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poor dog!
Attison was playing fetch with our dog, Jake, but she decided it would be much more fun to run away with the ball and let Jake chase her. It’s a good thing our dog is so sweet ~ I think he actually understood that it was more fun for Atti if he just chased her around…they’d been playing this game for a few minutes before I located the camera and was able to get some video. The quality isn’t very good since I only uploaded it to Picasa, but if your sound is on you’ll be able to hear Attison’s precious laughter as she runs around our house. (click on the picture to be taken to Picasa where the video will play automatically for you)
christmas dress
This is the Christmas dress I picked up for Attison today. I’m totally in love with it ~ it will look SO cute on Atti. I made sure that there aren’t any scratchy parts or fabric that will touch Attison (that’s Ashley’s biggest complaint with this kind of dress). She has some cute little black MaryJanes she can wear with it. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE dressing a little girl? 
it’s a long drive from minnesota
Ashley, Mike and Atti, Nov 9, 2009
Ashley and Mike were here this past weekend to visit us and Attison. They left Minnesota Friday afternoon and drove pretty much straight through, arriving at our house Saturday morning. They were in town for 3 nights, and spent Atti’s every waking moment and then some with us.
Ashley is about 22 weeks pregnant now. This one is a boy ~ he’s due March 1, 2010. Attison was 3 weeks early, so we’ll see how things go with this one. I think this pregnancy is pretty much the opposite of Attison’s. Atti carried very high under Ashley’s ribs ~ this one is so low that Ashley can place Attison on top of her “belly” and carry Atti around. This child is quite rambunctious and has given Ashley fits from the start ~ Atti was fairly mellow. The first pregnancy is always slower to show, but Ashley didn’t really need maternity clothes until about 7 months. She’s already wearing her maternity clothes at 5 1/2 months pregnant this time ~ she’s concerned they might be so small by the end of this pregnancy that she won’t be able to wear them! Of course I laughed at her on that one ~ if you’ve ever met Ashley in person, you’ll understand why I laughed. The girl is ssooooo tiny, and has such a tiny bone structure, that it’s next to impossible to imagine her too chunky to fit into her maternity clothes. She has gained a good amount of weight so far, but for her that’s an extremely GOOD thing. She was down around 85 pounds again when she got pregnant, and was way too thin. Her doctor has told her to eat every high calorie food she can get her hands on, and to keep eating them. (Must be nice!!) That’s not a piece of advice any doctor has ever given me! Ashley definitely got her metabolism from her father’s side…
Attison loved having Mike and Ashley here ~ she played, and played, and played some more with them. Their stay was short, but it was a good beginning. Atti and Ashley haven’t seen each other since the very beginning of July; it didn’t take very long for Attison to warm up to Ashley and Mike. Once they sat down in her room and played with her, trying on her plastic mixing bowl “hats” and bouncing the ball with her, she knew she had them wrapped around her little finger. It’s hard not to be wrapped around Atti’s little finger though ~ she’s a sweet little girl who’s very cute! (Spoken like a true grandparent, no?)
I’m not sure how soon Ashley and Mike will be able to come back down to Arkansas. We don’t have anything set as of yet. It’s a very long drive from Minnesota to Arkansas, even when you’re young and can take long hours of driving like that. There are several other factors that have to be considered as well, especially given that Ashley is pregnant and Mike needs his job to support his growing family.
is it september yet?
My husband has graciously purchased plane tickets for Attison and me to fly to Colorado in September. Can I tell you how much I am looking forward to this?! I haven’t been this excited about anything in quite a while. I wrote about it here, but it bears repeating. 
I have friends in Colorado who I hope to be able to see, and Roger and I have lots and lots of family there, too. Atti and I will be staying with family, and I’m quite sure Attison will be loved and spoiled there even more than she is here!
I checked AccuWeather’s normal averages in September for the area of Colorado we’re going to, and of course it seems like heaven to me ~ highs in the low 70s, lows in the high 30s, and normal averages in the mid 50s. I’m going to have to go clothes shopping for both myself and Attison before we leave ~ we’re going to need jeans and light jackets. We don’t usually buy those things in Arkansas until mid to late October.
I miss the mountains, and I miss cool weather. I’m so psyched (just dated myself with that, but there’s no other word that quite fits) to be able to go on a little trip. I wish we were all going, but with both boys in school and Roger’s job, the only way I was going to escape Arkansas anytime in the next year or so was if I went without the guys.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to my sweet hubby for sending me (and Attison) off for a few days ~ and thank you, thank you, thank you to our wonderful family who have agreed to let us invade their space for a little while. Knowing I’m going to be near real mountains and be in cooler weather soon has brightened my outlook ~ and has awakened the little excitement butterflies in my stomach!
mountains in about a month
The other day I was a mess. A blubbering, sobbing, wailing mess. I was having one of “those” days I guess ~ I felt a tad overwhelmed, and the glass-is-half-empty mentality kicked in.
After the evening duties were finished, I sat down to tell Roger about my tearful day. After listening very patiently, as he usually does, he looked me in the eye and said, “Would you like to take a trip to Colorado?”
I could have jumped up and kissed the man! Actually, I do believe I gave him a hug and a kiss at that point. Then I told him how I had been contemplating packing up the Suburban and driving to Colorado. I knew Roger wouldn’t be able to go with me because of his job (we do need to eat), and Sawyer would already be moved in at school (another story for another day), so I figured I’d just pack Attison up and take a long drive. Atti is a good traveler so I wasn’t worried about that ~ but Arkansas to Colorado is a very long drive for just one person.
It has been a while since I’ve been on a vacation. I’ve been in Arkansas for 4 years now, and I’m desperately needing a break from the heat and humidity. Roger’s US Air Force Academy class reunion is taking place in late September, and I had hoped we would be able to go to that. But with the new job, Roger’s not going anywhere for a while. The loss of the 20th anniversary cruise, as well as not taking the 2-night stay at a fancy hotel in Little Rock, combined with the knowledge that we wouldn’t be going to Colorado this September really had me bummed.
Thankfully I am married to one of the best men on the planet. He sees when I’m truly at capacity for handling drama, disappointment, loss, and summers in the south. And believe me, I am at capacity. My occasional escape of hanging out with my friend Janice and her daughters has turned into a daily occurance. Roger could see I desperately needed a diversion!
The mountains have always been a balm to me. The sight of the Rockies (both American and Canadian) never fails to take my breath away, and even the thought of heading to the mountains makes my little heart go pitter-pat.
We haven’t set a firm date yet, but I can tell you I will be heading to Colorado in September. Attison and I will fly, most likely into Denver, where Roger’s dad and step-mom will meet us. I’m also hoping to be able to see my niece and meet her boyfriend while we’re there, and see Roger’s mom and step-dad as well. Then there are the myriad branches of the Anderson family tree who mostly inhabit Colorado ~ I would love to see as many of them as I possibly can.
And those of you who are my bloggy friends who live in Colorado, you have not been forgotten! I’m not sure what my transportation situation will be like ~ you may have to come spend a day on the ranch in the San Luis Valley with me, but if we can make it work we certainly will.
Woo hoo for Colorado! Oh, by the way, do those of you who live in Colorado think you may be able to order up some nice Colorado weather while I’m there? I truly do love highs in the low- to mid-70′s (or cooler), and lows in the 40′s. A few fall colors on the trees, some nice cool weather, and mountains with snow on top ~ the perfect setting. Nonetheless, even without those things, I will be absolutely delighted to be there!
attison, july 11, 2009
This may be the last time I post pictures of Attison on this blog, for the same reasons I stopped posting them here before. I will, however, be posting pictures on Facebook. If you use Facebook, you can send me a friend request ~ www.facebook.com/trish.anderson . If you don’t use Facebook but would still like to see future pictures of Attison that I will post, send me an email (trish AT joyfulheartblog DOT com), let me know you would like to receive invitations to future photo albums, and I’ll make sure you get them.
the pictures are coming
I’ve had several people ask me to post pictures of Attison. I have some really good ones, too ~ the problem is we’re living in a hotel (of sorts ~ the temporary lodging facillity at Little Rock AFB), and I didn’t bring the USB cable for my camera with me. We will probably make a trip out to the house sometime later today, or maybe not until tomorrow, but while we’re there I’ll grab the USB cable.
Attison grew about 4 inches and has gained probably 10 pounds since the last time we saw her. And her hair is growing in even thicker, with more of a light red/blondish coloring to it. She’s not walking yet, although she could if she really wanted to. She pulls herself up on everything, and will cruise around ~ as long as she’s holding onto something she’s fine. But the instant she realizes there’s nothing to hold onto, she plops right back down onto her bottom. She crawls like a champ now, too. She talks, ALL THE TIME, in that cute baby babble they always develop. She likes to be included in the conversation, and will burst out with laughter if the rest of us are laughing about something.
I’ll get some pictures up as soon as I can!
off on a journey
It’s very late and I’m exhausted, but I want to get this typed up and posted while most of the details are fresh on my mind.
In May, Mike, Ashley and Attison moved up to Minnesota. The shop Mike had been working for in Texas ran into some financial problems, and even after trying for a while Mike wasn’t able to find a new job in Texas. So they packed up and moved to Minnesota, hoping that Mike would be able to do a national job search while they stayed with his parents for a little while.
Every year there’s a large group of people who get together for a week, usually in a national forest or someplace where tens of thousands of people can gather. They camp out, share what they have to share (supplies and such), and basically just hang out in an expression of a lifestyle that isn’t the usual mainstream lifestyle. Mike and Ashley decided they wanted to attend “The Gathering” in New Mexico in July, camp for maybe a week, then head back to Minnesota.
By the end of the week, they had pretty much split up. Ashley decided she wanted to continue on with a group of people she met at The Gathering, but Mike felt that that would not be best for Attison. So Mike talked Ashley into letting him take Attison, while Ashley went with her new friends on a journey around the country for a week or two, maybe more.
When Roger and I heard that Ashley had taken Attison to this gathering, we knew we were going to have to step in ~ I had told Ashley previously that I did not feel that would be an appropriate atmosphere for Attison, especially since she’s only 13 months old. We learned that Mike had decided to leave the camp and take Attison to where she could be safe ~ I called him and asked him to bring Attison here to Arkansas so we could see her.
Once he and Atti arrived safely in Arkansas, we learned a little more about the gathering, and we knew Mike had made the right decision by removing Attison from that situation. We all wished Ashley would have come out of there with Mike too, but since Ashley’s an adult she makes her own decisions.
Earlier this evening Mike and Ashley had a telephone conversation where Ashley stated that she would not be coming back ~ she likes living the hippy lifestyle, she’s happy there, and right now she has no plans to return to regular society. She told Mike she didn’t think she would ever be coming back.
To me, that says that Ashley has abandoned Attison. Ashley knows Atti is here with us, that she is being well taken care of, and that she’s loved very much. Atti is safe. So Ashley is now free to live what conventional people would refer to as a hippy lifestyle ~ just sort of aimlessley wandering around the country, hitchhiking, catching rides with other “travelers” and maybe working odd jobs here and there to earn some money for food. It’s what Ashley has always wanted to do, and now she has found a way to do it. I wish her well, I hope she is happy, and I pray that someday she’ll realize what a mistake she has made by abandoning Attison.
So, Roger and I are once again raising Attison. This time for good. Our guardianship is still in effect ~ it’s a permanent, lifetime guardianship that will hold up in any state and court in the land.
Attison will be able to lead a normal, healthy life. She’ll be loved, and while Roger and I will always be Papa and Nana, Attison will grow up with us loving her with the love of a mother and father ~ not to mention Uncles Patrick and Sawyer, Auntie Ariel, Aunties Janice, Christina, Hannah, Sarah, Amanda, Uncle Bruce, and all of the amazing ladies and kids at our homeschool co-op. Attison has a life here with us, and she is immensely loved. And I’m so thankful that not only has God brought her back to us, but that He has been providing for her in incredible and unexpected ways.
So welcome home, Attison. We love you, and we’re so excited (and thankful) to spend your growing-up years with you!
so far this week…
- we’ve welcomed Attison home
- our air conditioning broke
- we were able to get a room at the temporary lodging facility on base
- our dog and youngest son are staying with our friends until there’s air conditioning in the house
- God has provided a way for us to pay for a new air conditioning system
- God provided clothing and an umbrella stroller for Atti
- assuming we have air conditioning, this weekend Patrick and Ariel will come home
- while they’re home, we’ll be doing some furniture rearranging (giving Atti back her room that I had converted into an extra guest room)
- friends have been generous in allowing us to hang out at their houses so we have places to go and things to do, especially to keep Attison occupied
- our new DVR was delivered
- not new to this particular week, but still new enough to fit into the amazingness of this week ~ Roger’s job at Lockheed-Martin as a C-130J sim instructor is blessing us left and right
At this moment is doesn’t look like I will be enjoying an empty nest home and cooking just for two starting in August. But that’s alright ~ we have received a gift that only God in His infinite wisdom would give: a baby to love and spend the next 18+ years training and enjoying! God is most definitely good!
what’s new?
Well, it has been a while since I posted! Here’s what’s happening now:
Ordinarily I wouldn’t mention Ashley or Attison, but I’m going to make an exception here. Attison has been living with Ashley and Mike in Dallas for about 2 weeks now. Things seem to be going well for them. Parenting is always harder than you think it will be, and no one can really understand all the work involved in caring for an infant/toddler unless they’re in the same boat, so I think there has been a little bit of culture shock for Ashley and Mike. They’re handling it very well though, and Attison has adjusted well. Mike, Ashley and Attison will be moving back to Minnesota soon ~ hopefully just temporarily. The economy being what it is, Mike is having a hard time finding a job in his field, so they’re going to go up to Minnesota for a little while to stay with Mike’s parents. That way Mike can look for a job nation-wide without having to worry about paying rent or utilities.
Sunday was Mother’s Day. It was also Patrick’s 19th birthday!
Last Friday evening, Sawyer, Patrick and Ariel were leaving our house to go to a movie. As they headed out of our neighborhood, they spotted a puppy sitting by the side of the road. They stopped to see if the puppy had any tags or some way she could be returned to her owners. When Sawyer picked her up, he noticed that the puppy’s right paw was lame. Since she didn’t have a collar or any tags on, they decided to bring her home. Everyone took pictures of the puppy with their cell phones, then headed out to knock on all of the door in our neighborhood (about 50 houses). No one knew anything about her. Roger and Sawyer took her to the all-night vet to have her paw fixed ~ we couldn’t just leave the poor little thing in pain with her leg broken. The next day we put flyers up in the surrounding neighborhoods. No one has claimed her. So ~ guess what one of my Mother’s Day gifts was…..I got a puppy! LOL She really is cute. We’ve named her Chloe, and we’re guessing she’s about 10 weeks old. She’s mostly housetrained, which is nice (except for the occasional oops). She’s a little fireball ~ our best guesstimate is that she’s a chipuggle; chihuahua, pug and beagle mix.
Yesterday we closed out our homeschool co-op year with a pizza and cake party. It was chaos, but a lot of fun. I’m going to miss my Tuesday mornings with the other homeschooling moms next school year.
Sawyer had junior orientation at ASMSA, and will be moving into the dorms there in early August. He plans to find a job for the summer. Most of the money he makes at a summer job will go towards paying for his trip next July (2010) to France and the UK. The choir Sawyer sings with will be travelling to France to sing at the Normandy American Cemetery on the 4th of July (again, 2010), then they’ll travel all over in France and England. Knowing the kinds of trips the choir director and his team have put together before, I’m sure this one will be beyond amazing!
So, in summary: Atti’s with Ashley, Patrick turned 19, we have a new puppy, homeschool co-op is done for this school year, and Sawyer has 2 big events coming up.
Well then, what have I been up to? I have a secret, and a surprise coming up soon. I’m just not quite ready to make an announcement. It’s big for me, and fits in with my desire to be involved in ministry. That’s all I can say for right now!