Special Trip North!

So I'm going to skip ahead on our summer trips to a more recent one that was very special for us, for more than one reason.  At the beginning of August, we went back north to go camping and guess who came with us?

Grandma and Grandpa T!!!

They stayed at a hotel on the river in a town about 30 minutes from our land.  We got there on Friday, set up the camper, and proceeded to cook burgers over the campfire.  Awesome!

Saturday morning we picked up G&G and went to a zoo nearby where Boo had a great time!  The first part of it was more like a petting zoo that you walked into when you open the door.  Fun to see goats, tortoises, and rabbits among others, just walking around with all those people.  I don't know who had a better time, Boo or Grandma, getting to know those animals.

The budgie bird aviary was a huge hit!!

After that, we did a little shopping and I found a meaningful piece of stone art and just had to buy it.  It has a giraffe on it stretching its neck up to reach some leaves on a high tree, which is what caught my eye.  Since Boo's been home, he's fed two giraffes at two different zoos, one time with Chris holding him and the other time with me.  The saying on it is what sold me on the piece:

"Nothing is out of reach, Life is a miracle unfolding."

How very true.

That giraffe is now ours.

The next day, we went go-karting in the morning and Boo was tall enough (and old enough) to be a rider on the double go-kart!!  He was t-h-r-i-l-l-e-d.  Daddy drove and they raced Grandma around and around the track.  Daddy and Boo won, but not by much!

Then we went back to town and rented a pontoon boat for the afternoon.  We had a late lunch on the water and just missed being able to have the boat lifted over the dam to another set of lakes on the other side...maybe next time.

The next morning, G&G drove back home.  We stayed at the camper until mid-afternoon and then had our second "special-ness" of the weekend.  (And this deserves the coining of a new term, special-ness, so there. you. go.)  We drove to our friend's house who had just brought home their first son, C, from Korea three weeks before.  This was the first time we met him and he did not disappoint.  He and Boo took to each other immediately.  And even though C is 16 months younger than Boo, he is just about the same height as our boy...tall kiddo, but perfect for his family as his daddy is tall also.  It is amazing how everything works out...truly a miracle.  Anyway, enough words; here are some pictures of these two boys who will hopefully be lifelong friends:

Thank you, Jay, Jessie, and C for opening your house to us so soon after coming home.  You guys are wonderful friends and so special to us.  We have been honored to have met you at the beginning of your adoption journey and supported you throughout your wait.  And now we are thrilled to finally see you as a family of three and witness the joy you get from being parents to your adorable little boy.  We also see the strong bond he has formed with you in such a short time and it is truly amazing.

Congratulations!

And enjoy every second...this is definitely worth the wait.  :)