Meeting the family

One of the blessings of open adoption is that often you get more family. Kind of reminds me of when you get married. Suddenly you have another set of parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Well with open adoption, you get that too. We have been blessed to get to know Olana over the past year and a half of Benjamin's life and this past weekend we were blessed again to get to meet Benjamin's birth grandmother, great grandmother, great aunt, first cousin twice removed (actually we had met her before, but hadn't see her in a while, ) and his second cousin once removed. (I'll admit I had to draw myself a diagram to figure out all those firsts and seconds and removed things.) It was really fun to get to meet them and to have them meet sweet little Benjamin. We are so thankful for the blessing of adoption!

Four generations sitting on the couch - Benjamin's birth grandmother, his birthmother Olana, his first cousin twice removed, Benjamin, and his birth great grandmother. (left to right)

Just being silly with new friends

Benjamin quickly warmed up to Eric, his second cousin twice removed when gingersnaps were being offered