Washing the Cars

Greg washed the cars with all of the girls on Saturday. At first, Paula was not too sure about it....that is why she is not wearing a bathing suit. I think she didn't know what to expect. They all had a blast! Paula, Tess and Eva stayed out on the driveway for hours after washing the cars just playing with the soapy water and the hose. Here are a few pictures from the afternoon.

A day at the Baltimore Zoo

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at the Baltimore Zoo. We had a great time. Paula LOVES animals and was really looking forward to going to the zoo. I think her favorties were the baby elephant and the leopard.



Paula sitting on a turtle. Greg thought it was real when I showed him the picture...it's not.



The girls sitting in a giant replica of a heron nest.



Hanging out in the oriole nest.



There was a really cool cave to wander through...I think it was Paula's favorite exhibit. When you finally got to the end of the cave, there was an open area with giant bat statues, rocks and crevices to climb around and on. This Paula in the giant bat statue.



Paula really wanted me to take a picture of her on top of the rocks. I was afraid it wouldn't turn out...but I think it might be one of the cutest pictures we have of her so far.



Paula coming down the giant tree slide...it was a big hit (and shaded!)



Paula hiding inside the giant spinning turtle shell.



I don't usually like activities that charge extra, but Paula and our girls loved riding the camel!

We are truly enjoying our time with Paula and the more we get to know her, the more we want to find her forever family. Paula is thoughtful, kind, funny and loving. She really wants to be a part of a family. We have found that she gets great joy out of the everyday rituals of our family. She loves sitting together for meals, saying prayers at bedtime (she has already learned our bedtime prayer in English), playing card games and bike rides with the family. She is an amazing athlete and excels at almost any sport she tries, especially baseball and basketball. We have also found that she wants to learn and experience new things...and will work hard to reach a goal for herself. She came here having never been in a pool and can now swim across (in freestyle) and dive in the deep end. She really is a remarkable girl with a big heart! Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers...we only have 2 more weeks to find her a permanent family!

Front page news

Paula and Isaac made the front page of the The Frederick News Post this morning. It is a very nice article and the pictures are great! You can check it out here.

Take me out to the ball game

We went to the Frederick Keys baseball game last night. All of the kids who attended camp wore their camp t-shirts and paraded around the field before the game. Paula and Tess were picked to be "anthem buddies". They ran out on the field with Miguel Abreu, the second baseman and stood with him during the National Anthem. What a great memory!


During the game, Paula cheered on "numero quince, mi amigo Miguel". At one point, he gave her a game ball over the fence and she was sooo excited. After the game, we had to wait for all of the players to leave the dugout so that Paula could see Miguel. He signed her ball and let me take a picture of them together in his game uniform.


Then, Paula ran the bases with all of the other kids. What a great night! Thanks again Frederick Keys for helping make some amazing memories for a very special little girl!

Put me in coach!

When I asked Paula if there was anything she would like to do while visiting here, her one request was...baseball camp! So, I asked around and luckily, the Frederick Keys baseball camp was this week. Paula and our 7-year-old, Tess went to the camp together. They had an amazing time! Coaches and players from the Frederick Keys, a Class A minor league team here in Frederick work with the kids to teach them the fundamentals of baseball. All of the coaches and players were so good with Paula. I watched them interact with her and they made her feel (whether they realized it or not) like a superstar! Tonight, we are going to watch them play and the kids who attended camp get to parade around the field before the game.


This is Paula with one of the Spanish-speaking players, Miguel Abreu (#15). She is so excited to look for "numero quince" at the game tonight!


Paula with the Frederick Keys pitching coach, Blaine Beatty. He was very kind and was ready to make sure that Paula got her picture taken with some of the players and coaches.


Paula with Richie Hebner, the manager of the Frederick Keys. Paula loved to gather up the baseballs for him and he was also sure to reward her by knocking fists. I saw him do this with many of the other kids, but I think Paula believed it was just for her!


Cassie, Paula and Tess with the Frederick Keys field behind them. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the Frederick Keys team and their baseball camp. I think this will probably end up being the highlight of Paula's trip. Go Keys!!!

Strike!

This past Saturday the Kidsave weekend event was held at Stike Bethesda. It was a really fun event and Paula loved bowling. I think she likes and excels at almost every sport she tries. Paula also really enjoys getting together with the other kids from Colombia. I'm sure it must be nice to spend some time with peers who speak the same language. However, she is very determined to learn English. When interacting with our friends and family, she will ask me how to say something in English so that they can understand her. I can't believe how fast she is picking up common English phrases and words.


Paula and Nixon, another Summer Miracles child, keeping score with our 3 year old, Eva.


This is Paula and Yuri(12). Yuri is also in need of a family and because of her age this may be her last chance to find one. Please help us spread the word about these kids. The more people who see them while they are here, the more likely they will find their forever family. It is not okay...for children to grow up without families!

The next weekend event is this Sunday from 12-3. If you are interested in meeting the kids, please contact me at a.mason73@yahoo.com .

Down by the shore

We took a family trip to Cambridge, Maryland (on the Eastern Shore) for two nights this past week. When we got there, Paula headed straight for the water. Now that she is more comfortable with our family, she loves to experience new things and has such an amazing enthusiasm to learn. We have found that she definitely loves the outdoors!

We never would have guessed it the first week she was here...but Paula loves to be in the water. The girls spent hours in a small blow-up pool in the yard. They definitely communicate through playing...the sillier the better! Here are Cassie and Paula having fun in the pool.

I'm not sure what Madison (our dog) will do when Paula goes back to Colombia. Paula loves animals, especially dogs, and really enjoys taking care of our dog, Madison. She lets her in and out, feeds her, and always makes sure she has enough water. Sometimes Paula just likes to hang out with Madison...and Madison like to hang out with Paula.

Abuelo Pop decided to build a birdhouse with our girls and Paula was right there to help out. She loved helping hammer in the nails.

The more comfortable Paula becomes, the more we get to see her wonderful smile!

We are learning more and more about Paula the more time we spend with her. She is incredibly giving and thoughtful. The other morning she asked me how to say "Buenos dias" in English. I told her "Good Morning" and she walked over the Greg and said, in perfect English, "Good Morning Padrino". Paula is also very athletic. She especially loves baseball and basketball...the boys on our street can't believe how far she can hit a ball! And she has an inner strength that will certainly take her far in life. This week we also saw her silly side...she loves playing jokes and dancing crazy with the girls (when she thinks we aren't watching). All she is missing is a family, in Paula's words, "to love her and make her to feel important".

Keychains for Kidsave!

This picture was taken a few weeks ago before the children arrived from Colombia. Ginny, Cassie and Tess decided to have their own fundraiser for Kidsave. They made keychains out of rubberbands and beads and sold them for $1 each at our neighborhood swim meet. Greg and I were worried about how their fundraiser would be received...they sold all of their keychains, raised $67, and answered many questions about Kidsave and its mission. We are so thankful for the amazing support we have received from all of our neighbors, friends and family!

Pool Party!

We attended the first DC Summer Miracles Weekend Event today. It was a great day, especially for Paula. Paula has not wanted to get in the pool or even wear a swimsuit. Today, she not only got in the pool but loved every minute of it and didn't want to get out! Her cute little personality is coming out more and more each day. Tonight she told me that she wants me to teach her English and was working really hard to imitate me and answer in English when she could. I love the sense of accomplishment on her face when she knows that she used a word correctly. Although we are only just getting to know her, I do know one thing for sure...Paula is an amazing girl with a beautiful smile!

She is here!

Paula's flight arrived at National a little before midnight on Monday night. When we got home, she put on her jammies, brushed her teeth and climbed into bed...I'm sure she was totally exhausted. Before we said "goodnight", I was saying a bedtime prayer with Paula and Tess and Paula said the last line in English after I did, "will keep me safe all through the night". So sweet! She is a very special little girl. Here are some pictures from our first couple of days with her.

Meet the DC Summer Miracle Kids

Colombian kids Kids-DC Metro (2) - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Colombian kids Kids-DC Metro (2)

The DC Summer Miracles community will be hosting and advocating for 8 children from Colombia. They will arrive together on June 30th and will be staying until August 3rd. There are weekend events (where prospective adoptive families can meet the children) scheduled for every weekend they are here. Please let me know if you interested in meeting the children. Please pray that we find loving families to adopt these 8 precious kids!

Getting the word out

An article on Kidsave Summer Miracles was in last week's edition of the Frederick County, MD Gazette. I think the reporter did a great job reporting the facts and generating interest in Kidsave. Several people approached me at our Friday night swim meet to learn more about Paula and about Kidsave because they had read the article in the Gazette. Help us spread the word...because every child needs a family!
You can read the article here ...

Link

A Prayer for those left behind

This is a video made by a 13-year-old girl who came to the US from a Colombian orphanage with Summer Miracles a few years back and was adopted by a family who met her while she was visiting. It may not be the best quality but it is incredibly moving.



"Passion begins with a burden and a split-second moment when you understand something like never before. That burden is on those who know. Those who don't know are at peace. Those of us who do know get disturbed and are forced to take action."
-Wangari Maathai, Kenyan, Nobel Peace Prize winner

It's Official!

We just found out that Paula will be arriving on June 30th just before midnight! Having the actual date makes the anticipation so real. So, she will be arriving at the airport on June 30th and coming home to stay with us for just under 5 weeks. Paula will fly home to Colombia with the other DC community kids bright and early on August 3rd. I already have a sick feeling about saying "goodbye" and I haven't even met her yet.

You Learn Something New Everyday

Trainer: What is your rule about your kids getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom?
Dad in the back: Please do!!!

We had a double training session yesterday to help prepare us for hosting an older child. It actually turned out to be very interesting and informative. There were several things covered that I really hadn't thought that much about. To be honest...because we already have children I didn't think I would need that much preparation. I definitely learned that there are a lot of things we can do to prepare our house and our family for our much anticipated summer visitor.

The above exchange occurred when we were discussing the unwritten rules of the house. I think "please do" would probably be the response of almost everyone I know with children. However, the children coming from orphanages may not be allowed to get up in the middle of the night and use the bathroom without getting permission first. The trainers gave us homework to do together with our children about the unwritten rules and procedures for our daily life and how to introduce those to Paula. When I start to examine the different parts of our day, there are so many things that are unspoken and just expected of our children that Paula will probably not understand. I'm actually looking forward to sitting down with our girls and hearing what they perceive as the expections for our family rituals.

The training provided us with some really useful strategies to help make Paula's stay as stress-free as possible and actually made us even more anxious for her to arrive!

Meet our summer miracle....Paula

Paula is a 10-year-old little girl from a Colombian orphanage. She is described as spotaneous, happy, helpful, sociable and funny. Sharing time with friends brings her great happiness. She loves to play in the park, play outside and go out for trips. She dreams about "having a family who loves her and makes her to feel important'. We can't wait to meet her!

What are your summer plans...do you want to help make miracles happen?

As many of you know, our family has decided to host an orphaned child from Colombia in our home for 5 weeks this summer through the Kidsave Summer Miracles Program. The Kidsave Washington, DC volunteers are in the process of raising $35,000 to bring 7-8 children to the DC area this summer. We are praying that each of these children will find permanent homes with loving families.

But we cannot do it alone, we need your help! There are several different ways that you can ensure that these children find a loving home.

• Please pray for all of the children and volunteers participating in the Summer Miracles program.
• Send a tax-deductible contribution to help with the expenses. Every dollar gets us closer to our goal.
• Spread the word to others who might like to help, especially anyone who might be interested in adopting an older child.
• Get involved with Kidsave as a volunteer. There are a multitude of ways to give your time...as a host family, as a translator, or helping with planning, publicity, or weekend events. If you are interested in volunteering, contact me and I can put you in touch with someone from the Kidsave organization.

Millions of children worldwide are forgotten, growing up without families. They wait and wait for families, and no one ever comes. Children need families or a connection with a stable adult to grow and thrive. The statistics are sobering: of those orphans who are never adopted, one in three will become homeless after leaving the orphanage and one in five will end up in jail. Kidsave works to help these orphans make connections with adults, hopefully to be adopted by a loving family and raise awareness of the plight of institutionalized children.

Whether your support is monetary, time, or simply good thoughts and prayers...anything you give is greatly appreciated.

Your charitable contribution is 100% tax deductible and 100% of your donation will go towards supporting the DC Summer Miracles 2008.

Please make donations payable to Kidsave International with DC Summer Miracles on the memo line. Checks can be mailed to: Kidsave International, PO Box 277587, Atlanta, GA 30384-7587.

You can also donate online by visiting www.kidsave.org. If you use the online donation page, please indicate Washington, DC in the "designation" box on the donation form.

Come back by to hear what happens next in this wonderful adventure!