Happy July!

Ingrid's first Fourth of July in the United States!  We were in Florida for the celebration and she loved the flags, the sparklers and was fascinated by the fireworks.  We laughed about how scared we were of the firecrackers they set off at the orphanage to welcome us back in September. 

 

We are so thankful for the freedom we have in this country. Our boys experienced it just a bit in China in understanding that not everyone in this world lives in a free country like we do.  (And if anyone is wondering, Noah has not grown 6 inches.  He likes to stand on his toes for photos)  :)

 

We took a 5 hour drive to pick up Bjorn in Key West and enjoy a new area we had not been to.  By this point Ingrid seemed a little agitated... She was at "Grammie's house" in Florida, but where were Grammie and Bapa?  New bed, new car, and now we were going somewhere different again.  This is where we see that she still is fragile with lots of changes.  That combined with the fact that she has been spoiled and now we need to pull back a bit, and that she is two years old lends to a screaming, crying 5 hour drive.  We could quiet her with ice cream, but that's about it!

 Guessing we hit every-other McDonalds for some ice cream until finally.....

We decided when we got back to MN we would have to parent differently- no giving in to crying or bribing with ice cream.  Now that we are back we decided we would never be able to write a parenting book because we really have no idea what we are doing!!!

 Key West... Ingrid and her brothers.... they absolutely adore her!!!

This next picture is an example of a little girl who has gone from scared and traumatized with our family to having normal sibling competition.... every time the boys made a sand castle she thought she should wreck it.

 She looks sweet and innocent but really knows what she wants!

 

 Ingrid loves to be outside swimming and going to the park. She has no fears of climbing to the top of the highest park slide, yet is a little timid by the water.  That is a relief as none of her brothers had any fear of the water which made for many times jumping in after them fully clothed.

Isaac likes to do her hair... really!

 She can talk for hours on the phone to her grandma's, although most of the time we have no idea what she is saying besides "car ride, car ride"...

She likes her dolls and Legos and the trampoline!

 This summer her hair is wild and she loves to be in just a swim diaper.  Her skin is turning a beautiful darker shade and she looks just like the boy from Jungle Book- Mogley! 

Our last picture shows a little sweetie who is coming alive!  Ingrid lives on pistachios, Cheetos, ice cream, and roast beef.  She now loves to go to her grandparents and other relatives and friends.  She's talking up a storm and says "hug" and squeezes us so tight.  What joy for us!  Yesterday she was heading to the trampoline and I said, "I love you pumpkin" and she turned and smiled and said "Wuv you!"  More full, pure joy!  We continue to thank God for this sweetie!