More presentation day photos

Waiting...waiting...it was only an hour, but it seemed like forever!

Wandering around the "Green Room" admiring the pictures that cover the walls of other families that have adopted from FANA.

Daniel's first hug with Gabi!

Anna hugged Gabi so many times, it's hard to know which one this was!

In the car, ready to go "home." Yes, it's true, the kids don't wear seat belts or anything.

Sisters!

Presentation Day

So sorry to keep you waiting! We have had some ups and downs with our internet connection.

Yesterday we got up, had breakfast, went to the ATM, and went to the grocery store. We came back in time for our 9:30am phone call from FANA (the orphanage). We were told that we would be picked up at 11:30. We rested, prayed and ate as we anxiously awaited the time to leave. At 11:30 our driver took us to the orphanage. At FANA we were escorted to the famous "Green Room" where we went over some paperwork and then waited for them to bring Gabriela to us.

~Gerri

Apartment

We really like our apartment. We think that it will fit all of our needs well and especially Gabi's. Here are some pictures.

This is the living room area.

This is the dining room.

Kitchen.

This bedroom has 3 twin beds.

Our bedroom with a crib for Gabi. (Anna is taking her nap!)

This is the view from our balcony. This is a market that is here every Sunday. I can hear a concert going on now. We walked through briefly and saw some really great arts and crafts. I can't wait to go there again.

We feel very safe and the people have been so helpful and kind. We are resting and waiting to hear news about when we might get to meet Gabi tomorrow!

Trip Details

At the airport in Minneapolis. Anna and Daniel watching the airplanes.

Our trip was very good. All of our flights were on-time and we had just enough time between them to rest and stretch. The kids loved the flight from Atlanta to Bogota because each seat had its own touch screen t.v. We all got to pick something different to watch or play. We arrived into Bogota around 8:30pm and went straight to the front of the immigration line (there is a special line for travelers with children). After clearing there, we went to the baggage claim and found a friendly, helpful porter, who showed us right where to go and escorted us straight threw customs. He must have said something good to the officer because he only asked one question and we went right on through! Outside the airport was a massive looking crowd of people waving and shouting, holding signs and asking if we needed a taxi. It was really exciting! We found the driver that had a sign with our name on it and we waited for him to pull up a van to pick us up. The drive to the apartment was even more exciting...we didn't know whether we wanted to look or not, but we got to the apartment safely. More on the apartment next...

~Gerri

We are here!

We arrived safely! We are settling in to our apartment and going to get some sleep. We will write more tomorrow.

At the Airport

Bogota, here we come!

May 5th, 2011 - Final Approval Granted!

Happy Birthday David! As an added bonus to his already fun birthday, we heard late last night that we have our final approval to travel. All the paperwork is waiting for us in Colombia and we should meet Gabriela on Monday! Our hearts are overflowing with thankfulness, joy and excitement! God has been too good to us! We can't tell you all how grateful we are for all the prayer and support that we have received. We have had so much help this past week as we were getting ready to travel. Thank you! We plan to spend the day finishing up on a few details and saying goodbye to our neighbors. Our last meal in the USA will be hamburgers on the grill!

Have a great day!

~Gerri