Family Picture

After about 150 shots, this is our finalist. We didn't have one, out of all of those, where all three girls were looking forward and/or smiling. Next time we'll pay for someone who has photoshop.

Lake Powell yay!

All of the girls would actually ride on the tube behind the boat with us. They all loved it at first, Maria decided she didn't like it after she saw mom and dad each get dumped (she was in the boat). Rocio actually fell once too. She cried for a while but then got right back on the next time we went out on it. She loved it. She's a good sport. She also spent as much time on the waverunners as possible, with anyone who was willing to take her.

We spent a week in Lake Powell with the Morrell Fam. On our fullest night, we had 26 people on the boat, not including some extended family that were there for dinner and games but didn't stay the night. Half of the number were kids, so it wasn't as relaxing as it used to be. As my sister put it, "vacation for a mom is just a lot more work in a different environment". And that it was. Especially with that much water and that many water loving kids. But we had a great time and are looking forward for the next one. Thanks Grampa and Grama Morrell!

"La Chio"

Rocio, my eldest, after undergoing several tests at Primary Children's Hospital has been pronounced "profoundly deaf in both ears". This news didn't really come as a surprise, just a confirmation of what we already suspected. Although we thought some sounds were getting through, it seems that is not really the case, she is just very smart and adaptive. We are working on Signing Time videos, which all of the kids enjoy and it helps our communcation with Chio so much better. She loves being able to communicate her needs. It also helps a ton with Ariana, instead of her screaming at me for everything she wants, I have her make the sign instead, it is working out great. Maria is quickly becoming tri-lingual. She asks for just about everything in English, Spanish and sign all at once. Candy mom, pastilla (and a finger in her dimple, which is the sign for candy). That is the favorite sign for all three of them, of course.

We are hoping for Cochlear implants for Rocio. So far, she seems to be a good candidate. She had an MRI done at PC on Thursday to make sure she has all of the appropriate ear anatomy, we are still waiting to talk to an audiologist about those results. Hopefully within the next 6 months she can have the surgery, I have heard great things about the implants and there is a good chance she will be able to "hear" and speak normally. If not, well, we are okay with being a tri-lingual family.

New Haircut

Is the fact that my hair gets shorter everytime I cut it indicative that I am getting older? Oh well, I like it (the haircut, not getting older).

WE'RE HOME!! - KINDA

They all LOVE the piano

Temple Square Eva, Maria, Rocio, Ariana

La manzana de Templo

Ari insists on feeding herself these days

Easter dresses, Ari was still in Panama

Bath time at our house in Panama

Bath time at Grandpa and Grandma's house

As many of you already know, we're back! We were finally able to get the necesary paperwork for Ariana to be able to leave Panama. The timing was perfect because the visa that Maria and Rocio had from Ecuador only gave them 30 days to enter the states. I came ahead with them and Isaac and Ariana followed us 2 weeks later. It is such a relief, although bitter-sweet, to close that chapter of our lives. We miss our friends and family from Panama, but thankfully through skype, IM and video-conferencing, we can keep in touch.

We are not in our own home yet, we still have renters there, but we should be able to move back in by mid-June. In the meantime, we have been living at Grandma's house, Cherish's house and my Dad's house in Logan. We stay somewhere for a week or so, then rotate. It's so nice of them to let us invade their spaces, but it will be great when we can have a little more stability for the girls.

All of the girls are thriving. They love having so much interaction with their cousins and other family members. Maria is very quickly becoming bilingual. Alot of her sentences are now a spanglish mix, "donde estan mis shoes, hot afuera, eso es mine", etc. The funny thing is, she has so much interaction with her 2 year old cousin Eva that Eva responds to spanish now too. All of Cherish kids are learning lots of spanish with my girls.

Rocio is eating great! She is like a totally different kid than we picked up back in January. She actually really LIKES to eat now, as long as it is fruit, pasta or drenched in ranch. She actually ate a TON of spinach the other day totally bathed in Ranch dressing. Whatever works and gets the calories in (she had alot of nutritional issues when we first got her). She is also a lot more social than before. She used to have issues with anyone her age, other than Maria, getting near her, touching her or playing in the same area. Now she takes it all in stride. The only person she really has issues with now is Ariana. We are still working on that one.

Ariana is doing great. She is very social, loves playing with her cousins and sisters and is starting to talk a bit. She loves to bug Rocio, I don't think she understands that Rocio hates it, I think she just knows she gets a big reaction out of her, so she does it all the time. She doesnt bug anyone else that persistently. She is a delight, as always, though.

Overall, we are happy, healthy and home!!

BIG NEWS!!

We would like to announce the arrival of two new additions to our family! Rocío Estefania and Maria Esther

A little over a year and a half ago Isaac and I applied for adoption out of the orphanage in Ecuador that we had been spending time at. We knew the process would take about that much time, but we figured it would be perfect timing to finish our nursing programs (which we haven´t done due to our adventures in Panama). In December we recived the long awaited news that the adoption was final. And it came with the surprise that we had been assigned two girls rather than one!

Rocio and Maria grew up together (all two and a half years of their lives) and behave in the orphanage like real sisters. The comittee were convinced that they would do better together than apart. We have known them both for almost two years and are excited to welcome them into our home.

Rocío 3 years old
Rocio just turned three. She is very quiet, unless she is thirsty. She likes to always have a glass of something in her hands and is not okay if she doesn´t. I think it may actually be related to a medical condition. She is very sweet and affectionate with mom or dad and some adults but doesnt really like other kids to touch her. She puts up with Maria´s hugs and kisses but doesn´t really like them or reciprocte them. She likes her space. She plays well with Maria, she has an adorable smile and laugh.

We are happy that our family is growing and that we have been blessed with three beautiful daughters. We are exhausted, and we hope they will start to play nice, but really, what a blessing!

We are still in Panama waiting on paperwork so that Ariana can leave the country. Hopefully we can go home soon.

Maria 2 1/2

Maria is two and a half and is soooo sweet (unless someone has something she wants of course). She has a sweet smile and gives the best hugs and kisses. In fact she is always kissing. My hands, knees, feet, every mirror we pass (reminds my of my sister DeAnna actually). Her favorite words are "mio" - mine, and "no" of course I imagine those are the famouse words of every two year old. She is very affectionate and protective of "Chio" - the nickname she gave to Rocio, and shakes her finger and says "no papá!" to Isaac everytime he is playing rough with Rocio. She stands between Rocio and Ariana everytime Ariana gets close, because Ariana is prone to pinch, claw, bite and pull hair. We are working on that....

Ariana 15 months

Ariana is trying to figure out what happened. We had to leave her in Panama with Isaac´s mom and family for the six week culmination of everything in Ecuador. Then we came home and dropped two dominating sisters on her. She seems very insecure right now and, like I mentioned above, is very physical with the other girls. She wants to be held all the time, I think to mark her territory, and they all get jealous and possessive over my lap. Our first day back from Ecuador, Isaac knelt down and held out is arms to see Ariana walk, yes she started walking while we were gone - sad, and he said "Ariana, walk to Papá" and Maria ran over and yelled "NO! MIO PAPÁ". It all began there...We are hoping they will start to love each other soon. Maria has begun to give Ariana hugs and kisses when she can avoid Ariana´s hands, so most of them come from behind. Ariana has started grabbing Rocio in bear hugs from behind, but for Rocio that is as disturbing as biting her. Any suggestions?

Bathtime - they all love bath time and want to be IN the water but we don´t have a bathtub, so they rotate buckets. Thankfully we have the pool, they spend hours out there but it is always chaos when we make them get out. At least they all agree on that.

The new and improved Yanguez family

Iguana Park

On our way home from our six week stay in Ecuador, we got stuck for the weekend in Guayaquil, Ecuador. There is a park there called the Iguana park that has literally hundreds of Iguanas. They are all tame and will climb right up on your lap if you have food. Even the squirrels will climb on you and eat from your hands. This park is right in the middle of the city.

Maria loved the iguanas. She was a little hesitant at first, but then would pet any one of them that got close enough. She would call them dogs though, so maybe she didnt realize what she was petting.

Rocio was nervous the whole time and would stay stuck to either my leg or Isaac´s. She was clinging to Isaac at one point and Isaac had some crackers in his hand. An iguana decided to get to the crackers and climbed right up the front of Rocio to get there. Is it bad that I took a picture (see below) before running to help her? Her face, neck and hands were all scratched up. Poor Chio.