Is it worth it??

That's me. With my 2 year old Tessa on my back, on top of a pack of food (or tents or clothes or something else) as we portage our gear and canoes over land to the next lake on our recent camping and canoeing vacation just north of Ely, Minnesota.

What a week!

Some of the details included being stuck in a tent during thunderstorms for an entire day, my 17 yo son needing an ER visit due to fever and a horrible cough after getting off the trail, my 4 yo son getting so many bug bites on his face that his right eye swelled shut and the rest of his face looked ready to burst, and plucking ticks off my 6 yo daughter...

*sigh*

Was it worth it?

Sure, we could have gone somewhere easier and more luxurious, and we may next time ;-)

but YES it was worth it.

Those hours stuck in the rain were amazing bonding time with my children.

They learned patience and fortitude....

and really appreciated dry clothes and food when we returned...

and I got to carry my baby on my back and play endless card games and make memories that we will all laugh about for a lifetime.

And it got me thinking....

Is adopting Henry "worth it"?

This constant ache in my heart as I wait? This saving and scrounging for money to bring him home? All the time and effort of fundraisers and paperwork??

And I answered myself in a heartbeat in my best "Minnesota-n"

Yep. You betcha.