Remember that time I did a post on how the Russian government should allow Americans to adopt… and then in the next post I shared how you can easily clothe your child with just cheap trash bags? Oh, well, that’s today.

I’ve been going back through old photos and I realized how many photos I never shared. So, in the next two weeks until N arrives, I’ll be doing some catch-up on our last few months.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a long time AND have an exceptional memory, you might remember a few years ago when I shared how much fun my kids had with yard waste bags.

It lives on.

What is it about these yard waste bags that whenever we use them…

they become a coveted object?

I don’t quite get it.

But, they’re happy.

“Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes.” – David Platt

I feel so fortunate to be the mama to one little Russian treasure. Three years ago today, I stood up, with shaky legs, in a Moscow courtroom to tell them how much I wanted him. And in those almost-three years home? He has thrived.

He has gone from the reserved, scared little boy we met…

to the wild comedian we all know and love.

But, what if he never had the chance? What if the process had taken us longer? Or we started later or…?

He’d still be waiting.

Can you imagine erasing his last 3 years? All of the love? Hugs? Kisses? Comfort? Warm bed? Food in his belly?

Family?

No? You wouldn’t wish that for Gus?

Well, it’s the reality for his friends.

Will you take a few minutes and watch this trailer for the movie To the Moon and Back?

Please follow it up by liking their page on Facebook. Let’s help share this story!

Sorry to leave you all with a cliffhanger yesterday. 😉

Our fun evening was just beginning after the beach. I had brought food to cook over a fire and Aaron had picked up some firewood. Once we were done playing on the beach, he built us a fire.

First, we roasted hotdogs. A rare treat that went over well.

And then marshmallows.

For s’mores!

This is the first time we’ve made s’mores, although Reed informed me that he had made them at school before.

Gus just really wanted the chocolate out of his.

Gus decided that he wanted to crawl in the tent for a bit, so we watched the sunset.

But, he changed his mind in favorite the campfire. And Reed got to put the last of the wood on, which was quite the honor.

And, we just watched the campfire while the sun set behind us and the moon rose in front of us.

It’s amazing what fun kids can have with sticks and fire.

One by one, the kids decided that they were tired (whaaaat?) and went to sleep. So, Aaron and I had a rare chance to sit outside together.

It was such a nice time. However, I was a bit bummed that the moon was full and the sky was cloudy!

I ended up staying up a bit by myself, hoping that the clouds would clear, which they never did. I walked down to the lake with my camera and tripod. I’m fairly accustomed to being alone in the dark and rarely get spooked. But, being by the water where it was very windy and waves were crashing on the rocks had me completely freaked out!  I realized how much I rely on my hearing… and I could not hear a thing. I just took a couple of quick shots and headed back to the tent.

Up until crawling into the tent, I was really enjoying camping. I forgot how difficult it is to sleep well in a tent with 3 squirmy kids! Somehow, we made it through the night.

The kids were happy to play in the tent for quite awhile.

And, day two was pretty uneventful. We had planned to go canoeing, but with these storm clouds + a lot of wind, we decided to try that another time.

Camping was a great time. We had such a blast as a family. I wish it was a bit easier to get some good rest when sharing a tent with kids, though, so if anyone has any great tips for that, I’d love to hear them!

We went camping last weekend. Aaron had been asking me for months, but I kept putting him off. “So much prep work! So much laundry!” But, he really wanted to go. And the weather was going to be perfect.

These two lovely men put together our tent.

Well, I helped quite a bit too, but I also had to pull out the camera AND keep an eye on the two little people who wanted to play in the car.

Once the tent was all assembled, I took the kids to the beach while Aaron went for a hike.

The beach is a lot of fun!

I really enjoyed it. The kids played in the sand and I listened to an audiobook.

Gus practiced his levitation.

But, that’s hard work, so then he look a nap.

I really love this next picture– brothers!

Lena got the brilliant idea to use beach towels as superhero capes.

And her brothers were quick to copy.

Reed really owned it.

For the rest of our beach time, Reed practiced his handstands and cartwheels.

Gus is pretty sure that he can do the same thing.

We had such a nice time playing at the beach, even just playing in the sand. I can’t wait to have more chances to do that this summer. It made me think of when we took Big L camping and to the beach last year, and how we plan to do it with “N” this summer, too!

I’ll share about the rest of our camping in a future blog post. Too many photos for all at once!

Spring is here. We’re loving the warmer weather and everything in bloom. But, there’s also… the rain. I am fine with the rain Monday-Friday, but on weekends, I really appreciate nice weather so we can be outside.

Last Saturday, it poured rain all morning, but the kids still found a way to keep busy, by making a little reading nook on our stairs.

Our dog Josie is terrified of thunderstorms, but she decided that the kids would keep her safe.

I love these moments, when I find them enjoying each others’ company and just co-existing peacefully with Curious George and a few blankets.