Prom 2018

I can’t believe that little boy we brought home just a few years ago is now old enough to attend his high school Prom! He went with is good friend Corinne. They had a great time, even in the sweltering heat! 

17!

Today our boy, our little boy, turned 17. I can't even believe that 7 years ago I had just learned about him. That tiny little boy. Now he's all grown up! He's even shaving. Lord help me!

Today cannot pass without acknowledging the most important people. Axel has two families in Serbia: His birth family, who love him very much. They love him so much they let him go to the other side of the world to have a life he would not otherwise have. His mother, his father, and his brother. They are reading this post (and I know they've been waiting all day for pictures!) To them we are so thankful! We look forward to the day we can bring Axel back to Serbia for another visit.

Then there is his foster family, who cared for him for three years. They have a very difficult job, getting kids out of the institution, then preparing them to live in families. They soon make room for the next foster child. Thank you!! Several of their foster children who have Down syndrome are now in the US, living with families.

When I asked Axel what kind of cake he wanted, he requested  "Blue cake Mom." All of you reading know I am not the greatest cook, but those bakers at HyVee? They do not disappoint! I found a blue cake!

Our friends the Stumbo's joined us for Axel's big day.

All our kids love birthdays (some just because there is cake!) But Angela and Axel have a special bond. They are true brother and sister, but also best friends.  Here we're all signing and singing "Happy Birthday." 

17 candles is a lot of candles to blow out! 

Angela had a special gift for Axel. She prepared it just for him. Maybe you recognize it?

Four Years Ago

Four years ago I was on the other side of the world, in the city of Kragujevac, Serbia. 

It is the day I was allowed to take this little man out of foster care!

It was a day of many sad goodbyes.

Goodbye to a family who had loved and cared for him for 2 1/2 years.

Goodbye to the foods he had always known.

Goodbye to the language he understood.

Goodbye to a life as one of "the have nots".

There were good goodbyes too!

Goodbye to being hidden away.

Goodbye to being forgotten and devalued.

I was a new mom again, and had no idea the wild ride ahead of me!

You can read the details about that day here. 

Learning to Ride

A few months ago I reluctantly listed my bike and sidecar - affectionately named "Nooner & Spank" - for sale in the sidecar community. I was really upset about it, but we needed the money for Audrey's adoption. I had lots of people who were interested but it was a really hard winter here. Every time someone wanted to come take a look we were having record low temperatures. Too cold to be standing around in the garage trying to start a bike that is too cold to start. In the end I never got them sold. I want to think its because God knew I was going to need my bike for a little bit of sanity this summer on the few days I'll be feeling good.

All the kids except Audrey got rides, (she is too small)  but we were most shocked to discover that Abel LOVES to ride! A year ago we couldn't even start the bikes with him around because he would panic. Now? Yeah, we've created a junkie! On his first ride we went several miles and he was in heaven so I decided to make a couple of stops to pick up some things. He was reluctant to get out, and while we were in the store he asked me about 100 times "More motorcycle please!"  Here is Abel, taking his very first ride.


Sadly, Asher does NOT like riding in the sidecar. I think its because he has such low muscle tone that the helmet is just too much for him. We had gone just a few blocks when we stopped at an intersection. I looked down at him and his lip was out and a tear running down his cheek. Poor baby! A couple days later he was asking for the motorcycle but we haven't tried it again. Maybe later this summer.

This year Axel is learning to ride being Dad! This is his first ever ride on the back of the bike. He loved it and rode really well. He'll be going with us lots this summer!

Crab Boil

Going through my pictures from the summer, I realized I never blogged about the trip Axel, Asher and I took to Philadelphia! While the original purpose of the trip was a check up at Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia, really we made it all about friends!

My very good friend Coleen has hosted us nearly every time we go to Philly. She picks us up at the airport, drops us off when it's time to go home, lets me borrow a car to get back and forth to the hospital. She is just the best kind of friend ever.

I have known Coleen on the internet since Angela was around 9 years old. That's about the time her son Nolan was born with Down syndrome. Since then we've grown to love one another's kids via the net. She has supported us through three adoptions, plus all the ups and downs of raising a kid(s) with Down syndrome.

Anyway, one of the things Coleen made sure we experienced was a crab boil. Ok, really it was her fiancé Phil and his buddies who got the crabs, but still...

Now, we live in Minnesota. Our sea life is much different. Well, because it's lake life, not sea life.

First, there were A LOT of crabs! 

Gotta keep them cool or they get too active and want to climb out and run away. 

Put them in the pot... This water had all kinds of spices and stuff in it.

Cooked crabs!

Axel thought the crabs were pretty cool. 

The guys ate late into the night. 

 Asher didn't really care about the crabs. He loved the roar of the boiler thingy though. LOL He ate some of the crab meat but was more interested in running on the trampoline. Axel,  however, LOVED the crab! He ate quite a lot. I ate plenty of crab legs, which is about all my mind could handle eating of the crab.

All in all it was a great time. So glad my boys got to experience this! Someday Dean needs to go crabbing with Phil and his buddies.

Business, as in busy-ness

Usually I spend the summer getting all the kids medical check ups done so I don't have to do them during the school year. This year several kids need some things done under anesthesia and I was trying my best to get it so each kid only had to go under anesthesia at once, AND so I could spend as little time at the hospital as possible.

That was a fail.

Instead, I couldn't get everything scheduled until this month, and Abel's are all spread out over a couple of months.

So here's what the line-up looks like.

August 29th, Angela and Axel will be having stents put in their tear ducts. Well, Angela is also having reconstructive work done on one eye lid (she's missing both upper and lower ducts on that side) so hers is a little more involved. She had this same surgery done when she was 7 but she pulled the stents out after 2 weeks so we decided to wait until she was older to try repeating it. Two kids but minor procedures so we should be in/out of the hospital relatively quickly. Angela is excited she's getting an I.V. (yes...she loves to have an I.V. Goofy kid!)

September 12th Abel will be having all of his dental work done. Many teeth pulled, some restored, and what's left will be cleaned. I cannot wait to get this done! I wanted to do it a couple months ago but we were trying to get all the specialists coordinated and it just didn't work out.

October 14th Axel will be having minor dental work done under anesthesia. He's petrified of the dentist so this is much quicker. We should be in/out of the hospital in a couple of hours.

October 22nd Abel will be having his tonsils and adenoids out. I am not expecting an easy recovery for him. He'll also be having an ABR (hearing test) done. His hearing appears to be fine but it's good to get this done since he'll be under anesthesia anyway. Unlike my other kids, he does NOT have a high pain tolerance.

We have a couple things coming in November too, but I'm waiting to get the dates.

And Asher? Well he just lucked out, didn't he?

13 Years

Thirteen years ago, in a hospital in Kragujevac, Serbia, a little boy was born.

His parents were devastated the day they were finally told the news of his diagnosis.

The words "Down syndrome" hung in the air, suffocating them.

Surely the doctors were wrong? They sought another opinion. They traveled to another city to get current information.

They took him home and loved him.

He was their boy, and they loved him just as they loved his older brother.

But raising a child with Down syndrome in Serbia was a complicated affair. Who would care for him when they went to work? Where would he get therapies like speech,  occupational and physical therapy? There weren't a lot of options. Really...13 years ago...there was only one option.

They made the most difficult decision they could possibly make. The social workers and doctors told them it was "for the best".

Then, one day, they were told about these same kids who are born in the U.S, who go to school, get jobs, live life like everyone else. They can be productive members of society.

Not knowing what lay ahead, taking a step in 100% faith covered in anguish, they signed the papers allowing their child, their son, their baby....their heart....to be taken to the other side of the world.

But who? Who would want a child like this?

WE DID! We CHOSE YOU dear Axel Djordje!!! We KNEW you were destined to be part of our family.

That very first day I met you, I had no idea what God was doing behind the scenes.

I was enamored with you, but I didn't know yet that I was your mother. There were some things that needed to change first. Like the fact Papa didn't know he was going to be a dad again!

Just a few months later I was back on your doorstep. This time I was there to bring you home. This was the first video your papa got to see of you.

You were such an amazing little boy. Ten years old!

We wish we hadn't been there for your first 10 years. We wish you could have stayed with your birth family. We wish they would get the joy of your hugs every morning. 

The day came when it was time to take make it official. 

When I signed those papers in a tiny office in Serbia, our lives changed forever.

You were so full of joy that day. You had no idea what lie ahead. 

Finally the day arrived when it was time to say goodbye to Serbia. Oh the journey we would travel together!

And finally...finally you got to meet your papa for the first time!

Just a few months later you were already a different child.

From that day on you've kept us on a ride like we had never dreamed. You brought with you some hidden surprises. 

But nobody could hold you back! You had a lot to show us!

When the halo came off you FINALLY had the chance to enjoy this new world of yours!

We have so many things to be thankful for on this day. Thankful to God for leading us to this young man. Thankful he was kept safe during his time in Serbian institutions. Thankful for his birth parents who took that leap of faith, at the expense of their own hearts. We know that today, on the other side of the world, as we celebrate Axel being part of our life, there are three hearts who are aching. 

We love you Axel!