NEW

New family, new experiences, new language, new food, new home, new clothes, new toys, and now new haircut!

1st week home:

Lots of adjusting for all of us.  Ben is testing limits to see what he can get away with but also to see, I think, if we will keep him no matter what he does.  His major areas of testing are with food and bathroom.  

I am still very much a caregiver figure to him.  He only returns affection if I offer it.  Hopefully in time, he will initiate affection towards me.  I do realize I have been a bit spoiled by Jonah because he is such a cuddle bug.  Ben is probably more similar to my teenagers...hee hee.

Ben and Jonah are in a "turf war" is the best way I can describe it.  They need to figure out how to share toys and our attention.  Ben is much more street smart than our sheltered little American boy.  My prayer is that Ben can start to enjoy the innocence of childhood rather than always worrying about surviving.  

The older kids are being amazing with their new brother.  They are jumping right in with playing with him and caring for him.  I am very proud of them and their ability to open up their hearts and lives to this little boy from across the world.  

Perhaps the best endorsement of all is that we are all still here! So on that note, Week One Home is in the books as a success!

NOT FOR A MOMENT

We sang this song in our church the week before we left to bring Benjamin home.  I thought the words so beautifully described how the Lord watched over our sweet son during his 1st six years of life.  The Lord truly had a plan that little Benjamin Kostas was meant to be in our family.  It is only by God's hand that our lives have been joined with this little blue-eyed wonder from eastern Europe.

NOT FOR A MOMENT by Meredith Andrews

You were reaching through the storm
Walking on the water
Even when I could not see
In the middle of it all
When I thought You were a thousand miles away
Not for a moment did You forsake me
Not for a moment did You forsake me

CHORUS
After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me

You were singing in the dark
Whispering Your promise
Even when I could not hear
I was held in Your arms
Carried for a thousand miles to show
Not for a moment did You forsake me

Chorus

And every step every breath You are there
Every tear every cry every prayer
In my heart at my worst
When my world falls down
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Even in the dark
Even when it's hard
You will never leave me
After all

Chorus

Not for a moment will You forsake me

WE ARE HOME!

We arrived at our home on Thursday night, 7-21.  That means our trip was only 13 days!  We came home 5 days earlier than expected.  What a blessing to get home to our other 4 children sooner  than we were planning on.  It was time to get our whole family together again!

IT'S A BOY!!!

We received a beautiful gift today from Ben's orphanage: his baby picture!  The earliest picture we had of him up to this point is where he is around 2.  I so wanted to see what he looked like as a newborn.  And now the Lord blessed us with this picture!  He is about 1 month old:

Just thought this was interesting:  
This is Jonah at about 7 mths old. Look alike?

SO MUCH TO TELL!

We have been in country since 7-9.  We met Benjamin on that very first day and visited every day from 7-9 until 7-14, most days twice a day.  We played lots of ball catch, lots of tickling, eating snacks together, etc, but most importantly we starting the bonding process through all of those activities.

On Friday, 7-15, we had our court hearing at 1 p.m.  I wasn't even that nervous, I truly felt God's peace through out the entire proceeding.  At the end of the hearing, the judge announced she would give us her decision in one hour!  This is unheard of.  We were fully expecting to have to wait until Monday at 3 for her decision.  Reda and Silva were both very excited about this.  

So at 3 p.m. on 7-15, the decision came:  Benjamin Kostas (his birth name is finally revealed!) is our officially our son.  We were also granted an urgent decision which means we do NOT have to come back in 30 days to bring Ben home.  As soon as his VISA is ready, we can fly home!  God truly answered all our prayers about the court hearing above and beyond what we expected!

Something I will never forget:

Benjamin arrived at the orphanage as a baby on 7-15-2010.  He left the orphanage as OUR SON on 7-15-2016, exactly 6 years to the date!  Reda even shared this amazing fact with the judge as part of her argument that it is time for this boy to have his family!  I believe this "coincidence" was a gift from the Lord, showing me that this was truly meant to be.

This is the first time I met Ben on 7-9.  I could hardly believe I was finally meeting this boy I have only seen in photos and videos over the past 18 months.

Playtime at the orphanage.  On this day, Ben was wearing a Christmas shirt??!!

We arrive at orphanage after the hearing to pick up Ben and bring him "home" to our apartment.  Orphan no more!!!!  In this photo, we are telling him he is ours forever!  Very emotional.  Moments I will never forget for the rest of my life.  What a privilege we have in being part of this!

Sightseeing with Ben!  Let the fun begin!

THE REALLY HARD PART

Over these past 18 months of this adoption process, it was always in the back of my mind that going to get Benjamin would mean having to be away from our other 4 kiddos for probably 3 weeks.  But it was always just an far-off plan.  Well, now it is reality.  Andrew and I leave tomorrow.  

We are all packed.  Jonah is packed and ready to stay by Aunt Jane.  The other kids have their master calendar to help them navigate these next 19 days.  My parents and other sisters are ready to help wherever needed.  We truly could not being doing this without all everyone's help.  We are so grateful.

But on this night before, this is the really hard part.  Getting ready to say good bye to our 4 children knowing life will be completely different when we are all back together again- there are just a lot of emotions for me tonight: 

I am feeling guilty for leaving our kids, guilty for changing their lives so much.

I am feeling super excited and happy to finally meet Benjamin and welcome him to our family.

I am feeling nervous he may not like us.  I am nervous about the adjustment process for all of us.

I am scared about our travel- I am more of a homebody so overseas travel is really stepping out of my comfort zone!

I am trying to savor each moment because it is such a privilege to be part of this story!  God is doing amazing things for this precious little boy, and I am thrilled to be able to watch God at work.  

Like I said, my emotions are all over the place- it might not be the greatest night of sleep for me.  Hopefully I remember to pray and give these anxious thoughts to the Lord.  

So time to try and get some sleep..and pray.

A PLACE TO CALL HIS OWN

The bedroom is all ready!  Are we?  

At the orphanage, Benjamin has been sharing a room with 8 other children.  Now he will share his bedroom with his brother Jonah.  

We had hoped to transition Jonah from crib to bed during the month of July, thinking we would be traveling at the earliest in August.  Then everything went so quicker than we ever hoped, so the transition will have to happen when we get home with Ben.  

Just one of many transitions that will be happening when we get home!