One year later..

My girls are growing so fast. I need to slow time down! Milton always threatens to place a brick on Joys head to stop her growing.  She giggles and says "daddy".
Both girls had birthdays in February! I also had a birthday in February. It was a party month! A turned 3 and J turned 5. Dad says, "no wander we are broke. Everyday is a party around here". Then came valentines. The girls were overwhelmed by all the love and gifts.
One day J asked "is it winter on Mt. Everest? Would we need mittens there? Is it always winter up there?" I'd like to know where these questions originate from!
A on the other hand has a few motives each day, they are very consistent.
"Play mommas iPad, eat snacks and play outside" things are simple in her world but she is starting to ask "why momma?" The beloved questions begin!! Both girls love dress up and they can destroy a rooms cleanness so fast.  Joy has a few favorites but AnnaBelle wants to wear as much at one time as possible. It makes for interesting outfits.
A knows some shapes, letters and how old she is.  Colors are a guess still. She loves games and puzzles. Hasn't decided which hand to be dominate just yet. She is eating good and growing so fast! Was on the 50% mark on her last well visit plus one hep A shot. Boo boo.
J was in the 95% mark on her well visit at a sturdy 45# and 45in tall! She is proud to be 5 and enrolled in school for Kinder.  Long long legs that I will live through all my life. AB may live through them too. J loves nature, animals and anything messy. She is growing and ask to eat every two hours, I'm sure. I should set the timer!  She is funny by nature and loves telling jokes.  She ask to eat candy every single day. I think she has a cavity our first dental appt is next week.
AB brushes her teeth 3x a day and washes hands more than I can count. She loves water.

Is it possible this month we have been home one year? One year from gotcha day!! March 18th marks one year! What a day Milton and I will never forget. It was emotional, hard and wonderful. We felt like we were two years late, in many ways. But God knows all things and time. He has brought so much healing to ABs heart. We have watched her learn trust. It has been incredible. What a year! I learned so much through AnnaBelles transition and growing to 4. I learned a lot about parenting and myself and Gods long suffering. He is long suffering with us. He is in for the long haul! I'm thankful for that too.  Isn't that how God works? We are always learning...I think parenting teaches so much about Gods love and relationship towards us as his kids! Thankful to be home with AnnaBelle & thankful for her sweet smiles and bossy nature. Thankful Joy was willing to share her life and us with a sister!  They miss each other when they apart. And fuss when together.

Both girls were chasing one another to the top of the slide at the park one day, J yelled "I'm the leader" then AB yelled a few steps behind "no Joy I'm the leader!". Both are chiefs. No Indians.
I look at the girls and am so thankful for the blessings God orchestrated into our lives! What a lonely,
 boring, clean, quiet home this would be without them. My floors are always dirty and I always have dishes in the sink. And there is a never a quiet moment! We are eagerly watching the tulips come up outside. I'm thankful mr winter is almost gone. I am ready for springtime!  Thankful for my hubby
and two chiefs!!

Being with girls brings so much JOY to us! On our walk a few nights ago, J was so impressed with our dog. "He can stand in three legs mom..look!!" Haha. Having no idea what's happening while he stands on those three legs. We laughed and laughed.
Tonight on our walk, AB says "mom Louis is happy wike me. His tail goes wiggle wike mine". She stopped to wiggle her bum on the spot. :) so cute. I believe that summarizes this blog and ABs place in our family. She is happy!!  I will never forget where and how our journey started in Chin* with her. It was a cool day in GZ and rainy. We rode the bus with our guides and travel group. Such anticipation. What will she do? What does she like? Will she cry? Will she trust us? How long will that take? Will she call me momma? Will she smile? Will she play? Will she eat? Will she sleep? Will she want me? Nothing could have prepared my emotions for how I would "feel" that day to hold this child we had fallen in love with in October by a photo. It's unexplainable how God expands your heart for a child oceans away! His love is the same for us, it's extravagant. He gives us a extravagant love, to give away!! If we make space for it. It is only by his sweet spirit that happens. Oh my heart will never forget.  She is not the same as she was and neither are we! What a gift we have been given...



Adoption Registration (important paperwork) and finalizes adoption. With wonderful guide, Yisha.
End of the first week in ZZ. Milton left early the next morning for home.

 AnnaBelle snuggling and resting the first few days with mom.

3rd birthday! What a difference one year makes. It has been such a blessing to watch our family grow and AnnaBelle transform!

First

So many "first" for us this year! December was such a fun month! 
November and December happenings..
FIRST... Trip to Denver to see Natasha and visit CCAI (our adoption agency) to meet everyone, first Thanksgiving, first Christmas lights and wrapping gifts, first gingerbread house with Joy & Dad, first time to make ornaments and Christmas crafts and gingerbread cookies, first snow tubing day, first Christmas!  
AnnaBelle loves pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes.
Joy loves pumpkin pie and candy canes.
Christmas has been spread over several days so the unwrapping has been great. AnnaBelle quickly learned the fun and took it all in! She learned to sing a few partial Christmas songs. "O come wet us ador him" which was so sweet. 
Thanks be to God for his wonderful gift, Jesus!!
It has been so fun to have the girls home together. Last year, hanging AnnaBelles stocking and having Christmas without her was so hard. She was a world away. This year, she is home, happy & healthy!
It's hard to believe but we have been home ten months. The time home has passed quickly and AnnaBelles English has improved and expanded at such a rapid rate! Kids are just amazing and she is so smart.  Her sleep has improved and she is growing like crazy! We are nearing the 30# mark from a teensy 19# upon Gotcha day. She has a head full of hair and the same amount of independence. She plays baby dolls and kitchen EVERY day. Joy was laughing in the tub one night at her she was telling Joy they were taking a bath in "Mac n cheese". Such an imagination. Both girls are silly. 
I can remember the years when we longed for the love, mess, noise and fun of children! This Christmas I found myself especially tired and thankful! I told Milton in the middle of the chaos one night, "this is just what we prayed for honey".  
"Bridges take us safely from one shore to another. They carry us over an expanse we could not cover without their help. As we journey through this life, at times we need a bridge over fears, pains, losses and craziness swirling treacherously around us. God does not promise to remove struggles and 
alleviate every roadblock. What he does do is build bridges that will carry us to joy, hope and heaven. The truth is, few of us comprehend the cost and sacrifice God has paid to build the bridges for us to cross." Ann Voskamp 1000 gifts. I am especially thankful this season for the bridges God has built in  my life helping me cross over to a place of peace, healing and joy for the now times! 
My siblings were all home for the holiday which was great. The cousins had fun together! My girls are tired out from all the fun.
Merry Christmas!

Home

                                                                    Joy 2012 Fall                                                                                                                                           Fall 2011

Beginning the adoption journey to AnnaBelle in July 2011. Little did we know AnnaBelle was born Feb 2, 2011.

AnnaBelles room and closet. Getting ready! October 2012; longing to bring her home. Many prayers in this room for this child.

Referral picture October 2012

September 2013 AnnaBelles beautiful smile!

Home is where they love you! I enjoyed the time Joy and I had together just us so much. She has been a joy to watch learn, grow, love nature and is loving! We began our adoption journey to AnnaBelle in July 2011.
TODAY is the one year mark that we first saw AnnaBelles face after recieving her file through our agency. It was easy to love and want her from the first time we saw her picture and read her story!
October 22nd, 2012 we got AnnaBelles "referral".  We were so eager to be matched with this little girl we had been waiting on and praying for. "For This Child We Have Prayed For"...
So today, the girls have played outside, made a puppet craft, went on a Fall walk and chosen leaves for a fall project. We have raked leaves, ate pumpkin pie and been to the park to play. AnnaBelle woke up begging to go to the park "park momma" she would say so we gave in and went. AnnaBelles vocabulary is growing everyday, last week she said "nope" which we thought was funny. This week, she has been saying "uh huh" and hauls her "big baby" (that is the size of a 3month old) everywhere!! She has started calling herself "I" and "Abbabell" which are so sweet to hear. She sings silly songs and praise songs! I love to catch her singing to herself. Her sleep has not been perfected yet but we are working through it. She is eating & talking great, loves to climb, slide and swing. Today she asked for m&ms for breakfast. And stuck a vitamin up her nose at breakfast, that somehow with prayer & tears came out on its own! She loves Joy, everyday she says "like sissy". Joy told me today she was glad AnnaBelle was here because she has a playmate. For years I asked the Lord for two girls..and he has blessed us with them! 
It seems like so long ago that we first saw these pictures of this small framed, thin little girl with sad eyes. I would have given both my arms to have traveled that day to bring her home. But adoption doesnt work that way. It was a long wait from October to March 15th when we traveled. AnnaBelle was worth every mile of the trip, every piece of paperwork required, every prayer, every tear. She was worth everything!

Casting Crowns sings a song called "So Far To Find You", it was written about their adoption story to their daughter Hope they adopted from China also. It has stolen my heart.
"Will you let me hold you in my arms tonight/ I have come so far to find you/ Will you take my love and give up the fight/ I have come so far to find you"

Home is where they love you Joy and AnnaBelle!
 

July-August

We have had sweet AnnaBelle for four months now! Where has the time gone? I could say so much..
Sometime I watch the girls play and cannot believe she is home. She is here!
I can remember when Milton and I longed for a family and spent so many years on our infertility journey. Years. Years. It was such a hard longing to be want to be a mom and it was out of reach. Out of my control. It's a natural instinct to want to be a mom, I believe. And we couldn't make it happen. People have too much advice sometime and no one could change it. He had a plan. And God decided to grow our family a different way after our baby girl was stillborn in my second trimester. Such a painful time. He has since used our story of loss to glorify Him. God is good. He is kind. He never leaves us.  Life is hard. Sometime our five year plan doesn't work out! Sometime our ten year plan doesn't work out! God always has a plan. He has a good one. He wrote our life story before the foundations of the earth. Ephesians 2. He has proven himself gracious and constant in my life, regardless of my performance or reaction.
Having a family seemed impossible. Then Joy was born in our hearts and into our arms through adoption in 09. In 2011 we began the international adoption process for Sister. AnnaBelle aka Sister came home in March of this year. It seemed impossible that she would ever be in our arms. But she is! She is lovely. She is lively. She is silly and sassy. She is bossy and affectionate. Sometime life does seem impossible. What we are waiting for seems impossible. Hold onto Jesus..wait with Him as he makes a way through the muck and mess.  I was thinking about AnnaBelle the other night laying with her. She takes a long time to go to sleep. There are insecurities we are working through relative to sleep. But I was thinking since March 18th she has went to sleep with her mommy beside her.  So for 130 nights she has felt the comfort of a full belly, love and affection, a full milk bottle to herself, soft blankies..her very own baby doll and heard many prayers and songs. I feel like we are making a way through the wilderness and making gains! She has started saying "Mei Mei's room" and taking ownership of her room, bed and toys. From previous living conditions of having nothing that belonged to her, what a precious sound and concept! She adores Joy. She smiles SO big when Joy holds her. She calls hold me.."ba bo". She tells Joy "ba bo- ba bo" and Joy pleased picks her up and hauls her around for as LONG as she can! AnnaBelle is weighing a hearty 25# from all the watermelon, fish, chicken, pasta, French fries, Popsicles, Gatorade, bananas, bread, green beans she is eating. And chips & cauliflower. She is serious about eating and upon crawling into her booster she says "no help me do it" she is ready to eat!! She is more secure than ever before. Pictures from our July-August summer months...

Testing the water out! Dont we all in some way?

Love kids feet!

After being in love with the neigbor girls car..

Her new car came by way of Dad, this Dad loves his girls. Used but new to her. New without stickers. :) NWOS. She loves it. "Fix it" she says holding Joys toolbox of toy tools. She fixes it and washes it, pushes it and it is "Mei Mei's car".  She is unable to share that car. Its just not possible. Sorry folks. Maybe someday.

3 months post China

Where has the time gone?
We came home on March 29th Good Friday, it was a good friday!
AnnaBelle came home with many fears and so many changes in just a few short weeks. I wish I could see inside her little brain to see what she was thinking. New smells, new rooms, new food, new sounds, a family...the orphanage walls look so cold and stale. The beds are lined up and there are more than we can count in the pictures. (We can see 26) and we know there are two kids to a crib. You can do the mathematics without a calculator. All children, waiting for a family.
When we drive in the driveway now, AnnaBelle says from the backseat "home". Its the most precious sound ever to hear her say. For many reasons you can think about. Precious that she calls this home and knows it is!
She has conquered many fears and has traveled many miles and many insecurities. We are still working through a few things but they are no big deal in comparison to where we have been. God is so good and he is bringing healing to her heart each day through love, nutrition, care, prayer and this family.
She is nolonger afraid of:
the toilet flushing but loves to flush it.
the green grass outside now she likes to lay in it.
the cat and now chases Katycat until she is grumpy and hisses.
the car starting but is ready to "go".
the public bathrooms and the loud sounds.
stuffed animals and has a few chosen ones she loves.
our dog that she was so afraid of now she feeds him her snacks.
the garage door opening now she says "up" to it.
loud cars and noises outside. She identifies the train and says "choo choo".
the dumpster truck dumping the trash.
the church nursery. She points to go in and likes to watch the kids. She isnt willing to stay and play but its progress to see her not afraid of the "play room".

Oh dear friends, this child is learning and thriving! We are hearing many phrases from her the last two weeks.
"wait a minute"
"be right back"
"its okay" with a pat
"I want some milk"
"have some"
"come come sissy"
"bathtime baby"
"Lub (love) you sissy"
"hab a good day"
"see ya nexttime"
remember this is Chinglish and we understand it but others dont always.
I can see changes in her language and her play skills and confidence each week. We went to a baseball game the other night with family and she walked around to each table and greeted people with "hi". It was so good to see her confidence instead of fear of strangers. She had such stranger anxiety that I have never witnessed such fear of people when she came to us. AnnaBelle has a beautiful spirit within her and it is flourishing!

Summertime, sunshine and suntans...

Summertime has been full of outside time! AnnaBelle loves to play in the sandbox and swing. She enjoys going down the slide with "sissy" Joy. She likes to count 1-2-3 "yeay" clapping her hands. She hums twinkle twinkle and likes to hollar and be loud! Joy has had fun with her new playmate and friend. AnnaBelle has started giving selective kisses away. She kisses her "baby" and Joy and myself. She really loves her baby doll. Joy starts playing soccer in a few days and we are looking forward to watching her play and have fun! AnnaBelle has just started jumping and getting both feet off the ground. This is a biggie because when we got her in March she could not jump. Her muscles are growing stronger from all her playing and climbing, trampoline jumping and her overall coordination has improved. She is eating good and playing hard each day. Her sleep patterns have not been the best but I feel sure its part of the transition.  She takes good naps and is always ready for round 2 of play! AnnaBelle has suprised us with her great tan. She is like a chocolate raisin..she is so tan. Each day her tan gets better!! She says over and over, "mom", "no" and "come come" everyday. I do believe I see leadership skills in her!

the pantry..

Happy June everyone hope your summer is great!

Kegan and Joy 4 yrs old

AnnaBelle loves corn!

How many can fit in a step 2 play house? 5

all the kids

saying bye is hard!!