Trosper Family

Baseball, Slovenia style

2012-02-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

The field.

Drake at 3rd.

Baseball in February... Slovenia style. Both of the boys play on a baseball team here in LJ...Team Long Bridge. They are having a great time with many local children sharing their passion for the game and teaching them how to holler and "look like" American baseball players. Would you believe there aren't Slovene baseball words...they shout, "out, strike, foul, etc". It makes it easier for us to follow, especially when some of the indoor rules are a little different.

Luke at bat.

When we heard the team practiced through the winter we wondered what that would be like....then we heard they actually had tournaments in the winter. We soon came to discover that the tournaments were held inside basketball gyms. While the "field" is smaller and they play with a rubber core baseball, the boys still have a great time. Bases get taped to the floor and it is coach pitch. Luke normally plays second base and Drake usually plays first or third base. On a day like today, we were all glad that we were indoors. If you look closely at the gym picture, you will see snow falling in the trees. It fell all day and didn't get much above 22 degrees. Definitely not baseball weather.

The "dugout"

Roma visit to Bostanj Castle Ruins

2012-02-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

For the second time we joined up with some that we worship with on Sundays, to visit a Roma settlement and take them on a "field trip". We had been 2 weeks earlier and had just hung out with the kids and had gotten to celebrate one of the girl's birthdays. There was a young boy Blaz there who Alex kept trying to play with. He would run away everytime we got close. It has been so fun to have Alex with us on these visits, because she is a great ice breaker. She has no inhibition towards anyone and goes right up to all of them. They in turn are mesmerized by her and want to know where she is from. This visit we were even asked if she was Roma, as she looked like darker Roma from close to the coast.

This visit we took the children on a hike up to the remains of a castle. Blaz and 3 other boys joined us as well as a group of 2 girls. The rest of the group was our Sunday morning gang. We outnumbered them, but I pray that they felt loved and not forgotten.

Becca, Alex and me

Alex and the boys

Luckily, the weather wasn't too cold and it was pretty dry. We set out to the castle and except for having to call the boys back to us a few times, it went well. I loved seeing the remains and the kids had a good time exploring. We hiked back down and the kids played a soccer game all together. After playing for a bit, we headed back to the settlement to share some good ol' American brownies with the kids and their parents. On the walk back home, it was obvious the boys didn't understand boundaries too much. The boys would walk right up to a porch of someone else, or begin to play right at a front door of a home. It reminded me very much of how Alex acted when we first got home from Peru. On the walk home however, the boys began to become more comfortable with us. They loved having their pictures taken and looking at them and Blaz even hugged Alex in a picture. She recognized what that meant and was thrilled that he had accepted her. The brownies went over well (more so with the kids than with the adults) and after sharing, we headed home. As we headed home, we pondered something that had been pointed out to us. After being in one of the homes, we realized, there were small kitchens, but no bathrooms. No wonder the kids especially have such a hard time plugging into mainstream schools. Again, I couldn't help but think of our time in Peru and seeing so many shanti towns.

Lili, the social worker who works with the Roma, and the girls!

I don't know how much we can change while we are here, but if we can take the love of Christ to these people, their lives will be changed from the inside out. My heart is that they know that even though they view themselves as outcasts, they will know they are not forgotten. With these visits, we as a family are reminded how blessed we are and that we have done nothing to deserve the blessing of being born into the familes and life that we were born into. Serving on the outcasts and forgotten is truly a privilege.

The whole gang

Idrija Field Trip

2012-02-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

Tags the original miners used as they went down into the mine.

Original entrance

Heading Down

One of the many blessings of being stationed overseas is that field trips for Luke mean field trips for Mom too. Yesterday, I got to chaperon a day trip to Idrija, Slovenia. We started the day visiting one of the oldest mines in Europe where mercury was mined for 500 years after being found in 1508.
We started the tour with a video explaining the process and history of Idrija, but I must confess I was anxious to get under ground.

After the video, we donned our jackets and hard hats and entered through the original entrance. You will see the word srecno over the entrance...this means Good Luck. We headed into the main shaft, Anthony's Main Road and into the mine.

After the main hallway, we entered a room with a chapel where the miners would stop and pray.

Chapel inside the mine where the miners stopped to pray before going further down into the mine.

While inside, we learned that the miners mined the cinnabar a red rock out of the mine and then heated it up to burn off the mercury.

Some of the mercury also came right out of the shale and this was mined as well. I couldn't help but think about the 7 dwarfs as I saw all of the rails that the mining cars used to use to get the heavy cinnabar out of the mine with. After we climbed the 100 steps out of the mine, (glad that we didn't have to use 1000 steps like the original miners did), we headed to the local gostilna. For lunch we we had zlikrofi, a dumpling with potato filling, famous in this part of Idrija. After lunch we headed up the hill to visit a traditional miner's home.

An original Idrija miner's home.

These homes would usually be occupied by 3 local mining families. Idrija is speckled with these homes. We then went "across town" to the castle, where we got to see many samples of cinnabar and mercury as well as instruments used in mining. There was also an amazing area dedicated to the craft Idrija is known for, lace making.

The bobbins tatting Idrija lace.

When miners flocked from across Europe to Idrija to become miners, their wives brought their talents with them. Lace making from around Europe was perfected in the area. Idrija lace is one of the traditional Slovenian gifts and the art of tatting continues to be handed down through the generations.

Luke's class

Matejaz Snow Castle Competition

2012-02-02T05:36:00.000-08:00

Becca and Deb

Luke and William working from the inside.

The Lord's Supper

The snow slide

King Matjaz

Last Saturday afternoon, we were invited to help a team with Layne's boss to build a snow fort in a local village competition. We had no snow on the ground in LJ and we heard the kids could go up and play in the snow while we built, so we thought, "hey, this will be fun!". Little did we know what we were heading to. After a 2 hour car ride, we arrived in northern Slovenia, close to the Austrian border. Crna na Koroskem is a small village nestled in a cozy valley, that was begun as a mining town. As legend has it, King Matjaz is alseep in a local cave and when the appointed time comes, he will awake and take his throne again. He will need a castle of course, so every year, local teams build their best to see if he will pick theirs. There were over 100 teams ranging from 4 people up to what seemed to be 100. Teams came and set up camp for the day complete with camp fires, tables and chairs, and of course the local winter favorite, kuhano vino, hot mulled wine. Some teams had members cooking for them and some had brought their squeeze box to cheer their teams along. At 10am, there was a countdown and the building began. There were 2 huge piles of frozen snow, that teams cut snow blocks out of the pile and hauled them to their building location. After these blocks were stacked, water was poured over them to make them smooth. Sculpting then began and as you can see from the pictures, there were some quite talented sculpters. While the building was going on, you could grab a drink at the snow bar, built out of snow and the kids could slide down the 2 story slide built out of snow. The town had been preparing for weeks. Our castle building was a family affair as all 6 Trospers joined with the McKinney family to build our castle. Teams built right up until 4pm, when all building had to stop. By this point, literally hundreds of people were pouring into this village to behold the snow creations. According to a local, this town of 3500 would end up hosting thousands of guests over the weekend. As the sun set, torches were lit at each castle and the village turned into a beautiful glow of orange and yellow as the flames reflected off the white snow. While our toes were frozen by this point, and we were ready for a hot fire, we all realized we had gotten to take part in a really fun tradition in this part of Sovenia. It was truly an amazing day, we won't forget.

Alex even helped out.

Persistence

2012-01-31T04:33:00.001-08:00

For most children, learning to ride a bike is a rite of passage. This past fall for Alexandra, it was so much more than this. When she came into our family at 4 yrs old, pedaling any time of bike was very hard for her. After lots of tears and persistence, she learned to ride with training wheels.

As she started Kindergarten (Year 1 here) we decided she could learn this important task. There were many days filled with "I can'ts" and tears (from her and me) as she struggled with this task. She saw it as just too difficult for her. With her sweet Daddy's help and encouragement, she did not let herself give up. These pictures are from the day she decided she could do this! She came home from school and announced she was ready to try again. There was cheering from all of us, including Becca, Drake, and Luke. This was just the beginning of Alex learning how working hard toward something really pays off. Since this day, one of her favorite activities is to go on rides with Daddy.

Note: She quickly got to the curb as this car approached! :)

Christmas Party

2011-12-11T09:42:00.001-08:00

It wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas Party and today we got to spend the afternoon with our Embassy community at the Ambassador's residence. It is always fun to watch Alex at these events, even though patience is not her strong suit. Candy and deserts everywhere, tons of presents under the tree...who can blame her? When Santa came in her eyes lit up and she couldn't have been happier to see him! It was hard for her to wait her turn, but with a little help from Luke she got up to the front of the line and climbed on his lap. It is so fun to watch Christmas through the eyes of a child. The rest of us enjoyed it as well, getting to catch up with friends and watch the excitement of the little ones. Becca and Drake were of great help by helping many of the younger ones with the crafts. It is fun to see just how down to earth people are and that we really are all the same, no matter what our position. I am thankful to be having this experience with my family and to be celebrating this Christmas season in this beautiful country. (Though some snow would be nice!)

Roma Village Visit

2011-12-10T14:33:00.001-08:00

Today our family was blessed to be able to visit a Roma village outside Ljubljana and share Christmas with them. Our Embassy organized an opportunity for the Embassy community to take them donated food and clothing and toys and have a party with them. There were probably 18 or so children and as many adults that came. They knew we were coming and we were greeted with a great reception. We started our party with activities, making pipe cleaner and bead necklaces, cutting paper snowflakes, and playing with play dough. It seemed to be such a treat for them and some of the boys even enjoyed learning how to make paper snowflakes. They also made a large paper chain which we used along with the snowflakes to decorate their community room. We passed out American cupcakes complete with frosting and sprinkles which the kids gobbled down. We concluded with a large Congo line type dance that reminded me very much of our days in Peru. Roma is the official name for what I (ashamedly) previously would have called gypsies. These particular Roma do not move around, but have settled in this area in their rural villages. The one we visited today has electricity and a small community building with toys and books for the children and heat. Their homes are very small and basic with some in small trailers. This is not the only Roma village and I understand some do not live as well as these. The Roma have not assimilated well into society and are very much ostracized here. We are hoping we can make this a more routine thing and continue to share with them and reach out to the younger generation and encourage education in order to break the cycle they are in. I personally was reminded how much God desires for us to love on those around us, especially the ones that may feel unloved and forgotten, to be His hands and feet here on Earth. I also couldn't help but wonder what they were thinking about Alex and her darker complexion. The Roma are a darker complexion than Slovenes and Alex is darker than the Roma are. I pray that somehow it got translated to them who she was and that her adoption story is a picture to them of God's love and redemption. He sees and loves those who society may forget or ignore. I pray that our family can carry that message in wherever we go during our time stationed here.

Make new friends but keep the old...

2011-06-15T04:52:00.000-07:00

Make new friends,
but keep the old,
one is silver
and the other gold.

I remember singing this song in girl scouts, but I don't think I fully understood. As we have moved around over the last 18 years, I think I grasp it a little more each move. This last weekend we were blessed to have friends visit us that are stationed in Germany. We met 6 summers ago sitting at the Millbrook YMCA with our boys. I can honestly say we never thought we would be sitting in Slovenia with our families, seeing the sights and enjoying the food, especially not staying at our home. One thing I love about the Air Force/military is that friends are family wherever you are stationed. There have been special friends at each place we have lived and the Millikens were one of those from our Alabama season. I have come to see that God has something different at each assignment fo us. It hasn't always been easy for me to see that though. There are places that have been so comfortable, it can be hard to move on. I have stayed stuck before trying to make the new place just like the old one. You can't imagine my frustration! God had to show me HE likes to do new things sometimes. They may be new and different (which can be scary) but there are blessings waiting. My walk with Him can be the same. When I am in a comfortable place, I don't always want to move on. If I have had a good season and that is changing, I try to do whatever I can to resist the change. I try to think of what can I do to make it like it was. Change can be scary! I love that our Father in Heaven knows us though. Just like He brought us together with old friends last weekend to encourage us, He also knows what encourages us in our walk with Him. So make new friends, wherever you are in life, but keep the old. In the same way, let God take you to new places with Him, while remembering what He has blessed you with in the past! One is silver and the other gold, but they are both priceless!

I had no idea!

2011-06-14T05:34:00.000-07:00

I realize that as a 40 year old mom raised before the age of computers and digital technology I still have a way to go to catch up to all that is out there. Today as I was talking to a friend, I was told that you could see on your blog how many people went to your blog each day and where they were from. So out of curiousity I looked. I had no idea! Who knew? I enjoy reading others' blogs and being encouraged, but could I have things to share as well? I had to wonder why I am so inconsistent about blogging. I pondered this today and I think I have narrowed it down to two reasons....my perfectionism and feeling overwhelmed. I have a tendency to be perfectionistic in my approach to things...if I can't do it great and well, then I sometimes don't even start. Flawed I know, but real none the less. I also have so many things I want to share, I have a hard time narrowing it down and it seems overwhelming. So, I figure it is best to just come back to it later (which as you can see, doesn't usually happen). Sometimes I wonder if my prayer life doesn't reflect this same thinking. If I can't do it perfectly, then I have a harder time starting. If I don't have a huge chunk of time or a great quiet place or I am not "feeling like it" I can tend to just go on with my day. On the otherhand, there are other times that there is SO much I need to discuss with Jesus that I don't know where to start so I feel overwhelmed and just don't start. What flawed thinking on my part! God desires for us to come to Him all the time and share our heart with Him, not for His sake, but for ours! He never expects perfection. He knows better than I do about my imperfections. He knows we feel overwhelmed, but only He can take what seems like a mountain of "stuff" and sort it out and lift our burden! So with these realizations today, I am going to take the advice my husband shares often ...to "Lighten up" and not take myself so seriously and not let perfectionism and feeling overwhelmed slow me down. Be looking for more updates on what our family is doing, what God is doing in our family and what it is like living in this great country. But first I must go "lighten up" in the area of prayer. I have a feeling He will spiritually lighten me up as I lay my concerns at the cross of Jesus. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 Want to join me?

Krizna Cave Trip

2011-02-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the most adventuresome day I have had in a very long time occured this past Tuesday. A friend of mine, Michelle, who also loves photography, emailed me last minute with an offer from her photography "teacher" Luka. It stated the following: "Michelle, waters in Krizna cave are in perfect condition for photography. Are you in for a 5 hour adventure underground? There is room for only two persons if we go

to the most beautiful part of the cave... Of course you will need a tripod ;)". How could I say no to that? After our wonderful husbands agreed to pick up the kids for us after school, we began our planning. It was going to be cold, so what would we wear? Our ski pants were going to be too bulky, but regular pants wouldn't be warm enough. Enter our 1990s era stirup wool ski pants. We were both thrilled we still fit into them and had kept them all these years. (Not to mention, move them around multiple times.) Doning our stirups and our 3 pairs of ski socks we set out for the cave after school drop off. Luka drove us and the area we went to in of itself was amazing! Once we got to the cave we were met by our guide who ushered us into a small wooden hut that was toasty warm from the wood iron stove burning. We put on our caving suits, rubber boots (a couple sizes bigger to fit over all the socks) and our helmet complete with head lamp and battery pack that we wore like a side purse. We were ready to go. We entered the cave and headed down into another world. We hiked the first part which in of itself was already amazing. Then we got to the water. It was so clear, you couldn't tell where it began. We had to take a series of boats into the farther part of the cave and at one point had to balance on a 6 inch ledge while holding a rope to get around the water. We climbed in and out of the boat numerous times while crossing all of the dams. Our wonderful guide carried the boat for us each time as we were juggling our camera backpacks and tripods. It was quite a sight and I was secretly thrilled I never once ate it into or out of the boat. We got some amazing shots thanks to Luka's expertise in photography. At one point we were in ankle deep water balancing our tripods while we leaned back against a ledge to keep from falling in the frigid water. The pictures do the cave justice, but not the experience. Quietly being paddled down a crystal clear river ito an amazing Creation underground was truly surreal. All I could think of was how God had created this amazing place and how so few people get to see it! (They only let 600 people a year into this part.) It is truly a hidden inner place of the earth that has never been hidden from God! We are the same way. He knows our inner parts, better than we know ourselves, nothing is hidden from Him. There is such peace in that! It was truly a once in a lifetime day, that I will cherish forever. Thanks Michelle for inviting me and Luka for being so patient with me and my very novice skills.

POT Trail

2010-10-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

I know what you are thinking and "NO" that is not this kind of POT. "Pot" can be translated "path" in Slovene. This trail is also known as the Path of Rememberance and Comradeship. In 1942 Slovenia was occupied by Italian forces during WW2. In order to keep there from being any resistence, the Italians put up a barbed wire fence around the entire city to keep everyone in (almost 33 kilometers). Thi

s was a thick line of wire, complete with watch-towers and bunkers so that anyone coming in or out was thoroughly searched. The Germans kept it up when they occupied Slovenia after the Italians, but in 1945 when the Liberation Army came, the fence began being dismantled. So that they wouldn't forget, they have left posts and a few buildings to remind them of that occupance. There are posts with the dates 1942-1945 written on them along the path, where there were bunkers of the occupying army. As we rode our bikes along this path I couldn't help but think, that in America we know political/religious freedom like no other. We have never been fenced into our own cities, we have never been occupied, we have never been fearful to own a Bible, and we really have never had to live in the fear of any of that happening. While taking those freedoms for granted, I realize we HAVE been bound in different areas though. Fears, addictions, thought processes can all hold us in spiritual bondage. As my eyes begin to open, I realize how big this world is that we live in and how important it is for people to understand freedom. Not just freedom in our lands which I know I have taken for granted, but more importantly freedom in Christ. The freedom that erases all those fears and breaks those bondages. The only access to that kind of freedom is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! I pray you know Him as Saviour and Bondage Breaker! May He tear down the barbed wire fences in all of our lives.

Autumn Delights

2010-10-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a sunny, cool, crisp fall day with leaves falling elegantly to the ground. Of course, we couldn't say inside, so we rode our bikes to a small local Pumpkin Festival. It was at a local farm market that sells bedding plants, herbs, and of course, in the fall, pumpkins. Slovenia does not "do" Halloween, so it was all about the harvest of the pumpkin crop. There was nothing for sale except what they normally sold (pumpkins, herbs, plants, etc). They had all kinds of free food made from different kinds of pumpkins. There was a pumpkin slaw made with shredded pumpkin, garlic and pumpkin oil. It looked delicious, but was gone by the time we got there. They were roasting slices of pumpkin, onion and tomatoes and serving them with pumpkin oil drizzled on top. So yummy. Pumpkin Oil is a local Slovene product. Picture olive oil, but much darker with a nutty taste. It is served with bread or drizzled over salads and is definitely my favorite find here so far. The kids could buy a pumpkin (only 2 euro) and carve/decorate it and they even had a table where Alex made a doll out of corn. It was so rustic and non-comercial, it was literally a breath of fresh air. To top it off we found the local moste (pronouced mosht) which is only found this time of year. It is the wine that has just begun to ferment, but is very sweet. It tastes to me like the sparking apple juice we get for the kids on special holidays, but with just a tad (1.5%) alcohol. It is sold in large plastic 3 liter containers that they fill up, literally while you wait, from a giant tapped keg in the grocery store. Definitely a new experience for us. This all made for a beautiful autumn day filled with all the sights, smells and tastes of Fall. How I love the changes in seasons (not just in the physical sense, but in the spiritual as well.) I know I occasionaly need to shed some old leaves and move into a new season in my life spiritually. I can get so comfortable and stagnant after a bit of time. I love that our God is never leaving us where we are, but taking us into a new season, even when it stretches us beyond where we think we can go. I pray you are enjoying the season He has you in right now!

Perfectionistic Procrastinator

2010-10-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here it is, months after my last post and promising friends I would update from Slovenia. Why do I not blog? It is because I want it to be perfect. I have things to say, stories to tell, but worry it won't be just right. I am realizing I do this with a lot of things. Getting out of our comfort zone and risking being less than perfect can be a scary place. Well here we are now in Ljubljana, Slovenia. (It has taken me until now, to spell it correctly without looking it up...I still fumble as I say it though.) I have had to go beyond my comfort zone in many areas and of course, I am reminded I am not perfect and never will be, but each time I am stretched a bit more, I grow and learn. That is what life is isn't it?
If you don't know we moved to Slovenia in July as Layne is stationed here with the Embassy. There is no military base here, like we are used to, so we are living as true locals (with the support of our embassy here). Luckily most people here speak English, so it is easy to communicate. The kids are at the British International School and are loving it. They are having discussions that are truly life expanding for them. I will have to let Bec do a post on all of her conversations with her classmates on what Americans really are like. (She is the only American.) They have a hard time believing Mtv is not a real representation of American life. Scary huh?
The pics from this post are of our new city.
I am going to do my best to update this frequently so you can join us on this adventure. There is just so much to share. You have my permission to hold me accountable on this, so email me, facebook me, whatever it takes. I will NOT let my perfectionism cause procrastination any longer. (in this area as well as many others.) Ciao! (CHOW...goodbye!)

Week of Tragedy and Celebration

2010-04-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUVr9c8mdHw

As I reflect on this last week, I stand in awe of my God. I have watched a dear friend loose her husband tragically. I have watched a friend be reunited with her daughter that was missing for a month. I have celebrated my son's 12th birthday and am watching him turn into a young man. I have celebrated my daughter's 5th birthday, remembering how a year ago, we were just hearing about a possible referral. Life is so fast paced at times. Things are going good, it seems to fly by. Then something tragic comes...a loss of life, a loved one lost and everything seems to stop. But life doesn't stop, it keeps going. At times, very difficultly. I praise God that we don't have to do it alone. I heard a song tonight that reminded me my God never lets go.

No matter what we are walking through, He is there. He is hugging us in our victories and holding us in our pain. Even when we don't "feel" it, He is so faithful. Even when we are not faithful, He is. I am reminded that nothing comes as a surprise to Him. On our adoption journey there were many times I felt forgotten or felt like I was being punished. As I listened to this song, I was reminded how during those times, He was working things out exactly according to His plan. His timing has been perfect. He never let go, even when I felt forgotten. He was growing my and my family's faith and trust in Him. My prayer for my friends and for you is that they and you feel his loving arms never letting you go! That is the love He has for His children. Can you call him Father?

Oh my!

2010-04-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine posted something about the blog today and it made me realize it had been a REALLy long time since we have updated! Where do I start? I figured a good place would be with this weekend. What a blast we had celebrating Easter through the eyes of a 4 year old! Everything was so exciting and there were so many questions. We are still working on getting it across that the wise men were not the ones to discover Jesus wasn't in the tomb, but I think she is getting the general idea! We did attend an Easter Egg Hunt on base this year and had a great time. Unfortunately we missed the 3-5 year old hunt and made it in time for the 9-12 year old hunt. We figured she could run out to the edge and grab a couple of eggs and she would be happy. Little did we know there were "planted" workers along the side rolling out "new" eggs as these 9-12 year olds scooped them up as fast as they could. Before Alexandra knew what hit her, there was a mob coming at her to get to those eggs. As quickly as it swarmed in, it swarmed out, leaving Alexandra awestruck standing very still holding her basket up. She didn't seem too phased and quickly began digging in her eggs checking for candy. She is a chocolate girl and she just knew there would be some in there somewhere.

On Sunday, we went to church and she had a wonderful time and said she felt beautiful. A wonderful neighbor of mine had an adorable Easter dress in her yard sale that was just perfect for Alex. She really did look like a doll and felt like one too. While this family knows that Easter is about so much more than eggs and getting dressed up, it was so nice to see her enjoying it all and making wonderful memories as a family! We did the Resurection Eggs with her Sunday afternoon (if you have never seen these, you HAVE to have a set...go to www.familylife.com. I wish I could remember all the comments she made about each piece, but it was so neat to see someone take it all in as if for the first time. I know we are planting seeds and watering seeds that were already planted and we can't wait to see God's plan for her wonderful life unfold. We pray you had a blessed Easter and know Jesus as your Resurected Redeemer!

One more Easter Memory!

2010-04-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

You never know what a day in the Trosper house is going to bring. After a delightful Easter Day, my wonderful husband finds a lizard stuck between the window and the screen. Of course, he saves it and gives it to Luke our insect loving, habitat making son, who quickly makes an entire "home" for this poor lizard in his critter cage. After about an hour (and my request stemming from my fear that this thing is going to die in the Critter Cage and be forgotten about) the kids decide to let it go. Alexandra is beside herself and wants to keep recatching it and "holding" it. The poor thing (the lizard) is tramautized I am sure as he isn't scurrying away too quickly. The next thing I know, the kids are yelling..."Grab the camera, Alex has the lizard on her face!). I am getting hot thinking the kids are tricking her and scarring her for life, until I realize SHE put the lizard on her face and thought it tickled as it ran up. YUCK! The kids (ok, all of us) were laughing so hard that we about all passed out, when the lizard climbed up onto her head and she freaked out. So, she didn't mind it close to her mouth and eyes, but freaked when it was on her head. Luckily, we got a quick shot. I am sure these will be some that we pull out for her fiance one day! No deep message with this story, just a good laugh! Gotta love our Alex!

Comfort

2010-01-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

After traveling to Houston for Thanksgiving and to Missouri for Christmas, we had noticed that Alexandra was having trouble sleeping through the night again. Most nights she would wake up scared and want to sleep with us. After two weeks of this after Christmas we were beginning to wonder if we were ever going to get our full night's sleep back.

One night as she woke up after only being asleep a couple of hours, she was screaming "Mommy" repeatedly in a terrified tone. I wondered if this was a night terror, but I remembered them with my oldest and knew Alex was too responsive for it to be a terror. Yet, she was crying inconsolably. As I held her I began to ask her what was wrong. She just stared at me with a look that told me she didn't know. I asked her if she missed her care giver in Peru and her friends. With the mention of their names, sobs began to flow out of her and I just held her tightly and cried with her. After about 20 minutes of rocking, crying and holding, we wiped our tears and held each other a bit longer. Alexandra then looked up at me with a peace in her face and said "Yo no scared mommy!" She had been feeling anxious and related that to being scared. I realized what a long process grief can be especially if you can't vocalize or even recognize all those feelings. That night she slept through the night for the first time in weeks and has been more settled ever since.

I share this because I realized Alexandra had feelings she didn't recognize and just needed a good cry with comforting and reassurance from her mother. How often would the anxiety and confusing feelings I feel at times melt away in the arms of my Father. As I seek Him and cry out to Him, allowing His loving arms to hold me and comfort me and letting His Words reassure me, His peace washes all over me. That peace that surpasses all understanding. It was a good reminder for me that night to call upon Him daily despite the business of life, before the results of trying to deal with things on my own turn into unidentified anxiety that affects those around me. I know that God put Alexandra in our family for her to have her forever family, but more and more I realize how much God put her in our family to teach us how He feels about those adopted into His family! Oh the love and acceptance He has for us!

Ceviche

2010-01-14T15:41:00.000-08:00

My Peruvian friends will be so proud. For our family Christmas Dinner, we decided to have an international dinner. It ended up being German Roast and Peruvian Seafood Rice and of course ceviche for our appetizer. It was so good and we were so proud. I just had to post a picture. We all remembered just how much we loved ceviche when we went to an authentic Peruvian restaruant, The Lemon Tree, in Houston when we were there for Christmas. Of course it tasted so much better with Inca Cola and Chicha, two things we didn't have here in Alabama. We did find Inca Cola in Houston grocery stores, but of course it is harder to come by here in Alabama. Can't wait until we learn how to make even more yummy Peruvian food!

Snow Play

2010-01-14T15:19:00.000-08:00

Oh friends, let me start by apologizing for not updating this more often. There are so many Christmas stories to share, I don't know where to start. We so enjoyed our first Christmas as a family of 6. We headed to Missouri to spend time with Layne's folks and had a great time. The Lord blessed us with waking up to a white Christmas which blessed these Alabama children. It was a toss up as to whether to play in the snow or open presents. (The snow we get in Alabama is gone in an hour or so, so they were worried it would be gone.) Since it was about 18 outside, we talked them in to presents first in hopes that it would warm up.

After presents were done though, we bundled up and headed out (it had warmed up to a balmy 21. Drake, Luke and Grandpa had scouted out a good sledding hill the day before, so we headed there. The first thing Alex wanted to do was make a snow angel, though there really wasn't enough snow for that. After we showed her the sled, she got excited and didn't hold back. She hiked up the hill just like a trooper and slid down on the sled with her brother, screaming "rapido" the whole way down. She was hooked. She loved it and the cold didn't seem to affect her until her glove fell off. Just a minute in that cold and she was done. I am sure her little body had never felt cold like that. We headed back in and enjoyed some HOT chocolate.

All 4 kids had a blast and it was a Christmas Day they won't forget.

Merry Christmas from Alex

2009-12-31T16:06:00.001-08:00

This year started out like most- we enjoyed a great Christmas, thanks to all the wonderful people who support New Life Children’s Home in Lima, Peru. Little did I know what awesome changes God had in store for me this year. About a month after my birthday in April, I found out that a family from the United States wanted me to become part of their family. I spent the next few weeks looking at the pictures they sent and wondering what they would be like. Finally, in May, I met my family. Our first meeting was kind of strange. The older two cried a lot, the older girl immediately wanted to fix my hair and the boys just wanted to play ball and wrestle. For the first few days, we spent the days together but I stayed at the orphanage and they went back to their apartment. After four days of visits, I got to go with my family to stay. They had rented a small apartment in Miraflores, the more tourist part of Lima. We spent a lot of time walking around the city seeing the sites and eating churros. The government social worker did visit us a few times to make sure my new family was a good match for me. I made sure to throw a fit and put on my worst behavior during those visits just so she could see how my new mommy handles stress. It seemed like we were in that apartment for a long time, but it was only 3 weeks. My dad and brothers went back to the US first and I went home with my mom and sister a week later. At that point, they didn’t know Spanish and I didn’t speak English. My Papi did try to speak Spanish but didn’t do so well. When Papi and my brothers left Lima to come home, he told me he was going home to eat the family dog, Petey. I was very upset until the translator explained that Papi was going home to feed the dog. I’m still learning English, but I think they gave up on speaking Spanish. After a long plane trip we landed in Miami and I was officially a US citizen (whatever that means).
Since we’ve been home, it has been a wild time. I had instant friends and people who wanted to meet me. I LOVE meeting people and if I can dance for them, even better. My grandparents (all 3 of them) came to visit me. It is so much fun having grandparents. I also got to meet Aunt Jen and Uncle Randy from California and 3 of my cousins; Jessica, Ryan and Jacob. Jessica is my age and we had a blast even though she couldn’t understand me. ( I guess she doesn’t know Spanish either.)
I had never been to the lake before and we took the “bote” out many times during the summer. I loved the water, but Mom kept making me wear my “chompa” so I would be safe. I even tried the innertube with Becca but got very scared when Papi made Becca fly out of the “circleo”. I also loved screaming “Rapido, Becca!” as I watched her at swim meets. I can’t wait until I can swim like that. I absolutely LOVE the water.

This fall I have been learning a lot from my mom. She teaches Luke and me school at home. Luke seems to have gotten more used to me and we have a fun time together, especially if we can be outside. We spent a lot of afternoons at volleyball games and football games where of course I cheered for my sister and brother. My dad even coached Drake’s football team , but Dad has decided not to pursue a coaching career.
Dad is also in school this year and is able to be at home a lot more. He talks about reading a lot of books, but I haven’t seen him do it very much. I have seen him writing a lot of papers at the computer but he always seems to be in pain when doing so.
Just recently I learned about a new holiday and we traveled to Houston to celebrate, by eating a very large chicken and taking long naps. I heard them talking about how thankful they are to God for all the blessings they have, including me and my brothers and sister. We got to stay at Abuelo’s (Grandpa’s) Casa and meet Aunt Susan and Uncle Scott and my cousins, Max and Erik. Erik is 4 also and we had so much fun. He seemed to get tired of me wearing his Superman costume though. We went to the zoo, a science museum and a boardwalk to ride rides and watch the boats. The train ride was my favorite! I wasn’t so fond of the 11 hour car ride to get there, but Mom said I did great.
It seems like now, everywhere I look I see Navidad decorations and I am getting very excited. Mom says we even get to put up a tree in our house. I hear them talking about another car trip to Missouri to see Grandma and Grandpa to celebrate Christmas. They seem very excited to have me with them now and I see Mom get teary eyed a lot as she shares the story of how God brought me to them. I love my new family mucho and look forward to what is ahead!
It sounds like this summer we will move to a new house and live somewhere new. Where that is, no one knows, but Mom and Dad seem excited about the endless possibilities.
I am very excited about my first Christmas with my family. We all want to wish you a Merry Christmas!
Love,
Alexandra Trosper (for Layne, Debbi. Becca, Drake and Luke)

3 Months Home!

2009-09-20T12:30:00.001-07:00

It is so hard to believe we have been home for 3 months now. Exhilirating yet Exhausting would be the title I would have to give this period in our lives. Alexandra brings so much energy and joy into our lives, yet there are still a fair share of challenges we face each day. Having the perspective of looking back though, we can see soooo many areas of improvement. Just some milestones that I have just noticed the last 2 weeks:
* we can strap Alex in her carseat and walk around the car without her screaming thinking we left her alone in the car
* I went to Drake's football game and actually held uninterupted conversations while Alexandra was still next to me entertaining herself
* Alex can fall asleep alone and sleep all night long without waking up (it doesn't happen every night, but is getting more and more regular!)
* she is riding her bike with training wheels all by herself
* I caught her correcting herself when she used Spanish instead of English (she isn't speaking only English, but is learning new vocabulary every day!)
* She can understand about 90% of what we tell her
* She is climbing in strangers arms/laps less and less often (good sign)

There is still work to be done and we stil have our fair share of embarrassing moments. Last week when a young man came to our door to offer to give us an estimate on guttering, I politely declined and said thank you. As he was walking away, Alexandra shouted "Thank You....I love you!" The look on his face as he turned around was priceless. Once again (I have this thought at least once a day) I thought, "Should I explain to him? Nah! Too hard, we'll just give him a good story to tell!"

She is getting to attend her fair share of sporting events with Becca's volleyball games and Drake's football games. She has become very popular with the kids at school and they love to try to figure out what she is saying. She has figured out how to yell "Go Panthers!" and loves to watch Drake "go boom" on the football field. (I don't like that quite as much!) We are having a good time working on English and school readiness stuff at home while Luke is here schooling 2nd grade. She and Luke have been able to form more of a bond being home together and my heart skipped a beat the day Luke walked over to her and asked her if he could help her learn her colors. He is slowly relinquishing the "baby" role in the family.

Alexandra is still incredibly active and strong and one of her favorite activities is playing "horsey" with her brothers, which usually turns into a wrestling match. She has gotten to spend time with her grandparents when they were here in August and thinks "Abuelo and Abuela" are quite fun. As her other "Abuelo" giggled at everything she did, she realized she had him wrapped around her little finger already.

After 3 months, she is very much a part of our family. We can't imagine what it would be like without her and know our lives will never go back to being the same. There are still so many experiences we look forward to with her and love watching God's hand working day after day!

Back to School!

2009-08-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

Wow is all I can say!

School has started here in Alabama and we are at it full force. Becca is playing volleyball for the school and Drake is playing pee wee football for the school (Layne is coaching), and I am homeschooling Luke and Alexandra. Our days are full. It has been quite a transisiton from lazy days where no one but Alex needed much of me, to days where I need to spend time with Luke and shuffle kids to activities. I would love to say it has all gone smoothly, but this week we have noticed a bit of regression in Alexandra. Everything she is doing points to needing more attention though, so I am trying to carve out time for more one on one with her as well as teaching her she CAN do things on her own. She did a funny thing yesterday that just screamed "I want to know you see that I need you!" While I was cooking dinner, she went on the patio and shut the door. She started banging on the door like she was locked out, then when it pushed open she pulled it shut again and continued yelling. After a few minutes of this (I was in the middle of cutting raw chicken and could see she was fine and could come in at any time) Luke couldn't take anymore and went to open the door, thinking she really was locked out. She yelled at him and pushed him away and shut the door again and began yelling for me again. It was at this point, I knew the game and knew she needed to know I wanted to help her. It is funny now, but was exhausting yesterday!

The English continues to get better and better and there isn't much she doesn't understand us saying. She still uses a mixture, but wants to say the English words and made the 'f' sound today for the first time. Her newest phrase is "I lub you mucho!" It makes our hearts melt every time! We will do an audiology test to make sure her hearing is ok, but she has some fluid on the ear that we need to dry up before the test so we will have accurate results. (I think we have spent too much time in the pool and in the lake this summer!)

Alex is loving 'school at the house' as she calls it in spanish and loves to do worksheets and cut and glue. Luke is great with wanting to encourage her and help her and I can already see her picking up some of those school readiness skills. Luke is easy to teach as well as he just soaks it all up. The only problem with him will be keeping up with him as he wants to dig deeper and do projects for every subject. (One of the main reasons I am homeschooling him) She is having trouble understanding why we have to wait in line to pick up Drake after school and why we can't 'vamos'! The same goes for when we are driving. When we stop at a red light, she wants us to keep going. We try to explain about the lights, but she grows very impatient! I am guessing she spent enough time driving around in Peru to think no one follows the signs or stops for anything. (ha ha...sorry my Peruvian friends, but you know you all drive CRAZY!)

Becca and Drake continue to wow their friends with their spanish skills and leave everyone wondering what they really said. I wish I could be afly on the wall at school some days...then, on the other hand, maybe not!

Becca is officially in high school now and is loving it, yet is bummed that her summer birthday will make her the last of her class mates to get her driving permit. Layne and I are just fine with that though.

Drake is in 6th grade and is enjoying being the oldest class on the hall this year. They are growing up way too fast!

I know it will be a good school year and the time will fly. It will take being very intentional to stay focused on what is really important and to keep priorities in order. Hope everyone else has a great start to their school year as well!

Where does the time go?

2009-08-04T20:28:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe it is already August. School starts in 2 days and the last couple of weeks have flown by. Doctor appointments, swim team, back to school shopping, constant water hose play in the yard. Summer is coming to a close. Alexandra is settling in and is now falling asleep by herself. Staying asleep all night is a different story, but we are taking it one day at a time. We did have her follow up at the International Adoption Clinic this week. Medically she is still great. (Except for the ear infection that we suspected, but weren't sure about because she had no fever and never complained about it...even when I tugged on it. Ouch!) We will continue to work on her speech and school readiness skills. It is interesting, as people have been speaking to her in spanish this week, she looks at me to interpret for her. I think she is losing the spanish as she is understanding more and more of what we are saying. As badly as we wanted her to keep the spanish, we want her to have English more. Language doesn't seem to come quickly for her, so we are praying down the road the Spanish will be easy to pick up again.

Her spirit continues to amaze us as she haa fun with everything. She loves to dance and listen to music. We can get her to do just about anything if we put it to song! More trips on the boat, dressing up to play, play dates with new friends...there is nothing she doesn't like. Ok, so except for going to the doctor, but who does like that? I have posted pics with this entry of her just being Alex. The green dress she is wearing in 2 of them is a Peruvian dress we bought for her in Peru. The pic with Layne is while we are waiting at the International Adoption Clinic in Birmingham.

She has added so much joy to our already crazy, yet joyous lives. Thank you for allowing us to share our joy with you!

Stone Mountain

2009-07-23T23:02:00.000-07:00

Our nephew who lives in California was going to be in Atlanta for a week before coming here for a weekend visit. So that the boys could have more boy time, we went early to pick him up and bring him back to Alabama for a few days before his mom and dad and little brother and sister came. We hadn't been to Atlanta, other than airport runs, in over a year so we decided to spend the day.

The day started with all of us (the 6 of us, my sis in law, our nephew Ryan and Jessica and Jacob (younger cousins) eating lunch at Chick Fil A. As if the excitement of having a person her size eating with her wasn't enough, the giant cow made an appearance. She made a bee line for him and hugged him like crazy yelling "Grande Vaca". Quite funny. I pulled her off of him so she could eat lunch and we thought that was the end of it. When we went out to the playground there he came again. This time, after having chocolate milk and a few fries for lunch, Alex was revved up and ready to go. She grabbed his hands to dance, she pulled herself up on him and then grabbed his leg and wouldn't let go. That was all before she discovered his tail. That provided much more entertainment/torture for the Chick-Fil-A worker. He/she was a good sport, but we do wonder what all those around us thought. The only bummer was I didn't have my camera or better yet a video camera. It was hilarious.

From there we went to Stone Mountain. We toured one of the small museums where one side is a scientific description as to how it was formed (up Luke's alley) and a video of the Civil War Battle of Georgia (up Drake's alley). The girls all humored the boys and Becca and I entertained Alex in the foyer during the end of the movie. While I went to the bathroom though, Alex got away from Bec and got behind the counter to torment the park worker with one of her "HOLA"s in his face. I am thinking we should put a warning sign on her.

We did hike up the back side of the mountain (over a mile hike) up to the top. It is so beautiful and the kids did great. Alex even made it most of the way. At the very top, it gets very steep and Layne had to carry her at that point. Once at the top we enjoyed the cool breeze and the view and relished our accomplishment. Of course getting down wasn't nearly as tasking and once we were in the car, we decided we were done for the day.

It was great and we were all ready to get home. Alex started asking for her casa (house) about 4ish and got a little ansy towards the end of the 3 hour drive. All in all she did very well and we figured it was a good precursor to a real overnight road trip at some point.

Oh, the rain!

2009-07-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

It has been so nice to have a summer with so much rain. The yard is green, the lake is up. It is so nice compared to those summers with crunchy grass and no lake ramps, because the water is too low. Alex loves the rain as well. One morning we sat on the back deck (under the patio cover) and watched all the lightning and listened to the thunder as a huge morning thunderstorm came in. She liked it and jumped in my lap with every big bang of thunder. She would say "Lowwwd". I tried to teach her thunder,but she stuck with "lowwd. I told her that was Dios (God) and she shouted "Mas, Dios! Mas, Dios!" (More, God! More, God) It was priceless. After He blessed us with another big bang, we shouted, "Bravo, Dios!" It was such a great morning.

Another afternoon as rain moved in, she decided to run out and play with the boys in it...clothes and all. (Don't worry, this was just a shower...no lightning or thunder.) She splashed and liked the feel of the water on her face. Yet another awesome moment for the Trosper family. The boys even paused their water gun fight to lay in the big puddle in our driveway with her.

It is so fun to watch all these occurances in her. I wish I had a special camera to look into her mind, but watching her face will suffice and I think her smiles says a good bit!

Eye Appointment!

2009-07-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well today we went to an opthamologist in Birmingham who was highly recommended to us for Alexandra. What we found out was good news. She does have a detatched scarred retina in her right eye, but does have peripheral vision in that eye. Her left eye is near sighted, easily treated with glasses. He said there is no reason to see why she will have any trouble seeing to read and later on to drive. Praise God! He did say that the vision loss in her right eye is due to prematurity and is not correctable. We did receive a new prescription for her glasses and plan to go get some stylish ones that will stay on better. While she really doesn't need them now since she isn't reading yet, he did say they would be good for protection for her good eye since she has 'all of her eggs in one basket' concerning her sight.

All in all Alexandra did well during the visit. She was petrified they were going to pinch her (give her a shot) and when she realized there were no needles, she calmed a bit. Also when the doctor spoke spanish to her, you could see her ease up and let him completely check her eyes! What a blessing it all was!

Becca turns 14!

2009-07-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe our oldest turned 14 on July 8th! We celebrated while we were in Birmingham and we will celebrate with her friends once everyone is back in town from camps, etc. She is so mature for her age and shows so much wisdom and discernment. We are so blessed!

Alexandra was pleased to celebrate Bec's birthday with cake and candles. She loves a good celebration.

We did make it through 2 trips to the lab for blood to be drawn. She definitely doesn't enjoy needles and gets quite scared. Even with a handful of tootsie rolls, we screamed through both times. The second time I did take the other kids and let Becca sit next to her while I held her. Even with both of us there, she hollared for her brothers, hoping they would rescue her. I know the lab techs at Maxwell were glad that was over (as were we!)

We were able to get an appointment in Bham for her eyes in a couple of weeks, so it will be very interesting to see what they say!

Our days continue to be fairly slow! We try to get to the pool at our friend's house quite often, or have play time in the water in the yard!

Friday was our first really busy day as we headed to the lab for bloodwork, went to a luncheon for Layne with his work, had a visit from Allison from Lifeline and then went to house church that night. She did amazingly well with everything, but we did see more of her indeiscriminate behavior at the restaraunt for Layne's luncheon. As we were leaving, she got away from us for a moment and walked behind a man as he was bringing his food up to his mouth and she grabbed his arm and shouted "HOLA!". He just looked at us as his wife just laughed out loud. As I looked around I saw many at different tables witnessing this and smiling. I thought about explaining, but thought it best to just to scoop Alex up, say "I'm sorry" and head out.

She did reasonably well at house church as well and our friends were so kind and patient with us as we asked them to help to send her to us when she went to them for attention and affection. She is getting better and better with each day at coming to us for that attention. She couldn't resist running into our friend's arms however as she was worshipping with her hands raised while on the floor with her child. Alex just knew that was our friend looking for a hug. It was so cute! It was wonderful to hear her say 'Halleluia' along with us! It sounds wonderful in any language! It was so great to have some much needed fellowship.

This weekend has been more swimming and playing. and as I type this, Alexandra stands here in a "ballerina" outfit looking at pictures of us from Peru. She remembers all of our friends we met while there as well as her friends from New Life.

God still continues to remind us of His unconditional love for us. It is nothing we do that earns His love, just as it is nothing Alexandra does to earn ours. We love her like our own, because she is our child. Such a great picture of how God loves us, because we are His, not because of anything we do!

Settling In!

2009-07-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have been home over 2 weeks now. It just seems crazy. We have still been laying pretty low with the occasional outing. We did take Bec and her friend to lunch and shopping and that went well and her trip to the doctor here went well, too. She did have to get 2 shots that she was not too happy about, but all in all it went well. Painting, puzzles, and Dora are her favorite things right now, besides torturing Petey the dog. Though it took a bit for her to warm up to him, she now won't leave him alone and we find him hiding under the bed most afternoons.

For the Fourth we headed out to the lake on Friday and Sunday and she loved every minute of it. She rode in the tube again and swims like a fish. She was also very patient while Drake and Luke practiced getting up on skis and while Becca and I skiied. It was a wonderful weekend! We didn't do a big fireworks show as we weren't sure how that would go, so we cooked out here and ate outside (which she loves to do!) and did our own fireworks in front of our house! She laughed and thought they were "bonita!"

Everytime we experience something new, we are amazed as to how Alexandra reacts so postively! She had her first real mall trip today as we explored the Galleria in Birmingham for great deals in honor of Becca's 14th birthday! She liked riding in the stroller which made for easier shopping, however getting out of the Disney store without one of every princess dress was a bit more difficult!

We were in Birmingham today for Alex's appointment at the International Adoption Clinic. Everything went well and it put us at ease to know most of the behaviors we are wondering about are perfectly normal! We will go tomorrow for a bunch of lab work. I am going stocked with tootsie rolls and gum, as needles are NOT Alex's favorite things!

Sleeptime is still our struggling point. As you can imagine, as the day winds down and it gets quiet and still, lots of thoughts run through her head and it is very hard for her to wind down. It is getting better each night, though I do have to lay with her until she falls asleep. The kids still are being patient during this wild time. I know God will bless them for their patience and love.

Alexandra is a constant reminder to us of God's unfailing love towards us...it isn't based on what we do or who we are. When we are His children He loves us despite our pushing away, despite our crummy attitudes. His love is unconditional and He holds us tight, continuing to pursue us and woo us to Him!

Hidden Treasure!

2009-06-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have no pics to go with this post, but I had to share what God revealed to me tonight. As I have been going through the mound of paperwork I came home with from Peru, I came across a document that I hadn't seen before. It is in Spanish and so looked like many others, but a date caught my eye. March 10, 2006. As I read and used Babel Fish to translate I realized this was the date Alexandra had been put at New Life. I had been trying to find that out and see how close it was to when God called us to this adoption (see the post from May "The Call to Adopt"). As I pulled out my past journal and looked up the date, we were sitting in church that Sunday, I realized it was the Sunday after Alex was placed at New Life. Just 2 days later! So chances are we didn't see her picture that morning, but God knew she was there and that she was our daughter and we were to go get her!

Wow, is God ever in the details. He never had to show me that date, but it was like a gift from Him, a hidden treasure, one that has so blessed us tonight! I praise Him that He had me write the date down 3 years ago. I am sure at the time I thought I would never forget that exact Sunday, but 3 years later, I knew it was a Sunday in March and that was all. How many times, have I heard something, or pondered something and haven't written it down? What treasures have I missed? You can bet I am going to have plenty of notebooks on hand to journal in!

God is an amazing God! I pray you find some hidden treasure of your own from Him! It will never disappoint!

Water Girl!

2009-06-29T19:06:00.001-07:00

After laying pretty low during the week, we decided to venture out and try the swiming pool on Friday. We knew our friend's pool would be a safe place so that if we had any issues, it was our close friends that witnessed it and not the entire YMCA. She loved it. She wore her water wings and had a ring on. I figured she would hang on us (like 2 of my other 3 did at this age) and not want to leave the steps. She jumped right in and had a blast. She didn't mind going under and in no time was climbing to the top of the slide and going down (holding a hand on the side of course). After not too much longer she was jumping off the diving board and giggling like crazy! She was singing and giggling and enjoying herself so much. I have no doubt she will be swimming without the floaties by the end of the summer. It was so much fun to watch and just further drove home to us that God made her perfect for this family.

Becca was great with her in the pool and gave me a bit of adult time while she entertained her. It was a great morning. After her nap, we were invited to another friend's pool, so we figured we would push our luck. She did great again, though she did tire quicker.

We figured with 2 trips to the pool under our belt, we would try the lake. God blessed us last week with a boat deal we just couldn't pass up. Lake trips have always had a special place in this family. It is one of the activities everyone always enjoys and we get to enjoy God's creation while we play. Two summers ago we sold our boat in order to help prepare financially for the adoption. A month later the lake nearby us all but dried up (most of the ramps did dry up, and we wouldn't have been able to enjoy the lake anyhow.) We knew God had led us to sell it, but the urge to head back on the lake started to hit hard this spring when all the rains filled the lake up to capacity again and the temperatures started heating up. Layne had been looking, but had not had peace about anything he had seen. Last Thursday, he found one that needed some interior work that was priced very reasonably. He brought it home Friday and worked on it Saturday and we headed out on Sunday! I know it was no accident we found it the week after we got home. God is so good to take care of his children. Truly all blessings come from Him.

She got very excited about wearing a life jacket and heading out, though she thought she was going to get to ride there in the boat, not her carseat. After explaining we had to drive a bit to the lake, we were off. We got on the lake with no problems and she loved the boat ride yelling "rapido, rapido!" She is her Daddy's daughter as she loves the speed! She swam and played on the "beach" and even braved the tube with her sister, yelling "rapido, rapido" again as she wanted Layne to pull them faster. She loved it. I am afraid the next time we head out and water ski, she will want to try that too!

It was a great day and I anticipate many more. Watching her smile and laugh as she bounced on that tube made all the long nights and frustrating moments melt away! I can't wait for Friday when we head out again!

What a Week!

2009-06-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

What a difference a week makes. In some ways it is hard to believe we have already been home over a week, in other ways, it seeems like we have been home forever. We have taken the days very slowly with meeting others and going out. We felt it best to let her continue to bond with us all and not introduce too many to her at once. It is paying off as every day she seems more and more at ease here. When she does meet our friends she is very friendly to them and warms up quickly. She is definitely a people person and wants to know their names and refers to them with their name and "Mama's amiga". It is heart warming!

She has begun venturing off to play on her own in her room and understands when Daddy has to go to work or Becca goes to volleyball or Drake or Luke go to a friend's house. She seems to understand they will come back and we will all be together again. That is a huge step, both in her accepting that and in being able to communicate these things to her! Last week, I couldn't sit for 5 minutes without her wanting me right there with her.

Her fear of Petey, our dog, also is diminishing. She now loves to pet him, and kiss him, and bug him nonstop. We aren't sure what Petey is thinking of all this, but he is taking it all in stride, except for hiding under beds any chance he gets. He is enjoying the fact that she wants to feed him anything she is eating. He has had more crackers and chips this weekend than at any other time in his life.

She doesn't enjoy tv or movies much, but she will watch her Old McDonald video and any episode of Dora she can catch and be entertained for a good 20 minutes. Good for her English and for my sanity. Speaking of English (pun intended) she has begun to repeat words that we say to her. She says them over and over and tries to pronunciate them correctly. We praise her for her attempts and she smiles widely at us. I think she is just as ready to communicate well with us as we are with her. If she wants to tell us something that we aren't understanding, she has begun using hand motions or taking our hand and showing us what she wants. The frustration that used to come and lead to a fit is waning daily!

I still pull out our Spanish dictionary daily and have wowed my friends here (ok, so they act wowed and humor me). They actually think I know Spanish. Little do they know I am butchering it and know it barely at a 4 year old level. It works though! The boys are even speaking more and more in Spanish and I hear them speaking to each other occasionally and we all laugh. We do get crazy looks in Target and Wal Mart (the only places we have ventured out yet) as we piece together conversations with her.

It is hard to remember what our lives were like before her, though it still hasn't all completely sunk in! She brings challenges and joys to our lives everyday! I praise God that the joys far outweigh the challenges! He is so faithful and trustworthy!

HOME!

2009-06-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

We have been home 3 full days now and are getting into a good schedule. For those of you who know us well, you know that is not very natural for us! I found out a nap after lunch makes the rest of the day so much easier and bedtime easier as well. Alexandra seems to enjoy her bed and her room, though she still wants me with her whenever she falls asleep. I don't mind at all as I know that is a sign of us bonding. A welcome sign after a weekend of being swatted away and her wiping off any kiss I gave her. I think I was more disappointed in myself for letting it get to me like it did. I knew better than to take it personally.

Once the week started Monday and we both had had plenty more sleep, things improved dramatically. Layne was able to be home Monday with us and shop with us, so that was a blessing. She is now calling us Mami and Daddy instead of Mama and Papa and is using other English words as well. We just had a huge "win" this morning as she was trying to tell me something and getting very frustrated with me and I just couldn't figure it out. She wasn't trying to show me what it was, so I grabbed the Spanish dictionary to see if I could figure it out. I have been hesitant in doing that as most things she says (like most 4 year olds) don't come out like they would be written, so it hasn't been of much use. This time it was...SCORE! POPSICLE! She wanted a popsicle! I pulled one out and held it up and she yelled "Si, si!" I started jumping up and down and she did too. After all that, I wasn't about to tell her we normally don't have popsicles at 10 am. Today we are!

We haven't gone out much at all...just to Target to buy some summer clothes and another bathing suit...and to Wal Mart to buy a new car seat (one that Miss Independent can buckle herself :). She has already spent a lot of time in my bathtub playing and outside playing in the hose. She LOVES the water and thinks it funny when I call her "mi chiquita pescado" (my little fish). I can't wait to get her in the pool.

Becca has enjoyed being back with her friends, especially since she finally got texting. She even got to go to Six Flags yesterday with her friends. The boys are enjoying playing in the water outside with Alexandra and checking out the girly toys they never played with. All in all, things are pretty peaceful at the Trosper house. (Except when Alexandra wants to "play" legos with her brothers.)

Speaking of house..we have a new resident in ours. While we were away a mouse decided to take up residence here. Drake told us he saw one in the kitchen the other night, but we were doubtful. Last night, we found "evidence". It looks like he took over the kitchen while we were gone. He doesn't know it yet, but all out war has been declared on him as I don't do well with anything living in my house, other than my family! Hopefully by tonight, I will have my kitchen back!

This morning was the first time in quite a while, I was able to get up before everyone and have some great quiet time on the patio with my cup of coffee. It was so wonderful. Oh how I took all those mornings the kids were all at school for granted! God was gracious enough to give me a very cool verse. "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches." Prov 24:3-4 As I have wondered how I am going to know what to do and not do as I parent Alexandra (as well as Becca, Drake and Luke!) this morning He reminded me it is by wisdom. That wisdom I know doesn't come from me, but from Him. I am asking Him to give me that wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, so that Alexandra can feel such a part of this family and know Christ's love for her!

Thank you for your continued prayers. Being home has already made such a difference.

We are home!

2009-06-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

We got into the Atlanta airport last night about 5:15 our time. By the time we got all of our luggage, made it through a full blown temper tantrum and found Layne, we were off and on our way home to Millbrook. We stopped for dinner at Chick Fil A. (Not sure if she was as impressed as we always are...we love that place.) We got to the house about 9:30. Alexandra was in overload as she checked it all out. I was too tired to remember to get the camera or video camera out, but it was quite fun. She is petrified of Petey our dog. Even after all she talked about him, she is scared to get too close. He of course is oblivious.

She is having a blast today with her brothers and Becca. They are enjoying the Slip and Slide and having tons of water fun! It is so good to be home with her. The highlight of my weekend was sitting down for the great breakfast Layne fixed this morning and having all 6 chairs at the table filled up!
(Just FYI, this girl LOVES her bacon...I knew she was a Trosper!) We will continue to post as the sumer goes on. I know there are new challenges ahead, but being home all together has already made such a difference (at least in me). Thank you for all the continued prayers. We are still in awe of the great things He has done!

We are headed home!!!!!

2009-06-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

God is so good and faithful! We got a call this afternoon that they had Alexandra's visa ready for us to pick up. The same day....unheard of! Layne started calling American to see what he could do to get our flights changed from next Friday to sometime this weekend. We are flying out in the morning! (At 7am, no less...we have to leave at 3am. I am not seeing much sleep in my near future.) Bec and I are so excited we are about to jump out of our skin! A week early! I never would have imagined. Thank you for all your prayers. They have truly carried us and held us up the last 4 weeks! I will post from home. I am sure there will be plenty of funny (or not so funny) moments on the plane and in the airports! Until I am in the US and Alexandra is an official US citizen(she becomes one the moment our plane lands in the US)....Bye!

One More Step!

2009-06-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Well this morning we went to the Embassy and had Alexandra's Visa Interview. The Visa is the last thing we need before we can leave. I was told there was an "outside chance" that it could be done this afternoon. I am asking God if He would make the software move quickly and get it done. I am also asking Him for favor with American Airlines, so we can get our tickets changed and come home early. He has been so faithful to take care of us so far! In fact today already we were told they don't do the visas until 9 (we got in at 8) and then was told they don't do the interviews today (we had ours). God is so good! Becca and I are going to begin packing in anticipation (and to make sure we don't need another suitcase). It is cold and dreary today, like most days. I know it is hot and sunny at home, but that sounds so good right now. We'll keep everyone posted.

Callao

2009-06-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as we waited to hear back from the Embassy, our friend Cami took us to the port city of Callao. Callao is a province inside Lima that is the main port and the headquarters for their Navy. It was so quiet and peaceful. Their beach was very clean and we had fun throwing rocks and looking for crab shells on the rocks. The beaches here are not sand like we are used to, they are all very smooth rocks, like river rocks. It is actually quite pretty and it makes the coolest sound when the waves come up on them and then recede back in the water.

After playing on the beach and a little time on the playground, we went to eat at what is their Navy officer's club. Luckily it is open to the public and we had the best seafood...ceviche, calamari, shrinp...YUM! The Peruvians definitely know how to cook. The restaurant was at the top of a building where we could look out over the port and see all the ships. It was so nice! Alexandra did great and Becca enjoyed the quieter pace of it all.

After lunch we walked to the other side of the square that opens up to the ocean. There was a nice walking trail along the tidal pool where there were hundreds of pelicans, a flamingo, and many other birds. It was so nice to watch that and hear the waves crashing. It made for such a relaxing day. I was even able to carry my camera on my shoulder instead of crammed in my purse. The nice lady at the bodega where we bought ice cream did make sure Cami knew it wasn't safe to do that in any other part of Lima though. I appreciated her looking out for me.

Maybe one of the reasons it was so nice to be somewhere quiet and not crowded was on the way there, we were stuck in major traffic. Driving here is a dangerous sport as the lane lines mean absolutely nothing and it is a every-man-for-himself type mentality of driving. Cars literally push their way into "lanes" of traffic. As we were moving in the traffic, a truck tried to push its way in front of a bus. The bus, not to be bullied, kept going. I heard metal on metal and thought "oh, no! Now there will really be major traffic." Well the caller on the bus (the one who hangs out the side and calls where the bus is going) just reached down and picked up the headlight that the bus had knocked off the truck and handed it to the truck driver and everyone kept on. It was truly a sight. I wish I had had my camera. Even Layne said it would be a challenge to drive here. It gets really crazy in the taxis as they weave their way in and out of traffic and go up against buses that are so tall. Mind you a big taxi here would be a Nissan Sentra. We have been in some that wern't more than a covered go kart!

Until our next adventure!

Fingerprints!

2009-06-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

Today has been a much better day! Alexandra and I have seemed to get into a new level of communication. We also got to the US Embassy today to turn in all of our Peruvian paperwork and her new birth certificates as well as her passport. It was a little nerve wracking making sure we had all the paperwork in order before we left and at one point I thought I had left a form at home. Come to find out the same form can be one of 2 different numbers...oh the government. I should be used to this being military! Anyhow, the next hickup was when the lady behind the counter asked where the father was. GULP! He is back in the states. We had copies of his passport and I have power of attorney, but that wasn't going to be enough. Before I called Layne to find out who we needed to call, I remembered that we had a Peruvian lawyer draw up a power of attorney to get me through the airport to take Alex with me. (Since she will still be a Peruvian citizen at that point, both parents have to consent to take a child out of the country, so we had that drawn up so they would let her leave with me!) Praise God that was enough for them to believe he had been in country. Whew!

So we left our paperwork there and were told, we will call you when we are ready! ARGH! What does that mean? One day, two days, three days? I am believing God for this and will expect a call soon! After they call, we can go back to the Embassy to get Alexandra's visa. Once we have that we can come home! YEAH!!!!

As I got copies of all of our documents today, I received the official letter that was issued when our dossier was approved last summer. It was dated June 11, 2008. Guess what day we finished everything here with the Peruvian side of things? Of course, June 11, 2009. One year to the day Peru said they approved us, we received her birth certificates with our names as her parents and received her passport and signed our final SNA document. (This is also the date that Layne proposed to me in 1993!) It is just one more of God's fingerprints...they are all over this process for us. It was a reminder to me that there are no coincidences, only God's perfect timing. I was thinking of all the days I doubted this would finally come to pass or thinking God had forgotten His Word to us. He is soverign! His timing is ALWAYS perfect when we are abiding in Him! I praise Him tonight for Alexandra and for the wait we had as it caused us to seek Him and believe Him like never before!

One last example of God's fingerprints I want to share is Alexandra's birthday. I know many of you knew how excited we were that we were meeting her on her birthday. Well in her official Abandonment Decree it was discovered that her actual birthday is April 11, 2005, not May 25, 2005 like was on her referral paperwork we received. All I can say is God authored that May 25th birthday long ago and knew that would be her Trosper birthday...the day she met and joined her family!

God is good! No matter what the circumstances look like, He is above and beyond circumstances! I praise Him for His fingerprints and can't help but wonder how many prints I have missed seeing in other areas of my life. I pray I can keep my eyes open!

Inadequacies!

2009-06-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am officially a new parent...all the feelings of inadequacy that accompany parenthood continue to wash over me. What in the world was God thinking when He called us to this? I make so many mistakes as I parent my children. I don't want to already begin that with Alexandra...oops, too late! We are in the testing phase full throtle! You know the one, where you say 'NO', your child looks at you, smiles and then does the exact thing anyway. How many times in one day can that occur? I think Alex was going for a record today. Oh to be firm and loving at the same time you are winning the trust and bond of your child can feel like a balancing act on a high wire with no balancing pole.

I praise God for His Word He gave me tonight though...."Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God." I get it, it won't be me that "figures" it out and has the answers. He will replace my inadequacies with His adequacies. Just as I am not adequate to be called His child without coming to Him through His Son, I am not adequate to do His work, without it being through His Son Jesus Christ. Oh how I praise Him for breathing life into His children though His Word. I so needed that tonight.

Alex did go to sleep well again tonight even after having to get 3 shots for the US Embassy...they made her have a flu shot and a pnemonia vaccine as well as Hep A. Hello, it is summer in the US, why the flu shot and pnemonia vaccine? Apparently that just became the rule a week ago. Go figure. It cost us $100 just for the vaccines. Crazy, but what do you do?

Tomorrow we go to the Embassy and submit about a ream of documents for them to autenticate so that we can then begin getting Alex's visa so we can come home. I am praying they authenticate quickly, the Consulate goes smoothly, and we gain favor with American Airlines and can come home early! We are all ready to all be there.

On a funny note, we have gotten the webcams to hook up so we can call back and forth with the boys. I love it so I can see the boys and of course Alex likes seeing them too. Not so sure about Becca, she still is loving girl land here without any boys. Alex kisses Daddy over the screen and continually asks for Petey to be held up to the webcam so that she can pet the screen. It is quite funny! I think it is helping her to realize they have not left for good and they are still very much her family. (As a bonus, she knows they are no longer on the airplane. For 2 days if you asked her anything about Papa or Lake or Luke she said they were still on the airplane. No, that is not a typo, she calls Drake Lake.)

Well I am off to bed, knowing tomorrow will be full of new challenges, but walking in confidence that God will make me adequate in Him!

Slow Weekend!

2009-06-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well with the boys gone, we have been very unadventurous. We have gone out to eat a couple of times (the kitchen is just so small to cook all our meals in) and played on the playground and went grocery shopping. The highlight of the day was finding a cart like we are used to that you can sit a child in. Shopping was so much easier with Alex in there holding her bag of Fruit Loops...she chose those over a chocolate bar if you can believe it. We were able to communicate enough that leaving the playground wasn't an issue...another highlight of the day! Becca has been great putting sentences together in Spanish...mine is still pretty choppy, but Alex seems to understand. Bec finds it fun to do the ordering when we go out, so I am happy to oblige. I wish she was taking Spanish next year...I think it would be a piece of cake for her after this.

Other than that we have been hanging out in the apartment working on my spanish and Alexandra's english. We did make a chart tonight with pictures for a bedtime routine. That made things go smooth, but she was also very ready to go to sleep, so we will see if it works tomorrow! Thanks for the continued prayers. We are very ready to be home, but know God still has more to show us here!

It's the Girls!

2009-06-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

Well Layne and the boys flew out late last night. We had a few traumatic moments with Alexandra as we tried to explain what was happening. One of the most traumatic was when Drake in trying to tell Alexandra they were going home to feed Petey, actually told her they were going home to eat Petey. OH, the language barrier at times. In the airport, she kept saying Mi, ariba in avion...me, up in the airplane. It about broke our hearts, but luckily our friend Marisa was there to explain in real spanish (not our pieced together attempts) that we would be going later in the airplane and would all be back together. She still wasn't sure, but was ok when the boys reached in their backpacks and gave her candy. That seemed to speak a language that told her it was all ok and she said "adios" and we headed off.

So far, we have done well. I think we will spend a lot more time in the apartment now, only because it feels huge after having all 6 of us in here and because she seems to enjoy it. We feel very safe in Miraflores where we are and we walked to China Wok for lunch today. We were able to get enough for lunch and dinner. I am going to forget how to actually cook after all this.

Alex and Bec are watching Finding Nemo again in Spanish and we actually worked on our English ABCs today. We have a long way to go, but it will be fun to watch her! The pic is us and our driver Andres heading to the airport. Andres was great and even though we didn't communicate with each other well, he became a friend and got to experience the journey with us. Alexandra even choose him to share the coveted candy from her brothers with.

Peruvian Dance Show and Cuy!

2009-06-12T09:06:00.001-07:00

Started the day with some paperwork. We got Alexandra's birth certificate and Peruvian passport in about 2 hours- amazing.

We waited until the boys' last night to go to a dinner show that featured authentic Peruvian dancers. It didn't start until 9:30pm, so we took long naps in the afternoon to be prepared for it. Apparently it is nothing for Peruvians to dance and party into the night. (We left at 1am and there was still approx 2 hours of dances left.) It was not a bar atmosphere, but a dinner show where everyone sat around tables set up around the dance floor. The dancers were very professional and absolutely beautiful. I don't think my pictures even did them justice. There was live music that they danced to and they came out in authentic Peruvian costumes from the area that the dance originated. (There are 3 different areas in Peru...the jungle, the mountains and the coast.)

Between their dances while they were changing costumes, the band would play more authentic Latin American music for everyone to come out and dance to. It took a little bit, but by the second round we were all out there dancing. Alexandra was a little hesitant, but once we were all out there she was ok. She loved twirling in her vestido (dress) and doing spins. We definitely looked like the gringos we are, without the ability to move like the Peruvians can. We didn't care and had a blast. We found out Luke is quite the dancer. Everytime, he was the first out on the floor to show off his moves.

As an added bonus, the theatre also had food and drink so we got to try Cuy. There was much consternation since we had a guinea pig, Buddy, for six years and he was an awesome pet. When the plate of Cuy came out, we realized why Cuy hasn't caught on in other parts of the world. The meat to effort ratio is very low, much like crawfish. I think it would take six Cuy to fill me up but I would spend more energy getting the meat off the carcass than I would gain by eating the Cuys. The other dish of chicken, beef, pork, and potatos was awesome and much more filling.

Peruvian Side of Adoption is Done!

2009-06-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a day. We got new birth certificates with our names as her parents, we finished all paperwork at SNA (the office of adoptions) and we got Alexandra's Peruvian passport. All that before 1pm. It only took about an hour to get her passport made. It was quite interesting...lots of lines and lots of people, but it went quickly. We left with passport in hand...hard to believe after waiting 3 months for the US ones for the other three. We were very grateful for the Lord's favor today as we had Alexandra with us and the other kids waiting at the apartment. Now we begin the US side of things. We have to take all of our Peruvian doecuments (translated into English...that is being done today) to the Embassy for them to authenticate. After that we begin the process of getting her Visa to enter the US. Apparently it is not easy for Peruvians to get a Visa. You would think that she would already be approved as the US had given us offical approval to adopt from Peru and it would be waiting for her, but unfortunately that is not how it works. That is what we will be working on the next 2 weeks...the US Embassy and US Consulate.

The boys leave Friday night. They are all ready to be back home. They will probably each hole up in the shower as soon as they get home for as long as possible...good thing there are 3 showers...one for each. Pray for Layne and the boys as it is an over night flight, getting into Miami Sat morning, where they will have to go through customs, then on back to Atalanta. Layne will then drive home. It will be a long night, but they will so enjoy being back home. They plan on doing some fun boy things while they wait for their girls to get back home!

God continues to go before us. Even though we have lost both of our debit cards, He has provided. I praise Him for the ease of working with USAA and the amazing calm Layne has in crisis situations. (ok, not really a crisis, but felt that way to me!) It is obvious He continues to go before us and my prayer is He goes behind us and touches all those that hear our story and cross our path, to seek after Him and His heart! Love to you all! Deb

New Life and Fountain Park

2009-06-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Started the day with a trip downtown to the National Adoption Secretary to pick up the final adoption decree (No noises on the day of silence). We then took the adoption decree to the Public Records Office to file for a new birth certificate. We waited in several lines, filled out some forms and they told us to come back tomorrow. The Lifeline representative here in Lima is awesome. She knows exactly what to do, when to push, and when to hold back so that things go as quickly and smoothly as possible. Without her, I would probably be in a Peruvian jail for assaulting a civil servant. God has placed great folks all along our path to make this process go smooth.

Around noon, we piled into our driver's van and headed to New Life Children's home where Alexandra lived from approximately 8 months old to about 3 months ago. The home is in an outlying part of Lima on the other side of some mountains. The road to get there was very curvy with significant elevation change. I really wanted to be on a motorcycle or at least be driving a sports car but the Hyundai mini passenger van's rolling and swaying through the turns just made me queasy. What a tragic waste of some awesome roads.

The folks at New Life were very excited to see Alexandra and she was very glad to see her friends. It was great to meet the people who poured into her for most of her life. It was obvious they truly love her and are ecstatic that she had found her family. New Life is an awesome facility but more importantly, Mike Kennedy, his family, and staff are Jesus in the flesh to so many people in their community. Please check them out at the link below, they can always use your prayers and support.

After another queasy ride over the mountain, we came back to apartment for a while to relax. We were all planning to go downtown to the fountain park but Deb still hadn't recovered from the trip so I took the kids. We went to Bembo's first to get some dinner. Bembo's is a Peruvian hamburger chain that competes directly with McDonalds. I have yet to see a Bembo's that did not have a McDonalds next door or at least across the street. I guess the Peruvian burger wars are going strong with no signs of retreat from either side. After dinner, we headed downtown for the fountain park. The park was great. The fountains are beautiful and they also do a laser show projected onto a screen of water/mist. The kids wanted to play in the fountains (which is allowed in some) but I wasn't ready to deal with cold, wet kids so I kept them out of the water. Overall, a great place to spend an evening- even better in the summer when the warm weather would make the fountains very inviting.

Another great day. The kids and I will be headed home Friday night so please pray for Deb, Becca, and Alexandra as they stay here in Peru for 2 more weeks to finalize the immigration paperwork to bring Alexandra into the US.

Day of Silence is over!!

2009-06-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

Today was what the Peruvian government refers to as the Day of Silence, where anyone can legally protest the adoption. There were no problems and tomorrow we go to get our Ammended Adoption Resolution that makes it legal. We then go to get new Birth Certificates. They are Peruvian birth certificates as she is a Peruvian citizen until we get to the States.

Today while we were wating in silence (ok, not really!) we went to the Inca Market to do some more shopping and then went to the Main Square in Lima where their president's palace is as well as the Governor's Palace. It was quite beautiful, but quite busy as well. The traffic in that part of the city is crazy...I really have never seen anything quite like it. Cami was a trooper as she fought (literally) her way through it.

Tomorrow after our official work is done, we are going to go to New Life where Alexandra lived from when she was about 6 months old until about 3 months ago. We are very excited to go and see it and meet those who were her family for so long and see where she lived. I expect it to be an emotional day for all of us. Until then...Ciao!

Adoption Resolution

2009-06-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

YEAH!! Today we signed the Adoption Resolution at MIMDES. Alexandra is officially ours. Well, after tomorrow passes by. Tomorrow is what is referred to as the Day of Silence, where anyone can protest the adoption. It is just a formality and any protest would have to go through the judge and lawyer. The only thing Layne is worried about is keeping all 4 kids silent all day!

After we signed the Resloution, we ate lunch at a KFC downtown. It actually tasted exactly like in the States. We all enjoyed! Our driver ate with us again....he had never had ketsup, the boys couldn't imagine! He didn't even like it. He said it was too sweet which we thought was too funny as everything here is extra sweet!

We had to take a copy of the Resolution to the judge in the district where Alexandra was abandoned, Huaycon, so after lunch we headed there. It was on the other side of Lima and is the district Alex lived in the first 6 months of her life before she was abandoned at the police station there in Huaycon. It is a very poor part of Lima. It made us realize we really don't understand what poverty can look like. The houses were mostly shacks and there was garbage all over. We got to see and take pics of the police station she was taken to as well as the park where it was first reported she was found in. (Later they found out it was actually the mom who brought her into the police station and she hadn't been found at a park bench after all.) It was very sobering, but we are so glad we went. We took a few moments in the park to pray over Alexandra that none of that past would go into her new future with this new beginning.

We spent the evening getting her Visa pics made and eating a quick bite here in Miraflores. It seems like Paradise after what we saw today. Alexandra is showing love in new ways each day and we are recognizing it. Becca, Drake and Luke are being amazing troopers, as they are having to put up with her speaking to them in Spanish and being a typical 4 year old (more like a 2 1/2 - 3yr old) on top of living in a tiny apartment far away from home. We all headed to bed early tonight, so we could have a fresh start tomorrow.

We are going to head back into the Main District of Lima tomorrow to see the Square and a nightly fountain light display as well as do a little more shopping at the Market. We covet your prayers and ask that you lift up all 4 of the kids... that God would give them a supernatural love for each other and an extra measure of mercy during these next couple of weeks. Until tomorrow! Ciao!

New hat!

2009-06-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

We were lazy this morning- laid in bed till around 10. Alexandra woke up in a great mood and played with everyone for a while. We finally got up and did a little cleaning up the apartment before heading out for lunch around 1. On the way out, we talked to our neighbors (who own the apartment we are renting) for a little bit. Alexandra wanted to see their apartment so they showed her around. While in their apartment, Alexandra found a cowboy hat that was left by a French tourist some time back. The neighbors gave it to Alexandra so off we went looking even more out of place than usual. As the day progressed, others got to wear the hat because it was easier to wear than carry.

For lunch, we wne to a very nice Italian restaurant and had a great meal. Afterwards, we decided to do some walking/shopping to burn off some of the lunch. After a little shopping, we stepped into the China Wok for gelato. Not sure if the China Wok is the best for gelato but the soft serve machine at the Bembo's next door was broken so we had to make do. The gelato was great and we went to a park acroos the street to relax and eat our treats.

While walking around the park, our friend Cami called to she if we wanted to meet at the park. Cami had her 5 year old daughter with her so we knew Alexandra would enjoy some playground time with another little girl-other than Becca. Cami picked us up in her car and we went to an awesome playground on the coast. The kids had a great time playing and we got to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The sun was almost out which is a rare treat in this part of Lima. Later in the day, we actually got to see the sun set.

By this point, Alexandra was about to fall asleep while riding the merry-go-round so we headed back to our apartment. She fell asleep a few minutes later as we all laid in the biggest bed and flipped through numerous American TV shows dubbed in Spanish. Was it really worth it to dub the A-Team into Spanish? A few days ago we saw ALF dubbed in Spanish. Unfortunately, ALF didn't sound anything like Joe Lieberman (watch ALF and a Joe Lieberman interview- you'll see) but instead sounded like a very grumpy old man. Some shows just don't do well in translation.

Alexandra was asleep for about an hour but decided to wake up and is now laying with Drake and Luke watching Star Wars. I should put her back in bed but she needs to see Star Wars at some point so I'll let her stay up a little longer.

Each day the battles are getting shorter as the communication gets better. We appreciate all your prayers and comments.

Big Day!

2009-06-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

We started the day with our last visit from the Peruvian psychologist. She asked us a few questions and finished her report so the adoption will be finalized on Monday. This interview went smoother than the last- no tantrums- and we are truly thankful for the improved communication between Alexandra and her English-speaking family. Luke did tell the psychologist that Alexandra kicks and hits him but we told her that is normal behavior for our kids so she fits in fine.

After the psychologist visit, Cami came over and we got to run some errands in town. The Lima KTM shop isn't too far from our apartment so we got to check it out. The owner was a very nice guy- he gave me a T-shirt and a bunch of KTM-Peru stickers for the kids. The boys can't wait to decorate their bikes with the stickers. The guy was so nice I was tempted to buy a new bike but the shipping cost made me decide to wait till we get back to the US.

One of the errands we ran was to Cami's dental practice. Becca, while eating Inca Corn (like Corn nuts) lost a bracket of her braces and swallowed it the other night. Thankfully Cami was able to get another one and put it on for her, so that her wires wouldn't be poking her for 3 more weeks. God is good to provide us with all we need, when we need it! Thanks Cami!

The rest of the day has been rather uneventful. Bedtime is always a long ordeal with singing to Alexandra, getting the boys to calm down and fighting Becca for the computer. By the time the day is done, we are whooped. Tomorrow should be rather uneventful as we check out the local scene again.

We passed!

2009-06-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

This morning we had our second visit with the SNA psychologist. It went much better than Tuesday! There were no fits and Alexandra was very plesant during the visit. She has her report done, so we go to SNA on Monday to sign the Adoption Resolution. WOO HOO!!!

We are not sure what all we are going to do this weekend. Communication continues to improve with Alexandra, so we will be up for more outings to discover this culture. It has been fun and very eye opening to learn about the different people here and all the different departments (like their states.) We continue to see how blessed we are in the States and how much we take for granted.

We decided today on Alexandra's official name for her new Peruvian Birth Certificate...Alexandra Anna Trosper Driever. Ok, so we didn't add the Driever, but that is Peruvian law. Children here have 2 last names here: the maiden last name of the mother and the last name of the father. Crazy, huh?

Alexandra just finished receiving a manicure from Papa...a treat for him as well as here. She giggled the entire time he painted her toes. Too fun. We love it here, but will be glad to get home. Pray for wisdom for us as we check into Layne and boys staying longer. We thought perhaps we might finish early and all fly home together, but now that doesn't look like the case. There are a lot of areas on the American side of things, that could go quicker, so please pray for favor as our paperwork crosses those desks and that it will be expedited.

We will post more this weekend with the sights and stories of Peru! We continue to try new foods and have loved everything so far...including Ceviche which is the fish they are famous for. We haven't braved Cuy yet (Guinea Pig), but the boys all say they will try it.

I am hoping to learn how to prepare some of these foods (not Cuy), so I can share them with many of you. Until later...Ciao

Zoo Day

2009-06-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the zoo today. The kids had fun and the weather was sunny which was a welcome change from the overcast we've seen for a while. The zoo is in another part of town approximately 45 minutes from our apartment so we got to see more of Lima. The zoo wasn't real big- about the size of the Montgomery Zoo but does have a good assortment of animals. Near the end of the zoo trip, we let Alexandra pick one of the small kiddie rides to ride. She settled on the Merry-go-Round but found out it was broken. The next closest ride was an octupus looking thing with various animal chairs on the tentacles. The ride did seem to tip a little when Alexandra and Luke got on but the real treat was the music that accompanied the ride. The music was a series of very hight pitched tones vaguely set to a children's tune- I think. I wanted to be near the ride in case one of the kids jumped off but the high pitched tones were painful. I was very glad when the ride finally ended.

In the evening we went to Wong - another local department store- to get some dinner and a few things. We also stopped by Cami's brother's house to look at his restored Vespa. It is a really sharp bike. I think Cami's brother may have more motorcycle/car junk than I do. It is always good for Deb to see that she doesn't have it so bad. Very shortly after leaving Cami's brother, Alexandra let us know she had to go potty so we then went to Cami's apartment. She has a beautiful apartment she shares with her mom so we got to hang out there for a little bit while Alexandra went potty and played with Cami's daughter LuAnn. We also got to meet Cami's mom and spend a few minutes chatting with her. Overall, a very pleasant evening with great company.

We finally got home about 8, had some dinner, then got ready for bed. Alexandra laid in bed with Becca, Drake, and Luke for a few minutes then went to bed where she fell asleep after a few minutes of Deb's singing. What an awesome end to the day.

Better Day!

2009-06-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today has been such a better day than yesterday! Thank you so much for your prayers. Alexandra seems to understand us better today and her behavior especially when we have been out has been exceptional! We went out to eat lunch and then a trip to the small toy store. We made it without any incidences. We even made it out of the toy store with what we went in for and not more. (Except for the puzzle of Peru that we are all struggling to get together.) We came home and worked on the puzzles and were amazed at how Alexandra could put the pieces together without her glasses. She could do the entire 24 piece Barbie puzzle alone. In one of her reports it suggested that she be taken to the school for the blind so she could learn how to "function without much sight". I know God has already been at work healing her eyes! I can't wait for the day the sight is restored in her right eye as well.

Later this afternoon we went for her doctor's appointment,. (The first one, the US Embassy doesn't accept the same one as Peru...crazy isn't it?) Alexandra did so well. She sat very quietly while we talked with the doctor. (Luckily he spoke English and Spanish and was great with Alexandra!) She got a clean bill of health is in the 10th percentile for height (already a female Trosper) and 25th for weight. The doctor seemed very surprised and we told him she had been taken care of very well at the home where she had been!

We are back home this evening laying low and hoping for an early bedtime as we are heading to the zoo tomorrow. We have noticed that Alexandra's idea of cold is somewhat different than ours. Layne and the boys are wearing shorts while Alexandra wants a coat most of the time. Tonight's pic is her choice for piyamas-even the hat. Just wait till she gets to Alabama in the summer. Not sure she will want the hat then.

Good morning

2009-06-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

Last night we prayed over Alexandra that any fears would go away and today we could continue to bond with her. We know that there will always be difficult times- just like we still experience with each other, Becca, Drake, and Luke- but Alexandra would truly know that she is part of our family and that will never change. We know God is working in her and us and we are thankfulthat He has brought us together for His purposes.

We did engage in a round of tummy raspberries with Alexandra this morning. She asked for each of us to give her a raspberry on her belly. I'm not sure if that is actual bonding but we'll take it.

I think we are going to Pardo's Chicken for lunch today. It is a local favorite and we like it alot too. Their menu is in English and Spanish so ordering should be fairly simple as well. Later today, we are taking Alexandra to her Peruvian doctor appointment- don't expect any issues ther except that we already broke her glasses. Hopefully, we can replace them tomorrow on the way to the zoo.

Alexandra is now in the shower with some assistance from Deb, Becca is eating breakfast (just got up a few minutes ago), Drake is reading, and Luke is just laying on the couch. Very peaceful. We'll post more later with some pics.

Psychologist and Pizza

2009-06-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today was our first in-home (or apartment) evaluation by the Peruvian Ministry of Adoptions Psychologist. This was the unannounced evaluation but we knew it would be today at approximately 0930. The actual logistics of making a real unannounced visit are a pain so we pretended to be surprised. Things were going well with normal questions when Alexandra decided to throw a good old-fashioned lay-on-the-floor kicking and screaming tantrum. We were, of course, mortified but the psychologist didn't seem to think it was a problem. At least that is what she told us. Who knows what she wrote in her evaluation. The psychologist told us to let her scream for 8 minutes then console her- that must be the psychology approved time for tantrums. Luckily, Alexandra gave up before the 8 minute time limit had expired so we began consoling early. The rest of the interview went fine so I think we are still good to go.

To celebrate the possibly successful interview, we decided to go to Larcomar (local tourist mall) for pizza and to get some pics printed. The pizza experience was good except for ordering difficulties. The nice lady behind the counter was trying to tell me that the advertised special did not count for a supreme pizza but I thought she was telling me I got two pizzas for that price. The confusion lasted for several minutes until an irritated local (who spoke English) behind me in line said "she's trying to tell you that is going to cost more." In the interest of Peruvian-US relations, I agreed to whatever the lady said and paid. We all ate pizza, breadsticks, and soda for the equivalent of $14. No wonder the Peruvian in line thought I was an idiot- and cheap.

After the pizza lunch, we walked around the mall for a few minutes with a few tantrums. For anyone considering international adoption, I highly recommend a high quality protective cup for the occasional kicking/screaming fit. I've learned the hard way that Alexandra's feet are just at crotch level when I carry her. Nobody at the adoption agency mentioned this possibility when we started the process. Again, heavy-duty cup would've been a wise investment.

We are now back at the apartment with Deb and Becca working a tag-team effort to get Alexandra to sleep. She took a long nap today so this could be a long battle. Luckily for me, somebody has to update the blog so I haven't committed to the battle yet.

Sorry no pics today. We'll make sure to post more tomorrow.

Today has been an interesting day but we know God is working through all of us to bring us all together as a family. We continue to pray for bonding and that any bad memories for Alexandra will be wiped away by the great memories we are making as a family. God continues to bless us in ways we cannot imagine.

Market and Barranco

2009-06-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well today we headed off to the Inka Market. Quite the cool place I must say. There was so much to take in I hardly knew where to start. There was clothing, toys, decor, hats, anything Peruvian you could want. We had a blast finding stuff for Alexandra and ourselves. Of course we bought more than we needed, but you know how Layne is a sucker for a good bargain.

After the shopping, we headed to Rustica, a local restaurant that is in an old house in the district of Barranco. Barranco has a spanish influence in its architecture and is right on the water. It really is a beautiful part of the city. The restaurant was a Peruvian buffet so we got to try several new Peruvian dishes. Everybody tried Ceviche, raw fish marinated in lemon juice, onions, and spices. We all liked it but Luke went back for several portions. Unfortunately, they didn't have Cuy on the buffet so we haven't gotten to try it yet. After lunch we walked some of the streets of Barranco and went down to the beach. I say beach, but it is quite different than our beaches. There was no sand, only rocks. The waves sound different as the rocks rattle when the waves crash upon them. We didn't plan on anyone getting wet but you know how that usually turns out. We left the beach when Becca, Luke, and Alex were soaked from the waist down. Then we got to enjoy the reverse trip back up the stairs down to the water from the restaurant approximately 200 feet below. At least we burned off some of the big lunch we ate.

We then returned to the apartment for dry clothes and some relax time. Later, Deb, Becca, and Alexandra went back out for new (dry) zapatos and some groceries. Now it is time for bed but some family members are not cooperating. Oh well, I guess I would be concerned if all the kids actually wanted to go to bed when Mom and Dad tell them.

Another awesome day for the family. We are truly amazed everyday at how God is bleesing us. Thanks for all your prayers.

Another Good Night!

2009-06-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

As I wait for our water heater to fill back up (it is only good for one shower at a time and a quick one at that!) I thought I would post a quick note about last night. Alexandra fell asleep in her bed (su cama) all by herself. She wanted Becca in the other bed, but not in her bed. To top it off, she slept a little later this morning.

She is very independent, but still loves her hugs! She let me give her another shower this morning and seems to love the water. I can't wait to get her to the pool when we get home!

She is dressed in her warm sweater and turtleneck as we are in t-shirts and shorts. We are quite a sight! We are heading to the Inka Market today to shop (WOO HOO) and then to the Main Square for some history and a cool fountain show. We'll post about that afterward!

Off to have another great day...with our friend Cami to translate for us today! Thank goodness!

An interesting day!

2009-05-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

We had a great day at la casita (the apartment) today. We played and colored and watched tv. Alexandra even helped get lunch together (cooking spaghetti, setting the table). She loves to help with cooking and putting things away. (I am hoping she rubs off on the older kids!) After having such a great day, we decided to venture out without our friend Cami to translate for us. We had been doing so well. We went for a walk with Alexandra holding our hands or us carrying her. We then went to a local department store to buy her some warmer clothes. All went well and she was dancing to all the music, until....Drake brought up a giant stuffed lollypop. When she couldn't have it, we had a minor issue. It quickly passed and she was fine. We bought some new clothes that she helped pick out and we were off. As we were walking home we decided to run into Bembos (the local hamburger chain....I know funny name, I am sure Layne will have more to say about that later!) for a snack. Well the line was long and we had to wait for our food. Meanwhile we had gotten a table upstairs. When Alex realized Papa was downstairs, she went down, then when she realized Mama was upstairs she went up. Back and forth this went, up and down until Papa finally brought our food.

We decided to top off the evening with ice cream from Bembos. Not the same as last night's gelato, but we managed to do just fine. Walking home Becca was elated to find $4 American Eagle t-shirts at a discount market. Alexandra didn't make it home awake and fell asleep on Becca's shoulder as we walked into our apartment. Unfortunately it didn't last, but she is now tucked in asleep. Three successful nights in a row!

daily life in Peru!

2009-05-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

Since I had a minute while Alexandra is watching Cars with Luke (she seems more interested in the English version on the little dvd player vs the Spanish version on tv) I thought I would let you know a little bit about what our daily life is like here. You know, now that we are pros since we have been here a whole week! :) Since we are south of the equator the seasons are opposite, so we are heading into winter here. They really don't have fall here, just lots of fog and humidity. Being right on the coast where Miraflores is, it stays pretty foggy all the time. In fact when the sun tried to poke out yesterday, I believe it was only the 2nd time we had seen it! (In Comas where the orphanage was, it was sunny one day. It is away from the coast so it isn't as foggy and cloudy, but it is more polluted.) It is only in the 60's but based on how everyone dresses you would think we were boardering freezing weather. I know it feels cold to the locals, because even Alexandra is asking for a jacket while we are still inside. There is no heat or a/c in most places. I believe only fancy hotels and some businesses. You don't really need it this time of year, but it would be nice to cut through the 90% humidty!

Since it isn't summer here, the kids are still in school. From what we hear, if you can send your kids to private school at all that is what you do. There are state schools, but they aren't very good. Those in school wear uniforms and we have seen many kids in the plaid skirts and knee socks with a sweater. My kids are very glad PCA didn't adopt that uniform. They start school about 8:30 and finish about 2 or 2:30. That is when the big meal occurs, after school in the afternoon. It would be similar to our dinner...sandwiches or a salad wouldn't cut it! Then in the evening they have a small meal. The kids pack bascially a snack for school...fuit, veggies, or bread...and plan on their big meal when they get home.

There are laundramats on every corner, so you can drop your laundry off in the morning and pick it up in the evening and it is clean, dry and folded. The only problem is they use a super high heat drier to dry, so you have to handwash delicates and let them hang dry which takes 3 days! It is nice though, not having to mess with lots of laundry!

Since we are in Miraflores, it is similar to a big city in the states and living downtown. There are taxis everywhere and you walk most anywhere you can. In fact we walk to the grocery ever couple of days for groceries. It is just a grocery store, probably the size of a drug store in the US. I am sure we frustrate people as we stand trying to figure out what we are buying. I will have much more patience in the comissary after this! As I have shared before there is fresh bread every day and they have a counter with prepared foods. This is how we have been eating lunch for a few days, so we don't take Alexandra to a restaurant yet. We will attempt that this week. Milk is sold in paper boxes on the shelves, so it took Drake a week to be convinced it would taste the same. Eggs are sold on the shelves, not in the refrigerator either! We are getting used to it all and Becca has even begun to be willing to eat meat again.

Ok, so I know this isn't as exciting as hearing about the kids, but I wanted to give you all a pictue of it. This is all just in Miraflores which is realtively clean and very safe. There are other areas that don't seem to be the same and aren't near as nice! Unfortunately the orphanage was in one of those places.

Well off to chase Alexandra, she is bored with the movie and is bouncing from one activity to another!

Sightseeing in Lima

2009-05-30T19:26:00.001-07:00

Today we took Alexandra out on the town for some sightseeing. We rode a two-level tour bus around the city and learned about the various landmarks of Lima. The second deck of the bus has no roof so it was a great way to see the city. Alexandra probably won't remember too much of it but at least we can tell her about it someday.

After the tour, we walked to the outdoor mall by the coast (Larcomar) for Gellato. Gellato is like ice cream taken to the next level of creamy deliciousness. Cami was with us tonite so she could translate all the flavors. Based on churros and Gellato, I will probably gain several pounds on this trip.

If the tour bus and Gellato were not enough stimulation for Alexandra, we finished up our day on the town with several rounds of skeeball, whack-a-crab, and whack-a-wolf. The last two are minor modifications to the ever-popular whack-a-mole game. I guess the fun of pounding small creatures with a mallet transcends any geographical or cultural lines. We did succeed in earning enough tickets to "win" Alexandra a small coin purse full of hair scrunchees.

I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that Alexandra wasn't ready for bed when we got back to the apartment. She was very excited to put on her "princessa piyamas" but did take a little longer to go to sleep. I got to lay with her tonite while she talked for 20 minutes with the only words I really understood were "mi papa". I said "si" whenever I thought she was asking a question and she eventually fell asleep with her arms around my neck.

Things are going so well that we sometimes worry that we are missing something but we know God has prepared this way and we are just enjoying His blessing. God is truly awesome!

Great Night!

2009-05-30T04:47:00.000-07:00

After about 10 minutes of "crying" Alexandra fell asleep in her bed wrapped in my arms. I say "crying", but it was more like a faint attempt at wimpering. ( I have noticed she does this when she wants to be held. My prayer is she will realize she doesn't have to for us to scoop her up and hug her!) I know it was her way of showing she was scared, but she seemed quickly consoled and slept great. She only woke up once and saw me and snuggled up and fell back asleep. It was more than we could have asked for!

We were prepared (on much advice) for her to be very upset all night and it to be a very long night! What can I say? God continues to amaze us! As we got up this morning, she wanted to make sure everyone was here. She is already playing with the boys (its 7am) and has had a heapin helpin of Yogurt!

We will lay low this morning then venture out this afternoon for a bit and do some sightseeing!
It is hard to believe we have been here a week already!

Life in Peru

2009-05-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

After much debate and several days viewing on the drive to the orphanage, we determined the costumed individual is a propane tank- not a twinkie or hot dog as was previously guessed.

Alexandra has expressed some concern over my nose and if she would inherit my nose even though she is adopted. She was relieved to find out that the big nose gene cannot be passed through the adoption process.

All is well tonight. Alexandra is excited about her "princessa piyamas" but does not show any interest in going to bed. She isn't smiling because mama keeps talking about going to bed.

Deb got the first attempt at "sapia des dientes" - who wouldn't want to brush with a brand spankin new Winnie-the-Pooh toothbrush?

Tomorrow we will probably venture out into town- hopefully Alexandra will interpret for us.

Alexandra is HOME!!!

2009-05-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Today has probably been the most emotional day yet! We went this morning to the orphanage and signed custody papers that put Alexandra officially in our custody. After we changed her into her new clothes, all the way down to panties and socks, she said goodbye to her friends and the sisters that run the orphanage and we were off. She seemed to understand and it wasn't too emotional for her. Praise God since she had only been there a month, I believe it made it much easier! Even though we were so excited, it was hard watching all the kids that weren't leaving. There are some very sweet ones there that just soak up the love and attention! It is a blessing that those at this orphange are taken such good care of. They have a very clean home, with good food and toys and caregivers. They all seem very happy and laugh and smile a lot! Finally walking out of the gate as a family of 6, just seemed like such a milestone in our lives. It is a new chapter for our family and I am just so excited for all of us. To see God's promise fulfilled is just...well, I just can't put it into words! He is so good!

Alexandra seemed very nervous as we went to the government office to sign the legal paperwork after we left the orphanage. She seemed to get more comfortable as time went on there and she loved coming home to la casita. We stopped on the way home and got roasted chickens with fries and salad and ate lunch in la casita! She continues to amaze us with what a great eater she is!

Becca has already painted her nails and Alexandra has discovered all her toys. She seems a bit hyper today, but that is only to be expected. If only I could speak better spanish to communicate better.

Before Cami our translator/friend left Alexandra showed here where she was sleeping tonight, where her siblings were sleeping tonight and said good bye. She even went and opened the door for Cami. It was so good to see her so comfortable. We'll see if it lasts through the night.

name?

2009-05-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

Layne again. Tomorrow Alexandra, Alessandra, Alesandra (not sure yet how we will spell her name) comes to live with us. We are very excited but realize it will be somewhat traumatic for her. Pray for her to know we love her and for her to be at peace. Also pray for all of us as we live in a 500 square foot apartment. Hopefully, many trips to the park and the churro stand will keep us from going crazy.

Nuevos Zapatos

2009-05-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

New Shoes for Alexandra. Today we went to the MegaPlex and found a shoe store to buy some shoes for Alexandra. She loved it, but seemed a bit overwhelmed. We ate while we were there and she ate more than me I think. There wasn't much she didn't like...only shrimp. It was good Peruvian food and I know we were a sight. You had the 6 Trospers, a translator/friend, the orphanage director, and our driver all together. Mind you this is in a part of town that is not touristy. Us gringos stand out like crazy! We got plenty of glances. Especially when people realized we used someone to translate for our daughter. Oh well...I am pretty past caring what others may think at this point.

Alexandra was very excited about her shoes and we found a 'Princessas' shirt that she liked, so we picked that up too. She loves the Disney princesses. Gotta love how the US influences everyone...even though none of those princesses look at all like anyone in Peru. Oh Well...we caved in!

Tomorrow we go to just sign paperwork and put her in her own clothes and take her with us. I know it has got to be a little scary for her, so we are praying for a smooth transition. She has been through some things over the last month that will make it even more tramatic, but we are believing God to put His peace that surpasses understanding in her and us, to make it a God transition.

We are so ready to have her alone with us. There has always been someone else around, so it will be good for her to see as her family. (We will just have to explain that this little apartment we are in is not forever.) The weekend should be filled with fun firsts for us.

One other thing we did today was watch the kids at the orphanage get some of the candy we brought for them. They were just individually wrapped life savers and the kids (all 4 and under) loved them. You could tell candy is not an every day experience. We take so much for granted with our kids and our lifestyle! It was such a blessing to watch them smile and be reminded God cares for these little ones and desires for them to be part of His Kingdom. I praise God for the people at this home and at New Life where Alexandra was most of her life that pour God's love on these children. I know it is not like that everywhere! It is more answered prayer as to how God has covered her.

Alessandra

2009-05-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

Today is an exciting day for me. Deb said I could post something on the blog without her proofreading it first.

We spent another awesome day with Alessandra. Leaving her at 4 is very difficult but we know we only have one more day before she gets to come home (to our apartment) with us. Today we tried out the ever popular shoulder ride until her chin bounced on my head and she bit her tongue. The good thing is it gave Deb and opportunity to console her.

This entire experience is somewhat overwhelming- I know my words cannot do justice to the awesome things God is doing in our lives. We are truly blessed.

I know the pics are all of Alessandra and I- that's the advantage of doing the post.

More pics on Facebook

2009-05-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

I am having trouble attaching photos here tonight so I have put more on facebook. Hopefully tomorrow I can get more up!

Another Day with Alexandra

2009-05-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

Oh what a sweet day with Alexandra. She ran in when she saw we were there and never left us. We played outside with a beach ball for a good hour. She loved to bounce it like a basketball and kick it. She is very strong, I think we will have another soccer player on our hands! She also loved to jumprope. Ok, so her version is swinging the rope and jumping. She was so confident she was doing it, we just kept encouraging her. We ate lunch under the tree in the courtyard..she loves fruit and chips of any kind as well as cookies, juice and chocolate milk. She is not so fond of bread and cheese!

One of the things I know you are wondering is what language she speaks. She speaks Spanish and speaks and expresses herself very well! Luckily we have our friend Marissa with us who translates for us, but we are working on communicating on our own with her. We have the basics down...potty, food, drink, share, I love you...I am sure we will master more tomorrow! She can understand us and tries to communicate very well. I am sure we frustrate her at times, but we know God is the ultimate translator and He is working this out day by day!

Alexandra fell asleep on me today again and I just loved it. She let Papa feed her yogurt, which was precious. She played outside by herself with Becca, Drake and Luke for a good hour and had so much fun! She loves to be held by all of us and is consoled very easily with hugs. We definitely saw more of her stong will today than yesterday, but I know that is because she is feeling more comfortable with us. She can be very independent at times and is going to voice her opinion I am sure! Lucky for us, we have experience raising the strong willed child and wouldn't have it any other way!

We love her so and can't wait to bring her home with us...language barrier and all. Tonight as we were at the outdoor mall, we couldn't help but seeing all the things we wanted to do with her...bowling, movies, the kiddie playpark. It is going to be hard to take it slow so as not to overwhelm her.

I must say, the last couple of days have been a blur and we can feel all of your prayers. God has kept us strong and at peace and it just seems so natural. If we think about it too much, it seems sureal. It is so amazing to watch Him work this the way He is. It truly is a miracle! To Him be all the glory. Until tomorrow!

Our Newest Family Member

2009-05-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

WOW WOW WOW is all I can say. Alexandra is just precious. There was not a dry Trosper eye when she came in the room. She ran right to me and hugged me and then Layne, then the kids. She stayed in my lap the entire first 30 minutes or so as she opened her gifts. She was shy at first, but warmed up quickly, especially with the gifts. She held her lamb we made and LOVED the Disney Princess "cd player". She recognized Princessas right away and loved playing the music. She referred to us as Ma ma and Pa pa right away. It made our hearts melt to hear her say that!

I know so many of you were praying for us for today and I completely felt it! I was not anxious or nervous today at all. It seemed like I was in some sort of dream and it wasn't real. All I can liken it to is when children are born. You can't imagine what they will be like or what it will feel like to be their parent, but as soon as you see them, your heart melts and you are a mommy! Today was the same. We got to explain to the kids, that what they felt when they first saw her was what we felt when we first saw them. It was so special!

We played in a small waiting room type place for most of the day. We had packed a lunch that we all ate together and we played outside in the courtyard as well. Her favorite thing to do all day was to take the photos that we had brought her of the house, her room, Petey and us and go through them all. She kept saying dos hermanos for the boys and Becca for her new sister. She would say mi papa and mi mama at Layne and my pics. She got very excited when she saw Petey (Mi perro) so we are confident she is going to enjoy him. The best was watching her take the pics around and showing them to all her friends (and anyone who would look at them) and showing them her papa and hermanos. Those were her favorite to share. It was just precious.

Luke showed off to her one of his amazing 5 minute headstands. She laughed and then as soon as she could bent down with her head to the floor to do one as well. By about 2pm, she was worn out and as I sang to her, she fell asleep in my lap. I just sat there for an hour holding her knowing God was knitting our hearts together even more!

Ok and so if you are wondering about her eye! I truly believe God is already at work there. You would NEVER guess she was blind in one eye. With her glasses, she was able to color in the lines, catch balls, get stickers. It is truly amazing. We even noticed her "blind" eye is tracking with the other! I know the only reason she was on the Waiting Angels list is so she could be matched with us. We continue to hear how amazing it is that we were actually matched with her and how it has worked out. Only God could do this! My prayer is that all those around will see how big a GOD we serve and that He will recieve all the glory! He truly cares about the widows and the orphans!

We had to leave her there this afternoon and she was not nearly as upset as we were. She is comfortable there and knew we were coming back manyana. The kids really didn't want to leave her and Luke was afraid someone else was going to get her if we left. It already feels like we aren't complete until she comes home with us on Friday.

Lima!

2009-05-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

Well we have had 2 days to see this beautiful city. We have a wonderful new friend Cami who spent yesterday showing us around and translating for us. Today we tried it on our own and were fairly successful! We ate a meal, went to the grocery and hunted down gift wrapping for Alex's gifts. Easy to find gift wrapping you would think, but no....no Targets or Wal Marts or Halmark here. We finally found gift bags from a street vendor and tissue paper from a man with a Christian book store. That was after about 2 hours of walking and looking. A lot of the little stores were closed today, so had I been looking yesterday I probably could have saved my family some headache!

Even though it is heading into winter here, there are flowers and trees in full bloom. It doesn't feel cold to us, but people are wearing sweaters, scarves and boots. It is in the 60s! Oh well, we will continue to stand out in our tees and shorts. It is very humid...yes even more so that Alabama. Everything feels wet all the time as there is no air conditioning or heating. At least our get ready time is cut way down. There is no point trying to do anything with our hair!

The food here is great. So many fruits to try. There is a drink called Chi Cha made from purple corn, sugar, cloves and cinamon. It looks like red wine, but is non-alcoholic and tastes delicious. Drake and I LOVE it! (Keep your eyes open for purple corn at Mexican stores and I will bring home the recipe to make it!) Luke's favorite is Inca Cola of course. Unfortunately it is caffinated and tastes like it has a ton of sugar, so a little goes a long way with him and we have to cut him off. Luckily for Layne and I they have Coke Light which is Diet Coke and luckily for me th Peruvian coffee is so yummy!

All of us love the churros! They are like stick versions of funnel cakes. I know....too yummy! Those on top of the fresh bread and rolls that are around every corner, there will be no weight loss for me this trip. The only thing that will keep me from getting too big for my clothes is the amount of walking we do. Everything in Miraflores (the district we are staying in) is within walking distance...parks, sightseeing, the coast, shopping, and Lacomar (the huge mall built in the side of a cliff with American food).

We have just stuck to chicken (pollo) so far for our meals. Yes, they do serve Coy which is guinea pig, but I don't think we are going to brave that. Buddy (our guinea pig) was part of our family for 6 1/2 years. I just don't think I could do it. I would see his face with every bite! They sell it in the grocery, right next to the chicken and beef along with plenty of other stuff I am not sure what it is. Becca has stated she is not eating meat this entire trip, just in case.

Our new pets are the pigeons that land on our windowsill. We only had one occasionally until the kids discovered if they put crumbs out there, it attracted many more and they stuck around. I am sure the locals that live in the building just love us!

Our apartment is great and we are settling in just fine. We do already miss the conveniences of home. Our water heater here isn't much bigger than a standard propane tank in the States. It makes for very fast showers. To cook on the stove or oven, we have to turn the gas on and light the fire. Of course, we have to boil any water from the tap as well. Luckily they sell large bottles of water, it is just carrying them from the market that will get tiring! There is also no washers or dryers. You have to do laundry by hand or send it out. Guess which we will be doing. Yeah...no laundry for 5 weeks! I don't mind walking it around the corner for someone to do it for me!

I am grateful we get to "live" here for 5 weeks and experience this culture. I already see how spoiled we truly are. The people are beautiful and so natural. I hope you can get a glimpse though our pictures.

We are Here!

2009-05-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

After a very long day we arrived at our apartment last night about 1am. We are heading out to explore Lima today. So far it looks very pretty and the people seem very nice. My spanish skills are not as good as they used to be, but I am praying they kick in soon. It is amazing how many people speak English though. I will post later about our amazing run through the Miami airport.

Getting Ready to Go

2009-05-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

Well the countdown is down. Less than 36 hours to go until we leave on our journey! Are we ready to go? I wish I could say yes. Emotionally and mentally...yes, but physically...well, let's just say we are still working on it. I still have to pack, but most of our shopping and running is done. The house is fairly clean and there is actually food in the freezer for when the boys come home the middle of June. Ideas keep popping in my head as to things we should have done or need to do and I am trying to stay very focused and let God prioritize what He needs done by us. We fly out Friday afternoon and I will try to post over the weekend from Lima. I am so excited to see this country. I hear only amazing things about it!

Alex's Room is Finally Ready!

2009-05-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well after 2 weeks of on again, off again work, Alex's room is ready for her homecoming. It started with my "just" buying a new quilt for the bed we already had. After we got that on there, we (ok, I) just knew we had to paint the table to match. Then came the wall decals that we saw on clearance and the cubby system that was on sale and so on and so on! It has been fun and we have all helped with it! Layne shot a coat of paint on the dollhouse that my grandfather made. The cradle was mine as a kid and there is an antique doll of my mom's. Becca and Luke got involved as well and painted the paintings for her room! (Drake was out camping, but will add his later!) Becca also painted the flower on the round table. I think we may have a budding artist or two on our hands. It has been so much fun to watch them get excited! (And it has helped pass the time as well!)

I think it is so appropriate that there are items representing different generations of our family as Alex is about to be a part of that lineage! We can't wait to get her! Only 5 more days until we leave and we will meet her one week from tomorrow. Will it ever get here?

Kisses in the Wind

2009-05-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

This is a poem a friend of mine sent me in the mail the beginning of April. Little did I know how quickly God was going to fulfill it! The author is unknown, but it speaks my heart so true. Only 9 more days until we leave and 12 until we meet Alexandra!

Kisses in the Wind

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that’s how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are…what’s taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin…
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I’m doing all that I can do.

Vey soon, you’ll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

Annabelle the Lamb

2009-05-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

For over a year now, Luke has been wanting to go back to Build A Bear and build a bear for Anna. We decided we would wait until after we were finally matched. How many times have we walked past that bright fun storefront and discussed it? I have lost track.

Last week, when we were talking about what to take Alexandra for a gift when we meet her, we decided we would finally build her a "bear" to take to her and Mother's Day would be the perfect day to do it! We loaded up after lunch and headed to the Mall. We decided on a white lamb and took it to the worker to stuff. She assumed Luke was making it, so she asked him who it was for. He told her it was for his sister who we were adopting, which then explained to her why we had all grabbed a fabric heart to put in the bear. She had us all do the heart routine where you rub the heart on your head so she will be smart and rub it on your cheek so she will smile and laugh at our jokes, then rub it on our tummy so she won't go hugry, etc. It really was precious and my heart prayed that this was just a representation of what God would be doing in Alexandra as she joined our family! We then stuffed our bear with all 5 hearts. I am sure we looked a little odd, but it truly was a very special time for us. Luke and Layne "washed her and got her ready" and then Drake and Becca input all of her info for her "records". We named her AnnaBelle and she is dressed with pink and purple bows ready for her suitcase ride to Peru!

The Call to Adopt

2009-05-09T01:28:00.000-07:00

With three biological children, could I really be feeling a tug to adopt? Maybe it was just to support others who were adopting or to financially support adoption organizations. Surely God wasn't calling us to actually adopt a fourth child. I wondered if I even did that great a job with the 3 I already had. Even if adoption was something He wanted us to do, it would probably be after our 3 were much older, and I had figured this parenting thing out.

Well in March of 2006, God choose to make it very clear what He was saying . It was a typical Sunday morning. We were at church and there was a missions emphasis that day. There was a couple speaking that morning who were going to become missionaries to Peru and were sharing their story and the story of the Peruvian orphans. (There are hundreds of thousands of abandoned children in Peru and orphanages are just overflowing.) I am not sure what all they said that morning, because as soon as the pictures of those children went up on the screen, I heard God tell me "Go get your baby!" All I could do was weep. I knew God had spoken to me and I was almost paralyzed by the weight of it all. This was one of very few Sundays (if not the only Sunday) Layne and I were not sitting together in church. I wondered, "Did he hear that too? How was I going to bring this up? Was I crazy?"

After church came the first confirmation. Our pastor's wife asked me "Did you see your baby up there?" "What?" I said, with utter shock on my face I am sure. "Are you kidding?" She was was just kidding around because she had seen me crying, but I was stunned. It was like God was saying...."Yes, that is what I said!" Still, I decided that I would wait for Layne to bring it up. If he did then I knew that God had spoken to him as well.

That night as we were playing a game with the kids, typical sibling rivalry set in, and an argument between the kids erupted that seemed to get out of hand. Layne looked at me and said..."And to think I thought this morning we were to adopt another one."

Wow, he had heard it too. We talked and knew God had told us to to move ahead with this. But Peru? I had never even really heard of Peru, much less anyone adopting from there. Where exactly was that in South America? (Geography was never my strong suit.) Well for the next weeks, everywhere I turned I saw references to Peru; articles in magazines, ads for travel, a character on a TV show, everywhere! We went to an adoption informational meeting and listened to all the options for international adoption. We truly were open to whatever God had for us. All I can say is that every time we heard Peru our heart skipped a beat. We knew that was where our daughter was.

How did we know it was a girl? I am not sure, but we both just knew we were to adopt a girl and began to refer to her as "Anna" as we talked about the adoption and as we prayed for her. Little did we know that it would be a 3 year process.

Alexandra has grown up at the Children's Home (www.perumissions.com) we saw pictures of that morning in church. There are hundreds of thousands of orphans in Peru and we were matched with one of the 27 at New Life Children's Home. There is a very real possibility we saw her in those pictures that morning as God spoke to us. God has taught us that He is not just in the big things and the big decisions. He is in every detail of our lives and desires for us to look for Him in all those details. There is no such thing as coincidence...it is God's sovereignty working every time!

He had placed Alex in our hearts 3 years ago before she even turned 1...if you look at the name AlexaNdrA...you see ANA in it. He knew all along exactly who Anna was and He was covering every detail of her life. He was answering our prayers as He had her in a Christian Home run by American missionaries. She has been loved on, prayed for and prayed over her entire life. Not only here in the US, but in her birth country as well. Wow God loves all His little children!

No, even 3 years later, I know I don't have this parenting thing all figured out. There is still sibling rivalry on days, still days I question my parenting, but I have learned that God does not require perfection to use us. In fact, it is in our brokenness that He can use us the most. He wants for us to have hearts that recognize our sinful nature and our weaknesses and turn to Him for forgiveness and strength through His Son Jesus Christ. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." It is just like the saying I have heard many time..."God does not call the equipped, He equips the called." I praise Him that He didn't require perfection in us to add a beautiful daughter to our family. He will give us all we need as we seek Him to parent Alex as well as Becca, Drake and Luke. God is so good!

Making Travel Plans

2009-05-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

Going to Peru!

We continue to amazed as to how God has orchestrated everything! We have received our official paperwork and we will get to meet Alexandra on May 25th which is her birthday! We are still working on places to stay and plane tickets, but it is all coming together. Everyday we get to see more and more how God has planned for Alex to be our daughter all along! The kids are getting excited and are even more so now that they have seen pictures of Lima and realize it is on the coast and is very metropolitan!

We are matched!

2009-05-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

Getting the news about Alexandra!

We got a call on Wednesday April 15th that there was a Waiting Angel whose adoption had fallen through. It all sounded too good to be true. This was exactly how Layne had pictured it the entire time. We wrote a letter of request and had our psychologist write one as well and got those down to Peru by Friday. It was a crazy couple of days and there was no way to know if others had requested Alex too or if she would even been matched in this consejo. A consejo is the monthly matching meeting where they match families with the children. After 2 weeks of lots of prayer, up and down emotions, and trying to guard ourselves, while staying open to God's plan, we found out Thursday April 30th that we were matched with Alexandra. I got the call as I was walking in the comissary. I had to sit on the couches at the front and soak it in. It was all I could to not fall apart as I walked the aisles. When I saw the kiddie shampoo on the drug aisle I about lost it. We told the kids after they got home from school and they were just thrilled! It has taken a bit to sink in. After three years of knowing God would do this, it seems surreal that it is finally happening. To help it sink in, we did the typical female thing and went shopping. I ordered her a quilt for her bed and Becca and I had fun buying toddler girl clothes while we were out shopping together! Our official letter from Peru came today and we sent our letter of acceptance down just moments after we received it. Now to make our travel plans! We are praising God for the gift of internet as it has made the flow of information almost seemless across continents, cultures and languages. God continues to amaze us how He is in ALL the details and we give Him all the glory!