Merry Christmas from Ingrid!

 

Her first Thanksgiving and More!

 

 

The days were warm leading up to Thanksgiving which gave her many chances to play with her favorite activity outside... sidewalk chalk.

Inside favorites... throwing books, boxes, dolls, tuperware, her brothers legos, and really anything!



She loves to lay on the floor, especially concrete.  At Target or Costco she smiles away when she can lay on her stomach and put her head on the hard floor.  Perhaps some memories of the orphanage?

Ingrid got a tutu



We needed to put a little "tuck" in the skirt so it could stay up!

Ingrid loves her milk.... lots of fat so she can gain weight.  She is up to 19 pounds!!

 



The boys were off for a few days around Thanksgiving and couldn't wait to play with her. 



Oskar and Ingrid play bowling with a lemon.  She doesn't seem to mind the sweat smell from her brother after a hockey game!



Ike loves to play chase with her



Noah attempts to tell her a joke.  Guessing she doesn't get it. 

Bjorn shows her fun computer games

The more hugs from their sister the happier the boys are!



 She is getting to know her grandparents too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving day was filled with new things for Ingrid... a walk in the cold morning...

She is not too sure about this part of Thanksgiving.

 

Then off to Grammie's house where over 40 relatives were excited to meet her!

There was a Talent Show after eating turkey.  Some played the violin and the piano, some sang songs, juggled, and some burped the ABC's.  Ingrid however, decided to show off a special talent.  She had just learned to go from sitting to standing and she loved it when people clapped for her.  Here is her video....

What fun we all had watching her. There were tears of joy and thankfulness.  There were tears of laughter since she would have coninued performing her new skill if Matt didn't scoop her up after 5 straight minutes.  And then it hit again.  Overwhelming gratitude.  Our little Ingrid was home.  Not just home with the seven of us in the Anderson family, but home with both sets of grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles, great aunts and great uncles- all who love and adore her and have been praying for her.  What a homecoming! Oh how this little girl is loved!

 

 

 

 

We had to be careful not to overwhlem her too much, so we ended the day on a good note.  She learned to say "night-night", and wave goodbye.

 However, when we got home she got a second wind.  Perhaps it was the Pilgrim Marshmallow Cookies or Acorn cookies made out of Hershey Kisses.... time for bubbles and playing!

 Squeals of delight!

Putting off going to bed.

 Swinging her arms with carefree exhaustion!

Finally begging to go to bed!

 

We will never forget this first Thanksgiving with Ingrid!