Jon and Grandpa Davis getting dessert ready on Thanksgiving day.
Jon and big brother Colin having a good time together while watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Jon and Grandma Davis taking pictures with Luke in the background.
Today was supposed to be the last day of school before Christmas break but we had a big snow storm over night so today is a snowday. I'm all achy from shoveling out the driveway all morning. The snow drifts were up over my knees so that was a lot of snow.
Jon went trick or treating with his friend and our neighbor Ben, They had a great time and gathered mucho dulces. Halloween was a new experience to Jon and he couldn't believe so many people wanted to give him candy. America truly is the land of milk and honey.
Jon had a great birthday. A little overwhelming the first time for someone who grew up in an orphanage (or at least for Jon) He was so excited to get his own Torta with candles and this bus was one of his favorite presents. Thanks to all who helped to make this day special to a special kid.
If I remember right exactly a year ago Kathleen,Luke, Maria, and I were on a plane headed to Bogota Colombia to meet Jon for the first time and take him home with us. Later today I will probably go back and reread some of those early posts to catch some of what I felt at the beginning of this journey. I can tell you now that the feeling that someone has dropped of their kid for us to babysit and forgot to pick him back up has gone away. Even though I have learned more Spanish than he has learned English so far we communicate just fine and we tell each other everyday "I love you." Our love for this child is real and deep and we're sure that it goes both ways. We told Jon just as we told Maria that we were their "forever family" and no matter what, we would love them and take care of them. It's nice then, that we can tell by the twinkle in Jon's eye and the smile on his lips that he thinks that we are special too.
Here is Jon getting doused with water in Spanish and English.
Maria and Jen Brieve sang "Welcome to the Family" together.
The whole day was great. It was nice to have all the grandparents there and many of our friends. Thank you all for making Jon's baptism special.
Jon getting off the school bus. He really loves going to school and when he gets off the bus he always asks if he gets to go back tomorrow.
Maria Cheering at the football game. Go Maroons! Lots of fun for the young girls to be cheerleaders for a night.
Apple picking with Grandma and Grandpa Davis at Crane's Orchard. A Fall tradition. Can't wait to taste those apple pies.
Fun in the pumpkin patch. Waiting for the Great Pumpkin to come.
Tomorrow Jon is going to be baptized and we are having a fiesta to celebrate.
Maria and her cousin Anya at the park having fun.
Mom and Jon Felipe having a discussion or perhaps singing the cow song together.
this is what much of Iowa looks like in July.
We are all doing well, I'll post again soon.
Here we are sitting on the Muskegon channel watching great big freighter pass by, Jon really likes big things like ships and big trucks and buses and airplanes.
Jon and Jacob and Maria in the Fourth of July bike parade around the campground.
On July 11 Kathy flew out to Dordt College to teach a graduate level course in their education program, and Maria Jon and I went to the airport to see her off. We thought that Jon was with the program, that Kathy was going to fly to Iowa alone, and then the rest of the family was going to drive out the next weekend and join her there for the VanTol Family reunion and Scrabble tournament, which was conveniently scheduled for the same venue. While Kathy was in the check in line the rest of us went to look out the windows at the planes landing and taking off. As a small jet pulled into the Northwestern gate I casually mentioned that that must be the plane mom will be on. At that point Jon decided that he needed to get on that plane also, and took off for the security line and the concourse. I intercepted him just before he ducked under the ropes, but then he started yelling that he was going to go with his mom (in Spanish), and I decided it was probably time to take him home. So we went and said good bye to mom who was still checking her luggage, Jon screaming and trying to get away all the while. We then headed for the parking lot and were almost there, when we were stopped by a very nice security guard who was concerned that I appeared to be trying to escape with an Hispanic child who was screaming for his mother. While I am glad that security is good at doing its job, I am not so happy it was me being detained, and of course I didn't bring along any identification documents for Jon or Maria. So security had to pull Kathy out of line and have her identify her family and promise that I wasn't kidnapping her child before any of us could get on our way. Kathy did manage to just make her flight and we made it home and eventually out to Iowa. I will post pictures of that trip soon.
This is the whole family, grandpa and grandma with all the kids and grand kids.
We took these next two pictures on Easter. Maria was the only one who got dressed up though. Colin didn't come home from Calvin until later in the afternoon which is why he is only in the second picture with the snowman or hombre de la nieve we made.
This is Jon showing off his new orthotic brace and regular boy shoes. He was really excited to be able to wear athletic shoes just like everyone else and not his old black leather boots which had become quite worn out. This new brace articulates at the ankle and toe so that he can walk with a more natural gait. We are also having made an orthotic which he will wear at night to keep his foot and ankle tendons from tightening. The goal is to prevent as much foot drop as possible without having to use surgery or botox injections.
We are staying home this Spring break (like usual) which is good because Maria's health has not been good for several weeks now. She has had a cold for a while and a week ago we even took her into the emergency room because she was too weak to get out of bed and stand up. Fortunately she recovered enough during the day so that the doctor let her go home by dinner time, but we increased her mestanon dosage and the frequency of her IVIG infusions. This weekend she came down with strep throat which developed into pneumonia so she is on a strong antibiotic and nebulizer treatments. If her temperature doesn't come down to normal by tomorrow morning she will probably have to go back into the hospital for a steroid treatment and we don't want to do that, so if you read this pray for her to get better.
We adjusted his meds after we saw the Dr. to see if that would have an effect on his seizure frequency. It didn't, but it did cause him to become more moody and aggressive and impulsive, in fact I had to bring him home from school once because of his behavior so we called up the Dr. and they said that was a common side affect of that med. We wish we had know that earlier. So over last weekend which was snowday enhanced we readjusted his meds again and now he is his sweet self again.
This is my Grandma VanTol. Kathleen and I went out to Northwest Iowa recently, flying out of a snowstorm here in Michigan and I spent a few hours with Grandma and My Aunt and Uncle Henny and Joe Van Oort which was fun and I really enjoyed myself. Thanks for being my chauffeurs, I had a good time.
Thanks again.
I'll try to continue to put posts up here occasionally as Jon or our family does interesting things or reaches milestones. Jon did get a certificate in the mail recently signed by President G.W. Bush proclaiming him a U.S. citizen which we thought was nice.
Grandpa and Grandma Davis helping Jon open his Christmas presents.
At another fiesta at Aunt Debbie and Uncle Craig's house. Jon was beginning to think all we did was go to parties by this point.
A picture of the whole family for the new year.
I hope everyone has a safe and blessed new year.
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