GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

 

Just had Ben's 3 year cardiology report.

His heart repair from 18 months old still looks good!

There is some valve leakage, but doctor is not concerned.

Return for heart echo again in 3 years.

Cardiologist did note Ben had a slow heart rate for an active boy, 58 bpm.  So he ordered a 24 hour holter monitor to get more information on this.  

If it is an issue, it might be related to his thyroid so perhaps a medication dose change is needed. 

I know I have mentioned this before, but I cannot minimize the courage and bravery of our little Ben.  He had major heart surgery (VSD repair) at 18 months old which was while he was living at the orphanage in Vilnius.  This means he was all alone at the hospital, no mom or dad to walk him to the OR or greet him in the recovery room.  No mom or dad to hang out with him in his hospital room during his stay.  No mom or dad to comfort him when he was scared or in pain.  Hopefully there were kind nurses helping care for him, but that still isn't the same as a parent.  

This boy- he is tough.  He knows how to do life alone.  Our constant prayer is still that now he would be willing to do life together....

GOODBYE MOM

My beloved mom passed away Saturday.  

She suffered a debilitating stroke in January 2019.  Her and my dad fought and worked hard for her to recover enough to be able to come home to live again.  It is a miracle she survived these past 4 years since the stroke.

Her courage and bravery, her love for my dad and our family, her kindness to everyone, and her love for the Lord- what a legacy she leaves us all.

I will miss her smile, her wisdom, her humor- so much to miss.  

I love you Mom.  

I can’t wait to have a piece of your apple pie with you up in heaven someday.  

Thank you for being the best mom ever!

 

Click HERE for obituary

When I found out my mom had passed away, I started to cry.  Ben called me over.  He put his hand on my face and said, “Don’t cry momma, Jesus will come to you.”

Click HERE for poem read at her funeral

NICE WORDS

 

Parent teacher conferences were last night for the boys.  I met with their special education, homeroom, choir, and band teachers.

I was amazed by listening to all these individuals consistently say the boys are nice and fun.  They are good workers.  They are catching on and learning new skills.  They are behaving, most of the time, very appropriately.

That was so nice to hear!  

Are there occasional bumps in the road?  Yes.  

Are there areas that need improvement? 

Yes.

 Will there be set backs?  

Probably.  

But right now, at this moment in time, the boys are doing great in school.  

It seems like their teachers enjoy having them as students and that their classmates also enjoy hanging out with them.  

Very proud of our boys!

Very nice evening.

Thank you, Lord!

15 YEARS OLD AND STILL RUNNING (literally)

 

Our dog Tucker turned 15 yesterday!

Stephen took him for a very short run.  He hasn’t ran with Stephen since his 14th birthday.  

We love Tucker!

WE ARE "PUMPED" UP!

Annual tradition of picking out pumpkins, one for each member of our family.

This year was a new experience for us.  We actually went out into the field and PICKED the pumpkins which the boys thought was pretty cool!  

Aren't these guys handsome?

The following photos are from a camping trip we had two weeks ago.  

On the shores of Lake Michigan- 

couldn't be a more beautiful place!

Since the boys were in 

school during the day, 

we enjoyed and cherished a few hours to ourselves at the campground.  

ANOTHER LOOK AT TURNING 12!

Today is Jonah's turn for a 12th birthday!

This guy knows how to have fun and live life to the fullest!  He's funny, creative, smart, and sweet all wrapped into one cute little fellow!

We love you so much Jonah James.

Jonah requested an Indiana Jones Birthday celebration so that's what he got.

Birthday boy before breakfast

Indiana Jones birthday cake

We also decorated with Indiana Jones!

Jonah's reaction to his decorations and cake!

We had his birthday cake over by Grandma and Grandpa followed by burgers and presents back at our house.  

FUN DAY for a VERY SPECIAL BOY!

I have so many emotions whenever it's Jonah's birthday.  Memories of being there for his birth.  Immense gratitude to his birth mom for the gift she gave our family.  Shock/surprise that I celebrated his 1st birthday as a cancer survivor.

It's been a wild ride since the moment the idea of adopting Jonah was placed on hearts by the Lord.   We wouldn't trade a minute of it away.  It's been worth all the blood, sweat, and tears...because of all the laughs and hugs!  

BEN'S 12 YEAR CHECK UP

Ben is healthy and "one cool kid" 

according to our pediatrician!

HEIGHT: 4'7"

Typical 10%, DS 50%

WEIGHT: 72 lbs

Typical 10%, DS 25%

So Ben continues to be small 

compared to his typical peers, 

and thin and average height 

compared to DS peers.