9 Months!!!

What a difference nine months can make! My girls are growing up so much! We have moved, Hannali is in a new school we are getting use to new stores new routines, and new people, not to mention Dan got a new job too, and we love it!! The road that has brought us here has been a very long and hard road and we are so grateful to be here!

Their is so much to catch up on! 

Here is a view from our front porch, we love it here and never imagined that we would be so blessed to have a home like we do!

Here's a view from the back, In pretty sure that that one day will be full of houses. But for now we'll enjoy watching the jack rabbits and all other forms of wild life, including a TON of mayflies and mosquitoes!!

Miss Hannali is doing so well, this picture is taken on the same day as schools pictures and her gotcha day. For seven years we have had this little bundle of joy and she defiantly that a joy. She is so good with her sisters and such a great help to me. She is loving school and she enjoys being out playing with all the friends she has made here. Today is my 20th anniversary and I woke up and Hannali was in the other room writing me a note that said "happy anniversary, hope it's a good one" she made one for Dan too. Hannali has the kindest heart, she is so sweet thoughtful, I love her to pieces! (Janeyi is such a ham!)

Miss Beccamei is such a delight she's pretty easy going and can get Janeyi to laugh without fail. Their are times that I can tell that she still wants to be the baby, when ever the girls play she is always that baby, even when it's just Janeyi and her. They play really well together... most of the time....  she is still my early riser and I kind of like that because she will come in and either cuddle with me or come and "help" me read my scriptures. 

    

Here's our little Janeyi, of all the girls she has changed the most. Their were times I wanted to cry and times that I did, She by far has been our hardest to transition into our family and daily living.  Their was the language barrier and she had/has a lot of anxiety, she doesn't do new anything well. I don't think that they did much with her, I believe that she spent the first two years inside not experiencing anything to do with the out doors. When thing warmed up this spring I was able to take her to the park for the first time, it was a windy day and when I took her out she acted like she didn't know how to breath in the wind, kind of like what a newborn would do. I couldn't put her in a swing, or on the ground for that matter. When a flock of bird flew overhead she went in to a tantrum and started to scream. I wonder if that is how she got what she needed because that is what my first 6 months were like, constant tantrums and screaming... it didn't help that she couldn't communicate AND that she is two! Since she has been able to talk and tell us what she needs things have gotten a lot better! She is a fun and has a very funny personality.  She is more settled now and her anxiety levels are not always always on high alert.  When we first brought her home I couldn't even use the bathroom without her having a panic attack. On Hannali's gotcha day we had a party for her and I couldn't see Janeyi around my feet, I looked and I saw in the distance Janeyi and I was amazed! So baby steps, I see more progress when I look back on journal entries and my blogs than I do day to day, but that is what it is like for all of us I guess.

A Quickie!

It's almost funny that every time I sit down to work on a post something happens! And I'm not going to lie, at the end of my days the last thing I want to do is... well almost anything. As you can see Janeyi is not the same little scared girl we got in China, she is thriving! The post I've been working on is more detailed but REALLY all people truly want is pictures. SO I'll save that for my journal and start from what's happening today. 

She is adored by all of us!

And is Happy, Jumping, Dancing, Teasing, and giving Baby Cakes a Run (yes she is running too) for her money!

She has such a fun personality, and I can testify that big things come in small packages! I'm so grateful to be on this side of things, glad she is here and we can move on with new adventures with our little treasures in tow!

Making a Difference

(Dan) As the deadline to departure gets closer I took a look at the finances and realized that we still had some money from our fund raiser. I asked Catherine if there were any other needs that we could help with. After considerable thought she said that it would be nice to get some more books for the children. So today we hopped into Taxi's and drove across town to a 5 story book store.

It was fun to watch the Holt Staff (Catherine, Phoebe and Anson) discuss what they should get. They brought a suit case to carry it in and soon had baskets filled with school charts and books of all kinds. Anson asked me if we could check out and see how much money we had spent, and he was surprised when the total wasn't even half of our budget. I smiled and said keep going, he replied, I'm going to need a bigger suit case.

I hope that this Christmas season you'll remember the good that you did. We are so grateful to all of you who have helped us this trip with our fund raiser project. Your generosity and kindness has impacted children with cleft palates, books for waiting children, new borns who needed warmth and bottles and bottles of vitamins for all. Not only do we have a darling daughter (more on that later) but we had the privilege of lifting others lives which was mostly thanks to you who have helped us. Thank you again and Merry Christmas!

(Anson's thoughts) - How am I going to get all this out of here. 

You should have seen the pile on the floor.

Today we were pretty busy and missed Mei Mei's nap so we thought that she would fall asleep quickly. After a bath and bottle she settled in the crib as we were watching a movie. Thirty minutes later we hear this little voice babbling and playing. Helen grabbed a recorder and before long we had pause the movie to play the cutest game of copy cat. She cooed and peeked at us through the bars. Then we would blow kisses and say something and she would try to repeat what we said.

Another break through!  We are so excited to continue watching her learn and grow. Tomorrow is the big flight. Boy am I excited!

Buddha Temple

(Dan )Today we met with the US consulate and processed the paper work that will bring us home. While there Helen tripped on the top step and did a superman in front of about 100 people. She says that in addition to her bionics abilities she thought that she would give flying a try.  She's bruised her elbow and shoulder, but says her pride took most of the fall.

After the appointment we visited a Buddha Temple in Guangzhou. Our guides were wonderful to talk about the history and beliefs of this beautiful religion. The temple area consisted of several buildings and is the home of several monks.

Pagoda - 9 levels and 17 floors. 

It has been burned down several times during several wars, 

and each time the faithful have it rebuilt it.

While there we met them and they offered to prayed for us 

which I thought was very thoughtful. 

We'll take all the prayers we can get.

Buddha - Past Present and Future

Original founder in this area. 

Over 900 years ago he declared this a special place. 

Originally it had 6 giant ban-yon trees. 

They were destroyed in war and now two have been replanted.

Amen!

Our group!

Mei Mei continues to clings to me but now is also warming up to Helen. 

Holt staff was given one of the red couches from the White Swan hotel 

while it is being renovated. 

After all it is tradition to take a picture on the red couch.

Park and the Pearl

(Dan) Today was another wait day. Three more families arrived and it was quite a bit cooler. We bundled up and took a walk in the park. Today the locals were there, so it seemed normal. Helen was anxious to get out of the hotel, but when we stepped out into the air, it stirred up a bit of a cough. She decided that she would walk around the lake. 2 miles later she was done and we collapsed in our room where we took a long nap.

It's a good thing your daddy knows the international version of patty cakes.

We took some shots of the local people. It is interesting their reactions to us. Some are kind and smile. Others mumble or just stare at us. Not to be rude, but just curious.  I asked our guides what people say when we walk by. Some seem serious and we wanted to know if they were angry.

She said that for most people it is not meant to be mean, but some of these people have HARD LIVES. This would be my observation as well. The next few pictures help me appreciate how much we have.

This take mowing the grass to a hole new level.

You can't tell, but she is very young.

Waiting for the serve.

Macarena in the park.

He was shouting at us and I pointed the camera at him and he tried to make a run for it.

Fan dance.

What is she looking at?

Oh well, nothing like praying half naked in the park.

We made it to ... (see below) the  

Little dancing

Come on you old man, step to the beat.

Is that a smile?

Professional hacky sackers. I counted 54 kicks before they missed. They're good.

Local opera on the street.

Let's get physical!

All the tennis tables were taken. Man! I hate that.

Women taking care of women ... or playing poker.

Later that night we took a cruse up the Pearl River. Legion is told of a great trader who found a giant perl worthy of the emperors, but while admiring it, he had butter fingers and dropped it into the water where it was lost. So they names the river the Perl!  (It sounds better with my pirate voice)

TV tower. 116 floors and powered by a unicorn! 

No really, or it might be one of the "my little ponies".

Jeff's new little buddy!

The Kung fu (slow and relaxed) tea lady and friends. 

Beautiful art in music!

What happens if dad goes too far.