tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61208953515661436122024-03-18T19:42:30.808-07:00Lt Col Ned & Megan Biehl RWANDA ADOPTIONThis is the story of our adoption trip to Rwanda! We began this journey back in January of 2008 after Ned's trips to Rwanda with HMX-1. We have now had Josie home with us for one year - what a wonderful-crazy-emotional adventure this has been...
I'd also like to extend my apologies to those of you looking for guidance in adopting from Rwanda. I haven't updated my blog since early 2009 and I'm just now reading your posts!THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-25474035631890034232022-09-30T15:34:00.000-07:002022-09-30T15:34:24.959-07:00<p>How is it 2022 and how is Josie Biehl 14 1/2 years old?</p><p>My last post was four years ago and I find that, like many things in life, time heals many wounds. Josie and our family have grown so much...and perspective is key. We still all have our individual battles to overcome...but life is a process, isn't it? We're all growing and learning every day...doing the best we can to be the best people we can be...</p><p>Our bonds have grown and Josie's ability to attach to those people who are important to her has as well. Family, friends, teachers, coaches...all the folks we hoped would help shape her and have positive impacts on her have been incredible over the past several years. Our family owes our "Village" a huge thanks for this. Baseball teams, soccer teams, basketball teams, Pacific Rim Elementary, Community Montessori of Carlsbad, Sage Creek High...and all the people associated with those groups who have helped shape who Josie is becoming...we are grateful.</p><p>We find ourselves with Jack and Tucker in college now (WT?!?). Max is a sophomore and Josie is a freshman in high school. Jack is studying technical theatre while working at Legoland (his dream them park), Tuck is following his dream of playing baseball in college, Max is playing high school baseball and surfing up a storm...and Josie is playing for Surf Soccer ECNL and hopes to play basketball and soccer for Sage Creek High as well. She just ran for Freshman Class President, we're just awaiting the outcome.</p><p>Part of the message of our story is never give up on your kids AND never compromise your character, morals, house rules and heart just because things get tough. Raising kids is HARD! Keeping a consistent message and providing the foundations of being a good person is so important. We're trying and it's incredible to see glimmers of success as our kids become adults...</p><p>As I write this I need to share that we know many adopted children whose stories are very sad. We are very fortunate that we are where we are with Josie and our family. Sometimes the wounds and issues that adopted kids carry with them are just too much to overcome. Even with the best of people and kindest of families, some kids become victims of their situation. Our hearts go out to those families and those children...<br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mqzCoy1W0t4g_8rvWJZnZtrCf4Jz5qEXlt-MekGpXVREARtrGFdwAcgvjbeiPrN24OQ-lds_oWu3Z6qn-bPWSRNklVXxARSNF9nJyFVa-Y_mdWd3LyxvDYd4fvVbsNq1ERGKdCTLi4aRWM0_DHZ5Sy_Nrdms-FP1dwIFb6dCQgVJz4gHnOwdutPc/s3840/340A2070-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="3840" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mqzCoy1W0t4g_8rvWJZnZtrCf4Jz5qEXlt-MekGpXVREARtrGFdwAcgvjbeiPrN24OQ-lds_oWu3Z6qn-bPWSRNklVXxARSNF9nJyFVa-Y_mdWd3LyxvDYd4fvVbsNq1ERGKdCTLi4aRWM0_DHZ5Sy_Nrdms-FP1dwIFb6dCQgVJz4gHnOwdutPc/s320/340A2070-4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRwrx2UhP0Se9tcEoHxRJANfaJt849d9MDq4gwFsnCB1kMsA9sEFodMrJuaPcll7q_mxz9iUmKKydu41WJ_JwaBSY5JyJOnhATc1AiRvfQHi3epDNWl8r7t43DoXFVKM3KmcOPiylEmbwe0uRnJiUYPW7YZaSUToF5WyV-vV3psAJLRiFfVER2yrq/s5675/IMG_0183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5675" data-original-width="3783" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRwrx2UhP0Se9tcEoHxRJANfaJt849d9MDq4gwFsnCB1kMsA9sEFodMrJuaPcll7q_mxz9iUmKKydu41WJ_JwaBSY5JyJOnhATc1AiRvfQHi3epDNWl8r7t43DoXFVKM3KmcOPiylEmbwe0uRnJiUYPW7YZaSUToF5WyV-vV3psAJLRiFfVER2yrq/w226-h340/IMG_0183.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAz3PAYt57NmFSA41YSA5scEy83b-dR5sgPv8e_lQulOhrac81UUTQamIPpavk69DLFBEQfHhcskbpNQW3lCDDil9WmcEQI7nv0U6MxWeUx2BFsViEsHIseAUi_rvI4cSsmTNDkQxyWstXaFDzv-01jD0O1bJgOuueK82cOo67QDUW47g6x9l3Xte/s2048/IMG_2356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAz3PAYt57NmFSA41YSA5scEy83b-dR5sgPv8e_lQulOhrac81UUTQamIPpavk69DLFBEQfHhcskbpNQW3lCDDil9WmcEQI7nv0U6MxWeUx2BFsViEsHIseAUi_rvI4cSsmTNDkQxyWstXaFDzv-01jD0O1bJgOuueK82cOo67QDUW47g6x9l3Xte/s320/IMG_2356.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSItem4nR-9WfgsDZI1svrMChe1ZrWvPs0p8oaJGwdMKRgnpDIy0UfifAOZPEwyuA8FPz-5n76JYgBT2F0nTq3tXdnPvEXQEid7koXHYnZmsicxyl29htvtfwptZB9SwsaE0lwNBcvyT1LXC270KlaqNpQKaox2NUaBNsR6tst9REw2fAhjbYTtlp/s2048/IMG_1281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="2048" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSItem4nR-9WfgsDZI1svrMChe1ZrWvPs0p8oaJGwdMKRgnpDIy0UfifAOZPEwyuA8FPz-5n76JYgBT2F0nTq3tXdnPvEXQEid7koXHYnZmsicxyl29htvtfwptZB9SwsaE0lwNBcvyT1LXC270KlaqNpQKaox2NUaBNsR6tst9REw2fAhjbYTtlp/s320/IMG_1281.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><p></p><br />THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-82510001456530685612018-06-05T12:42:00.001-07:002022-09-30T13:22:44.225-07:00My what a difference a few years can make. To say that we've been overwhelmed with the issues that stem from Josie's early life before us would be the ultimate understatement. Wow.<br />
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After four years of reading books, blogs and websites...meeting with psychologists, family counselors, psychiatrists, eating disorder specialists, a hypnotherapist and two biofeedback specialists we have come to this; Josie suffers from an attachment disorder.<br />
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Sadly, this makes it very hard for her to bond with us, but probably more so with friends and teachers. She has a low sense of consequence, self preservation and one of her attachments is to food. So far no therapies or consequences have helped at this point. We just keep trying to help her understand the idea of a healthy body, a healthy spirit and a healthy mind. Our family bond is growing and I think that's where we'll find growth in her attachments.<div>
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Josie also suffers from some cognitive gaps/losses just due to not learning anything for her first eleven months of life. She has done well in school until this year where some of the missing layers of information are now needed in fourth grade. It is sometimes difficult for her to apply what she has learned to everyday life with cognitive connection. Again, we are just trying to instill our values and expectations with a huge emphasis on understanding empathy and connections. We are learning to layer-in information so that it's not lost on her if she learns it just once.<br />
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Her saving grace has been soccer. She is the starting keeper for a pre-academy team with a great soccer club. On the soccer field she can just be herself without the temptations her issues present in other environments. We try to keep her engaged in soccer as much as we can. She would honestly play every day if she could! Not once have we had to ask her to get ready or find her uniform...she is always excited to play soccer. Thank goodness.<br />
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I remember reading posts like this...there were only a few back in 2008...and wondering why the parents couldn't figure out how to help or change or "fix" these kinds of issues with their adopted children. The sad reality is that some of the trauma that these children face at such a young age can take a lifetime to work through. There are options to help them with techniques to work through daily life. But the simple fact is that babies need parents and they need them especially in the first year of life. Josie's issues will follow her for her entire life. Even when she's an adult and old enough to decide the kind of person she wants to be, it will take conscious positive daily choices to fight her battles.<br />
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Josie was eleven months old when we met her. From what I know now, I wish we could have brought her home at 6 months (the youngest age the US will allow due to HIV testing). Her orphanage did the best they could. But even passing babies around from caregiver to caregiver in an orphanage environment is damaging by not allowing any bonding to occur. No stimuli, no inputs, no creeping, no crawling, no songs, no books, no "puppies & kitties are cute," no "ouch, it's hot," no options to learn empathy (you made Susie sad), no "that's not yours, please give it back," really there was just nothing but being held while she ate...and that's what she learned of love.<br />
<br />Right now she is in a four month biofeedback program with the goal of helping create new nerve connections to balance her brain functions from survival mode to happy existence mode. I will be interested to see what progress we can make. My thanks in advance to InnerOptimal Biofeedback for showing such love and true hope for change for Josie.<br />
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I remain hopeful at this point, but I've seen years of therapies come and go without significant change in her behavior. This is just something new to try in our attempts to both help her and teach her new and positive ways of living. My gut tells me that this will be a lifelong lesson in how to be the best person she can be on a daily basis. She will need family, friends, teachers and coaches to help her along this journey.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWL9ExTHM04CB9Rn6xiKdc4c9cdYOKWhRSMOpufsfkmVOdgzSp50eihdbz-0OXWxuYYMmBVpwSw3qotFRvK2MYlF_IQt6eL8Kh5pSr8yOmEYErOUVCGfqZyBLBJ6ZJNZIHG4s--o744BkoRMHYC7lQT2dlBiW0tmfdU3xN5MYzCvkb_oxaUTMUkHnz/s1284/IMG_8069%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="916" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWL9ExTHM04CB9Rn6xiKdc4c9cdYOKWhRSMOpufsfkmVOdgzSp50eihdbz-0OXWxuYYMmBVpwSw3qotFRvK2MYlF_IQt6eL8Kh5pSr8yOmEYErOUVCGfqZyBLBJ6ZJNZIHG4s--o744BkoRMHYC7lQT2dlBiW0tmfdU3xN5MYzCvkb_oxaUTMUkHnz/s320/IMG_8069%20(1).jpeg" width="228" /></a></div></div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-49897210017804222132014-04-15T14:45:00.000-07:002014-04-15T14:45:12.488-07:00Josie Turns 6!<div style="text-align: center;">
Wow!</div>
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I'm not sure how time has passed this quickly. 2014 began with Josie turning 6 years old!</div>
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She is quite a sharp young lady who is an avid reader and writer already. Josie was also just selected for a competitive Girls U7 soccer team.</div>
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I had hoped when we started this adventure and blog in 2008 to be diligent about recording the goings-on of our family. But I'll be honest - it's nuts around here - and we love it! With four children we happily find ourselves on the go most of the time.</div>
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My hope is to pop in and say hey when we have a moment of down time...or perhaps for big events...</div>
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Thanks for following along patiently!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaVJF-NeZIxgFmzFn5mlS2Lo038Tc_sWtKxHxeoBGjwPF2ToHxFCxd7Ap0dRhkKNLPe9uyt-Cym1SQFnONLBA4TdpK0ept0CKVVC66pVJ1B23McuuhcG3Fz_8BS8o1NCPUbow_12wJpc/s1600/josiesoccer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaVJF-NeZIxgFmzFn5mlS2Lo038Tc_sWtKxHxeoBGjwPF2ToHxFCxd7Ap0dRhkKNLPe9uyt-Cym1SQFnONLBA4TdpK0ept0CKVVC66pVJ1B23McuuhcG3Fz_8BS8o1NCPUbow_12wJpc/s1600/josiesoccer.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-25774045072545645102009-11-16T22:47:00.000-08:002009-11-16T22:47:10.119-08:00Josie found her joy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHJ5jceor5rmLgMMY0QLLrhl_o8Mv3vU_-ZSW0cduZbyOI-s-E9JdOkXtG-50x3EBNrY8bt2g2YVLOyCcKBTGyemvrgxnfF3YIeBQQnV4CIlGKRpuWBcJjQ4KbC8V8UGxwuby0dxN1VM/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHJ5jceor5rmLgMMY0QLLrhl_o8Mv3vU_-ZSW0cduZbyOI-s-E9JdOkXtG-50x3EBNrY8bt2g2YVLOyCcKBTGyemvrgxnfF3YIeBQQnV4CIlGKRpuWBcJjQ4KbC8V8UGxwuby0dxN1VM/s320/IMG_0835.JPG" yr="true" /></a>We've been asking Josie to "find her joy" ever since bringing her home. She loves the ocean and it was the only thing she didn't have a fear of when we first introduced her to it.<br />
</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-12196651670011462442009-11-16T22:42:00.000-08:002009-11-16T22:42:28.198-08:00Camp Pendleton Beach Aug '09<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURCXHNZ2tqnbfPJK1SzT3l5Hb4bEH8Mw31EIyOawLK-YgsTZ6ALGDDR5RW-epNQ0Y33YGegXLX-DeyiRUXN8RBm_nfhRWrk2oG2jD2D4sgrT4evYsjuvhvDEnCeGoPpoOlJ-g5aFinF0/s1600/IMG_0817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURCXHNZ2tqnbfPJK1SzT3l5Hb4bEH8Mw31EIyOawLK-YgsTZ6ALGDDR5RW-epNQ0Y33YGegXLX-DeyiRUXN8RBm_nfhRWrk2oG2jD2D4sgrT4evYsjuvhvDEnCeGoPpoOlJ-g5aFinF0/s320/IMG_0817.JPG" yr="true" /></a>Camping at the beach the weekend before school started!<br />
</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-86232415356335329332009-11-16T22:38:00.001-08:002009-11-16T22:38:45.984-08:00With Nanny & Pompa in NC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFB8W-vkiV0qhkZHpJR4j0NgMi81PeJXfXnEd7jDlN-QPMI5DE4C1qysa3Wfw5-Ap33XMMGkZLhnb7xBwe6AXAS-4sH_2qw_XFs92V2MeV9xbEAB4JKBYnmPvhV-c_2-Ke7V6R6TuAdg/s1600/IMG_0715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFB8W-vkiV0qhkZHpJR4j0NgMi81PeJXfXnEd7jDlN-QPMI5DE4C1qysa3Wfw5-Ap33XMMGkZLhnb7xBwe6AXAS-4sH_2qw_XFs92V2MeV9xbEAB4JKBYnmPvhV-c_2-Ke7V6R6TuAdg/s320/IMG_0715.JPG" yr="true" /></a><br />
</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-60014354379715249752009-11-16T22:35:00.001-08:002009-11-16T22:36:30.835-08:00Finding her joy...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZLZXmxIwFNIziDh7GngtIbEqn8rNpy5ZbEqhaVGZPvkCpQ-MgdPtIHVjNWfRiJRA1c4dRSbCFqPEiHgHUTDGVS0mfathzAmiYycqbS95NwjtQeolTBaUjy3Nx3dHHvzJV0nCDGQz8L4/s1600/IMG_0686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZLZXmxIwFNIziDh7GngtIbEqn8rNpy5ZbEqhaVGZPvkCpQ-MgdPtIHVjNWfRiJRA1c4dRSbCFqPEiHgHUTDGVS0mfathzAmiYycqbS95NwjtQeolTBaUjy3Nx3dHHvzJV0nCDGQz8L4/s320/IMG_0686.JPG" yr="true" /></a>Water park in NC this summer...<br />
</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-20267113657293227552009-11-16T22:32:00.001-08:002009-11-16T22:32:26.130-08:00Ned returns from Iraq - June 11th '09<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcr_jvvn7cN13CegST3jSOVVlA-LdI1GsVnz1aO_ZjbER309MdkXE70jY9Df0zwJFWrlPXzq5u0mDm6mi9iM7CNxLknUIzVCG8XpHBjAQ7E3YJSzVB4LpEses_QUuBU_ZggwgMSJC2fY/s1600/IMG_0246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcr_jvvn7cN13CegST3jSOVVlA-LdI1GsVnz1aO_ZjbER309MdkXE70jY9Df0zwJFWrlPXzq5u0mDm6mi9iM7CNxLknUIzVCG8XpHBjAQ7E3YJSzVB4LpEses_QUuBU_ZggwgMSJC2fY/s320/IMG_0246.JPG" yr="true" /></a><br />
</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-44798076801702121162009-11-16T22:28:00.000-08:002009-11-16T22:28:31.768-08:00Yikes! It's been a year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VGx6tdSVQlWZSsvtIydO0qCa3N-RAdnpBQPPTwbtasN6R-dOFs_nNZ_ceu052XNeYyR7dU8bdQj8JYqOCsuZr_jXku0l290de8ed_prVmRUd9TEX_3BmAhDBLRguRN89jDme0s8zqPA/s1600/IMG_0848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VGx6tdSVQlWZSsvtIydO0qCa3N-RAdnpBQPPTwbtasN6R-dOFs_nNZ_ceu052XNeYyR7dU8bdQj8JYqOCsuZr_jXku0l290de8ed_prVmRUd9TEX_3BmAhDBLRguRN89jDme0s8zqPA/s320/IMG_0848.JPG" yr="true" /></a><br />
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I feel this crazy need to back-track a bit... How has it been one year since we came home with our daughter and how has this blog avoided me for almost as long?! <br />
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The Reader's Digest version follows (that's actually an impossibility for those of you who know me!): <br />
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We returned to the USA with Josie two days before Halloween 2008. Our dear friends, the Bouchers, hosted us for Thanksgiving. Ned left on December 7th for a 6-month tour in Iraq. My mom and Bill spent a great Christmas with us while Ned joined via Skype from Iraq.<br />
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The New Year (2009) came and went with Josie battling giardia and only what I can call the "snots." Every day was filled with several bouts of diarrhea (seriously 5-8 times per day, in her crib, in the car, at the park, in her pj's) and four-inch long green snots shooting from the depths of her lungs.<br />
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SIDE NOTE: There's a certain level of fantasy that comes along with pre-adoption. Imagining a child instantly bonding with you, needing you and loving you is common. Most of us know that most internationally adopted children will have health issues. My husband and I are realists; we knew that this adoption would come with some hard knocks. Let me just say that the reality of having an adopted child in your home from Africa hits like more than the ton of bricks we were expecting. Snug down your hard hats, tighten up your flak jacket and pull up your boot-straps kids! The ride is 150% worth it, but it's downright crazy!<br />
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I ran my own little physical therapy camp with Josie. She had never learned to even crawl at 10 months of age. With the boys, we practiced crawling, we did strength exercises, we mastered standing and we read as many books as we could to reinforce her language skills (English wasn't spoken in her room other than by the occasional missionary passing through). She began walking at 13 months and she started talking by 18 months in full-blown English. Josie continues to be a chatterbox and talks in almost full sentences...she won't be two until January 2nd, 2010! We're constantly blown away by how smart this little lady is.<br />
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Fortunately Josie finally beat the giardia in May and that was the first month I recall having a "normal," healthy little girl. Her improved health changed her demeanor and she really started to come out of her shy shell at that point. Now we were seeing a smiling, funny, much more adventurous Josie!<br />
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Also in May, a wonderful new friend I met through her failed first-adoption attempt in Rwanda received the incredible news that she was in fact going to be the mother of a Rwandan boy from Mother Teresa's orphanage. She brought him home in June!<br />
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Ned came home from Iraq on June 11th (the kids' last day of school) - Thank Goodness!<br />
We spent a few weeks getting everyone reaquainted and then traveled to OH, IN and NC to visit family and friends for three weeks. It was fantastic for Ned (and for the bonding process) to be able to come home to a cute, sweet, funny and chatty little girl.<br />
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Summer was filled with days at the pool, the beach, Legoland and with friends. <br />
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Did I mention that throughout this entire time my dad was battling a strange form of cancer called follicular lymphoma? I'm thrilled to say that after a year of chemotherapy, radiation and emotional turmoil, he's CANCER FREE! Awesome battle, Daddio!<br />
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September 2009 found us up against a time-line we weren't even aware existed. The US Marine Corps will help reimburse families for some of the cost of an adoption as long as the request is submitted within one year of the final adoption AND if the family has re-adopted the child in their state of residence in the US. Our adoption was final on Oct 17th, 2008 - egad. Ned was due to leave for six weeks of desert training on September 28th, the kids were starting school Sept 2nd and our post-adoption placement study and update to our home-study weren't complete.<br />
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Talk about crazy - somehow we pulled everything off in time! The re-adoption allowed us to officially change Josie's name from Alliette Henriette Ntakirutiman to Josie Alliette Biehl and most importantly, it provides Josie with a California birth certificate. Amazing!<br />
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This Halloween was a repeat of last year with a majority of us as Star Wars characters and a couple deserters who went with Transformers :)<br />
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A barrage of somewhat chronilogical pics will follow all of this. So much for the Reader's Digest version, eh?! Now we find ourselves in November and looking forward to spending the holidays with Ned this year.<br />
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I hope to do a better job of keeping up with this blog - and with all of you who have so kindly taken the ride with us...THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-12221702766731042292008-12-28T23:36:00.000-08:002008-12-28T23:52:16.089-08:00Hanging with the boys<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWoy39qrdgW9sYta8WjobjiFHN26zovH4yua0CP_M_kR42DpaWMMZdgEvqkqnt0kb0q36v-Pi7mnGjRwTPyUKtdwYysm9EfFRT7P8tKlIjFdHWXGCIf4O8L5jL8pop-P4Agz0imWAbm9M/s1600-h/Beach+Family+Pics+2008+019.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285116544964630418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWoy39qrdgW9sYta8WjobjiFHN26zovH4yua0CP_M_kR42DpaWMMZdgEvqkqnt0kb0q36v-Pi7mnGjRwTPyUKtdwYysm9EfFRT7P8tKlIjFdHWXGCIf4O8L5jL8pop-P4Agz0imWAbm9M/s320/Beach+Family+Pics+2008+019.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AMO5ilyPkrRantqVUI04GJEK2bw0t3Rc9RT4hMWPJRznQxTeTq2SrVUl2W7-KyZtD6s0tQb78OAwc1CreUmEQGEnrHhUuOHsU_bd1JX3MGEQfhahpziq2O1SzakYy1kwmE69ylEUsxU/s1600-h/Beach+Family+Pics+2008+062.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285115762387265522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AMO5ilyPkrRantqVUI04GJEK2bw0t3Rc9RT4hMWPJRznQxTeTq2SrVUl2W7-KyZtD6s0tQb78OAwc1CreUmEQGEnrHhUuOHsU_bd1JX3MGEQfhahpziq2O1SzakYy1kwmE69ylEUsxU/s320/Beach+Family+Pics+2008+062.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-71165240535454192082008-12-28T23:23:00.000-08:002008-12-28T23:34:35.997-08:00Some of our favorites<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhZMZsDGI9lN_tP7vCWdy_MYA4RFeEdf1qIpS9ZMKtuqYn7kp6gZWx79pHKa62-FTAYKiPR11Q3E1rh38Q3JHuUxau7SmUu0woH-JhGZg-ZyV_ANQWCnJZapkxYcCYdYlfFMwJU3RWIc/s1600-h/IMG_1371.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 112px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285111695264079682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhZMZsDGI9lN_tP7vCWdy_MYA4RFeEdf1qIpS9ZMKtuqYn7kp6gZWx79pHKa62-FTAYKiPR11Q3E1rh38Q3JHuUxau7SmUu0woH-JhGZg-ZyV_ANQWCnJZapkxYcCYdYlfFMwJU3RWIc/s200/IMG_1371.JPG" /></a> Not sure how these will show...but here goes: Our little friend, David who was in most of our pics from the orphanage always standing, the girls who take care of the babies, Gilbert & Shitowa with Meg & Josie, and two cuties from Mother Teresa's.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTg9Xbi3qdrBAvWWGwVhcVHsxmBJUu7Nq_f26PuTNk-svpbMvcSNHqefHGfizLx2d0P3A1hs1FxEdOXGqPj6xhWB1dOp1lIvb60-uRPd3uAfUFKbxzwFuyHjDa7Z9_Uz_Gq-0nDTWBOWI/s1600-h/IMG_9503.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285111368935148210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTg9Xbi3qdrBAvWWGwVhcVHsxmBJUu7Nq_f26PuTNk-svpbMvcSNHqefHGfizLx2d0P3A1hs1FxEdOXGqPj6xhWB1dOp1lIvb60-uRPd3uAfUFKbxzwFuyHjDa7Z9_Uz_Gq-0nDTWBOWI/s200/IMG_9503.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1e42pMBC3e_Z5sK50ejXEa0lc2HSYbUgHQ2SehrzXpFMXAJHMAMtwWZcRnxIZSULXhP6tlXDS7LIJlRwEDd4ZCmp3W7rh8gWwhqRa3oSxWcPj_dHueIdOhO37deTL9KLEIB2Rgm6r2DU/s1600-h/IMG_9469.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285110236948279698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1e42pMBC3e_Z5sK50ejXEa0lc2HSYbUgHQ2SehrzXpFMXAJHMAMtwWZcRnxIZSULXhP6tlXDS7LIJlRwEDd4ZCmp3W7rh8gWwhqRa3oSxWcPj_dHueIdOhO37deTL9KLEIB2Rgm6r2DU/s200/IMG_9469.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZZzdCHo6NQfGGy9lAStXekb7Y8Iy1EYJQ33kLLjCC5qZlrbWcPmS2vWuovZNRxzyoJbJ22CYsD38vEUUesrYf-z0PiExdn67M7TPJECcjjbC_yey0Be8TF1gTFlLoMR7aY9ttPo8oFc/s1600-h/IMG_1361.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 112px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285109574526071346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZZzdCHo6NQfGGy9lAStXekb7Y8Iy1EYJQ33kLLjCC5qZlrbWcPmS2vWuovZNRxzyoJbJ22CYsD38vEUUesrYf-z0PiExdn67M7TPJECcjjbC_yey0Be8TF1gTFlLoMR7aY9ttPo8oFc/s200/IMG_1361.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-28463043869230418312008-12-28T22:48:00.000-08:002008-12-28T23:22:10.953-08:00Christmas Day 2008Christmas morning! Maybe a little overwhelming, but thanks to family and friends, Josie has a wonderful first Christmas :)<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJLHcxcxsIj0yYobag7Y4Wy26pZ1nv7347xRipLkkenhtFTbC1gatkW4dqRA2AyG9qU5RP9rRBOvDJPXdrMWG7fxvzKRhXkaxi0fC1Ylxd3f1svj_3fli89LAhqIyaoKSvqtGeyHgEJk/s1600-h/December+2008+027.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285101280930909890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJLHcxcxsIj0yYobag7Y4Wy26pZ1nv7347xRipLkkenhtFTbC1gatkW4dqRA2AyG9qU5RP9rRBOvDJPXdrMWG7fxvzKRhXkaxi0fC1Ylxd3f1svj_3fli89LAhqIyaoKSvqtGeyHgEJk/s320/December+2008+027.jpg" /></a><br /></div></div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-70108945871645751002008-12-28T22:34:00.000-08:002008-12-28T22:46:56.097-08:00HALLOWEEN 2008<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-iOGTAEceWdY-VGje5qssFtgTZlcdVkzSiE8G06e0in-a0WC1Qs0iFlEvKiiEbybShU97x8q1Kw3kPcLsYZx-5tMauNIVxLW71JOhndSE35JssQeXsVMSf9yGx4AEE5yoEyFGxeasnw/s1600-h/DSC00864.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285098663598736946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-iOGTAEceWdY-VGje5qssFtgTZlcdVkzSiE8G06e0in-a0WC1Qs0iFlEvKiiEbybShU97x8q1Kw3kPcLsYZx-5tMauNIVxLW71JOhndSE35JssQeXsVMSf9yGx4AEE5yoEyFGxeasnw/s320/DSC00864.JPG" /></a> Little did this little lady know that she would be home with us just in time for Halloween. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Biehl</span> Boys had decided on a Star Wars <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">halloween</span> (again)...and thanks to a couple of wigs from Ned's sister, Princess Leia and Darth had mini-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">me's</span>!THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-68832873943472151582008-12-28T22:23:00.000-08:002008-12-28T22:33:20.649-08:00Welcome to San Diego! 10-29-2008<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMw_UcA35cJNP2fviX6xjsBm__N0Z8O1Zc5pfBolYbtHCLkmLg7BAcVAclfuhW_dto3BITUAU1Txf4Uj2qvdK70ALEQI-uxA3Fabqwxa96Ugv-8YzQthSOd6KcGaQE3G-gGZyWI5wdim0/s1600-h/DSC00812.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285095692445894258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMw_UcA35cJNP2fviX6xjsBm__N0Z8O1Zc5pfBolYbtHCLkmLg7BAcVAclfuhW_dto3BITUAU1Txf4Uj2qvdK70ALEQI-uxA3Fabqwxa96Ugv-8YzQthSOd6KcGaQE3G-gGZyWI5wdim0/s320/DSC00812.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Tucker is instantly in love with Miss Josie <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Alliette</span>. Ned's parents met us at the airport with all three boys - decked in adorable "I love my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">little</span> sister" shirts from the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boucher</span> family. We were thrilled to see family and SO THANKFUL to be back in the USA!</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-70542590504066175532008-12-28T22:09:00.000-08:002009-11-16T21:15:06.901-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdj8Nwd4tmZNjkhdFy03UX6OMmxFJw1AZEi_o0ZdrN71PK2h-xE0uTHHIL3Telr4w4mY7pQYBEic3kXXEU3wob6XSSQC1jqHPQnQG2kccnGR0IEVBFxAKrKQy0Sl-vF7ByP-hzMdHgOEE/s1600-h/IMG_9543.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285091012984910834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdj8Nwd4tmZNjkhdFy03UX6OMmxFJw1AZEi_o0ZdrN71PK2h-xE0uTHHIL3Telr4w4mY7pQYBEic3kXXEU3wob6XSSQC1jqHPQnQG2kccnGR0IEVBFxAKrKQy0Sl-vF7ByP-hzMdHgOEE/s320/IMG_9543.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 214px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<div>One final bright spot as we prepared to leave Ethiopia...the Ethiopian Olympic men's gold and women's silver medal winners in the 5000 and 10,000 meter races were married at our hotel. Olympians in Ethiopia are superstars and millionaires. The ceremony was beautiful...it started at another hotel for breakfast and brunch and then came to our hotel for dinner and the final celebration with a mini-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bellagio</span> style water display. <br />
</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-71286151058624779522008-12-28T21:58:00.000-08:002008-12-28T22:09:13.449-08:00Haves and Have Nots<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNLZgdZuUy-Iv51D42wprSX-X34V0ytkIePW79IUBHl1GHljpIfDZzx8QSZyOHgMTgm0nzVJysogTsJqAltt2TQoUUMbrEx7D2no3yRajbLtLqGQW-_9nZRBYPnIe28t9sB_MQ2x1htI/s1600-h/IMG_9507.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285088407071355570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNLZgdZuUy-Iv51D42wprSX-X34V0ytkIePW79IUBHl1GHljpIfDZzx8QSZyOHgMTgm0nzVJysogTsJqAltt2TQoUUMbrEx7D2no3yRajbLtLqGQW-_9nZRBYPnIe28t9sB_MQ2x1htI/s320/IMG_9507.JPG" /></a> The hotel we stayed in was gorgeous and ridiculous against the poverty that surrounded it.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgil9NGxIxxYGe2Lu-1dT4LfTMhHegFhOfpoCDSoi410UPB8OWlUhW_3lm3dq4NqtbVbI8Gjntqmhy3_27t_BKRO7qzINkomVEcn7_jkAXDXQdKJujk2u0NXNApp9Spd00wVnRA27AfUWc/s1600-h/IMG_9508.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285087929475520002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgil9NGxIxxYGe2Lu-1dT4LfTMhHegFhOfpoCDSoi410UPB8OWlUhW_3lm3dq4NqtbVbI8Gjntqmhy3_27t_BKRO7qzINkomVEcn7_jkAXDXQdKJujk2u0NXNApp9Spd00wVnRA27AfUWc/s320/IMG_9508.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Just outside the wall of our hotel was the water and waste facility...there were people living in the tire dump that bumped up against the outbuildings. Very sad and surreal. </div></div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-9550701939457983852008-12-28T21:03:00.000-08:002008-12-28T21:42:22.568-08:00Addis Ababa, EthiopiaAfter a week in Kigali, Rwanda, we arrive in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Addis</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ababa</span>, Ethiopia. It would be an understatement to say that there is a stark difference between<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeLwh7pohZEABZi1T2G2EsYyhkp0TWRBVayO-aOVriTnUO8j4V1SVQKyPfy6Tn16MS3LJ2LkdG_TKIbNdidep71s0TI6Zu58EJObbpNgvFoghnLkYn6bphRl7iQpUSbvG8gMrqPu5i2c/s1600-h/IMG_9506.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285074022938750562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeLwh7pohZEABZi1T2G2EsYyhkp0TWRBVayO-aOVriTnUO8j4V1SVQKyPfy6Tn16MS3LJ2LkdG_TKIbNdidep71s0TI6Zu58EJObbpNgvFoghnLkYn6bphRl7iQpUSbvG8gMrqPu5i2c/s320/IMG_9506.JPG" /></a> the two cities. The entire population of Rwanda is about 10 million people; the city of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Addis</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ababa</span> alone has 3 million people.<br /><div> </div><div>There's no doubt that Ethiopia has an incredible history...but it's honestly the dirtiest, smelliest and most void of humanity place we've ever seen. </div><div> </div><div>Signs of polio and other diseases run rampant on the streets - people with twisted limbs, dragging body parts on the rock plagued sidewalks...we actually saw a man with a hole in his thigh the size of a grapefruit. No one even noticed this man and I could only imagine that at home dozens of people would be calling 911 or offering to help him. The disparity between the "haves" and "have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">nots</span>" was unimaginable.</div><div> </div><div>While stopped outside a tin-roofed shack that was an average grocery store, a woman was emptying buckets onto the edge of the street. It was on the third bucket that I realized she was dumping human waste - and this seemed pretty commonplace even in the city.</div><div> </div><div>Every taxi ride began with a crazy set of arguing over the price of the ride and everyone knew someone that could take us somewhere, show us something, sell us something - egad.</div><div> </div><div>We found a few shiny spots in some compassionate folks at the US Embassy, a pediatrician from Poland who examined <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Alliette</span> on the spot and lovely man at our hotel who offered to drive us around the city to find some gifts.</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-43177174358452589552008-12-28T21:00:00.000-08:002008-12-28T21:02:27.048-08:00Goodbye Home of Hope<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBrOUkOK0lWARc978n_uDjAd2_kw_aIP0OPnsAf805ePLo76E4pKfhJi4ooVAcBJRDPCe86cIi7Hrchud56gme2o7IML6j20hiqi0qeZlZmcbBDX1K4AjvwTPQdoZ_-8Rym4pdgZ1mMs/s1600-h/IMG_9474.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285072808949614626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBrOUkOK0lWARc978n_uDjAd2_kw_aIP0OPnsAf805ePLo76E4pKfhJi4ooVAcBJRDPCe86cIi7Hrchud56gme2o7IML6j20hiqi0qeZlZmcbBDX1K4AjvwTPQdoZ_-8Rym4pdgZ1mMs/s320/IMG_9474.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Literally at the gate - leaving!!!</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-32676502746605407702008-12-28T19:57:00.000-08:002008-12-28T20:09:24.878-08:00Wednesday, Oct 22nd - Alliette leaves orphanageThis is a surreal day. Our paperwork is complete and we were able to take Alliette out of the orphange as our daughter today. One would think that the sisters or especially the young women that care for these babies would be sad to see a child leave. But these women have the purest of intentions and they were so happy to see Alliette go into the arms of a mother and father. We've never experienced anything like this!<br /><br />On the left of the picture is Sister Graciase (like the Mother Superior) and on the right is Sister Allison who has worked with us since meeting Ned on day one.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieK1AVJjYM-aL5UbJMMMzYOZhlQTSmCeGjgDLHT6jfDL4pcO7TK_7nEujpAuNQqoY8VjTLm2_BuRUQ7NolmRMy1gRx4b1BlAyapmx251_gQKWmXFCvLqO7nuj0TCkWAat_yQJu_pQYTkk/s1600-h/IMG_9471.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285056949740491506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieK1AVJjYM-aL5UbJMMMzYOZhlQTSmCeGjgDLHT6jfDL4pcO7TK_7nEujpAuNQqoY8VjTLm2_BuRUQ7NolmRMy1gRx4b1BlAyapmx251_gQKWmXFCvLqO7nuj0TCkWAat_yQJu_pQYTkk/s320/IMG_9471.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-36848826528771784672008-12-28T19:46:00.000-08:002008-12-28T19:56:24.760-08:00Dr. Agnes Binagwaho<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlyXQCY8WNFvc3TCUsO7x6H4un6ERTm1qxoU1ZmnGtomGt5oVR-ZCK9X4O6RFzbimr8GwvZqmwRY4_gZOd5ucbzuHTjCF6e3WxV76tZp_Apuu_wrAU5jLQIB7laee9QFBcf-EUiZWbqZ4/s1600-h/IMG_1480.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285054081475221618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlyXQCY8WNFvc3TCUsO7x6H4un6ERTm1qxoU1ZmnGtomGt5oVR-ZCK9X4O6RFzbimr8GwvZqmwRY4_gZOd5ucbzuHTjCF6e3WxV76tZp_Apuu_wrAU5jLQIB7laee9QFBcf-EUiZWbqZ4/s320/IMG_1480.JPG" /></a><br /><div>There are a few moments in life when you know you've been in the presence of greatness...Ned and I were immediately struck with the incredible Dr. Agnes Binagwaho. Ned had the fortune of meeting Dr. Agnes while in Rwanda earlier in the year. She agreed to act as our pediatrician (at that time she was the Rwandese appointee to the World Health Organization on AIDS). </div><div> </div><div>As we meet her on our last night in Kigali, she has now been appointed to the highest non-political post in the Ministry of Health in Rwanda - wow! Her energy and quick-as-a-fox humor are contagious! Lucky for us she was between jobs and had three hours to spend sipping wine and eating samosas (my new favorite - shredded lamb and herbs neatly packed in a triangular dough).</div><div> </div><div>Dr. Agnes completed Alliette's medical exam before we even arrived in Rwanda and would not accept payment. We told her we would be happy to pay her usual rate. In her true honorable style, she accepted the payment and then handed it back and asked us to donate it to Mother Teresa's Orphanage...</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-32121472069677922352008-10-22T05:40:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:01:16.012-07:00Goodbye to Agnes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uwX9YwjcCD26MKLZ-fAtW04JC4HeCYMJsz0N6WpLHiRmmSRzLUW6PxJGHSwrxwoxG2qOPg4yY8uyKDecPf_i7LIb3OxKSa6ODFSBYKeJohLdFqYzubIyVwuMhR2uEeQaBRghbmqF1UI/s1600-h/IMG_1484.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259957932096698546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uwX9YwjcCD26MKLZ-fAtW04JC4HeCYMJsz0N6WpLHiRmmSRzLUW6PxJGHSwrxwoxG2qOPg4yY8uyKDecPf_i7LIb3OxKSa6ODFSBYKeJohLdFqYzubIyVwuMhR2uEeQaBRghbmqF1UI/s200/IMG_1484.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><p>With our lawyer, Agnes on Tuesday night. She was leaving with her son for South Africa the next day...</p><p>Agnes is an amazing woman. She's a senator here and also sits on the Kigali Bar Association. Her schedule is frantic and we even had occasion to pass her on the road zooming around town! Her son is heading to NY University and you can tell she is so proud. Later, her son joined us for some appetizers and drinks - what a lovely young man!</p>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-61109933713782523182008-10-22T05:12:00.001-07:002008-10-22T05:40:48.273-07:00Passport!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRutBFVrUflCW5znIg1uHdj01CsdcsbAfYXcKa2JeevrhUEDOMGk4nFbUsKvY-dCo3ytJ771zqJe8Lwtln1WEDXWkLKsK9eZjrMaLDpIgAHM2KvTPOxwXp60RMuKACruhVZFxf9uVx5o/s1600-h/IMG_1470.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259954160256265202" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRutBFVrUflCW5znIg1uHdj01CsdcsbAfYXcKa2JeevrhUEDOMGk4nFbUsKvY-dCo3ytJ771zqJe8Lwtln1WEDXWkLKsK9eZjrMaLDpIgAHM2KvTPOxwXp60RMuKACruhVZFxf9uVx5o/s320/IMG_1470.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We have to admit that Monday & Tuesday are a blur already...We were given some incorrect info about paperwork needed by the passport office here (consider your worst <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">DMV</span> experience ever - and it might match up). Basically it came to needing a signed original of the Minister's adoption approval, but she was in a meeting with another Minister. During that time, the notarization office (our worst enemy) had closed - so there wouldn't be a copy of the adoption approval left for us. After 3 trips driving back and forth to the passport office, the Minister finished her meeting. She was EXTREMELY gracious, signed three originals for us to avoid <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">notarizations</span> and then invited us to stay and talk for almost 25 minutes! This is a VERY busy woman and we felt so honored to talk candidly about the adoption process in Rwanda and our personal experience. In the end she asked us to act as ambassadors for adoptions in Rwanda...to try to create an email network of children so that her office could send updated information and eventually create a post-adoptive survey system! WOW!!!</div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-60564783213223405302008-10-22T00:57:00.000-07:002008-10-22T05:11:42.590-07:00Civil Court & Notarization<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VTB_Rbbze4dBvaq0OCxrMC89P18R4LRdm6Jtcr87y_JdxiWRmfbkBnFStzMoL9hyphenhyphennru59ZpddfLkHA2wZ4GL4T00-b0dgAoFeSLxBWKw1pNK_bou6VlWzx60HV7it7I2nmpgMIYrXHU/s1600-h/IMG_1464.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259885245007750834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VTB_Rbbze4dBvaq0OCxrMC89P18R4LRdm6Jtcr87y_JdxiWRmfbkBnFStzMoL9hyphenhyphennru59ZpddfLkHA2wZ4GL4T00-b0dgAoFeSLxBWKw1pNK_bou6VlWzx60HV7it7I2nmpgMIYrXHU/s320/IMG_1464.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br />All court rulings are done! Looks like it was easy, but Oh My Goodness! After two hours at the District Office, Ned managed to interrupt the Notary in a meeting with the Mayor of Kigali. She had disappeared without completing our paperwork even though we had paid (typical here we're finding). There is ONE notary in the entire Kigali district here. Can you imagine? There are lines of people waiting every day for notarizations and most sit and wait all day only to come back again the next day.THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-78714345732200728382008-10-22T00:37:00.000-07:002008-10-22T00:57:30.450-07:00Kigali Civil Court Ruling<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSBw7vZXCxOiMIUnRy6gbBtKwIClCct-oHXzPc5Hws_E5sUYRbjXvQaD1WovSFcDuH1GPOquOxJN3_X1SdMpGL7aAvPxUscPpU1vbtUEYP35pW7bgi5pZ8wlFzKaw78tifK8aesUCyio/s1600-h/IMG_1462.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259883470489608786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSBw7vZXCxOiMIUnRy6gbBtKwIClCct-oHXzPc5Hws_E5sUYRbjXvQaD1WovSFcDuH1GPOquOxJN3_X1SdMpGL7aAvPxUscPpU1vbtUEYP35pW7bgi5pZ8wlFzKaw78tifK8aesUCyio/s320/IMG_1462.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br />This is Ned at the Civil Court ruling in Kigali. The picture in the background is President Kagame (amazing man!). The lawyer (Jean-Pierre) next to Ned is a friend of our lawyer - he set his case aside to allow us to appear as the first case of the day. The graciousness of the Rwandese people is really humbling...Oh - they ruled in our favor!THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120895351566143612.post-26710280308703189972008-10-20T14:18:00.000-07:002008-10-20T20:29:15.520-07:00cliff springer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdIzAS_E1OGODRM0NTuD54hlRRvwkCjY_Ps6Cq_ylNYOxquJ_Vf5TFwdl9GH3u6JGBXLy9GfFUS4xmydZh-cTcZ_g7GFFdm-j0aUQUxRiuXbwfVP_SEgrZ3jKYLGOSirQEoLeolcvS5M/s1600-h/IMG_1427.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259349806961801538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdIzAS_E1OGODRM0NTuD54hlRRvwkCjY_Ps6Cq_ylNYOxquJ_Vf5TFwdl9GH3u6JGBXLy9GfFUS4xmydZh-cTcZ_g7GFFdm-j0aUQUxRiuXbwfVP_SEgrZ3jKYLGOSirQEoLeolcvS5M/s320/IMG_1427.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>THE BIEHL FAMILYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04220303254000027040noreply@blogger.com0