OUR MAIDEN VOYAGE!

Last night we took the boys camping in our new popup camper at an actual campground.

In the past, the boys have "camped" in the tent in our backyard and recently in the popup in our driveway.

But last night we tried taking them to a campground.  Granted it was only 10 minutes from our house, but you got to start somewhere, right?

And our first night was quite epic- it down poured rain from 5 p.m. to bedtime!

Good news is that

1. Our popup doesn't leak

2. Our hotdog meal over the campfire could easily transition to boiling hotdogs over the stove inside the camper

3. Our boys are pretty much happy and excited no matter what or where they are.  So they had a blast playing "Go Fish" and "Crazy Eights" and just hanging out and listening to the storm.

4. When we woke up this morning, it was a beautiful day so we got to take a hike.  We are so fortunate to have this state park right so close to us!

Tonight we are trying a different campground.  No rain is expected so hopefully we can do some hiking yet today and then have a campfire tonight.

I'm sure no matter what we end up doing, our boys will find the fun in it!  That is one of their life gifts, I think.

 Oh oh- what’s missing?  Where’s our camper?

Ok, funny story. We ended up not camping our 2nd night.  One of our older kids had a broken down car that we had to deal with so we decided to take camping off our docket.  With a late start, we were thinking it would too late to set up the camper at the campground. However, we did visit our campsite and have a DQ picnic and campfire.

  

The boys impressed us by rolling with all our changes to our plans today.  

It was a fun adventure even though a bit modified.

"GOTCHA" DAY FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY

On July 15th, 2016 it became official.  

The Lithuanian judge approved our adoption of Benjamin Kostas!

Four years.  

So many changes.  So many adjustments for all of us.  Some hard times.  Some great times.  

And then those moments that are ordinary but so precious at the same time.

Doing life with Ben is an adventure.  We are still learning things about him.  

He is still learning about us.  

But we are forever grateful the Lord told us to go and get this little Lithuanian treasure!

JULY 15, 2016

We woke Ben up from his afternoon nap to tell him he was our officially our son!

Packing up his belonging from 

his first 6 years- pretty humbling.

Driving away from the orphanage.  

No longer an orphan!

His first night with us.  I think I was up most the night watching him and listening for him.  

I was so relieved he was safe and no longer faced the threat of going to the mental institution.

HOW MUCH IS THAT "FROGGIE" IN THE WINDOW?

 Last night we discovered a frog on our window.  

This frog was way up on 

the arched window shown below.

  

I did not know frogs could jump that HIGH!

I also do not know why the frog 

would want to be up so high on this window.  

What was his game plan?

I'm guessing he got a little 

mixed up in his jumping directions...

After about 10 minutes he leaped off and went somewhere more practical for a frog I'm hoping.

Possible life lesson from this:

Sometimes we don't always end up where we planned to be in life so just keep holding on- 

things will get better soon.  

CAN'T FORGET JONAH!

Because this blog was created to document our adoption journey with Ben, Jonah's story is not talked about as much here.  So I decided to share two of our big moments with our Jonah.

We adopted Jonah as a newborn.  

VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE 

than adopting Ben as a 6 year old.

Think of a blank piece of paper versus one that is filled with scribbles and notes.

Both of our adoptions were adventures, but very unique in their own ways.

However, one way the adoptions were the same, is Jonah is also a person in our lives who has changed us dramatically!  Our lives have never been the same since the moment that little bundle arrived in this world.  

Yes, our lives are more complicated and more work.  Our future as parents and the future of our older kids has been altered.  We are sometimes sad or discouraged when the boys face challenges or obstacles that typical developing kiddos don't have to deal with.  We worry what the future holds for the boys- will they have jobs, where will they live, will they have a social life, etc.

But we also have more love, joy, patience, celebration, amazement, personal growth, better life perspective/priority, and FUN than we could have ever imagined!  

We met Jonah on his birth day.  In fact, I was in the room when he was born.  What a privilege!

Jonah came home to us when he was 3 weeks old.  He spent his first weeks in a foster home through our adoption agency.

JONAH'S "METCHA" DAY: SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

JONAH'S "GOTCHA" DAY:

OCTOBER 12, 2010

Our first family picture with all 6 of us!  Getting ready to leave the foster home.

Don't we (all) look so young?

Our first night home with Jonah.  

He had quite the fan club!

NOW

Jonah at 9 years old.  

This summer he started loving pickles!

We love this little boy so much!  We are so proud of him and all his hard work and determination.  He is one neat little fellow!

"METCHA DAY" FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Sometimes you meet a person 

who will change your life forever...

We met one of those people 

four years ago on July 9, 2016.

THEN: July 9, 2016

Our first look at Ben through the window

Our first hug after he ran 

up to us saying "Mama, Dada"

First time playing with Dad

He looks so little!

NOW: July 9, 2020

So proud of this boy and all he's accomplished and adjusted to since that day in 2016!

We are so blessed by Ben!

FROM SCHOOL DAYS TO POOL DAYS!

From spending all morning doing school and then either being stuck inside to play or bundled up in order to play outside in the cold and snow to this:

We love summer!

THIS SHOULD WIN AN OSCAR!

The boys really love making movies with their older brother Stephen.  

Here is their version of Star Wars!