was SUCH a blessing to have so many people there to celebrate our BIG day with us!!

With the judge

With Phil and Lillie Kollert - long time friends from Rittman, OH

With our national pastor and his wife Sandra

With our lawyer from our agency - Lorena