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Benjamín Nilam Dressler (Ben)
-straight black hair
-brown eyes
-sales representative for schools
(Ben was adopted from Slovakia at age 4 by an American father and an Indian mother
They decided to keep his birth name, but give him an Indian middle name and an English nickname)
Desdemona Charlene [nee Soliani] (Mona)
-straight red hair
-brown eyes
-owns a catering company
(Mona was born and raised in Australia by an Australian mother and an Italian father)
The Dresslers are a newlywed couple living outside of Melbourne, Australia.

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Y1
After a trip to Spain, the Dresslers decide to adopt 11-year-old Sebastián Carlos,
an orphan they met while visiting. He has curly dark brown hair and matching eyes.
~~~
Ben (27)
Mona (27)
Seb (11)

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Y2
On a whim, Mona sells her catering company to pursue a music career in New Zealand.
~~~
Ben (28)
Mona (28)
Seb (12)

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Y3
A mere three years after their marriage, Ben is involved in a tragic car accident, killing him instantly.
Seb is distraught, for he has now experienced the death of three parents.
~~~
Mona (29)
Seb (13)

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Y4
Seb's friend buys him a pet fish to try and cheer him up. He calls the little clownfish Crash.
~~~
Mona (30)
Seb (14)
Crash (0)

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Y5
Mona buys Seb another clownfish. He calls this one Pip.
~~~
Mona (31)
Seb (15)
Crash (1)
Pip (0)

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Y6
Desperate for another child, Mona adopts an 8-year-old boy from Ireland.
His first name is his Irish birth name, but Mona honors Ben and gives him name Ciarán Benjamin.
He has curly dark blonde hair and green eyes.
~~~
Mona (32)
Seb (16)
Ciar (8)
Crash (2)
Pip (1)

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Y7
After dating for a while, Mona finds out she is pregnant with a little boy.
The father bails on her, but she is ecstatic! Kailash Aaron has him mom's
straight red hair and absentee dad's blue eyes.
~~~
Mona (33)
Seb (17)
Ciar (9)
Kai (nb)
Crash (3)
Pip (2)

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Y8
Mona goes back to school to study physical therapy.
~~~
Mona (34)
Seb (18)
Ciar (10)
Kai (1)
Crash (4)
Pip (3)

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Y9
After the death of Crash and Pip, Mona buys Ciar a blue Beta fish. He calls it Sapphire.
~~~
Mona (35)
Seb (19)
Ciar (11)
Kai (2)
Sapphire (0)

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Y10
After Mona gets another boyfriend, she finds out she is expecting another baby boy!
Aleksander Michal has light brown hair and green eyes.
~~~
Mona (36)
Seb (20)
Ciar (12)
Kai (3)
Aleks (nb)
Sapphire (1)

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Y11
After the death of her father, Mona's mother moves in with the family.

---

~~~
Esther (61)
Mona (37)
Seb (21)
Ciar (13)
Kai (4)
Aleks (1)
Sapphire (2)

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Y12
Sapphire sadly passes away. Ciar wins a new fish at the carnival and names it Lou.
~~~
Esther (62)
Mona (38)
Seb (22)
Ciar (14)
Kai (5)
Aleks (2)
Lou (0)

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Y13
Mona has wanted a daughter for so long, so she adopts 5-year-old Elena Ines from Spain, just like her brother.
Ellie has wavy black hair and gorgeous green eyes.
~~~
Esther (63)
Mona (39)
Seb (23)
Ciar (15)
Kai (6)
Ellie (5)
Aleks (3)
Lou (0)

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Y14
Little Aleks accidentally knocks over Lou's fishbowl, killing him.
Luckily, before Aleks could even begin crying, Seb brought home a stray tabby cat.
Ellie decides she should be called Jasmine.
~~~
Esther (64)
Mona (40)
Seb (24)
Ciar (16)
Kai (7)
Ellie (6)
Aleks (4)
Jasmine (1)

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Y15
The house seems a little more empty after Seb moves out, so Mona adopts 11-year-old Lucia Sonya from Slovakia.
Lucia has straight black hair and brown eyes, like Mona's late husband, Ben.
~~~
Esther (65)
Mona (41)
Ciar (17)
Lucia (11)
Kai (8)
Ellie (7)
Aleks (5)
Jasmine (2)

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Y16
Mona's love for children and adopting just does not stop.
Mona has adopted 14-year-old Felicite Emilia from France. She has curly brown hair and blue eyes.
~~~
Esther (66)
Mona (42)
Ciar (18)
Felicite (14)
Lucia (12)
Kai (9)
Ellie (8)
Aleks (6)
Jasmine (3)

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Y17
Mona knew her mother was getting up there in years, but they were not expecting such a sudden passing.
~~~
Mona (43)
Ciar (19)
Felicite (15)
Lucia (13)
Kai (10)
Ellie (9)
Aleks (7)
Jasmine (4)

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Y18
Kai and Ellie beg for a hamster, so Mona brings home Speck,
a white hamster with one black speck on his ear.
~~~
Mona (44)
Ciar (20)
Felicite (16)
Lucia (14)
Kai (11)
Ellie (10)
Aleks (8)
Jasmine (5)
Speck (0)

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Y19
Ciar gets employee of the month award at his workplace.
~~~
Mona (45)
Ciar (21)
Felicite (17)
Lucia (15)
Kai (12)
Ellie (11)
Aleks (9)
Jasmine (6)
Speck (1)

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Y20
Felicite is fired from her part time job.
~~~
Mona (46)
Ciar (22)
Felicite (18)
Lucia (16)
Kai (13)
Ellie (12)
Aleks (10)
Jasmine (7)
Speck (2)

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After 20 years,
Esther (dec, 67) Ben (dec, 29) Mona (46) Seb (30) Ciar (22)
Felicite (18) Lucia (16) Kai (13) Ellie (12) Aleks (10)
Jasmine the Cat (7) Speck the Hamster (2) Crash the Clownfish (dec, 5)
Pip the Clownfish (dec, 4) Sapphire the Beta Fish (dec, 3) Lou the Goldfish (dec, 1)

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SO!MANY!FISH!

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Fav: Ophelia Jade, Riley Kendall, Elliot Louis, Rowan Elise