Summer Memories

We have been busy enjoying the slower pace of life and embracing all that an American Summer can offer!  Both Asher and Annalise have LOVED it all!  They have even passed for our biological children!

Ice cream with friends!

Annalise is OBSESSED with Hello Kitty.  Totally obsessed.  She found these cute, flannel pjs at Goodwill- and became so obsessed with them, that we had to take them away!  If she sees Hello Kitty on anything- and I mean anything- she squeals with delight and runs to it and loudly declares "Dis Hello Kitty is jus SO boo-tiful! I WUV di Hello Kitty!"

We continue to take Asher to various specialists.  He has been fitted for Sure Steps for his pronated ankles.  They are made by the same company that works with Wynter the dolphin!

Asher is simply hilarious.  He loves to be silly and he keeps us laughing!

These 2 are truly sisters- they love each other, then they dislike each other, they adore each other, and then they despise each other....

Pirate Asher- time for some eye-patch experience in an attempt to help his poor left-eye.  We have discovered, thanks to a great ophthalmologist, that due to his brain damage, he has no depth perception.  Hopefully working with a patch and a vision therapist, we can help him achieve the best vision possible.

Annalise has made great friends- and for the first time, she had a friend move away.  We will all miss our friends the W's.

We love how we are all becoming a family- how Asher and Annalise are adjusting to a family- we continue to be thankful that they are a part of our family.  It isn't always easy, but we are thankful for it!

Kindergarten- Summer School Style

Annalise has started a Kindergarten Readiness Program our county offers.  It is 4 weeks long, 4 days a week.  We hope that this boost will help her not only be successful in kindergarten, but will be the beginning of a successful academic career!  She LOVES her orange backpack, she LOVES that Jack, our neighbor, is in her class, and she LOVES that she gets to ride a school bus!!  Already she has learned so much- we are proud of her!!

Chlorine in Their Blood

Update:  Asher and Annalise continue to love the pool!  Annalise continues to improve her time at the swim meets and she is working hard to be able to swim backstroke!  Asher loves attending swim practice and has become the unofficial mascot for the team!  He stands on the sidelines at the meets, and offers to jump in and swim if there is ever an empty lane!  He HAS gone off the diving board and slide- and loves it!  They continue to grow and thrive- we are SO proud of them!

My Little Fish

It turns out that Asher and Annalise are part fish- they LOVE the water!  This just shows how they were always meant to be a part of our family as we spend LOTS of time at pools!  They also get so super TAN!  Their hair is already much lighter- and we have only 1 week of summer vacation under our belts!!

Annalise has been purely amazing- she has been determined to swim BY HER SELF- and she HAS!  Asher is hot on her heals and can now swim 10ft by himself complete with taking a breath!  We just need to build up his muscles and he will be swimming away!

Words cannot express how proud I am of all that they have learned and accomplished!  Annalise has totally impressed her swim coaches by rocking her first swim meet and giving 110% and completing her first 25 meter freestyle!!  It is humbling how she has been able to channel her tenacity into something positive- she needed it to survive her first 4 years of life, and now she's putting it to positive use and rocking the pool!!

Keep working hard, Annalise- God has BIG things planned for you!!

Asher- he is also been totally amazing!  His physical and occupational therapists continue to be blown away at his weekly progress!  He continues to shock me with his desire to swim by himself- he so desperately wants to go off the diving board and I bet he will in the not so distant future!  He doesn't let his poor muscle tone stop him- he keeps working hard!  To say he is IN LOVE with the pool is an understatement.  He cries- as in heartbreaking sobs- every.single.time we leave the pool.  He loves swimming, he loves splashing around he pool, he loves cheering for his siblings as they swim in meets (and he is ready to jump in so we have to watch him super close)....

Way to go, Asher!  God has a special plan for you- and we are humbled and excited to see what it is!  

Cheesy time with Mom! 

Showing her swimming muscles before swim team

Free Slushy time at the pool!

What siblings do during morning swim team- splash!!

LOVING the water!

Happy 5th Birthday, Annalise!!!!!

It is so hard to believe that Annalise is now 5- that's a whole entire hand!!  She has been SO excited- and actually rather verbal that she wanted an orange Hello Kitty party!  I guess she's been to enough birthday parties to "get" how we celebrate birthdays and she wanted in on it!  We were happy to oblige her- and an orange Hello Kitty celebration was had and enjoyed by her closest friends!

We are excited to be able to celebrate this little girl- last year we had a cake, but not little girl to wrap our arms around.  She is spunky, sweet, strong willed, #1 helper, and super smart!

(We did not forget Asher- due to results from his medical testing, his 4th birthday will be celebrated October 10)

Orange cupcakes for school

The morning of her Birthday!!

Family tradition of donuts- which everyone loved!

LOVING having everyone sing to her!

Happy to celebrate with her class!

Enjoying her choice of dinner- Mickey Mouse chicken nuggets, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes (and my suggestion of Mac and Cheese)

 We had a party with a few of her closest friends- she loved it and didn't seem to get too overwhelmed by it!  We ate pizza and fruit, played Pin the Bow on Hello Kitty, ate a custom-made Orange Hellow Kitty Cake, and opened gifts!

We all love you, Annalise Vilte!  We are excited to see how you grow and change this next year!

Baptisim

A very important part of our family is our faith.  We have been looking forward to publicly sharing our faith and our hope for Asher and Annalise- that their hearts would be touched and that they, too, would believe and trust in Jesus.  May 18th, surrounded by family and friends, we were able to baptize Asher and Annalise!  We are so loved- and so are they!

Medical Round #2

Asher had round #2 of medical testing- he had his growth hormone evaluated as well as his water processing.  Both tests have potential to cause serious medical issues which is why they must be performed at the hospital under a Dr's watch.  Thankfully Asher is a Rock Star- he had no adverse reactions and did great during the 6 hour test!  He watched the construction out the window, made pictures with stickers, watched/sang Frozen, and eventually napped!  The Dr's and nurses were totally floored at how amazing he did!   In approximately 2 weeks will get the results- and these results will help us better determine Asher's age.