Going to a new blog

I am sitting up a new blog for the girls. I haven't posted any pictures yet but hope to in the next few days. I will not be posting anymore to this site so feel free to join our family at www.andersonsathome.blogspot.com

Thanks so much,
Vickie

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Summer's over and back to school

Well, summer is over once again and soon the leaves will be turning and another season will be upon us. Time does go by so fast and these girls are really growing up. Everyday is a new adventure for them and for us as parents. It is so different this time around with raising our second family. It was such a struggle raising the other 4 . Little time and very little money. Life has really blessed Robin and myself and we count our blessing everyday. The girls both love going to school and we are keeping them active after school also. Addison is taking Piano lessons and they are both in Hip Hop dance class. They are also both starting in a Chinese dance class so they will be able to preform for Chinese New Year. They have become so close and get along very well. Addison started school a week before Ali and boy was Ali lost without her sister. Addison tells us stories all the time of her life at the orphanage and it is really sad to think that there are still children living the way that she did. The other day I was trying some new jeans on her that I had bought her for school and I commented to her on how big she was getting. She became sad all of a sudden and said to me, "I don't want to get big and grow up because, I want to stay here with you". People ask us all the time why we adopted after our kids had grown up. All I can say is what could we have done in our life that would have been any more rewarding then giving these two girls a loving family.

Back to School

Another Wedding

Summertime

Out latest additions

This girls have been begging and begging for a pet, so why have one puppy when you can have two. We only had Addison's for 6 days when we had to go to the Vet for a broken bone in his foot.

Having a good time at Disney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Addison catching her first fish(little fish)

Getting ready to put the pool up.

Home for Six Months

Boy has time flown by. It has been six months since we first met Addison and I can say with conviction that she is one happy girl. She is doing great in school and loving it everyday. She was so ready to go back to school after spring break. I was planning on holding her back in first grade next year but, I met with her teachers the other day and they feel she will just be fine going on to second grade. She is going to school feeling very confident now and is really wanting to learn. I will put her in summer school so she can keep everything that she has learned fresh in her mind. We are so ready for Spring at our house and we have had a slight taste of it the last few days. The girls acted like wild animals let out of a cage the other day when I said that they could go outside and play. They just wanted to do everything. Ride bikes, big wheels, Princess jeep, swing, play in the sand box and just run. They have been out playing the last three evenings after school and Ali has yet to come in without two grass stained knees. I might want to invest in a case of Shout-It-Out.

We are taking the girls to Disney next week and we are all so excited. We are meeting up with a family from New Jersey that we met when we adopted Ali and have become friends with. They have 2 adopted girls from China also so we are sure to have a great time. Addison can't wait to get on a plane again. A 2 and a half hour plane ride is a piece of cake compared to our flight to China.

So the last six months has been a growing experience for our whole family. Robin and myself had to adjust ourselves and our time to another child needing a lot of love and Ali had to learn to share her Mommy and Daddy that she had full time. Our big kids and grandkids once again had to share some of there time with us. So much pressure for one Mom and Dad. Making sure everyone is getting just what they need from us and not leaving anyone out. Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed with it all and hope that I can keep with my families wants and needs, but then Addison said to Robin and myself the other night, "Mommy, If I am a good girl can I stay at this house because I really , really love you and Daddy". Talk about making my heart melt. That is what makes it all WORTH IT.

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Birthday Pictures

We rented the Pool at the Hampton Inn for the girls birhtday and had the Grandkids all come. They all seemed to like the whirlpool better because it was real warm. After a couple hours of swimming we went to our house for cake. The kids all had a good time. The weather has been very cold and snowy the last couple of days and school has not been in session for two days now. Talk about Cabin fever, I have it. Come on Spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Catching Up

Time sure gets away from me now that I have a couple of young ones to take care of. Ali started pre-school in Jan. and just loves it. She goes 3 days a week for 2 and a half hours. I couldn't talk them into keeping her longer. The first day I walked into the classroom to pick her up there she sit on the carpet with her coat and backpack on waiting for me. I told the teacher it was worth the months pay just to see her sitting. Addison is doing great in school and amazes me with her language. She got a calendar out last night and was going through the months of the year. We have all had colds at our house but nothing a little vicks wouldn't take care of. We are very ready for SPRING. Addison told me the other day she didn't like it cold. (just like her MOM.). The Girls are both taking swimming lessons at the local YMCA and they love it.

We went to two Chinese New Years dinners and we always love seeing all the little girls. Addison and 3 other little girls did a Chinese dance . The lady that teaches her at school taught them the dance. It was very nice and she loves to dance. She also got to do her dance at school for the kids and then went around to the classes to show them her Chinese Dress. She felt pretty special.

Addison't birthday was in Jan. and Ali's is in Feb. so we are having one birthday together. I rented the Pool at the Hampton Inn so family and friends can come and go swimming then onto our house for cake and Ice Cream. I will try and post pictures from that event.

Happy Chinese New Year

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Little Girl with a Attitude

Are they cute or what!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Sister!!!!!!!!!!!

I pretty much know now that I am not as young as I use to be. I go to bed at night with my head spinning, and wonder if I even combed my hair that day. That's O.K., no one cares if I combed my hair or not, when I have two little china girls with me that's all everyone looks at. Addison is fitting into her American life quite nice. She is starting to be picky about what she wears. I had a dress for her to wear to school the other day and she looked at it and said "No Mommy". I said yes Addison , you will look so cute in it, and she replied again, "No Mommy". Well, she won the argument. I will let her be picky now just because she can. I am sure she wore what the Nannies told her to in China and, they were not even her own clothes.

She is starting to like school and the kids in her class just love her. When I walk her into her classroom there are a bunch of little girls that come to greet her. She is so tiny compared to the rest of the class. She is going to turn 7 in January and she looks like she would be about 4. She knows the family routine everynight and when it comes bedtime she wants me to rock her. My sister taught her the motions of pointing to her eye and crossing her arms on her chest with I LOVE YOU. She tells me everynight now, I LOVE YOU MOMMY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's hard to believe 6 weeks ago this little girl didn't have a Mommy or Daddy to love and now she has so many people that love and care about her. I looked at both the girls this evening as they layed asleep so contented (and so spoiled). I thought to myself, half way across the world are two mothers that left there babies, one in a park and one along side a road. How hard that must have been for them, probably with no option to keep them. I wonder it they ever think where they are and how they are doing. Our girls are going to be O.K. now, they have a loving family that will always be there for them and they will always have each other.

Addison has had some issues with her bowels and I even ended up taking her to the emergency room a couple of weeks ago. She had loose bowels when we got her in China but, I just figured it to be the change in diet. She continued to have it and even started to pass blood. After some testing she ended up having Giardia. It is a parasite that comes from bad drinking water and attaches itself to the small intestine. The Dr. said she has probably had this for a long, long time and has just learned to live with it. That explains why she is so small. Weight loss is one of the symptoms. We have her on some medicine now and hope to get her feeling better very soon. We also are taking her in a couple of weeks to a orthopedic Dr. at our Children's Hospital to see what can be done with her feet. I hope there is some kind of brace or something that can straighten out her foot and not need to have more surgery.

She seems to love all the Christmas decorations and even sit on Santa's lap at the Mall yesterday. This will be a big time for her this year at Christmas and we are looking forward to sharing it together with her.

Halloween at our house

I couldn't ask for things to be going any better. Addison is adjusting so well. She started to school Monday and seems to be going with the flow. The school has a Chinese tutor for her that stays in the classroom 5 of the 7 hours that she is in school. She has cried each day that I take her but the tears are getting less and less. When I picked her up yesterday she was evening smiling. She wakes up so excited to go to school each day

and hurries and gets her backpack when we head out the door. She has been such a little trooper through all of this. So many changes in her life in such a short time but she greets each day with a smile. This morning when I woke her up she sit up in bed and said "Good Morning Mommy".

Trick-or-Treat was last night and she really enjoyed it. Another first for her I am sure. I am not sure she enjoyed it as much as Ali but, I don't think that there was a Trick-or-Treater out there that enjoyed it as much as Ali. I had a cute Princess outfit for her to wear but, she wanted to be Ronald McDonald and a cute Ronald she was.

Now as for me, Wow !!!!!!!! Life has me in a whirl wind. My house is no longer in order, Robin went back to work and, I can't seem to keep on top of things. Addison brought her first homework assignment home and I didn't understand it. I said to Robin, "So it begins". It has been so many years that I have had to use that part of my brain. I am not sure if that part will even function anymore. I know things will slow down here pretty soon and everything will be back to normal. (Just in time for the Holidays).

Going to School this morning. She is such a cutie!!

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We are home and doing Good!!!!!!!!!!

In our car for the first time headed home!!!!!

I know I am along time posting but, jet lag has us down this time. Our first trip to China to get Ali wasn't this bad. We just can't get feeling very good. Robin had a week off since we got back and I am so glad. Maybe it is because we are getting older but, we didn't shake this trip very well. HA!!!!!!! Addison is doing great. She loves all the toys and her bedroom. Our big kids and my Mom and sisters have came to see her and she takes them to her bedroom and shows them her bed and her clothes. She is such a sweet little girl and is so willing to learn. She is picking up more English everyday. It is amazing what these children can learn in such a short time. I am going to make this post short because we have a busy week ahead. We are having a "Come Meet Addison Party" for friends and family and we are getting her ready to take to school next week. Will post more in a few days.

Disney

Breakfast at our Hotel

Just a quick post************ The girls have had a blast. Just seeing how excited they got this morning at breakfast with the characters was worth the whole trip to Disney. (we wouldn't have said that last night) HA! The park is packed with people (just like every place else we have been for two weeks) so it takes a while to get on any of the rides. We came back to the Hotel at 5:30 to rest a bit then we are going back to Disney to watch the Halloween parade and the fire works. Robin and myself feels and looks like we have been beat with a club but we figure this is a once in a lifetime thing we are doing so we will take our weary hineys back to Disney and not complain. We are about done with our trip and are so ready to be home. We are very close to the airport and we keep seeing planes take off. Addison points the planes out to me everytime and then points to her and all of us. She is ready to come home.

GOOD NIGHT FROM HONG KONG DISNEY


ADDISON WITH HER FIRST COTTON CANDY

Hello from Hong Kong

Well we made it to Hong Kong and we are setting in the Disneyland Hotel. We had a nightmare getting here and it took us several hours. We didn't get here until 10:30 p.m. so we ordered in room service. The Hotel is just beautiful and the girls are so excited for tomorrow to come. I am sure tomorrow will go better then today. It has to it's Disney. It's late and we need to get to bed.
Trying out the big bed