The Waiting Game

The wait is on, but I was pretty excited to get some new pictures of the boys this week. This whole waiting thing is a killer( Marc and Susan you are my heroes). If we were the norm, we would be traveling this week or next, as most families adopting from Ethiopia travel withing 12-14 weeks of a referral, and we are on week 12 and still don't even have a court date. Supposedly the slow down is one paper of the boy's that was signed by the wrong government agency, but the agency that needs to sign it didn't exist until 3 weeks ago....now they don't know if it has people working there yet. Wow, if this doesn't make you grateful for the good 'ole USA and democracy. We are hopeful that things will progress in the next couple of weeks though because our agency sent a couple people there last week, to see if they could speed things along any. If we don't have our court date by mid July the government closes down for August and September so it would be October before we get to bring them home. If that weren't enough, they are in such a drought that they have to shut the power off, which is generated by hydroelectricity (dams), in the capital for 24 hours at a time followed by 12 hours of power, than 24 off again. This makes it hard for businesses, government agencies, and and everyone to work more than a couple days a week...hence slowing down the adoption process as well. The rainy season is from mid June through August, which usually fills their dams and waterways. So far, they haven't had much rain, so we are praying for that as well.

This is Nate with the camera man, Koby Bryant look a like.

Nate, isn't he handsome, snotty nose and all.

They said Dag didn't like the camera man because he looked like the doctor that gave him shots a couple weeks back.

My Ironman

Yesterday, June 13th, Sam competed in his first (and hopefully last, if I have anything to say about it) Ironman race.   It was a 70.3, or half Ironman, which equates to a 1.2 mile swim in Lucky Peak Reservoir, a 56 mile bike and than a 13.1 mile run.  He has trained for the last 6+ months, exercising like a mad man daily.  He took swim lessons from the pros and now he is a pro.  In the triathlons he has done in the past swimming was always his weakest link, but not now...he knows how to keep himself a float.  Running is a breeze for him, he was a crosscountry/ track star in highschool,  and the bike, well if you have a bazillion dollar bike, you'll be a fast  biker too...at least that was the plan anyway.  I have never seen Sam get nervous for a competition, but this one did it to him.  He hasn't slept good for 2 weeks, worrying about this race.  The race started at 2:00pm because they wanted a night finish, so it was a pooping, anxious morning, but alas the race was on.  He did awesome in his swim, but just as he was getting out the rains came down, and they didn't stop the rest of the day.   The kids and I  had mapped out the course and strategically planned which places we would go to cheer him on throughout the day.  The first spot was about 15 miles into the bike race and we were gathered with about 30-40 other fans, when it started to pour buckets of rain.  Then here comes this biker down the hill and as he goes to take the turn he completely wipes out.  We all groan and moan and then I realize, "Crap that was Sam!"  That's right, he biffed it bad, and messed up that fast bazillion dollar bike, so the rest of the race it rattled and shifted whenever it wanted.  I was a nervous wreck from there on out, and Sicily cried her eyes out worrying that he might crash again.  We are grateful Sam only had some serious road rash and a broken bike, but no broken bones.  He was a total trooper and got back on his bike and rode the remaining 41 miles in the pouring rain, and  then ran his 13.1 miles amazingly.  We are so proud of him.  He is our hero.  We were joking that he won't have to go get an ironman tattoo, because he'll always have his road rash scar to remember it by.   So here are the pictures of the day.

Hallelujah, he is off his bike finally ready to run.

Can you see that rain?

Mile one of the run, and still smiling.  About mile 6 that wasn't the case anymore as his stomach decided it had had enough of this crap for the day.  He was pretty miserable the last 7 miles.

Finishing with his buddy, Rob.

Sam with his training buddies, Brent Chapman, and Rob McBride.

He's an Ironman.

The family after a rainy fun field day.

Ouch on the shoulder

Bigger ouch on his hip