Back to School! (2015)

We can't believe the Summer is already fading, and that the kids are back in school! We had a great few months home together, but I have to say, back-to-school means my favorite time of year is approaching! Fall!!

Our back-to-school week started with Beckett meeting his Kindergarten teacher! We love Miss Smith, and we have a fun little connection with her. Her mother was my kindergarten teacher, and when I was in her class, she went on maternity leave to have her daughter. Way back then, we never could have guessed that tiny little baby girl would grow up to be my little boy's Kindergarten teacher. Isn't that fun?! 

Beckett was so excited to start Kinder, and to finally be at the "big school" with Brody!

Later that day, Brody met his teacher also! We are so excited about the fun year he is going to have in her class!!

I can't believe I have two kids in elementary school now. It's happening so fast!

We made these fun little gifts for Beckett's teacher and Brody's homeroom teacher. Everyone likes gift certificates for ice cream and coffee, right? :)

And our sweet little Levi started preschool! He was such a big boy at his open house! 

Annnnndd.....the obligatory 1st Day pictures!!

The boys' school goes all out for the first day with the year's theme...this year is Dr Seuss - Oh the Places You'll Go! 

Beckett's classroom door :)

He was so excited to be there! I'm proud of that kiddo!

I didn't get any pictures of Brody in his classroom because he was on the verge of tears, and I was just trying to get him in there without him losing it. 

Levi started preschool on the same day, and boy was he excited!!

A close-up of his "homework"! 

I'll have mornings alone with this little cutie, and mommy is excited :) 

First day was a success!!

It's been a year! {Meetcha Day}

It has been one whole year since my dad, the boys, Brent, and I sat outside of the little Eastern cafe waiting to catch a glimpse of a certain little boy. One year since we sat in the office filling out paperwork with trembling hands as we wondered if our son was already in the same building as us. One year since I held our youngest son in my arms. I'll never ever be able to put into words what  it was like to finally touch him...hold him...smell his little baby head. I never dreamed he would hug me back, give me kisses, or engage in play with us the way he did. We had waited 617 days from the first time we saw his little face in an email. 617 days since we said YES to being his family. I never could have imagined a better first meeting with our son.

This past year has been very full. There have been hard days, there have been incredibly amazing days, and there have been in-between days.  I have to say, though, that Lennox has handled the changes and loss in his life better than I ever could have. I look at his little face and think about all that he has been through in his short three years, and I know that the Lord has carried him through and has given him this unimaginable strength. We know without a doubt that he's our son, and we love him fiercely. 

Not to downplay his incredible bravery, but now that we know him well, we've become aware of a few things. Yes, he's brave...yes, he's outgoing...yes, he's full of joy...yes, he's all boy...but we've also come to realize (with help from our social worker) that many times, he hides his fear and anxiety with hyperactivity and silly antics. Looking back, I can see this is most likely true for our first meetings with him and those first few months home. We have to remember that just because he mostly always seems happy and full of energy, that doesn't mean he is 100% healed from all he's been through. 

It's easy for us to assume he's fully adjusted when we see how happy he is. We know full-well that he's here for good. Never has to leave. Always our son. Family. And it seems he knows these things too. But then reality will rear its ugly head, and it hits me square in the face that he still worries.  It's happened on more than one occasion...he sees me packing his things in a suitcase before a family vacation, and he panics....frantically grabbing at his things and trying to put them back in drawers as he screams "No Mommmy! Home!" Or as we load the car for a trip, I have to assure him over and over again that we are ALL going and that we are ALL coming home. It breaks my heart, as no young child should have to have to worry about these things. But he remembers. He remembers being in Korea with who he thought was his family. He remembers us taking him away. He remembers losing it all. 

I know that these things will continue to be less and less fearful for him, as I can clearly see how far we've already come in one short year. We get plenty of unprompted "I love you's" and hugs and kisses for days. He sleeps all night in his own bed and falls asleep on his own after we tuck him in. He does incredibly well going to Mothers Day Out once a week, after I assure him that mommy will always come back. He loves being with his grandparents, and he is attaching so well to his brothers, especially Brody. 

It's been so interesting, as his language develops, how he has recently begun to tell us little things about his life in Korea. He tells us about sleeping on the floor with his Omma and his foster brother. He tells us about shopping at the markets for fruit. He talks about Appa's car (he is a taxi driver) and how it looks just like Noni's car (a white Hyandai Sonata). He even tells me he misses them sometimes. And I tell him they miss and love him too, as it's so evident in the letters we receive from her.  It's so incredible to us how much he remembers, and how it seems he's finally able and comfortable enough to share it with us. 

We look forward to another year home with our boys. Another year of healing and growing. Learning more about each other. And we thank God for all He has done and continues to do. 

"He has made all things beautiful in its time..." Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

Ozark Mountain Vacation ~ Day 4

On our last day, we spent the morning doing just what the kids wanted to do. And it was unanimous...Go Karts! 

Levi and Beckett also had fun riding this little train.  

And we all did the bumper boats! So much fun...but we all were soaked afterward!! Noni and Beckett had the best water squirter on theirs, and he got me right in the face countless times! Lol

Beckett was so excited to be able to drive his very own kart for the first time! 

After we played in the arcade for a few minutes and grabbed some lunch, we headed home. We made it back to El Dorado just in time for Ryan's birthday dinner that night! 

I think Mr Lennox was more than ready for us to be home. :) We are so thankful for a fun safe trip where plenty of wonderful memories were made! 

Ozark Mountain Vacation ~ Day 3

We knew there was a small Amish community near the town we were staying in, and I thought that would be great for the boys to learn about, so on Thursday morning, we set off to find it. It wasn't far down this little country road when we began passing this instead of cars. 

It really did feel like stepping back in time. The boys were so amazed by all of it. The family that lives in this house has a little country store where you can shop. We pulled in, and you could see their clothes hanging on the porch to dry and the ladies walking around in their homemade dresses. 

We stepped inside the little store, where there was no electricity and no air, and the little lady inside was sitting at a desk by a window writing what looked like a book...she had pages and pages of writing there in front of her. 

We each picked out a souvenir - a ball for Levi, pocket knives for Brody and Beckett (to save for when they are older), two handmade Amish dolls for Brooke, and mom and I got homemade jelly, fresh honey, and a few kitchen things such aaa pretty soup ladle, a wooden spoon, and a little tin cup.  

It was such a fun experience! 

While we were near Springfield, the next stop on our agenda was Fantastic Caverns! 

It's was so great because this was a ride-through cave! I knew most caves were lots of walking and steps and might be a little tough for Levi, so this was perfect for us! 

It was about an hour long tour of this beautiful cave, and our guide was fantastic. We had such a great time!

When we finished cave exploring, we headed to Branson to catch our 3:00 show at Legends! 

It was a blast!

Michael Jackson was there...

Along with Taylor Swift...

Check out Brody's face watching her ☺️

Elvis

Levi said, "I have to make my picture with her, she is SO preeeeety!"

Brookes and Dunn...also Adele and The Blues Brothers, but I didn't get their pictures. 

Dinner at The Hard Luck Diner was so much fun! 

We loved the singing servers! 

We ended the evening with a fantastic show at The Haygoods!!!