Lazy Summer Days...

These lazy summer days are fleeting.  Soon school will begin and the kids and I will be gone for most of the day.  I am so thankful for this time we have together to relax, enjoy, and fit in all of those pesky appointments that need to be made.  Four family members needed glasses.

Many of our days are spent in the pool!  We LOVE our time there!  We bought it at the end of the summer last year for an amazingly cheap price.  We decided, after much hesitation, to set it up this summer instead of waiting and just fill it with our well water.  We've been fighting rust for a month, but the kids have so much fun (and maybe the adults too, hee hee).  It was definitely the right decision.

Mark and I rearranged the basement and now there is a game/video area and a play area.  Mom came over and helped me clean out and reorganize our giant toy cabinets.  The kiddos are LOVING the chance to go down and make a huge mess.  I love it too!! :)  Well... not the mess, but I love that they are having fun and playing!  There are toys that I assumed would never be played with again.  They have discovered them now that Kristyn and Greyson are home.   

 

 
















Kristyn loves playing with dolls.  She dresses, holds, feeds, and gives them stroller rides.  Greyson likes dumping and looking through toys, he is still learning to play.  His favorite place right now is on our bed watching "Big Bird in China" with an occasional Thomas or Wiggles DVD mixed in. :)

 

Stretching By God's Hands

I love how God stretches us.  He sort of sneaks up and forces the growth that we would otherwise fight off or work to avoid.  I see this time and again with our adoptions.  Each one has been such a leap of faith.  

When we chose to pursue Kaitlyn’s adoption, we had NO idea about congenital heart disease.   We only knew that it sounded difficult and scary.  We had a wonderful cardiologist who assured us that “anything could be fixed” and we leapt in with both feet, honestly not having any idea that we would find ourselves facing open heart surgery one month after returning home with our new daughter.   My heart broke as hers was repaired and I fell deeply in love with our beautiful, little fighter.  This brave girl was out of the hospital just 5 days after a MAJOR repair of a pretty complex anomaly.

We fell in love with Meilynn and prayed so hard to find her after losing her file.  We had experienced the unknowns of special needs adoption, but had no idea what to expect with cerebral palsy.  Again, to be honest, we were a bit surprised when we met her.  From information we had heard, we assumed she would be able to do almost everything, basically unhindered physically.  It became quickly evident that this was not the case.  However, this brave princess showed us how amazing she was!  She does not allow her disability to stand in her way.  She is also a fighter and will succeed in anything she sets her mind too.

When Addisyn’s file was sent to us, we almost chuckled.  Of course it would be something we had specifically said we would rather avoid this time (cerebral palsy).  It wasn’t even surprising to us that NOTHING was marked in her file.  We had no information and it would require a huge leap of faith to go forward with her adoption.  Once again, God was pushing us out of our comfort zone.   Once we had put the pieces together and figured out the puzzle that had been her life, we met our sweet littlest princess.  It wasn’t cerebral palsy that threw us into a tail spin, it was her EXTREME delay.  God was once again stretching us.  Again, we have seen an amazing little girl blossom into a hilarious, sweet, “normal” toddler.

We braced ourselves with this next adoption.  We knew God was leading us every step of the way.  We saw his fingerprints over every part of the journey.  However, if there was one lesson we had learned, He used these experiences to stretch us EVERY time!  Then we met Greyson.  Once again, we were pushed to the edges of our expectations.  He is a complex little guy.  It is difficult to dissect institutionalism, cognitive development, cerebral palsy, and personality to discover the true boy that lies underneath.  As our funny, loving, mischievous son emerges, we fall deeper in love and seek more answers.

So that brings me to today.  We had a neurology appointment for Greyson and Kristyn.  In true form, strange unexpected twists were introduced that continue to push us into paths that we may not have chosen, but are privileged to travel.  Greyson got a very good report.  He is a “classic” case of spastic – diplegia cerebral palsy.  In other words, it affects mostly his lower limbs.  He has some tremor in his hands which will make it more difficult for him to tie shoes and he will struggle with handwriting.  However, therapy will help.  It won’t get worse.  He doesn’t need AFOs (ankle-foot orthotics).  And, the neurologist was quite confident that it isn’t affecting cognitive processing, we are just seeing the effects of years of institutionalism.  This little prince should be just fine.  He just needs a little time to transform into the chosen son that he is.  PRAISE GOD!!

We assumed Kristyn would be our “easy” case.  As it turns out, she is the more complex one.  We aren’t 100% sure of any diagnosis.  We are all thinking that it isn’t cerebral palsy (original and referred diagnosis).  It looks like she may be having some difficulty with her hip.  We have a referral to check on this and make sure that it is working correctly and fits together as it should.  There is also some evidence that suggests she may have some form of spina bifida.  We will know more after an MRI, which we will do after the hip X-RAY so that everything can be examined at once.

I write because each of these is truly “outside of my comfort zone”.  Would I have knowingly adopted a child that would need open heart surgery on a complex condition?  Would I have knowingly adopted a child that struggles to physically keep up with peers?  Would I have knowingly adopted a 2 year old child that was developmentally equivalent to a 6 month old?  Would I have knowingly adopted a child that has spina bifida?  I AM SO GLAD THAT I DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER THESE!!  We did!  AND WE ARE IMMEASURABLY BLESSED BY THESE MIRACLES!!  God pushes us outside of our comfort zones in order for us to experience the full measure of his blessings!  I praise Him for His sovereignty and consistent nudging to deepen my faith and dependence on Him!

Me and My Shadow

This song (Me and My Shadow)... I feel I could sing it all day long!  Mark calls Kristyn my little shadow.  I love her to death, but sometimes, I yearn for just a little space.  I give her a hug and say, "Why don't you find something to play with", as she is touching all of the dishes I wash glued to my side.  I shut the bathroom door and say, "Mommy will be out in a minute".  

It really isn't all that bad.  There are lots of times that she is off playing with her siblings.  But, as I snuggled in next to her on my bed tonight and we watched a movie, it hit me.  She has very little, if any, memory of a mother.  She was abandoned at 1.5 years old.  Kristyn was in a pretty good orphanage, but there was no one on one time.  You didn't give and get hugs and kisses as you passed by the nannies.  Watching them wash dishes, do laundry, and cook while giving you attention and trying to answer all of your questions wasn't an option.  And... snuggling while watching a movie was unheard of!  These feelings, experiences, and common place events in our lives and our children's lives can be so easily taken for granted.  I am thankful that Meilynn, Kaitlyn, Addisyn, and Ryan no longer find hugs, kisses, and cuddle time out of the ordinary.  It is just expected, part of what makes us a family.  It's so easy to forget that there are many kiddos who don't have this.  Such a simple thing.  Something that doesn't cost money or take lots of energy.  So, I learned my lesson.  I will be hugging my kiddos a little tighter.  I will try my best to remember to drop whatever it is I am doing and take time for a little cuddle, because everything else will wait.  And, as I already do, I will continue to cherish every time I hear them tell each other, "I love you"!  For there is no greater joy!!!

A Plea for Abigail

I do not often post about my advocacy kiddos here on our personal blog, but this little girl is VERY much part of our story.  

She was in the videos we have of our sweet Kristyn.  The other day we were looking at pics of Kristyn and she saw the other little girl's leg in the picture.  She started yelling, "Abigail, Abigail"!  I immediately showed her other pictures and she was so excited.  She kept saying, "I love Abigail"!  We watched the videos we have.  Later that evening, I was looking at houses.  When she saw me looking at houses on the computer, she asked, "Abigail's house?" I had to try and explain, "No house, no family, still in China". Kristyn with tears in her eyes turned and gave me a huge hug.

Sweet Abigail will turn 9 early next month.  She has a heart condition that needs attention soon.  I saw this sweet girl while visiting the orphanage.  She was taking a test, so I did not get to interact with her.  I did wave and she is ADORABLE and TINY!  Please pray with me that she finds a family BEFORE her 9th birthday!!  It is a big request, but our God is able!

Click here to learn more about her and some videos.

The Paradox That I Call Life

My life is such a paradox…

There are times when it is so overwhelming to meet all of our kiddos’ needs, when I realize that it is both a privilege and seemingly impossible to feed them all and give them the attention they desire.

Then, there are the times when life seems to go pretty smoothly, when my mind turns to all of those precious faces that are left behind in China.  Could I go to serve in China with all of these cherubs?  Could we find the resources, finances, and energy to bring more home? (Insert concerned face of my husband adamantly nodding "no way"!!)

It is in times like these that God gives me a little gift.  I am thrilled when I find out that another family has stepped forward and claimed one of these kiddos as their own.  I have had the privilege of connecting with 10 families of the precious children I have advocated for.  I catch the joy they have in following God’s leading and welcoming these blessings into their family.  I even got to meet 2 of these sweet angels and their families in China on our last adoption trip.

Please continue to pray for these precious children, along with the hundreds of thousands waiting for a family.  And… don’t forget to keep your heart open to God’s leading…

http://andersonadvocacy.blogspot.com/ 

Two Months with Our Newest Kiddos

We’ve had our newest two for an entire two months now!   

They have settled in amazingly well.  We have our moments, but I am so thankful that I have the summer with them.  God’s timing is perfect and I am once again reminded of this!  We have had time for all of the crazy appointments that are necessary when you first get home.

Now, it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, but we are getting to the place where we have more good days than struggles.  Kristyn has had an easier transition in some ways, but her struggles are just less obvious.  She is trying to determine how the Anderson household works, her role in it, and her place amongst her siblings.  Greyson just doesn’t worry so much about this.  He kind of lives his life.  If something isn’t working out, he finds something else to do.  They both have certain behaviors that creep up when we are somewhere new (like church or a restaurant) or when anyone (including family) comes to visit, but Greyson’s are more obvious to the outside observer.  I feel bad, because others don’t get to see the Greyson I know and love, but it will come with time.

It is fun to watch them play and have fun together.  They don’t let a language barrier stand in their way.  They find ways to invent new games and activities.  Greyson LOVES Thomas the Train and trains are a common theme in their play!

We also LOVE pool time.  Now, if the cold summer and crazy mosquitoes would quit, we could enjoy a little more pool time.  Ryan and then Greyson usually end up sitting out to warm up after a while because they can’t take the cold. Regardless, I am so glad we broke out the pool we got on sale at the end of last season.

Kristyn uses more and more English.  Greyson knows a few key phrases.  However, we all seem to be able to communicate.  I love hearing Kristyn and Greyson jabbering on in Chinese.  The other day they went on for a good 15 minutes cracking each other up!  (I hope it was appropriate and not directed at us, hee hee.)  When the Chinese disappears (and it will, they need English to survive in school) I will truly miss it.

Thank you for your continued prayers, we feel them all.