Finally, a day to ourselves!

French fries aren't bad either

Anna loves Coke!

We were so glad to have a day with nowhere to be and nothing we had to do.  We had a relaxing breakfast at the buffet without having to rush, the kids worked on homework, we went to Walmart, walked to a beautiful park, and to top it off- went to McDonalds!

When it was naptime, K.C. and the kids went to a nearby restaurant and I stayed back with Anna to get her to sleep.  Once they left she just cried and cried.  She really wants us all to be together and also seems to be afraid of going to sleep.  I decided it wasn't worth the struggle so I let her play on the floor for awhile and we just skipped nap time.  She was really excited when they came back, especially when she found out we were going out for a walk.  It took some convincing to get her in the stroller instead of the carrier, but Walmart and the Park are really long walks and I'm just not strong enough to carry her that far.  She decided that if mommy pushes the stroller that's good enough.

 The Park was just beautiful and we had fun just walking and enjoying time with another family whose daughter also has club feet. She's three and has a much stronger personality than Anna so she's quite a handful for them!


We just love Anna's personality.  Even though she is a little shy around strangers she’s always up for an adventure.  She is so curious and loves to explore everything!  Things wrapped in plastic are extremely interesting and going outside is always fun for her.  She is so observant and reminds us a lot of Luke and the way he examines everything.  She likes to have things organized.  She cleans up after herself, arranges her toys just how she wants them and always makes sure everything is in order.  She always wants the whole family together as much as possible and asks to have the doors to our two rooms open so she can see her brothers and sisters.  

Anna loves baths and likes to pull herself up in the bathtub of all places!  I try to hold on to her so she doesn’t fall.  Her leg strength isn’t good because she just hasn’t used them much. We have found that with her leg brace, some shoes and a little assistance she can walk holding on to something.  

 

She is a genuinely happy little girl, talkative, and a little ornery.  I was using the computer and told her not to touch the keys so she decided to touch them quickly and giggle.  She has obviously played with an Ipad or smartphone before because she loves to touch the screen and see what happens.  She reminds us in so many ways of  our other children.We truly feel that God hand picked her for our family.

Even though Anna is 26 months old, she looks and acts much younger. All of the adopted children here still drink formula and rice cereal out of a bottle and just seem a lot younger than two year olds in the US.  Also, she is just so tiny.  The 18 months clothes aren't any too big and her feet are probably a size 4.  I bought size 6 shoes and they are about an inch too long.  The thing we notice most that reminds us of her age is her intellect.  She repeats everything! Even English words.  I don’t think it will be difficult at all for her to pick up English.  

Tomorrow we go to Swallow's Nest for a visit.  Please pray that everything will go smoothly and that she will have fun seeing her nannies and playmates.  The directors of the foster home have both told us that because of her personality and the fact that she has attached so well to us that they think bringing her back home will not be a problem for her.  I brought a Hallmark recordable storybook with me and had a Chinese friend translate it so that her nanny can read it and record it for her.  I want her to have some memories of the people that have loved and cared for her, and what better way than hearing their voices.  Looking forward to tomorrow, although I know it will definitely be an emotional day.