One chapter closes and another opens

Endings can be sad and one some level my heart a little sad mostly because hitting this milestone means my baby is growing up. I eluded earlier this week that this was a big week for us and it is. Yesterday marked the day that Anna was home with us longer then she was in the orphanage. I have had this day marked on my calender for over a year. At times I was painfully aware that my daughter had spent more time with others then me, happily I can no longer say that this is so.

Yesterday when I told Anna that this was a special day she looked at me, laughed and continued playing. At times when I was waiting I never thought this day would come. In the past 2 months time has been flying by. I am so glad that I made the decision to stay home for this vacation.

So what did we do to celebrate? Beach of course. Anna when to bed the night before asking or should I say crying to go to the beach. When she woke up the first thing out of her mouth after "Me-me loves Hans back a moon, Greg too" was "beach go there, Hans, Me-me, Papa, Grammy, Mamma....." She proceeded to name everyone in the family which was so sweet some she named twice but she did not miss a single one. This tells me that Anna has really bonded and attached to the family. This was of course something that I had worried about for a long time but Anna knows who loves her and who she loves.

Off to the beach we went. I packed the car while Gerard played with Anna. I realized that my umbrella was broken so plans were made with Jaime to buy a new one. I missed buying my beach badges before the season opened which will not happen again next year because WOW what a price difference, 70 dollars for 2 badges. I better make good use of them this year.

Papa and Grammy met us at the beach, actually the bay beach. The Jersey shore is beautiful and I love swimming in the waves but the surf is too unpredictable for Hans and Anna. For us to go on the ocean side the conditions must be just right, very little wind and low tide.

Anna loves her Papa very much. When she saw him she bolted straight for him. Off came her cover up and then he was immediately dragged to the water. Go thing they got there first and were set up. I did manage a few pictures until Anna told me "No pictures just water." So the camera got put away for a little bit.


That is Papa waiting for Anna in the water in the background.


"Come on Papa" Papa never gets a break!





After close to 4 hours at the beach Jaime and I carried two crying babies off the beach because they were not quite done. Anna fell asleep before we left the parking lot. She then slept for close to 2 hours (5pm to 7pm), I woke her up because we had dinner plans. Gerard and I decided to try a relatively new restaurant up the street which was nice.

Anna was sitting on my bed watching me get ready to go to dinner and she asked "Mamma leaving?" I assured her that she was coming too. I am so amazed by how much she gets and the things that she notices. I wonder how much she remembers of her time in the orphanage that she just can not verbalize yet. I forced Gerard into a family photo which turned out pretty good. I also took this one for the blog. I think it is so funny that Anna never smiles for the camera unless she sees the persons face behind the camera.




For dinner Gerard had stuffed flounder and we had Alaskan king crab legs. Anna loves crab and I think that is so funny.



I wonder if her birth mother in Russia has had the same date marked on her calender? I want to believe that she does and that she misses Anna as much as I do when I am not with her. I am sure there is not a day that passes that she does not think about Anna. I wish today it was possible to let her know Anna is okay and doing well.

So that is it one chapter has ended and another has started.