Merry Christmas from Alex

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!

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!

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?

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!!!!!

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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!!

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

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!

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.