DAY SIX

Today was yet another adventure. I wish I could tell you all the stuff that has happened, but there is simply not enough time. I already feel like I could write a book about our journey but I guess for now I have children to tend to! We visited the WW2 American Cemetery in Manila. We thought it would be a good idea to see this memorial and point out how Filipinos and Americans served together in the war. It was a beautiful cemetery where 17,000 soldiers are buried. Another 35,000 were listed as part of the memorial. I'm sure it wasn't all that interesting to the kids, but it will be neat to remember that we went there.

After the cemetery came another trip to the mall. Roselyn and I still had some shopping to do and the boys decided to go ice skating. It was a hoot watching the three of them go around in circles on the ice. Neither had been ice skating EVER before but you could not tell by the way they were flying around the rink. They were passing Allen up in no time. It was pretty amazing. Oh, and did I mention that there was NO FEAR at all??!!! I asked Rigo if he fell down. He knew that he had fallen EXACTLY 6 times! I thought that was quite funny.

Roselyn is anxious to get HOME. These days in Manila are good for us, but she is ready to start her new life in the US. I can't blame her. After all, hanging out with 2 brothers and the parents is probably not all that fun for a 15-year-old girl. She has been a real trooper and has made the best of it.

It was back to the guest house, swimming, dinner, Yahtzee, books and bed. Wow! One more day of sightseeing, a final visit to the Inter-Country Adoption Board and we will be on our way back to Minnesota. I talked with Bill Berg a few weeks back about "normal" and how it relates to adoption. I am craving "normal" again and I am anxious to return to it, but it will definitely be a "new normal". I get glimpses of our "new normal" every day now. Everything still seems so new and out of the ordinary, but every once in a while, I have a feeling of calm because I know that this is going to be our "new normal". It will be different for all of us, especially our kids. Our "new normal" pales in comparison to theirs. At the end of every day, I continue to marvel at how well they are doing. There are sad moments, but really, they are taking all of this in stride. I am so proud of them! I am so glad that we will be able to help them to settle in on a NEW NORMAL that is secure.

One last comment about my husband. Well, as you might imagine, he is AMAZING! I get such a kick watching him with the boys and managing our new family beautifully. You should see him! Rodrigo and Romeo love him! What's not to love??? He is patient with them and PLAYS with them all the time!!!! The downside is that he is an "old" father and when 9:30 p.m. rolls around, it's straight to bed for this man! If you know Allen at all, he is definitely a night owl. I think this may cure him once and for all. Thank you again for your prayers and your comments. It is something we look forward to at the end of every day.