Weathering the Storm

We are hunkered down at home today, weathering the storm, both figuratively and physically. The post is late this week due to a family problem. Our oldest, Nadia, is in big trouble and we had a huge "come to Jesus" meeting this past Tuesday. Yes, the honeymoon is over and I am in super-dad mode. Although our kids have had a difficult past and one is mindful of their orphan past, they have a family now and we are in charge...a lesson that Nadia experienced this week when I had to bring forth the hammer, so to speak.

I won't go into great detail about it as this is a family issue and she has suffered great consequences as a result of her actions. Suffice it to say that she is extremely apologetic and we will be visiting several children this week so that she may express her apology and request forgiveness. She has realized that someone does care enough about her to correct her and show her the way to be a good person and to love and respect her friends, family, and God. Nadia is definitely a changed girl this week and she and both Heidi and I are closer than ever to her as a result of our corrections. It is as if she has been waiting for us to show her that we can administer punishment as good as we show her love. She knows that we are her forever parents and that we will always love her even if she does something to anger or hurt us. This is a new concept to her because every other adult in her life has hurt or mistreated her and trust is a hard thing to give over. She told me that she loves us and is so sorry to have temporarily lost our trust and to have disappointed us. She in turn trusts us and said that telling us that she loves us isn't so hard anymore. She always has, but it was difficult to say so. Nadia is a hurt child, but the healing has begun, starting with that first contact back in November

Now for the weather. We were forewarned about our first blizzard of the year around Monday or so. Well, it is here in full force! We are receiving snow at the rate of 2" per hour.

Here's Casa Rogé at the onset of the Spring blizzard. The kids have a snow day and school is closed as are most businesses. Mom went to work and I left right after this picture to try and put in a day at the office. Hard to believe that it has been in the 70's the past few weeks. Take note that the flowering pear tree in the front yard there was already in bloom.

About halfway to work, about 20 minutes later, I got the call that our company was closing the doors for the day. Heidi works at CU and her campus had already closed, but she remained at work to catch up on some projects. I went back home to enjoy a free day with the kids!

Around noon or so, it was snowing so hard that I couldn't see down the street! It stopped snowing around 2pm and I took the opportunity to shovel the two feet of snow off the drive so that Heidi could get into the garage. She was on her way home. The kids helped me shovel and they played in the snow a little, too. So what is there to do when you're snowed in and mom and dad is home? Family games, of course! Here's a picture of Heidi playing twister with the kids!

Not a fair match when you take into account the youthfulness and flexibility of the kids! But Heidi was a trooper! I do "papa-sandwich", she does twister.

Heidi wants me to tell you all that Kole used the word "hexagon" in a sentence the other day. He constantly amazes us with his vocabulary and he never forgets something you tell him. I often forget this sometimes and I wonder if he really understands what I am telling him. I'm convinced that he does know because he regularly recants the stories to his mom and sibs. I stand in awe when he does. He doesn't forget the details, either.

Julia is doing well in school, too and her English is coming along quite nicely now. We still are working with her OT and speech issues, but four weeks ago she turned a corner and it is like a light has come on in her brain. She is making remarkable strides and is quite funny, often cracking a joke and making us laugh. I am so happy for her, she is an amazing young lady. It will be a privilege to watch her grow and develop over the years.

~ Felix ~