Well the past few weeks we have been posting about the trip to China.
Today I will update about Marielle. She is awesome and funny. She loves to tease and is very creative and imaginative. She can't wait to be able to play sports with her sister and is excited to start dance and gymnastics in the fall. She loves preschool but until next year she only goes when mommy works so once sometimes twice a week. Mommy wants her home with her.
She wants to be a doctor when she grows up and told her doctor, DR ROSEMARY, that when she is done with school she expects to be hired by her. Dr Rosemary asks all the time about Marielle and if she still wants to be a doctor.
She loves church and nursery and right now her favorite song is I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE.
She is excited about Christmas and EVERY commercial she see's she asks for the toy, so Santa had to tell her that he would only bring a few things to pick her very favorite thing.
For Halloween she will be one of the disney princessess we have three different costumes of various sizes which she fits so when it is closer we will see what she picks. MOMMY is pulling for MULAN.
Soon we will start posting more pictures with the updates.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
October 7-11, 2005
Friday
Today was a free day. We had planned to go to the zoo and back to the
museum. Well we made it to the zoo and a zoo is a zoo no matter where
you are. It was okay. When we got in the taxi to go to the museum
which should have been around the block A HUGE BLOCK TO FAR TO WALK
THOUGH. He started heading across the river in the opposite
direction. So we just stopped him and came back to the hotel. It was
the first time a taxi driver had tried to take the long way. So we
will go back to the museum on Sunday. That day I will pack and then
we will do the outing.
We have loved it here. Nice hotel, good food and good chinese food
close by. But after 14 days in Changsha I am ready to be home, see
blue skies and MOST OF ALL be with McKenna and have our family
together again. This extra week has been harder than I thought it
would be.
Tomorrow we will visit the Shaoyang SWI. IT will be a long tiring day
so we sent out the final load of laundry today. I may even pack
tonight. If in Changsha the hotel is great. The laundry at the
hotel is more expensive than sending it out but for ease they do a
good job and it doesn't smell smokey as when you send it out. It just
depends on how you want to do it.
Saturday
Today was the big day to the SWI. It was a beautiful day and
eight families went. We had a great time on the driving and saw some
beautiful scenery part of it reminded me of the High Unitas in Utah.
Beautiful rice growing on terrace hills and even a couple of cematary's
on hills with terracing.
The SWI is at the end of a narrow dirt road and the grounds were
beautifully done as well as the buildings. One building is for the
older folks although we did not tour it nor see anyone. One is for
the nannies and older girls. One looked like it was actually a
garage. there was a small pond and the babies building. We were able
to meet the nannies and we met Marielle's main nanny. We were able to
take a few pictures of the nannies. We saw were she slept and met her
nanny there. The walls are painted with cartoon characters and hanging up artwork created by the pictures.
Final Post From China
We woke up and went down to breakfast. I convinced Jason to
FINALLY go to the medical clinic and he is on two
antibiotics and cough medicine.
I then took Marielle and did some last minute shopping
and then she came home and NAPPED YEAH until around
130. She woke up, and we put her in her red, white
and blue baby gap outfit. We went down to the red
couch and took pictures with our group from HUNAN and
family pictures with the background of the waterfall.
The bridge is closed because of repainting so we could
not do the pictures there.
We then headed to the consulate and did the oath, I am
a bawl baby and cried through all 30 seconds of it.
I then headed out to do some LAST MINUTE SHOPPING with
the money I had left. I had not bought alot of silks
but saw how cute the girls looked in the photo today
so I purchased some silks in various sized for
Marielle. They looked cute. I also purchased a few
other outfits for her to wear and grow into.
All in all this has been a wonderful experience, it
has had its ups and downs but the ups FARTHER outweigh
the downs. It is such a beautiful country which
Marielle comes from and we will be proud to help her
celebrate as she grows up. We received a book with a
few more pictures in it and notes from her MAIN nanny.
We look forward to coming one more time to adopt
hopefully a little brother for the girls and then to
bring back the kids for a special family vacation.
Thanks for being apart of this adventure.
Love from China,
Jason, Natalie, Marielle and from the US Miss McKenna
Rene Anderson
Saturday, October 11, 2008
October 4,5,6 2005
Today was a free day. Jason was not feeling good and Marielle was
fussy so mommy let them take a nap and went with a small group to the
park and the silk factory.
The silk factory was small but very interesting and there even is a
picture of George W Bush up. It was just interesting to see him in a
photograph there. I purchased me a small scarf.
We then took a walk and saw a store selling CD's and VCD. The most
intersting was the back of the Star Wars- the most recent one and the
back cover referred to North Korea as the dark side. It was just
interesting to read, it did not refer to the movie at all.
We then walked to the park, and since it is holiday there there was
alot of people there. Lots of families came up and wanted their
picture taken. There was a small carnival game area and we walked up
to a tower building and inside it is a war memorial. Also at this
park we saw MINNIE MOUSE and some of the families had their picture
taken. We saw a little boy with split pants, he was just walking
along. When you go out to areas like this most of the kids come up
and want to practice their English. When you are places and need
directions or a question answered ask the teenagers.
Marielle is sleeping, I hate just putting her down but that is the way
she falls asleep the easiest.
Some of the families have had twenty four hour flu, SO FAR not us, I
am knocking hard on wood everyday.
It has been rainy today and it helps the air smell cleaner and fresher.
Talk to you later.
Today day we went to a museum here in Changsha. It was an archeological
museum and was devoted to one of the tombs here which was found and
excavated. We saw beautiful silk garments and wrappings some in better
shape than others, they were 2000 years old I think I cannot find the
paper that had stuff written down. we saw the elaborate coffins and
an actual mummy. It was to cool.
We then walked to the department store and did some shopping, we found
Skippy brand peanut butter and some yummy coconut crackers. I even
saw a dried pig face and dried birds, I assume geese. I bought
Marielle s little outfit which cost more than all the food. The
outfit was 17 US DOLLARS and the food was NINE. We had 10 cans of
soda, oreos and Johnsons baby bath. The Huggies diapers are better
than Pampers according the others in my group. I like the fitti and
the Huggies brands myself.
Marielle has decided she does not like to be rocked to sleep she just
fusses and throws a fit. So we put her in the crib and within two
minutes she was asleep. During the day she likes being rocked but not
at night. We average 10-12 hours a night. Hopefully when we get home
and we get her on a US schedule she will still sleep.
We had to buy a new mouse for some reason the laptop mouse area would
not work so we will now be able to get new pictures up soon.
We went to the embroidery institute today. They have some very
beautiful works of art. We did not purchase anything but found some
things we liked, we just we not expecting it to be $1000 US dollars.
So we will go back to the silk factory and purchase a smaller item on
our free day. They have a whole range of prices and works of art,
some of the animal ones look as though the tiger or wolf or whatever
could stand up and walk out of the piece. We may go back there, we
will talk it over and decide later.
The rest of the day we hung out at the hotel, went bowling and just
chilled in the room.
Tomorrow is a visit to the countryside.
While driving along it is so suprising you will see new
apartment buildings but if you look close it is only the outside the
inside is still a shell and no one lives there and then right by it
is run down places with holes in the roof etc. It is just amazing to
me that so many people live in areas of such poverty and I can just
imagine what our visit to the countryside will bring.
I saw an ambulance today, a minivan. There are multiple hospitals
around some are general and others specific. It makes me grateful to
live where I do. I think even the poorest in the US have more than
the people here. I am grateful that the Chinese government have
allowed us to adopt Marielle and bring her home with us. Her life
would have been so different if she had grown up here.
Today we went to visit a villiage on the outskirts of Changsha. We
will post some pictures of the villiage. Families live together in
one house. We did not see tv or any electronics just rooms with one
or two rooms of furniture. This villiage group was about two hundred
people. Some of the houses were two story and looked quite nice
others were smaller. We saw the villiage area where they grow rice
and a town shopping area where they sell things. We wanted some shoes
for Marielle but they did not have any small enough. We did not
purchase anything. It again reinforced how lucky we are to have what
we have in the US. Our guide said that the villiage is like the one
where our little ones could have come from. She said though that on
Saturday when we visit the SWI in Shaoyang that we will see much
poorer villiages. She comes from Guangzhou and says in this area the
Chinese have a higher standard of living than in some of the inner
areas. We are so lucky to live where we do. We actually got to see
some blue sky and took a picture of the blue sky. I know I continue
to mention in but enjoy blue skies.
The hotel we are staying at is very nice. I will take a few pictures
and post them also. We have had a wonderful time here. Our time in
Changsha is short and part of me is sad to leave but I also am ready
to come home.
fussy so mommy let them take a nap and went with a small group to the
park and the silk factory.
The silk factory was small but very interesting and there even is a
picture of George W Bush up. It was just interesting to see him in a
photograph there. I purchased me a small scarf.
We then took a walk and saw a store selling CD's and VCD. The most
intersting was the back of the Star Wars- the most recent one and the
back cover referred to North Korea as the dark side. It was just
interesting to read, it did not refer to the movie at all.
We then walked to the park, and since it is holiday there there was
alot of people there. Lots of families came up and wanted their
picture taken. There was a small carnival game area and we walked up
to a tower building and inside it is a war memorial. Also at this
park we saw MINNIE MOUSE and some of the families had their picture
taken. We saw a little boy with split pants, he was just walking
along. When you go out to areas like this most of the kids come up
and want to practice their English. When you are places and need
directions or a question answered ask the teenagers.
Marielle is sleeping, I hate just putting her down but that is the way
she falls asleep the easiest.
Some of the families have had twenty four hour flu, SO FAR not us, I
am knocking hard on wood everyday.
It has been rainy today and it helps the air smell cleaner and fresher.
Talk to you later.
Today day we went to a museum here in Changsha. It was an archeological
museum and was devoted to one of the tombs here which was found and
excavated. We saw beautiful silk garments and wrappings some in better
shape than others, they were 2000 years old I think I cannot find the
paper that had stuff written down. we saw the elaborate coffins and
an actual mummy. It was to cool.
We then walked to the department store and did some shopping, we found
Skippy brand peanut butter and some yummy coconut crackers. I even
saw a dried pig face and dried birds, I assume geese. I bought
Marielle s little outfit which cost more than all the food. The
outfit was 17 US DOLLARS and the food was NINE. We had 10 cans of
soda, oreos and Johnsons baby bath. The Huggies diapers are better
than Pampers according the others in my group. I like the fitti and
the Huggies brands myself.
Marielle has decided she does not like to be rocked to sleep she just
fusses and throws a fit. So we put her in the crib and within two
minutes she was asleep. During the day she likes being rocked but not
at night. We average 10-12 hours a night. Hopefully when we get home
and we get her on a US schedule she will still sleep.
We had to buy a new mouse for some reason the laptop mouse area would
not work so we will now be able to get new pictures up soon.
We went to the embroidery institute today. They have some very
beautiful works of art. We did not purchase anything but found some
things we liked, we just we not expecting it to be $1000 US dollars.
So we will go back to the silk factory and purchase a smaller item on
our free day. They have a whole range of prices and works of art,
some of the animal ones look as though the tiger or wolf or whatever
could stand up and walk out of the piece. We may go back there, we
will talk it over and decide later.
The rest of the day we hung out at the hotel, went bowling and just
chilled in the room.
Tomorrow is a visit to the countryside.
While driving along it is so suprising you will see new
apartment buildings but if you look close it is only the outside the
inside is still a shell and no one lives there and then right by it
is run down places with holes in the roof etc. It is just amazing to
me that so many people live in areas of such poverty and I can just
imagine what our visit to the countryside will bring.
I saw an ambulance today, a minivan. There are multiple hospitals
around some are general and others specific. It makes me grateful to
live where I do. I think even the poorest in the US have more than
the people here. I am grateful that the Chinese government have
allowed us to adopt Marielle and bring her home with us. Her life
would have been so different if she had grown up here.
Today we went to visit a villiage on the outskirts of Changsha. We
will post some pictures of the villiage. Families live together in
one house. We did not see tv or any electronics just rooms with one
or two rooms of furniture. This villiage group was about two hundred
people. Some of the houses were two story and looked quite nice
others were smaller. We saw the villiage area where they grow rice
and a town shopping area where they sell things. We wanted some shoes
for Marielle but they did not have any small enough. We did not
purchase anything. It again reinforced how lucky we are to have what
we have in the US. Our guide said that the villiage is like the one
where our little ones could have come from. She said though that on
Saturday when we visit the SWI in Shaoyang that we will see much
poorer villiages. She comes from Guangzhou and says in this area the
Chinese have a higher standard of living than in some of the inner
areas. We are so lucky to live where we do. We actually got to see
some blue sky and took a picture of the blue sky. I know I continue
to mention in but enjoy blue skies.
The hotel we are staying at is very nice. I will take a few pictures
and post them also. We have had a wonderful time here. Our time in
Changsha is short and part of me is sad to leave but I also am ready
to come home.
