Easter 2014

This was our first Easter with Anna Kate.  We left last year right after Easter to go to China to get her.  I got her a basket and enjoyed looking for stuff to fill Bennett and AK's Easter baskets.  Bennett asked a few questions about Easter and what it is.  I realized trying to explain the resurrection on a two-year-old level is very hard to do.  Basically, I just tried to tell him the story and refrain in trying to explain it.  We read the story of Jesus dying on the cross and being raised three days later in the Jesus Story Book Bible and Big Picture Bible.  He really seemed interested because we read it many, many times in the Big Picture Bible. 

Kevin and the kids had fun decorating eggs.  Bennett was able to dye and decorate the eggs.  Knowing how messy AK can be, I got her Hello Kitty stickers to decorate the eggs.  It really worked out well. 

Sunday afternoon, Kevin hid the eggs for them to find.  AK did one round and she was done.  Bennett really had fun and was excited about all the eggs he found. 

It was fun to enjoy decorating eggs and hiding them as I remember doing as a child.  I remember all the fun my sister, cousins, and I had find eggs on Easter Sunday at my Grandparents.  It seems like things were so simpler then.  Although all this is fun, I am reminded of the price my Lord paid out of us love for me.  Through all history God never gave up on His people, even though they continue to turn from him.  I pray that Bennett and Anna Kate will one day understand how much God loves them and the price He paid for them. 

Here are some pictures from our Easter weekend.

 Anna Kate's Eggs

 Bennett dying eggs.

 Anna Kate got her own chapstick in her basket.

Gotcha Day - Year 1

April 15th, we celebrated having Anna Kate a year.  It has been a year of ups and downs.  From our first days with her in China, she did great bonding with me, eating, and sleeping.  She struggled with getting baths, bonding with Kevin, and opening up.  However once we got home, we really saw the battles we would face.  AK was aggressive.  It was all typical behavior, but a struggle we had not seen from her.  She hit and bit to get what she wanted.  Sleeping was our second biggest battle. Jet lag on our and AK's part did not help the anxiety we all had with sleeping.  We tried her crib, nap mat on floor, blow up mattress, my pillow, etc.  This is one area where the therapist was the biggest source of help and encouragement.  AK really seems to be a night owl.  That would be fine, except that as working parents she has to get up at 6:30 am.  So I will have a battle, either at night going to bed at 7:30 pm, or a fight to get up at 6:30 am.  The therapist recommended giving her melatonin to help her calm down for bed time.  What a miracle!  Within a few weeks, we were able to get her into her bed.  Now a year later, we still have to give her the melatonin.  The girl just does not get tired. 

Her aggression has been replaced with such a caring and helpful personality.  She loves to help me whether it is getting/putting up groceries, cooking, and loading/unloading dish washer.  She is temperamental and has her share of meltdowns.  It has been frustrating to us since she seems to forget all ways of communication with us when she has a meltdown.  Kevin and I attended Empowered to Connect conference put on through Show Hope.  I also read Dr. Purvis book The Connected Child and in the middle of reading a few other books.  This conference and book really helped me understand her behaviors and gave many examples to help get past unwanted behaviors.  I will say I am finally feeling we are making progress in this area.  I will admit it is not all AK's fault.  Realizing my personal history and expectations are not my children's responsibility to get past.  My impatience, frustration, and personal history and stress has made this a bigger challenge for myself.  Lately, it has been easier to get her to calm down and talk about what she needs or wants.  When it is not easy and she has to go sit to calm down, it has only taken a few minutes and she is ready to apologize and talk. 

Through the struggles, battles, ups and downs, we do not take for granted how truly blessed we are with Anna Kate.  She really was taken care of so well at MBHOH that we did not have the health or developmental issues others may have faced.  AK is so smart and now puts together three word sentences, sits and reads books with us, and enjoys singing songs.  I appreciate what God has done to change me and strengthen me through this year. 

Spring is here

Everyone seems so excited that Spring is here.  We can get outside and enjoy the great weather.  We have enjoyed going to the park to play. 

Last weekend, we took the kids to Super Bulldog Weekend at Mississippi State University.  We rented a cabin at Lake Lowdes to stay for the weekend.  This was Anna Kate's third trip out of Birmingham.  She has made tremendous improvement in riding in the car.  We had plenty of snacks, toys, and stickers for our two hour trip.  The kids did great on the car ride.  After getting checked in, we headed to Starkville to eat and go to the baseball game.  They had a kids zone set up since they had record crowds all weekend.  Bennett loved all the jumping things they had to play in.  I was so proud of him getting in it by himself with other kids.  Saturday, we went fishing right in the back yard of the cabin.  Bennett was better than myself at casting the rod and reeling the fish.  It was so much fun watching them.  Later, we headed to Starkville for the spring football game.  We had another great crowd.  The weather was so nice.  We enjoyed lunch at Little Dooey's and walked around the shops downtown.  Around 2:30 pm, Bennett was whining so we got in the car.  AK and Bennett were out in minutes, so we rode around Starkville looking at how much things have changed since we were there 15 years ago.  After a short nap in the car, we did some damage shopping for MSU attire and getting AK her first cowbell.  She picked out a pink one of course.  She is my girly girl.  That evening, we took the kids to the MSU softball game.  We sat on the floor of the bleachers, but had a great time. 

I was so proud of the kids.  They did great traveling and going to the games.  This was the first trip where AK did not do so well sleeping away from home.  However, she did well transitioning back into her room and bed which had been the previous struggles.  I feel a little better about the vacation we have planned in May to Gatlinburg.

Here are some pictures from Super Bulldog Weekend.

 It's so amazing how photogenic she has gotten in the last year.