Merry Christmas

Hello Blog Friends!!

Merry Christmas!!!

I feel like I have been pretty good about posting at least once a month (with the monthly updates), but I shouldn't just wait until the month is up to post!  Sorry it hasn't been more frequent.  

So, I feel I should just post now, since it's Christmas time.

We have been enjoying celebrating Gambo's First American Christmas.  Our First Christmas as a family of three!  So far, we've watched a Christmas parade… in the freezing cold rain.

Gambo really loved watching all the floats.

And he was enthralled by the marching bands.

Afterwards, we went to pick out a Christmas tree

Then we got to decorate it.  Gambo put the first ornament on the tree.

Which happened to be this:

For the rest of the decorating, he wanted to help out, but he was too busy exploring

and turning ornament holders into pretend cups

One of things we enjoyed getting to put on our tree this year were multicolored paper-bead garlands that we bought in Uganda.  We strung them all around, so that our tree is now a reminder of Uganda.

We also have a few ornaments that help Gambo feel that Christmas is not all about "whiteness," if you know what I mean.

Then Gambo got to help put the star on the tree.

Our tree was complete:

Most importantly, we've been going over the Christmas Story, the true meaning behind why we celebrate Christmas… Jesus Christ coming to earth, being born in a manger, to bring salvation to mankind by living a perfect sinless life and then dying on the cross for all our sins, only to be raised to life again to reign as King.

He has his own nativity set he can play with.

Praise: We got an amazing early Christmas present last week… we have a Court Date scheduled for the finalization of Gambo's adoption!!!  

We will be going to court in January, and then Gambo will officially take on our last name and become a US Citizen!  What a wonderful day it will be. 

Finally, I am reminded this season of the uniqueness and confounding reality of Jesus being born in a manger… He a King, fit to be born in a palace, yet born among dirt, stinky animals, and not even having a bed to sleep in.  Why?  So that He could be the kind of King that could identify with us.  He is not one who was shielded from life, who experienced ease and comfort here on earth, so that when we think of him, we lament that "He doesn't know what it is like for us."  No.  He knows.  He knows so much more than we can imagine.  I also think of Gambo's humbling circumstances, how he started out in this world.  Jesus knows what it was like for him.  Jesus has been through it.  How awesome to have a Savior who knows us and knows all the difficulties that we are facing and will face in life!

Have a wonderful, Christ-filled, Merry Christmas!

Eight Months Home (with pics and video)

We are growing so much as family now… eight months home!!

This month was full of fun times at home, and also a realization that we are full swing into the toddler phase… yikes!

There was lots of crying and fits, but also super sweet and cuddly times.

His new obsession this month is with my tripod!  I guess I started taking a lot more pictures with it (it's a large expandable one), and he goes nuts over it!  Just today I casually mentioned before we left to go somewhere, "Maybe I should bring the tripod…"  All the sudden, Gambo yells, "Pah-Pod!!!!" and starts going crazy for it.  Ha ha!  I have no idea why he likes it so much.

He love to pretend to be like mommy and daddy and sometimes cracks us up:

We are into the NFL football season, and of course he has learned how to say "touchdown!"

The weather has gotten a little cooler here, so of course I had to see how adorable he could get!

When Mark was off work for a little while we went to a local park and enjoyed the scenery,

And local wildlife

What sound does a goose make, Gambo?  HONK!  (Does it sound like momma when she blows her nose?)

UM… I've never been so attacked by waterfowl as I was here:

Time for FIRSTS:


One of best privileges of childhood, Gambo first got to experience this month (check out the video):

Gambo had his first trip to Chipotle (I think he liked it, despite his face here)

We had our first Thanksgiving meal together (It wasn't actually on Thanksgiving, since we decided to travel for Thanksgiving)

Instead, Gambo spent his first Thanksgiving on the beach, in Santa Barbara!

I love getting to watch this cutie pie explore.

Our Road Trip: So, we decided to travel up the Pacific Coast Highway in California for Thanksgiving break.  It was a great road trip and Gambo did really well!

We saw the big old Mission church in Santa Barbara:

I love the mountains in the background

We went to the Monarch Butterfly wintering spot in Pismo Beach (They were hard to photograph, so here's a pic of Gambo and Daddy there)

We walked the streets of San Luis Obispo

Visited the old Mission Church

And discovered a Gum Alley

We had lunch in Cambria (didn't get a picture sorry).

Then drove to Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, where we spotted lots of seals sunning on the beach

As well as a few Elephant Seals… Ugly creatures!

Our coastal drive took us through mountainous scenery right by the beach

We had Gambo all settled in his seat with plenty of distractions.

We arrived in Carmel-by-the-Sea around sunset.

This cute town had lots of shopping

A VERY steep road down to the ocean, which was a pain pushing a stroller up.

So we took a break.

Finally, the best destination was getting to stay and visit with some friends we met in Uganda:

This amazing couple adopted their little boy from the same baby home as our little Gambo.  Our kids knew each other, and we couldn't wait to get them back together again.

Yup, already having fun within minutes of arriving!

We've never seen Gambo open up so quickly to someone, it was amazing!

We spent the day exploring the Santa Cruz/Monterrey area.  We saw the sea lion hangout spot:

Gambo got to see lots of new animals this trip.

We went to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, which was pretty neat

Gambo, loved looking at the fish (and eating a toy shark too!)

His favorite part was probably the touch tanks

You can see the joy on his face

After the aquarium we walked around downtown

And went to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant… a first for all of us.

(By the way, that bench is a reference to the Forrest Gump movie)

Last but not least we caught some cute shots of the boys together

And all of us by the tree

Then we headed back on the long road trip home.

It was a good month, and we are super excited to celebrate Christmas with Gambo this year!

Paperwork Update:
The week before Thanksgiving I was finally able to file our finalization paperwork with the local courts.  It was a very difficult process that I don't wish on anybody, but it is done.  Now, we have to wait for them to assign us a court date for the finalization hearing.

We don't expect a court date until next year (it usually takes a couple of months to get a court date, from what I hear).  We are looking forward to having all the paperwork done!!