Ecuador Day 48

Hmm, I didn't even take any pictures today. Whoops. I guess nothing exciting enough happened to warrant pictures.

This morning we went out to run some errands and to pick up some last minute things for Devin and the two kids' return home on Monday. We will spend tomorrow morning at church, then Maria Dolores has invited us to lunch again (that saint) and then we have plans to spend the afternoon cleaning the apartment up and getting everything packed for us all to move out Monday. I will be going to the OSSO house to stay for the rest of the trip, which is a huge blessing so that Flor and I don't have to stay alone.

Can I just say how blessed we have been in our association with so many people during this trip? Maybe it's because I am feeling particularly emotional right now about Devin's leaving, but I am feeling really grateful for those who have shared this journey with us and who have been so great to us. At the top of the list are the Schinnerers, along with the Harlans and the Broadduses. We have spent a lot of time with them and have really come to love them. I am also grateful for the OSSO people who have helped us and who will continue to help us as I move. Not to mention all the wonderful people at home who are keeping things running there. We have our next door neighbors watching our house, as well as my cousins Sarah and her husband Daniel and my cousin Carlie who have also been checking in on our house multiple times per week to get the mail, pay bills, etc. We haven't had to worry about anything because everyone has been so willing to help out. We already have a list of people who have said they are willing to watch the kids while Devin works once he gets home and that is so reassuring too. So, thank you, thank you everyone for all your support. We so appreciate it. There have been countless people who have blessed our lives in so many ways during this adoption process and it has served as a reminder to me of the Lord's love for us and how He often blesses our lives through others. We have seen that and know it to be true.

This afternoon, the Schinnerers came over to our place and we chatted while Hallie and Pablo watched Ratatouille. They were both enthralled, so we didn't dare interrupt to do anything else. Not that we had anything planned...

Today is Jim and Robin's 18th anniversary and they decided they wanted to spend it going to dinner with us. I felt a little bad invading on their day, but they said they wanted to, so off we went. We went to Tony Roma's for dinner, which was so great...another taste of home. Robin and Jim even paid for our meals (see what I mean about being such nice people???). Happy Anniversary to them, eh? Devin and the two kids said goodbye to them as it is likely the last time they will see them. It's just darn too bad that they live in Oklahoma...not too close to us. We will have to try to make it out there to visit them sometime. I have never been to Oklahoma, so this is a perfect excuse, right?

 We really have nothing to complain about as things are going well here. I feel like Flor is doing really well and our bonding with her has increased as time has gone by (funny how that happens, right?) It honestly feels like she has been with us forever. The idea of walking into our house with her in Utah doesn't even seem weird-- thinking about it seems natural, like we have been going there with her forever. I think she is adjusting to us well, also, particularly since we stopped with the potty training. We still have her sit on the potty every time we change her diaper, and she still goes, but we have not been insisting on it other times during the day and she has been much happier as we have we. I think we will just continue on this gradual slope and see how things go. She likes to clap and cheer for herself after she goes in the potty and it has been much more of a positive thing instead of a battle since we relinquished such a stronghold on it, so that is all very good. There are still a few other things that we are working on her with where she typically cries and gets mad, such as brushing her teeth, bathing (sometimes), and changing her diaper. She hates to have her teeth brushed and cries and cries, but lately has been better about opening her mouth and fussing a lot less. She also does not like to have her diaper changed much because her legs have to be stretched down in order to get the diaper on and she hates the stretching. We definitely need to get her into a physical therapist as soon as possible to get working on her leg muscles. She can walk as mentioned, but we noticed today that she cannot stand on her own. Meaning, if she is up, she has to be walking; she can't just stand still. She can hold on to a wall, or a bed, or a hand, or whatever and stand, but not on her own. So, definitely a few things to be working on. Anyway-- that is all very tangential. See what you get when our day is less than exciting?

Alright, I think that is it for now. Sorry we have been so boring lately. I have thought many a night that there is no point in writing a blog post, but I still do because I think later on we will like to look back and remember the days of this journey, even the boring ones. :)