Seon-Mi-Kyung

We've moved!

2011-10-20T20:37:00.001-07:00

To our new site. :)

http://www.kimbapumma.blogspot.com

Come check us out!

{cricket chirp}

2011-10-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

Been a little quiet, huh?!?!

Well, I'm working on a new blog.

Stay tuned. ;)

3rd Time's a Charm?

2011-10-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Well, Emersyn will be our third child, second girl, and hopefully we have this baby gear down pat! Right?!?!

I've now started with an infant, a 9 month old and will be starting with a toddler, so hopefully we finally get baby gear we will use and love!!

And since most of these items are in their sad big 'ole boxes waiting in the garage, I thought I'd give them a little shout out!

Zoey, even at 3, is a stroller gal. For sure. Girlfriend loves her some stroller time! So I knew I would need a double stroller. I weighed the pros and cons of a side by side and front to back and checked out all the ratings. Basically, what I found, is that it's all about preference of the user!! LOL! I like the ease of steering, so I knew I wanted 'jogging' type wheels and I knew who rode in the front and back would be a battle every time!! Plus, this is a stroller that was in stock at b*abiesrus and we could try out! I'm a visual gal so that helped me too! Plus, I had a 25% off coupon which made for a pretty sweet deal if you ask me! Can't wait to try it out with my two girls in tow! (Click on the names of the products to see the details!)

B*aby Trend Navigator Double Stroller
I knew I didn't want another full size high chair, which I had with both Braedan and Zoey. Something compact, easy to store and clean, but kept my toddler where she should be while eating! (I'm not convinced Zoey shouldn't be still sitting in one!) Love this print, love this price and love the site it came from! We sold our dining room table since it only sat four and have yet to find another that we like, so for now, Emersyn is the only one who has a place to sit and eat her dinner. :)

F*isher Price Space Saver High Chair
We own a B*ritax Marathon for Zoey, but found a super great deal and cute print on a Roundabout for Emersyn. Again, love the site it came from and got free shipping and delivered to my doorstep. That's my kind of service. Can't wait till Miss Em can sit next to her siblings in the back of our car! Let's hope she likes car seats better than Zoey did!

Br*itax Roundabout
And last but not least, this is definitely not a 'must have' item, however, it sure does make me happy. :)

We took the plunge and found a great deal on a S*urburban. So great, that all we're doing is switching out cars. Same payment, different car. That was a deal we couldn't pass up! And there is so much room in this baby! I love it!! I now think I will never drive anything else but a S*uburban!! Kids love it, we love it, there's room for everyone, including all those car seats and the double stroller I was tellin' ya about! (and no, this is not a pic of our actual car as I'm too lazy to go out and take a pic! That, and it should be pretty clear that I do not have some huge light stage to park a giant S*urburban in to take this pic!)

So, there you go. We're ready for ya Em! I must admit I have not bought any clothes for her or re-done Zoey's room to include her yet as we still have no idea when she'll be here and no idea how she'll be used to sleeping! At this point, I would venture to guess she'll be wearing the same size as Zoey, which would be awesome! And I plan to do some serious shopping while we're Korea. ;)

Keeping our heads up, staying positive and ready to get this baby girl home!

5, 15 and 18 months.

2011-10-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

Today marks months since our referral, Emersyn will turn 15 months on the 15th, and in this new updated picture, she is wearing the 18 month clothing we sent her in the last care package! (I'm thinking if all goes as planned, I'll be buying the same size clothing for both girls!)

Whew! 5 months down and at least 4 more to go...but who really knows?!?!

It seems our agency will be submitting the last of the families who will get EP very soon, and it is highly unlikely it will include us.

But we are staying positive, looking ahead and getting excited to meet our girl!

By this time during Zoey's process, she had been home nearly a month already! It's crazy to think back on that time not knowing that two years later, we would be here again, hoping and praying for yet another beautiful little girl to join our family!

We miss her, we love her, and while it seems like a never ending journey, we are hanging in there as best we can!

4 new words and hoping for some news.

2011-09-23T08:00:00.001-07:00

Our four new Korean words today are thank you, eat, no and yes! All good words to know, and thankfully ones I knew, but am teaching to my kids. :)

thank you is pronounced 'Gam Sa Ham Ni Da'
food is 'mam ma'
no is 'ah-nee-oh'
and yes is 'nay'

(again, native speakers, help a girl out!)

My kids did really well, especially Braedan, with the first two words!

I really think it would be quite cute to see my three kiddos communicating in Korean. ;)

So, we'll be working on these 4 new words this week!

Getting a bit restless these last few weeks with no news from our agency...hoping for at least a WBC {well baby checkup} this month for Em and maybe a few pics with her care package we sent with the J Family!

Trying our hardest to stay positive and focus on the end result as a family of five. But boy, adoption is not for the weak! At this point in Zoey's process, we were getting ready to travel!

But we know it's all in God's timing and we are hanging in there for now!

Hopefully, this picture of Em is her writing a little email to the Korean government to 'please get me home'!!!!

Adoption Rocks!

2011-09-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

Got up, got dressed and headed to the airport Saturday morning!

Passed the time waiting with a new friend, Zachary, also adopted from Korea!

Welcome home J Family!!

Henry and Zoey started right back where they left off...getting a head start on their future courtship! :0)

And the star of show...BEAUTIFUL Miss Anna has arrived!!! Just spending an hour with this adorable girl and her forever family proved she is right where she is meant to be!! Full of life, personality and definitely an active toddler!!

Thank you J Family for letting us be part of your special day!!

ADOPTION ROCKS!

Lion King 3D and a dark hotel room.

2011-09-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in a dark hotel room as I post this waiting for my kiddos to fall asleep! My least favorite part about all staying in a hotel room together! Danny pulled the short straw and is cuddled up next to Zoey and I clearly got the 'easy' sleeper, Braedan, next to me! Zoey likes to thrash and toss and turn and wake up in the middle of the night to yell at you for 'squishing' her! I got to sleep with her last time we were out of town, so...

Well, we decided to see Lion King in 3D at a local mall and it.was.awesome!

First, let me say that the ticks were not cheap. As in mama had to make a few extra sales not cheap! But totally worth it. We sat in super big and cushy chairs with a table attached for you to eat your dinner! You simply pushed a button and a waitor would appear and bring you anything from their scrumptious menu! I had fish and chips while I watched the movie! How awesome is that?!?!? The kids enjoyed their pizza and Danny had a brisket quesadilla...not your typical movie food and you didn't have to stand in line to get it either! *excuse the flash cell phone pics!*

I had not seen Lion King in forever and I forgot just how much I LOVE that movie!! We own everything but that movie for some reason, but it's definitely on our Christmas list now!

So where are we?!?!?

Well, we are in Dallas! Tomorrow morning we are heading to the airport to greet the Jesse family and their new baby girl!! You might remember the Jesse's as we have met them on several occasions and their Henry, who is also adopted from Korea, is just three days younger than his future wife, Zoey. :) And boy are we thrilled they'll be bringing home their new daughter, Anna, aka Braedan's wife. :0) Yes, we believe in arranged marriages!

No, all kidding aside, I must admit I am quite excited. This is actually the first airport homecoming I've been to that didn't involve my family and how could seeing a family brought together thru adoption possibly be boring?!?!? We are so thrilled for their now family of four and of course, we hope that our family is inviting them to our airport homecoming soon!

And did I mention how many times we were able to use the word bihaeng-gi today?!?! (which, thanks to all my bloggy friends, we're making sure to pronounce as 'bee-heng-gee'!!)

So off to bed rest up for the early morning greeting...

Hakuna matata!

14 months old!

2011-09-15T19:47:00.001-07:00

Can you believe this sleeping beauty turns 14 months old today?!?!?

These are more pictures we received last month from what we believe was her first foster home for 8 months...

Is it possible for her to be any cuter?!?!

And yes, we're still waiting.

And no, we have no idea when we'll be traveling.

And yes, this about sums up the way I feel about the EP situation and our current wait....

We are ready to get this baby home!

감사합니다

2011-09-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

A big THANK YOU to Mrs. Lee for sending Seon-Mi these adorable clothes all the way from Korea! (And thanks MaryAnn for dropping them off at our house!)

When I went to pick up Zoey, I had the pleasure to travel at the same time as a family that I met through our agency. Their son had an absolutely lovely and very kind foster mother, who I believe had fostered several children thru Holt, I want to say Rai was her 17th? (click on Rai's name to see him opening the box!) It was an amazing number, she was is an amazing woman, and she was so hospitable and invited me to tag along on several outings with MaryAnn, Aaron and Rai. I know that she checks my blog from time to time, so I hope this all translates for her! We love the clothes, Zoey is doing well, and we appreciate you thinking of us!

And Happy Chuseok 추석 to all! (Yet another excuse to eat yummy Korean food!

50 words and toddlers.

2011-09-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

So, when we set out to adopt again, we didn't realize we would be adopting a toddler. I will be the first to tell you that it took some time for me to get used to. But after much thought and prayer, I will say that I am now very, very excited about it! She's walking, talking and eating table food! We often joke how fun it would be if she came home potty trained. :0) Ha! A girl can dream, right!

But she's speaking....Korean. And we do not. I remember Zoey at nine months old, looking at my lips when I spoke at our first meeting, unsure of why I looked like everyone else in Korea, but the words coming out of my mouth were very different! I even remember a caucasion friend of mine who speaks fluent Korean getting a similar look when she would speak to Zoey in Korean! It was very clear she knew there was a language difference.

When I met with her foster mother, I was prepared with all kinds of questions. Amongst them, what Zoey liked to be called and how to comfort her. Her Korean name is Seon-Mi, which is now her middle name, and it's pronounced 'sun-me'. In Korea, they will often times add an 'ah' sound at the end when addressing children. I heard her foster mother call her 'Seon-Mi-a' as she pat her on the back as she cried and called her '예쁘다', pronounced 'ee-poo-ta', which mean pretty. She said she would comfort her by holding her close with her head on her shoulder and whisper 'ee-poo-ta Seon-mi-a' in her ear. The social worker at Holt wrote it down on my list of notes.

I remember one of her first night's home, as she grieved the loss of everything familiar to her, I whispered this same phrase into her ear and she looked up at my face and stopped crying for a second...long enough to realize I was not her foster mother, but clear that she recognized that phrase. We used this phrase, amongst other Korean words here and there for many months after Zoey was home. Over time, she learned to be comforted by that phrase when we said it to her. While some of the Korean words we used have since faded, I am happy to say that Zoey, two and half years after homecoming, still responds to her Korean name without hesitation, especially when she's in trouble. :0) At nine months old, she was not very verbal and while I giggled when people would ask how she well she was picking up the language when she was that age, I realize that with an older child, just how important language is.

Our family has set a goal to learn 50 useful words before Emersyn comes home! My brother is traveling with me and his goal is to become fluent. :0) So far, he knows the word for 'rainbow' really well, so looks like we'll be all set when we travel to Korea!

But just in case we need to understand and say more than the word rainbow to Em, every week or so, our family is going to learn a new word, write it on a card, post it on the fridge, and start replacing the English word with the Korean one in our every day language. This way, when Emersyn gets home, we will be more equipped to understand what she's saying and help her to understand us.

So, if you'd like to learn along with us, I'll be posting the new word of the day as we learn them here!

We're going to start with 비행기 - bihaeng-gi, pronounced 'pee-hang-ee', which strangely enough is a word I already know. :) We have these Korean Children's Song DVDs that we listen to in the car pretty often and they use this word in one of the songs...and it happened to be the first word I learned when using Rosetta Stone, so there you go.

Obviously, I hope this word helps us to explain to Emersyn what's going to happen as we travel home. I'm sure this will be her first time on an airplane and it will be a very looooooooooong first ride on one! Don't use the word airplane very often in your every day discussions?!?!? Well, now you will!!

And we're also going to learn 'I'm hungry' - 배고파, pronounced 'pay-goo-pa'. Good phrase to know for a toddler who will be hungry for something other than formula in a bottle, which is pretty much all Zoey would 'eat' when she came home.

So there go. We will point to the sky and say pee-hang-gee and just before dinner you'll hear us saying 'pay-goo-pa'! (I believe the word 'hungry' is a different word, but equally important, so we'll make sure to learn that too!)

Native Korean speakers, please feel free to correct me. :0) My agency;s online forum provides a list of these phrases I'm using and google translate can only be so accurate!

Here they are, on our fridge and ready to be used. :)

July Birthdays!

2011-09-07T07:00:00.001-07:00

Before Zoey, there weren't any July birthdays in our immediate family to celebrate and now we have two!

Emersyn's first birthday was July 15 and what a weird day was that for me emotionally. I've never 'missed' one of my kids birthdays before and and though I knew from referral that we would, the day was still very bittersweet. I am thrilled beyond belief that she got to celebrate her Tol in Korea and hope there are lots of pics to document it! But of course, we would much rather of been with her on her big, special day. We are thankful to be her family though and know we will have many more birthdays with her to celebrate! Since Zoey's birthday is just two weeks later, she was convinced Emersyn's party was hers! Not sure what she thought about having a pic of Emersyn's face on her cake, but she went with it!

Here's a recap of the day! My brother, sister-in-law and their three kiddos joined us for the celebration and turned out to be a fun little party. :) (click on the image to view it larger!)

Upper left hand pic: That was my super lame, yet 'worked in my head' idea! We are in a huge drought down here in Texas and I had bought flying paper lanterns (yes, like the ones in the moview Tangled!) to float into the sky in honor of my girl's bdays, but got shot down as they would start a forest fire with how dry the ground is! So, I thought floating a single candle in our pool would represent her first year nicely, and the wind was so strong, we couldn't get it to light! So I literally snapped that pic in the half second it stayed lit. :) But thanks to my brother for trying to help me pull it off!! Next year, next year...

Then, on July 31, Zoey turned THREE!! I can hardly believe it!

Zoey is VERY into Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and loves anything that has to do with it! So of course, it was all about him at her party! She had a blast, loved her party, loved her presents and loved that she is now able to tell people she is three!

Here's a couple pics from her big day! (click on the image to view it larger!)

I am now a proud, proud mama of a six year old, three year old and one year old!

Now if we could just all be living under one roof.....:0)

What's up with the kiddos?!?!

2011-09-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Yah, remember when I said I was going to start keeping up with this blog?!?!? Hmmm...not quite sure what happened!! I think I'm at that point where I have so much to catch up on, I just don't post anything at all. :) Good logic, huh?

Well, this is my attempt to start 'catching up'!

Today was a good day in our house! Zoey started preschool! And for any of you who know her in person, you will know what a huge step this is for her! Huge! This was the first time we have ever really 'pushed' her to do something waaaaay outside her comfort zone. She won't even stay in the nursery at church by herself, and she knows all those people! But I am so happy to report that after about 15 minutes of tears (and some screaming) her teacher was able to calm her down while Danny and I stood out in the hall listening. It was hard to not run in there and hold her, I won't lie, but I knew she was in good hands and I knew she would have fun. Her teacher said she remained a little reserved and quiet the rest of the day, but did great! And we are looking forward to her growing from this experience! SO proud of her!!

And did I mention that she is now fully potty trained? Girlfriend made potty training an absolute breeze! Woke up last Tuesday and told her no more diapers and poof! Here we are a week later and she's even waking up dry from naps. I am one happy mama and glad to be done with diapers...till Emersyn gets home that is!!

Here she is this morning on our way to preschool! (excuse the lame cell phone pics!)

And of course, Braedan started first grade on August 22! He is doing so well (as expected!) and even has a few kids in his class from last year, which makes everything easier. His reading is amazing and he loves school, and his teacher.

Here he is on his first day of first grade!

And our third little munchkin was busy this month too! I was so surprised to receive over 20 photos of Emersyn! We think they are from her first foster family, who took care of her from 2 weeks old till early April, when she was transferred to a foster home in Seoul. Here's a few snapshots of this oh so adorable girly!

Look at that smile!

Love this candid shot of her smiling behind that bottle!

So what's the latest on our adoption process? Well, we are completely paper ready on the US side. And we are currently waiting on what could be some very good news for our family...last week it was announced that the Korean Ministry will now provide priority Emigration Permits to Korean-American couples. What does this mean exactly? Well, our US agency has been notified about this new policy, but has yet to receive the actual details. At this point, without this new policy, we would lucky to be traveling early spring of next year. With this new policy, we hope that that time frame will be greatly shortened, but are awaiting official word. As you can imagine, this news is very exciting to us, but also bittersweet as the extended wait times for families right now continues to drag on and families continue to wait to bring their babies home. We are trying to remain as positive as possible and just remember that it's all in God's hands at this point and Emersyn will come home when the time is right. (and yes, we hope it's sooner rather than later!)

Waiting for relief from the wicked hot weather and drought...but in the mean time, staying cool and enjoying every last second in the pool!

Now let's see if I can keep up with this blog from here on out! :)

Wowza!!

2011-08-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

What a lame blogger I have been this month!! July was a busy busy month for us and August is half way over!! So I've got some catching up to do!!

Let's start with these updated pics of my precious youngest daughter we received on July 20! I really, really, really wanna squeeze that baby!!!

They also sent a pic of the burn she suffered the previous month and thankfully it's healing, but looks like it may leave a pretty nasty scar. :( But we were pleasantly surprised to get her MRI results a week later on July 27, which were all normal!! And they squeezed in another picture of Em and her foster mother with the care package we sent!

Sadly, we can't show her face per our agencies' policies, but we can thank her for the excellent care she is giving our sweet baby!

We cannot wait to hold this little girl!

We also received our I600 approval in record time. We wished that would have happened with Zoey's adoption!! It was submitted with the I600A on June 23 and we received our approval on July 27. We are now all paper ready on the US side...it's all about when the Korean government will issue our EP to get Miss Em home!! Let's hope it's sooner than later, but it's pretty clear we will not get one this year and just pray that EP's begin shooting out like crazy come the first of the year.

Thanks for your continued love and support!! We can feel it!

Zoey can swim!!!

2011-07-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

Check this girl out!!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Our day was filled with parades, eating, swimming, movies and more eating! Looking back on last year's 4th of July celebration, it's so fun to see where we are this year!

It was super HOT out at our town's parade...

So we decided to watch the second half from the slightly cooler car!

After a little movie rental, naps and some dinner, we headed out to the pool to cool off!

And finished the night with a little red, white and blue!

No fireworks because of the drought this year, but that's okay, we are too tuckered out anyway!!

So grateful for our wonderful nation, for all those that serve it diligently each day, and hoping that next year we'll have one more person here to celebrate with us!

Happy 4th of July!

One Month Closer!

2011-07-01T06:35:00.001-07:00

I'm really not sure how it's July already, but I'll take it!!

That means we're one month closer to getting Emersyn home!

July is a big month for her and she could use a little extra prayer!

She's healing from a burn, she is scheduled for an MRI and in 15 days, she will be a one year old!

We're not sure how bad the burn is...if it hasn't fully healed by next month's WBC, they'll probably snap a pic or two to show us...as a walking 11 month old might do, she decided to play with the hot side of a water dispenser at a restaurant and burnt her forearm. :(

We're not sure when her MRI is scheduled, but she'll need to be under general anesthesia, which is always scary, and we'll be praying extra hard that everything goes smoothly...she is doing just fine, but they want to run this test to rule out any further medical complications.

And in 15 short days, my youngest daughter will be one!!

When we accepted Emersyn's referral, we knew this was a milestone we would miss...I will admit that it's a tougher pill to swallow as we approach her special day, but I know that in my heart, she was meant to spend her first birthday in Korea. She is being well taken care of, she is in the country of her birth and will have a traditional Korean Tol Party, which is a pretty big deal in Korea!

This is the month of both my girl's birthdays, and I am always thinking of this month as particularly hard on their birth mothers. I ask that you pray for them as well...

So when will she be home?

We would like to know the same thing!

There are just so many unknowns at this moment that it's so hard to predict. But with EP numbers running low and many families still waiting with acceptances long before ours, it is likely that we will at least be waiting till after the first of the year, maybe longer, to be submitted for EP. At best, we would travel in February, but honestly, we are just not sure. The Korean Government is making a lot of changes and we cannot predict how that will affect those in process right now.

All we can say is we would appreciate your prayers! For us, and for all the other families waiting to bring their precious babies home! We have been blessed to bring Emersyn into our family, and while the wait is and will get incredibly difficult, we know that the ultimate reward is having her here, no matter how long the wait, and no matter what age she is...

and lots to update on my two older kiddos, coming in a later post!! Yes, they are still alive!!

Introducing...

2011-06-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

Emersyn Hui-a!

We are finally allowed to share pictures publicly after overnighting our acceptance paperwork on Wednesday, then overnighting papers I failed to include on Thursday, to make it in the batch that was sent to Korea TODAY!

So here she is!

Acceptance

2011-06-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

*Lunch with a fellow adoptee and soon to be adoptive parent: $8.65 {bee bim bop, of *course!}
*Three hour conversation during which we both received emails with our acceptance paperwork: $30 {the price per month for internet on my phone!}
*The hurried trip home to print it all out and get started: $3.49 {yes, our gas has gone down a bit!}
*The 60+ copies needed to complete the packet: free! {my mom has a prepaid copy card for 500 copies for some reason!}
*The cashier's check fee to Holt International: $3 {we won't go into the actual amount of the check!}
*The cost to overnight the .85lbs of paper to Eugene, OR: $58.89
{Yes, this is the actual amount of paperwork!}

*Getting one step closer to having our sweet new daughter home with her forever family: Priceless.

Happy 11 months old today sweet Emersyn!
We love you, miss you and pray that these months pass quickly to get you home!

It's a good day folks...

2011-06-01T18:58:00.001-07:00

Cuz this mama got herself three new pics of Emersyn and a WBC {Well Baby Checkup}!

Ugh, I have hit the refresh button on my email no less than a million times in the last week, knowing that she was scheduled to go in last Monday or Tuesday!

Yes, I can be a bit obsessive, sue me!

You have no idea how hard it is to not share her sweet face with you all! She is just beautiful and I must say that I feel pretty blessed that God has allowed me to have these three children in my life! What have I done to deserve this?!?!

So, let's just say she's a big girl!! She is 10 1/2 months old {born July 15, 2010} and she is 75th percentile for height and 90th percentile for weight!!! I did not have a single WBC for Zoey stating she was ever above the 3rd percentile. Yes, the 3rd.

Emersyn weighs a whopping 23.3 lbs {Zoey is 28} and is 30.2 inches tall {Zoey is 36}. So Danny measured and the top of Emersyn's head would be at Zoey's lips and they're two years apart!

She is right on target developmentally, but get this! SHE IS WALKING!! Zoey started walking at 11 months, Braedan at 13, so Emersyn takes that one!

Of course, this news is all very bittersweet...we're missing some of the most important milestones in her sweet little life. But remembering the bigger picture, that we will have her for eternity, eases that pain, and assures us God's plan is perfect. She is meant to be with our family no matter when she joins...birth, 9 months or a toddler. In the end, she will still be Emersyn...our Emersyn, and we will have a lifetime to share with her, and Zoey and Braedan...

And we ended this fabulous day with our super fun and sweet social worker who came today for our homestudy visit! We are using the same agency we did for Zoey's homestudy, but this is now the third social worker we've had, and by far, our favorite! She is super personable, friendly, and genuinely shows love and concern for our family. Since she is really just changing things here and there, it shouldn't take long and she hopes to have it completed for us in about two weeks!

So what's next? Once our homestudy is completed, it will be approved by Holt, then it's time for immgration paperwork and acceptance paperwork to start the process to get our girl home! How long will it take? We'll have to save that news for another blog post, but we are in for a bit of a wait.

But for now, we're holding strong and doing our best to hang in there! Somehow, this week will be a month since our referral, which has flown by, and I'm praying time does the same thing through this wait!

Thanks for you love and support and remember that as soon as our acceptance paperwork is in, we can show pictures!!

Oh, and my kindergartner 'graduated' today! He's now a first grader. How did that happen?!?!?!

From strangers, with love...

2011-05-31T05:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will begin our very first fundraiser for Emersyn's adoption!

As some of you know, I have a little Etsy store that I began on my own in January, making newborn props for photographers and new moms. It has really been a lot of fun, to say the least, and I feel very blessed it allows me to stay home with my kiddos and 'work from home'.

But I've also had the opportunity to network with some amazingly talented woman who have the same craft and I have to say that their support is priceless.

We'll be running an auction on plunderhere.com and many, many super generous business owners have donated items to auction, and many of my fans have been conditioning their bidding fingers!

I just cannot get over the love and support from these people I have never met, and probably never will meet, in real life.

They have done more than just donate an item...they have shared their feelings about adoption, filled me in on their own adoption stories, sent prayers our way, and given us an outpooring of support on our journey ahead...

It totally amazes me and I see God's hand in it for sure.

Several of the shop owners who donated were adopted themselves, and one even has a sister who was adopted from Korea!

Most of these shop owners are complete strangers. They heard about this upcoming auction, and didn't hesitate to contact me to give of their time and talent, for Emersyn...a complete stranger to them.

I've had a hard time finding the perfect words to express how very grateful we are to all of them, hoping that they know what it means to our family to be a part of this.

From strangers, with love, to our family of five.

To all of them, thanks for having a 'hand' in our adoption...(since I can't share pics of her face yet!)

Field Day!

2011-05-26T20:44:00.001-07:00

It was a fun filled day for my little kindergartner on his Field Day!! This kind of stuff is right up his alley and he had a total blast! His class ended up getting first place for the kinder classes and they set a record for the most events won on a Field Day!!

Zoey totally thought she was part of the class and enjoyed bossing everyone around and "supervising" activities! What a little stinker, that girl!

I enjoyed chatting with a fellow adoptive mom who has THE cutest little girl in Braedan's class from China. So fun to make connections like this, and of course, a new friend!

Here's some fun pics from our day spent together!

And so it begins!

2011-05-19T17:46:00.001-07:00

Paperwork, paperwork, and MORE paperwork! My hand is going to fall off!

But the important thing is we've completed everything we need to thus far!

Official application and service agreement with Holt...our homestudy packet, which includes references, tax statements, pictures, medical exams, criminal checks, the list goes on, but we're finally done and mailing it out tomorrow!

Our homestudy visit is scheduled for June 1st and though it is a different social worker, it's the same agency we used the first time and they have a pretty quick turnaround time to get it all completed and put it in Holt's hands!

Which is what we now need to complete Emersyn's acceptance packet to send on to Korea!

We are expecting at least a six month wait once our acceptance is in till travel, maybe longer.

We're getting a care package ready to send with friends from Austin who are going to Korea in about a week and it's been fun picking out some clothes and toys for her and putting together a photo album of our family!

She was transferred to a Seoul foster home last month, and will be in the Holt offices for her very first WBC (Well Baby Checkup) early next week and they've promised to take updated pictures! We cannot wait to see how much she's changed as the only pictures we have are from when she was very young.

It's still a little strange to say we now have THREE kids! But boy are we excited to have her here in our arms!

Braedan includes her in every prayer he says, and Zoey is now asking where her baby sister is!

We cannot wait to show off her cutie patootie face and we are praying that her transition to her new foster home is going smoothly...

And did I mention that shopping for TWO girls is so much better than one?!?!? (sorry about the bad photo, I took it on my phone!)

And then there were five...

2011-05-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

My head is still spinning from this past week and a half and I am quite certain I have missed several deadlines and lots of other important stuff because of it!

But, we are pleased as punch to announce that we have happily accepted the referral of another beautiful baby girl!

Emersyn Hui-a was born July 15, 2010 in South Korea! Just two years and two weeks apart from our Zoey Seon-Mi!

(And let's hope Emersyn sticks...there's been quite a bit of name discussion at our house!)

Yes, we will have our hands (and hearts!) full with our 'girls' and their super stellar big brother, who is already bragging (though slightly disappointed it's not a boy!) about the addition!

You might be thinking, what? They weren't even in process again? Did they say they were adopting again? What is going on right now?!?!

And you would be thinking the exact same way our family was!

Bottom line, sometimes they find you.

And in this case, Hui-a found her way into the very place she belonged...our family!

We have discussed adopting again for a while but had yet to put the plan in motion.

In fact, we had been seriously discussing an adoption from Ethiopia!

We had requested the file of a photolisted child from Korea, but never really felt he was ours, and after hearing that there were so many families interested, we politely bowed out a few weeks later, as a family was ready to move forward on his adoption.

Within the hour, we received an email from Holt with a file to review!

Stunned does not even begin to describe our emotion!

The minute I saw her face though, I knew she was our girl! (I also showed my dad and when he started to cry, knew she was ours as well! Just to be sure, I even showed him a picture of another Korean baby and he didn't cry, so I knew we were good!)

We had talked about another boy, but God had other plans! And what a wonderful plan it is!

We are starting from nothing paperwork wise and have been scurrying to get the proper things in motion for us to complete our homestudy and acceptance!

So unfortunately, we will not be able to share her sweet face till then, but know that she is UH-DORABLE!!

As most of you know, adoption is very expensive and the timing so unpredictable, but we know that God had planned for Hui-a to join our family and we are trusting in Him fully to bring her home. We know that things will just be what they'll be and we will follow His lead. (And of course, we'll do the leg work!)

And so begins our next adoption journey...and then there were five!

'Children of God'

2011-05-14T07:55:00.001-07:00

When I came across this video this morning, I was literally a blubbering ball of tears by the end!!

I just adore the beautiful message and perfect lyrics this song has...

Gotcha!!

2011-05-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, our family had the pleasure of celebrating our second 'Gotcha Day' with our very own Zoey Seon-Mi!

I cannot believe it has been two years since she's been home!

And can hardly believe she will be turning three this summer!

What an absolute blessing and priviledge she is in our lives and I am truly grateful each and every day (even the days like today with multiple public tantrums!) that she found her way into our family.

She is the most beautiful little girl and we are very much in love with her!!

Of course, we had to celebrate with some Korean food, because there's always a good reason to eat Korean food!

Zoey loves Korean food, especially the kim bap and yakimandu!

And she insisted on wearing nana's glasses to read her fortune from her cookie! How cute does she look in glasses?!?!

And to the cake...

Well you might be wondering why Mickey and Pluto are riding in a Mousekaplane between the Korean and the American flag?!?!

Well, I wonder the same thing myself!

It just so happened that when we were picking up Braedan's birthday cake, they walked out with a custom Mickey Mouse cake that included this airplane! Zoey knew Gotcha Day was approaching (well, I think she actually thought it was her birthday along with big brother!) and totally thought that cake was hers and was so disppointed when I told her it was not!

I wanted the cake to have an airplane with the Korean and American flags, so of course, after a few tears from Zoey and a very helpful cake maker, we decided that Zoey and I would be represented on our cake as Mickey and Pluto and evidentally Korean Air was now the Mousekaplane.

Hey, it works!! It still makes me giggle every time I see it and Zoey was incredibly proud to show it off to everyone!

It is hard to believe our sweet little girl has gone from this...the day we left Korea...

to this!

We are so grateful that Zoey made it into the very spot our family was holding for her in our hearts and are so happy to be celebrating two years home!

Look Who's Six!!

2011-04-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

Braedan woke up ready for his big day and is so happy to be finally be six! (this kid has been talking about his birthday since Christmas!)

He thinks he woke up much larger than yesterday, including his biceps!

He was pretty darn excited when the answer to his question of "do I get to open presents today" was a yes!

I cannot believe that my sweet, sweet boy is now six years old!

We headed to his school to eat lunch with the birthday boy and drop off cupcakes for his class...I was informed after school that he was not thrilled with my selection of farm animal cupcake toppers...guess at age six, these things start to matter!

Everyone knew it was his birthday today, I wonder how?!?!?

Even sister was excited to hear the words cake and presents!

After a little dinner at Chilis and a little birthday song and dessert from the waitors...

It was finally time to get to the gifts!

Braedan has the most expressive face I ever seen and these pictures just about cover the range of his emotions as he unwrapped wish after wish!

And may I just take a moment to brag a little by showing off his new Lego Ninjago Dragon that he put together all. by. himself. Pretty darn impressive if you ask me! This boy is an absolute genius when it comes to things like this!

Ah, I must admit...I am one very, very lucky mama that this little boy made his way into my life six years ago...and I love him with all my heart.

Saying Goodbye.

2011-04-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

This morning, we had to say goodbye to our sweet Beagle/Basset/Border Collie, Molly.

It completely breaks my heart.

But I know she was ready to go and I know she's now in a better place.

My precious Braedan included in his family prayer this evening, "...and bless Molly that she feels better in Heaven..."

I have had this sweet dog since I was 17.

Before I was married, before I had kids.

She was there through all those changes in my life...

Letting her go today was one of the toughest things I've had to do.

She's battled Addison's Disease for several years now and has had lots of health scares in between, but always pulled thru it.

Today, she wasn't so lucky and I am so sad.

I wish I had the picture my parents took the day I got her...so small and so cute! Fit in one of my hands!

I just fell in love with her the moment I saw her and have loved her dearly since.

It will take some getting used to not having her around after nearly 12 years...and I'm not yet convinced the kids or other dogs (my parent's dog and our 1 year old pup, Shiloh) quite understand that she is gone.

You will be missed, my sweet, sweet Molly.

Super Fun Houseguests!

2011-04-20T18:25:00.001-07:00

Last week, we had the pleasure to have bloggy friend Kelly and her cutie patootie daughter, Briar, stay with us and become 'real life' friends!

Kelly was one of the very first moms I 'met' online in the beginning of our adoption process and it was so awesome to finally meet her and Briar in person!

The girls got along fabulously and Zoey is still asking where Briar went after leaving nearly a week ago!

It was fun just chatting, letting the girls play and watch their addiction, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, together!

It was also fun exploring the city I live in as we don't get out nearly as much as we should and enjoy our beautiful city!!

There was the Riverwalk, Landa Park, Korean food and yummy lunches...as well as park time, a little swimming and most importantly, nap time!! (That's how Kelly and I got in some girl chat time!)

We had so much fun getting to know them a little better and so happy we now call them our 'real life' friends!

Here's just a few pictures of the girls enjoying themselves throughout the week!

How cute are they?!?!

Thanks Kelly and Briar for coming and staying with us!

Six?

2011-04-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

Can it be possible my little boy is turning SIX soon!!

How did that happen?!?!

Am I old enough to have a SIX year old?!?!?!

Well, either way I love this boy to death!!

I adore how red his hair looks in these pictures! How is it possible that he is half Korean?!?!? I am still baffled!

His hair is just about as bright as his peanut butter cracker!

Wordless Wednesday {Sidewalk Chalk in Pajamas with Bed Hair!}

2011-04-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Play Ball!

2011-04-02T18:47:00.001-07:00

Braedan's first tball game of the season was today and they won! And of course, he did fantastically well and had a lot of fun, but still his favorite part of it all is getting a snow cone afterward! He was definitely itching for an extracurricular activity and he loves playing baseball! It is so fun to see how far he has come after playing the last two years and if he's anything like his daddy, there will many more years of the ball field to come!

His team decided to put last names on the back of their jerseys this year instead of only first names, and since I don't usually share our last name online, you may think his photoshopped jersey looks a little strange!

And of course, a big hug for brother after the game!!

Wordless Wednesday {My Boy}

2011-03-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Currently on our fridge...

2011-03-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

written by one very sweet little boy.

The Proud Principal.

2011-03-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

Recently, a principal of an elementary school saw a little girl sitting outside her classroom who looked upset. So he stopped to speak with her to find out what was wrong.

The little girl told him that the kids in class were teasing her because she was adopted. Saying to her that her real mother didn't love her and her adoptive mother wasn't really her mom.

Without saying anything, the prinicpal took the girl by the hand and led her to his office, where he pointed to a picture of his kids.

Two of them, he explained, were adopted.

He then pointed to a picture of his granddaughter and explained that she was adopted too. That he loved them all just the same as his other children and that adoption was something very special...that she had two mothers who loved her enough to give her the life she had.

Instantly, a smile appeared on her face and she happily returned to her classroom for the rest of the day.

As the principal was packing up to leave that afternoon, the little girl led her adoptive mother into his office and pointed proudly to the pictures he had referred to earlier in the day and exclaimed, "See mom! Mr. Williams has two adopted daughters and an adopted granddaughter, just like me!"

She just happened to be looking at a picture of these two girls...

and this little girl...

and the man who was proud to show us off, her principal,was my dad.

My Smiley Babies!

2011-02-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

Surprised to see how well they posed for me without a fight?!?!? Well, not nearly as surprised as I was! I think they were still on a high from the beach air and the fact that I promised they would get to put on play clothes and dig in the sand right after we were finished! I must say, these are my favorite pictures of the two of them in quite some time!

Wordless Wednesday {Baseball Season is 'a comin'!}

2011-02-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

Trip to the Beach Part I

2011-02-17T16:44:00.000-08:00

Ah, we are finally out of our semi-comas and moving back in to semi-normal! I am literally keeping a spreadsheet for medications as all four of us are on 5-6 meds each!

We had a little scare with Zoey which put us in the ER, when she spiked a 106 fever and started vomiting. But all was well once they got the fever finally come down after an hour or so. Thankfully, no more high fevers like that since then and both kids are getting some much needed rest and sleeping through the night.

So thank you for all the prayers and thoughts, we are moving toward health again...hopefully! But we still expect several more days till we're 'out in public' healthy!

So a few weeks ago, my parents and us went to Galveston beach to spend the weekend at a time share we own there. Yes, it was unusually cold for Texas and we thought we may not get much beach time, but we had so much fun and Braedan talks about it non-stop still!

We were determined to let them play in the sand come rain or shine, and at about 40 or so degrees and a wind chill, we bundled up, but had some fun! The cold didn't seem to bother them at all, they were way to preoccupied with the sand!

I would so love to live on the beach!! My husband is obsessed with the beach and water and the sand and everything that goes with it, so I would not have a hard time convincing him at all! And I must say, though the temps were cool, it was much, much enjoyable than the 100 degree weather you get on those beaches in the summer! That, and there are no crowds!

And stuck in this house with the flu all week, these pictures are looking so appealing today!

It just doesn't get much better than this...I can still hear the waves. :0)

Happy Valentines Day??????

2011-02-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...happy wouldn't exactly be the word I used, but we'll go with that one for now!

Here's a how our day has gone so far...

After being in a semi-coma state all of Sunday, I awoke feeling slightly better, however both my kids were now sick. (and by better I mean my temp was no longer 104 and I could actually speak above a whisper without coughing till I puked.)

Yah.

Did I mention Daddy was just starting to feel a bit better after his bout with this yucky stuff last week?

Yah.

We got 9:15 appointments for kids, where Braedan tested positive for Influenza A and while Zoey tested negative, the dr just thinks it's just because we're a day early on her, and so, went ahead and prescribed Tamiflu for both. Did I mention this is why I love this doctor?!?!

So, after two hours at the ped's office, we make it to the pharmacy to fill prescriptions, where, yup, they only had enough to fill one of the prescriptions, and then I also loaded up on $50 worth of OTC meds to keep us all alive.

Yah.

So after 30+ minutes at that pharmacy, I come outside to a car that won't start. (Danny and the kids were waiting out there) We call a friend from work to come jump start it...didn't happen.

So after an hour plus in a parking lot with kids and fevers and no naps, Danny heads home with the friend from work to pick up our other car.

Oh, and did I mention all this time Zoey had a poopy diaper and we had no extra diapers?

Yah.

When I go to roll up the windows in the dead car, they won't roll up. That's how dead the battery is. Knowing we can't leave the car unattended with the windows down, I take the kids home for meds and a little break, while Danny waits for a tow truck.

Yah.

Danny and I have dr appointments about an hour later, so I am halfway there to pick him up, when he calls to say that the tow truck guy had better cables and the car started so pick him up at home. So we turned around and went to pick him up.

Yah.

Drove to the dr for he and I, where, let me tell you, we've been going there for years and love the dr, but the nurses leave something to be desired! I test positive for both flu and a secondary infection, but he also tells me Danny has had it too long for the Tamiflu to do anything (and his fever had been gone for days), so no reason to see him. In and out in 15 minutes, now that's a part of my day I could be thankful for with both sleeping kids in the car!

Head to the second pharmacy to now fill both mine and B's prescriptions, which happens to also be a grocery store. And it's Valentine's Day.

Yah.

Dropped of scrips and shopped for a few more 'my entire family has the flu' items, then stood in what I thought looked like the shortest line (there were no short lines) and got stuck behind the poor guy who gets charged for 10 red bell peppers instead of 1, so have to wait for a manager to override the void.

Yah.

Did I mention managers don't come nearly as quickly on holidays?

Yah.

So we finally made it home, where we can finally get the rest and much needed sleep we all need.

Danny has to run out for one last prescription pick up, but our goal is have the kids in bed by 7 and us at 8:30 at the latest.

Did I mention he didn't sleep one wink last night getting up 10+ times with our coughing feverish son whose mom was still in a coma?

Yah.

Oh, did I also mention that my entire family was in town this past weekend for my mom's 60th birthday, where they all got exposed and one of my niece's has already tested positive?

Yah. We are spreading the love. Literally.

So, friends, Happy Valentine's Day! Hope yours went a lot better than ours!

Now I'm off to make our special Valentine's menu of chicken noodle soup and Tamiflu.

Romantic, right?!?!?!

Yah. Not so much.

But on a positive note (one that did not end up with flu results!)I can share these adorable pictures my friend Nikki took from Moxie Photography of my most handsome boy!

Wondering where Zoey is?

Well that's a good question!

The day we took these, she was wearing the most adorable dress and looking mighty cute! But refused, I mean refused to even get near that chair to let Nikki snap some pics of her! And even after Nikki and I thought we had bribed her to take some shots with a donut, she proceeded to take the donut and throw it at the chair!

Yah.

So, that's why Valentine's Day pics 2011 will only be of Braedan. :0)

Please, oh please, let next year's Valentine's Day be better than this one!!

Snow Day!

2011-02-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

I definitely did not think, even with these unusually cold temps in Texas, that we would actually have some snow stick to the ground!

So imagine my surprise when we woke up last Friday morning to actual snow on the ground!

School was of course cancelled, because we are just not equipped down here to handle that kind of weather!

You northerners may think this is lame, but we southerners were enjoying every second of it while it lasted! It did, afterall, melt by noon!

And now, we're ready for the cold to go away! We've had enough!

Lunar New Year Ddeokguk

2011-02-07T12:34:00.000-08:00

The essential food for the lunar New Year is ddeokguk, a mild rice cake soup. Koreans think that eating ddeokguk on Seollal makes you a year older. Until you’ve dug into a steaming bowl of rice cake soup, you’re still the same age as the year before!

If all I have to do is eat a bowl of soup to become a year younger, then sign me up!

EDITED: So apparently I can't read!! Clearly the quote above states that until you eat a bowl of ddeokguk, you're the same age as the year before, but once you eat it, you're actually a year older! Yikes! Glad I only one bowl full. ;0)

Clearly, I need more sleep!

So here's the way I made it on Lunar New Year...

First, I took some sirloin steak and marinated it in a base similar to most bulgogi marinades...garlic, sugar, black pepper, soy sauce, a litte ginger if you have it, and some sesame oil. You can do all this to taste!

Then, I sliced and soaked fresh rice cake. And by "fresh", I mean not frozen. My local Korean market carrys it and it looks like this:

I found it impossible to cut with a knife, so I grabbed a pair of trusty 'ole kitchen sheers and snipped away into nice thin pieces! Soaked for about 30+ minutes. They are super sticky, but delicious!

Fry up the meat that has been marinating after cutting it into thin bite size pieces and set aside.

The recipe called for just plain old boiling water and dried anchovies for the soup base. I knew my family wouldn't love this idea, so I just decided to use beef broth. Toss in the soaked and rinsed rice cake slices, and then I also decided to add some chopped up bok choy for some greens. I let this return to a boil and cook till tender.

Then I whipped up two raw eggs in a cup, and slowly poured them into the soup pot in a thin stream and allowed the egg to cook for a few seconds before stirring. It made the eggs look more like egg drop soup, which is what you're going for! Stir too soon and you'll have a milky soup!

Then place the cooked sirloin into the bottom of the bowls.

Then ladle in the delicious guk!

You can top it with crumbled up toasted seaweed, and some sliced green onions.

I served mine alongside some cucumber and radish kimchi, yum!

I also made up mandu, which taught me some helpful lessons...never try to 'bake' eggroll mandu! I usually fry mine in oil, but tried to stick to something healthier by baking them and it was just a mess! But clearly not enough of a mess to keep Zoey from chowing down!

Braedan, however, had this response when I asked him if he wanted some!

I guess that's a no?!?!?!

All in all it was a delicious ddeokguk that we will have again next year! If I keep this up, I'll be in my twenties forever!

Here's to the Year of the Rabbit!

새해 복 많이 받으세요 Happy Lunar New Year!!

2011-02-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

The year of the rabbit has commenced!

We celebrated with some traditional ddeokguk, paired with yakimandu and some radish and cucumber kimchi! Yummo!

I took lots of pictures since it was my first time making ddeokguk, which is rice cake soup, but I'll post all that tomorrow as I have about a million orders for my Etsy store to process before going out of town this weekend to, of all places in this weather, the beach!!

It's supposed to be nice and sunny, so I'm hoping to at least get some time with the kids playing in the sand!

In the meantime, read this great article about the Koreans and how they celebrate Lunar New Year!

새해 복 많이 받으세요 Happy Lunar New Year!!

Brrrr!!

2011-02-02T17:13:00.001-08:00

I know no matter where you live across the US, you are cold!!!

But us hot blooded people down here in Texas do not do cold!

See that temperature?!?!? Too cold! (and yes, my car has 101K miles!)

You should not leave your dog bowls outside in weather like this...

and you should remember to turn of your sprinklers!

I wish I had a picture of the house I saw this morning with the grass, sidewalk, driveway and car, covered in ice and nothing else around it!! It was pretty funny!

We also don't own winter coats, because we just never use them.

So we just layer on our hooded sweatshirts for warmth!

Tights and Crocs work too!

Layers and color, layers and color! That's what it's all about!

This is about as winter-ed out as we get!

My favorite is the rolling black outs we've been having throughout the day to conserve energy from all the heaters running! Again, heaters aren't usually on here in Texas! I actually do remember before having kids, my husband and I didn't use the heater the entire winter!

And yes, I do still have a son, but he's always at school when I have my camera out!

He stayed warm too! With this weather expected, they did an extra receses at school on Monday since the rest of the week, they have to stay inside. Good thinking!

Everyone stay warm and safe!

Off to drink the rest of my cider!

A blogger funk.

2011-02-01T06:55:00.001-08:00

Lately, I have felt like this blog needs a major overhaul!

Am I right?

Totally feeling like I'm in a blogger funk!

I used to have something to share or say every day, sometimes twice a day!

But not lately.

And I feel like I'm boring my 90 followers! (if you're still out there!)

Maybe our lives are just super boring right now!!

I must say there is a lot I wish I could share right this second, but I promise those things will get interesting!

I started this blog to catalog our adoption journey, my feelings on being an adult adoptee, and enjoying every day life with my family.

Have I accomplished that?!?!

So, I'll open it up to you...

what would you like to see on this blog?

More on our adoption journey and adoption in general?

More on my feelings about being an adult adoptee?

More pictures of my dogs?!?! (that's a joke.)

A Q&A?

More on parenting a crazy toddler?!?! (that's sort of a joke.)

More fun giveaways?

I am open to suggestions, any and all of them!

In the meantime, I am back to my crochet cave...

Two weeks ago I launched a brand new Etsy store, called Fresh Outta the Oven (or FOTO for short!) which features photography props for newborns!

I secretly wish I was a newborn photographer! I really think that is my dream job!

But since I'm not, I will live vicariously through the many, many fabulous photogs out there and help create those precious pictures!

It has been a lot of fun so far creating all these products and the store has been very busy since opening!

Click HERE to check it out!

The Bean Bin.

2011-01-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

What to do with a bored two year old on a lazy afternoon?

Give her some beans and a bucket!

And maybe even some measuring cups!

And let her go to town!

It might get a little messy...

which is why this giant bin came in handy. :0)
Everybody fit quite nicely in there!

Bag of dry pinto beans=built in babysitter!

Happy Birthday Shiloh!

2011-01-26T18:35:00.000-08:00

After finally realizing what the date was on this incredibly crazy, busy day, I remembered our sweet and fiesty little Shiloh turned one today!

She's gone from this:

To this:

She's crazy, hyper, in your face and jumpy, but she is the sweetest, most lovable little bagle (half beagle, half basset!) we know!

And yes, to those non-dog lovers...I really did just type an entire post to celebrate a dog's birthday. :0)

Some big news. No pun intended.

2011-01-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

Well, I think it's big anyway.

You may not! Maybe it's just news!

You might remember me mentioning in a previous post that my dad and I started our New Year's diet two weeks ago and we have a bet going to see who can lose the largest percentage of weight by the end of June.

After two weeks, I am proud to say I am down 10 pounds! (and several inches)

I have a lot more to go, but truth be told, we are eating better now then we did before the diet! As in, better tasting and more of a variety and quality of food!

We drink two protein shakes a day, plus two protein bars as snacks and then eat super healthy, low carb, low fat for dinner. My dad is down 16 pounds!

We are using the same program that everyone in my family has probably used at least once, if not more! And it's also the program that everyone used to slim down for my wedding, where mostly everyone in my family was at their healthiest weight! (Well, except for me anyway, I was waaaaay too thin at my wedding! I had a size 4 dress that had to be altered! I'm not bragging, I'm just wishing I had that problem instead of my current one!)

Without getting too personal, because this is a bit of a touchy subject for me, my weight is something that I am super self conscious about. And have been for the past several years since having my son. Before that, I never had a weight issue. Ever. So this is all very new to me and I am still learning how to adjust. I know that I will never be the size 2 I was, but I actually don't really want to be. I know that sounds dumb, but now being both extremes in my life (too skinny and too heavy) I realize there is such a thing as too thin, and well, I was.

I must say that I don't really have a number in mind of where I would like to be or how much weight I want to actually lose. I throw numbers around sometimes, thinking it would be nice to be such and such, but really, I just want to be healthy, and feel good about myself. If I never fit into my wedding dress again, that's okay. (I don't need to, I'm already married!)

And maybe one of these days I'll start posting more pictures of myself on this blog!

So, there you have it. Some big news. Big to me anyway!

I'm still brainstorming on what the bet will be when I win in June! Any thoughts?!?!?

The Ever Popular DS.

2011-01-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

Braedan got a N*intendo DS for Christmas and I tell you, this thing is pretty darn popular around our house!

Yes, I have been known on occassion to be playing it all by myself while the kids are napping or asleep, and yes, there was one night, that in all fairness, I couldn't sleep anyway, so I played DS till 4am.

And yes, I just admitted that!

Every time it gets turned on, Zoey is so interested, but she's the one person in the house we won't allow to play with it!

(This girl can break anything, even when you think it's unbreakable, so we've learned our lesson!)

She was particularly interested the other night when Braedan was playing and I just had to pull out my camera and capture her arm around her brother, watching ever so closely!

Big brother was not thrilled and according to him, she not only caused him to 'die' several times, she also licked his ear!

Yes, I believe it!

Let's just say he finally got fed up with it!!

A Couple of Koreans.

2011-01-21T06:55:00.001-08:00

Right after Christmas, we got to see our friends, James and Mary and their adorable son, (my future son-in-law if I have it my way!) Henry.

We also had the chance to meet another member of our adoption forum, Ashley and her super duper cutie, Evan!

SO glad they put us in the back party room at our favorite Korean restaurant so the kids could be free and just play! Three active toddlers makes for some fun times!

But Ashley is a genius and happened to have a lollipop for everyone, which made snapping pics of them a little bit easier!!

I absolutely adore these kiddos and their parents and am so happy that we have the opportunity to make connections like this, hopefully for life!

And can I just say that I can barely contain my excitement that Henry is getting a sister?!?!?! I am already planning the double wedding between Henry and Zoey and Braedan and Baby Girl! (she hasn't been named yet, but I've offered to allow them to call her Mrs. Braedan _____ for now!)

I've seen pictures and wowsa! She is one beautiful baby and I hope they have her home from South Korea very, very soon!!

New Bike.

2011-01-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

Braedan got a new bike for Christmas and I never posted any pics of how awesome he can ride it!

Transformers all the way at our house and bikes are no exception!

He'll have those training wheels off in no time!

And anything brother does, Zoey does too!
(with her eyes closed! it was the only shot I had of her!)

Yes, my birthday was last week...

2011-01-19T16:55:00.001-08:00

but the celebration continued this week too!

And look at this fabulous cake my niece 'Bird' (no, that's not her actual name, just her nickname!) made with her brand new Cricut Cake Maker she got for Christmas!

Our dream is to open a bakery some day together. :0) I adore this girl!

And an FYI...you can never go wrong with a red velvet cake and homemade cream cheese frosting!

Asian Stereotypes.

2011-01-18T19:12:00.001-08:00

This clip just says it all. :0)

Wordless Wednesday {It's cold outside!}

2011-01-12T17:29:00.000-08:00

Last year in my 20's! 1-11-11

2011-01-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to me!

I can hardly believe I'm 29 today.

I'm not one who really cares about age (well, we'll see about that next year when I'm 30!) so it's not a huge deal, but definitely feels weird to be 29!

I am also not one of those people who set goals to be such and such by the time I'm 29, etc...but there are definitely things I would love to accomplish in the next year! Hopefully I'll be able to share some of those things with you along the way!

And how adorable are these gift boxes my presents came in?!?!
(Gift certificates from my hubby and kids for a pedicure and facial, my favorites!)

My brother-in-law shares a birthday with me, so we usually get several parties throughout the week!

He's 17 today, by the way! Happy birthday D!

So...a little off topic.

WARNING: Movie spoilers and a long, sappy, dramatic post ahead!

Tangled. Have you seen it?

We took the kids last weekend and I must say, it did not disappoint!

But I must also admit that I broke down crying during the movie.

Several times.

And those thoughts brought me to today.

First, let me start by saying, that I don't get sad every time I think about my birthmother...or Zoey's.

In fact, most of the time, when I think about them, it's related to something happy.

And even if I become sad, depending on the situation, I am still very confident that the decision would be the same every time because Zoey and I are right where we're meant to be.

In the movie, the princess (Rapunzel) is kidnapped by the wicked old witch.

So, every year, on Rapunzel's birthday, the king and queen release thousands and thousands of paper lanterns into the sky to honor and remember her.

They are, of course, reunited after 18 years (it is a Disney movie after all!) so finally, the king and queen are at peace once getting her back.

Rapunzel sees the paper lanterns each and every year on her birthday, and wonders if they are somehow related to her birth, so she escapes from the tower to get a closer look.

As she sits in the boat outside the castle and watchs as the thousands and thousands of lanterns float into the sky, tears started streaming down my face. (though I tried really hard not to!)

No matter what the circumstance, no matter your place in life, do you ever really forget losing a child?

I have a hard time believing that you do.

In this case, I am referring to 'losing a child' as 'giving up a child for adoption'.

I can't imagine that you could carry someone in your womb, who has your DNA, who gave you morning sickness and heartburn and kicked you while you were trying to sleep, and then forget them.

Sure, I think you could move on with your life.

Sure, I think everyone would handle it differently, especially given all the possible scenarios.

Sure, I think the pain of it would lessen over time.

But, I just don't believe that you ever forget.

When I watched the reunion between Rapunzel and her parents, it of course, turned me into another blubbering mess!

My thoughts turned to all those birthparents and adopted children out there wondering if they will ever have that chance in this lifetime. (for those that want that opportunity, of course)

And as young as I still feel at 29, with a life very fulfilled, for at least one person, hopefully still on this earth, 29 years must feel like a lifetime without their child.

And that is something very hard for me not to think about on my birthday today.

In my imagination (and because, frankly, I couldn't pull it off in real life!)
I released thousands and thousands of paper lanterns into the night sky.

Hoping that that person across the world might see them and know that I am honoring and remembering them today.

My birthday wish this year is for that person to know that I am thinking of her today,

and I will never, ever forget.

I lost five pounds and went on a date.

2011-01-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

I didn't know what else to title this post. :0)

So to explain...

I lost five pounds this week...of hair.

For the third time, I cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love.

I was long overdue for a haircut and it ended up much shorter than I had hoped, but its for a good cause and it's just hair, right?

It'll grow back.

The recipient of my hair is in far more need of it than I, so I would cut more if they asked.

13" to be exact, and I swear to you, it feels like it weighs five pounds!

I have no idea how I've been carrying that around for so long! So much easier to manage and wash, that's for sure!

And in all seriousness, it would have been nice to lose an actual five pounds.

And hopefully, I will.

My dad and I are starting our diet tomorrow and have a bet going for the most percentage of weight lost, winner to be determined in June.

So stay tuned! No, I will not be posting 'before' pictures of myself! Maybe after! See me in June. :0)

And on to the date...

this past Tuesday my husband and I celebrated eight years of marriage!

We didn't do anything on the actual date,
but did get out together this past Friday.

Sad, but true, this was our first date in at least two years, if not longer.
No joke!

We enjoyed dinner and conversation with no interruptions
and a nice adult movie
(as in one that is not animated, not the other one! Eeewww!).

And a double date with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie isn't too shabby!
(we saw The Tourist)

This is us eight years ago on our honeymoon in Cancun.

This is what I'm hoping my 'after' picture will look more like!

If anything, it's proof that I once looked like this. :0)

And just because, here's my little munchkin rockin' her sumo wrestler hair!

The Autobots.

2011-01-01T18:27:00.000-08:00

Every time I see a minivan with the little stick people decals on the back windshield representing each member of their family, sometimes including their dog, cat, bird and fish (yes, I have seen this!), I say to myself...

"Self, that is so not something I would do!"

(That is, drive a minivan or put stick people decals on my back windshield!)

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people who drive minivans!

And frankly, if people wanna represent their family members by putting a stick person decal on the their back windshield, power to them!

I guess it gives bored drivers like me something to look at when we're stopped behind them at a red light!

But now, I must keep my mouth shut.

No, I didn't buy a minivan.

No, I didn't paste stick people on the back of my SUV.

But, I did put Autobot faces.

As in, Transformers (the good ones, of course!).

And this might be worse than driving a minivan or pasting the stick people!

Yes, my family of four is now represented on the back of my SUV with Autobot heads.

And yes, they did have dog Autobots I could have purchased too.

But that's where I draw the line!

We are big Transformer fans at our house, in fact, I am seriously contemplating selling them after Braedan graduates from high school to pay for his college!

That's how many we have!

(And for the record, my husband and I only play with them some of the time.):0)

And so, now, I guess we are the Autobots.

But don't expect us all to be in full costume when you look inside our car as we're driving down the street next to you....

or at least not every time, anyway. :0)

This what December in Texas looks like.

2010-12-31T07:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is what we were doing the last days of December in Texas!

Washing cars

in our short sleeves

bubbles everywhere

clothes soaked

hands in bucket

Sonic slushes in hand!
(Braedan's cousins are enjoying this weather, as last year,
they were up to their waist in snow!)

Even the dogs enjoyed the beautiful weather

and Lizzie the bunny too!

But it is still Texas, so of course, we found this snake (thankfully already dead) right next to where we had just been sitting.

And what would a 'warm winter's night' be without a little s'mores?

We roasted up some marshmallows in the new fire pit

well, technically, this one's on fire!

But they sure were delicious!

Ending our 2010 with some family time in our short sleeves, car washing, s'more making way! Happy New Year!

Insert Cricket Chirp {Here}.

2010-12-30T09:13:00.001-08:00

Has it really already been 9 days since my last post?!?!?

Where in the world have the days gone?!

I just realized tomorrow is already New Year's Eve!

How can that be?!

Our Christmas was great, had so much fun with all 17 of my immediate family members under one roof!

We got a new computer, which is AWESOME! But, none of my software is installed yet, which means I can't upload or edit any pictures...working on that!

Took my first photo class yesterday, which was great!
Learned A LOT about my SLR and hopeful that my pictures will start turning out even better!

And I just have to give a shout out to this amazing artist who drew this fantastically adorable picture! I ordered this print before Christmas and it arrived the other day with an extra print, which I'll share as soon as my printer is hooked up to my new computer!

She is also a Korean adoptee and you can find her store
and read more about her HERE. I so wish I could afford her fabulous personalized portraits she also does! Maybe one day! If I could, I would order one of everything in her store and cover the wall in my office! Just sayin'. :0)

As the New Year approaches, 2011 will bring many changes to our family which we will share as each event happens!

(Trust me, I wish I could share every single one, but not yet!)

But they will be big and hopefully bring our family great luck!

Wishing all a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas! 매리 크리스마스

2010-12-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

And the winners are...

2010-12-20T17:52:00.000-08:00

Comment #5

Jenny said...
Oh! Fun! Avery's fav hands down right now is her Disney Princess CD Storybook. Close seconds are anything princess. It's not like we ever go to Disney or anything lol ;)

December 16, 2010 1:56 PM

Comment #3

Craig D said...
My daughter is only 21 months old, but she LOVES books! I have caught her in her play room surrounded by toys looking longingly at the bookshelf above her reach seeking out the book she would "read" if she could get her hands on it. With that said, there is no favorite in our house, but "I Don't Have Your Eyes" and "Mr. Brown Can Moo" are two big ones. She also loves David and Goliath... well, Goliath.

By the way, you're more than welcome to follow my blog too. Email me and I'll send you an invite. We also have a daughter adopted from Korea.

December 16, 2010 10:07 AM

(And Craig D, I'd love to have an invite to your blog too!)

Chosen by random.org!!

Will you both email me at jeonjugarden@gmail.com to claim your prize?!?!? Thanks!!

I must say our favorite books right now are Bee Bim Bop, Big and Little, and of course, anything Dr. Seuss!

Thanks for sharing yours!

We read our copy of 'I Love You Like Crazy Cakes' and it is very sweet!

Happy Referral Day!

2010-12-19T15:47:00.001-08:00

Today is our second anniversary of the day we received our referral!

Hard to believe that much time has passed!

And oh what a surprise that phone call was!

We had been waiting several weeks to go to committee on a photolisted child, where, on December 18, were told the other family had been chosen.

All three of us were down with a wicked case of the stomach flu
and it was a rough day!

But the very next afternoon,
we received a phone call that would change our lives.

The social worker at Holt told us that a new referral had come in just that morning and they thought our family would be a good match!

A good match it was indeed!

We definitely had a wonderful Christmas that year!

Happy 2nd Referral Day Seon-Mi!

And I have LOVED reading the comments on the giveaway post below about your favorite children's books! Keep them coming! Winner will be announced tomorrow, 'cause I'm giving a little extra time to enter!

A Giveaway! ended

2010-12-16T07:35:00.001-08:00

TWO lucky winners will receive this
'Adoption Rocks' tote (13.5" W x 13.5" H x 4" D)
great for library outings,
which is what we plan to use ours for,
amongst other things...

AND their very own copy of
'I Love You Like Crazy Cakes' by Rose Lewis!

We've not yet read this book,
but it comes highly recommended
and will be under the tree for our kids this year!

And as an added bonus...
• Holt receives 5%-15% of the total of your purchases on all merchandise on Amazon.com
• If shoppers enter Amazon.com through Holt's website ALL purchases from Amazon.com will benefit Holt…

which is where I purchased the books!

So...

how do you enter to win?

Easy peasy.

FIRST, make sure you're a 'FOLLOWER' on our blog by clicking the 'FOLLOW' button in the side bar to the right of this post.

Why? 'Cause I like to know who's following our blog and to follow you and yours! Some of my most important relationships in the adoption world have been formed right here online through this blog and message boards. I value those friendships, whether we've met in real life or not! And, you don't have to be adopted or an adoptive parent to follow our blog or be my friend, I love meeting people in general! With all the views our blog receives around the world, I am so interested to see who you are!

So there, that's why you need to follow!

SECOND, leave a comment on this post with YOUR favorite children's book! Does not have to be adoption related! Just a favorite in your family!

Two lucky winners will be randomly selected on or around Sunday, December 19 and will be announced shortly after, so check back!

{Where's Waldo Braedan}

2010-12-15T20:51:00.000-08:00

And how scary are all those demon eyed kids?!?!?! Clearly didn't edit this pic from his school Christmas program this evening!

Fort Knox Zoey

2010-12-11T18:42:00.000-08:00

We have a runaway child.

Last Saturday, Zoey was supposed to be napping, but ended up crawling out of her crib (for the very first time, I might add), turned off her fan, closed her door behind her, went through a locked baby gate (even locking it again behind her), unlocked the front door, and ended up next door at my parent's house after my mom heard her knocking at their front door.

Needless to say, we all about had heart attacks.

So, of course, we ran right out and bought a chain lock for the front door, which my husband promptly installed and warned her to stay put in that crib until we came in to get her!

Naps and bed time routines took a big hit as she she realized she could get out and do what she wanted. We returned her to her crib many a time and the minute she woke up from nap or the night, she immediately crawled out and came downstairs. Fortunately, I was always awake before her.

Fast forward to this past week, a little before 6am in my pitch black house.

I heard something out in the gameroom, which is right off our bedroom and jumped up quickly as I realized it was my little escapee.

Sure enough, there she was, headed into Braedan's room with a bag of chips and a granola bar, I presume to get some help opening them.

It was obvious she had been up for some time as she was wide awake, so after putting her in bed with Danny, I went downstairs to check things out.

She had, of course, been in the pantry, and who knows where else, but had also attempted to leave via the front door again and the only thing that stopped her was that trusty chain Danny had installed right after the first attempt.

I'm not gonna lie, I burst into tears right there.

Realizing that in the pitch black, with all of us fast asleep, not even knowing she crawled out of her crib, had that chain not been on the door, there could be a lot of bad, bad scenarios.

This was enough to scare me sleepless!!

So, later that day, off I went to Babies R Us! The cashier thought I was insane as I started emptying my cart full of baby proofing items! She was like, "is this all for her?!?!" pointing to Zoey as I didn't even look up to tell her, "uh-huh!"

Danny and I set everything up last night for our first 'test run' to see what else we could possibly need, if anything!

So what does it take to keep our two year old escapee from, well, escaping?

Baby Gates on the stairs...two of them, one at the top and one at the bottom. We've had these since she came home, and can open them on her own as of recently, but still help deter her somewhat.

Back door...has had this baby proof door handle since she started opening doors and was constantly letting in the muddy dogs or running to nana and papa's house every chance she had. Still can't open it with her tiny hands, which is why she started using the front door!

Front door...as you can see from the holes, the chain lock was removed and this put in it's place so the door cannot open AT ALL even when she gets the deadbolt unlocked. This thing is serious.

Her bedroom door, yet another baby proof door handle on the inside of her door.

But the one that helps me sleep at night without rushing to her room every hour on the hour to make sure she's still in there, is our new video monitor.

Positioned right above her crib, this thing is awesome!! And yes, I did still wake up every hour last night and check it to make sure she was still in there!

And yes, woke up the second I heard her climbing out of that crib and watched her make her way to the door, where she was stopped by the safety handle and let out a cry for us to get her!

Can you see her black hair and outline of her little body in this pic?!?!?! The infrared camera is amazing! It's pitch black in her room!

So, so far, so good.

This mama may actually get some sleep tonight, since our house is now Fort Knox.

Pretty soon, the adults won't be able to get out either!

I must say, this girl is definitely keeping us on our toes! I hate to compare kids, but Braedan did NOTHING like this when he was little! He was literally like 3 years old before we convinced him it was okay to get out of his own bed and come find us! Seriously!

I guess they say your first is always easy, that's why you want a second!

Personally, I believe this is God's way of handing me a good dose of karma.

I can tell ya that if there's ever a third, we will be much, much, much more prepared. :0)

Wordless Wednesday {My Boys}

2010-12-08T18:58:00.002-08:00

Can't.Stop.Thinking.About.It.

2010-12-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday, I was craving me some Korean food!

But I wanted to make it quick and simple!

So I decided to make my normal recipe for yakimandu filling, but instead of putting it into small wonton wrappers, why not make them full size eggrolls?!?!

Why I didn't think of this before, I have not stinkin' idea! But it was genius! And oh so delicious!

Dip it in a little of our favorite sauce, which is equal parts soy and rice vinegar with a sprinkle of sugar to taste, some sliced scallions and sesame seeds, and wah-la! It's dinner!

But my craving wasn't fully satisfied, so I decided to pull out the kim-bap!

It's so easy and you can put just about anything it in you want!

I use toasted seaweed, sticky rice mixed with a little rice vinegar and sesame oil while it's still warm (this does something to the rice to keep it nice and sticky, but also firm, not mushy) and this time I used carrot, cucumber, pickled radish and bulgogi meat.

Roll it all up with a sushi roller, slice it and dip it in that same sauce!

I cannot stop thinking about it! It was so yummy!

(And I love both of these cold the day for breakfast! Yes, breakfast. Yes, cold!)

However, note to self (and you other kimchi makers)...I have been making my own kimchi for a while now and have found the combination of the ingredients I really like in it. I wanted to make some to go with this meal, but after not being able to find an ingredient I normally use at the market, I picked up some kimchi base in a jar.

No. Not a good idea. It was horrible!! And tasted mostly like fish and sugar, which is not a good combination in any recipe!

So, let this be a warning...do not make kimchi with sauce out of a jar! Even if it came from the Korean market!!

The hangul dress and the new blog.

2010-12-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

So you may notice the blog going through a bit of a makeover...it's a slow but steady process! I've still got a few kinks to get out and a new photo banner to add, but eventually it will all come together, so bear with the bit of the mess that it is right now!

And then on to the Hangul dress...a while back a fellow adoptive mom found this awesome fabric and I got in on some. It's been sitting in my fabric bin for months till last week when I decided it would look great as a little black dress of sorts! I must say my little girl totally rocked it!

Only problem is...I have absolutely no idea if it's right side up, upside down, sideways, or backwards! So I apologize to all the Korean readers if it's not right!! (Namely a few foster moms that I know check our blog!)

It's still cute either way and my girl looked stunning in it!

And you may notice the new 'watermark' on my pics...no I'm not opening a photography business, and no, my real name is not Kim Park!

In fact, I hate it when people assume my name is just 'Kim'! It's not!! It's KIMBERLY!! (I seriously think people think it's just Kim because I'm Asian!) I don't mind being called Kim, just don't call me Kimmie. :0)

But I do try to keep our last name off the blog for privacy sake, and when coming up with a catchy name for my photographs, decided on Kim Park...Kim being how you pronounce Zoey's Korean last name, and Park being my Korean last name.

It's just a way to keep track of the pics I take and so no one else 'uses' them for personal use! So there you have it...

2010-12-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

Not flesh of my flesh,

Nor bone of my bone,

But still,

miraculously my own.

Never forget

for a single minute,

you didn't grow under my heart,

but in it.

Wordless Wednesday {A Letter to Santa}

2010-12-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

You can take the girl outta Korea...

2010-11-30T14:07:00.000-08:00

but you can't take the Korea outta the girl!

Little Miss Zoey wanted to dress herself today and I thought her choices were oh so colorful!

Afer our A/C was running all day yesterday, the weather finally cooled off this morning enough for her to wear her newly crocheted fingerless gloves in turquoise...

and the infamous Crocs with socks...(which I understand is quite controversial, but I do it too in cold weather!)

and of course her grey leg warmers, which you may be thinking aren't colorful at all, but she only wore these because her striped hot pink ones were dirty so I wouldn't let her wear them...

and her oh so colorful, "fower dess" as she calls it, as in 'flower dress'...

topped off with what we like to call her 'coat of many colors'...

and of course, we must be modest, so she chose the smallest bloomers she could find, ones that her foster mother sent home with her and fit her at nine months old. She wanted to wear her black and white polka dot ones, but again, those were dirty. (maybe I need to do some laundry, huh?!?!)

but it all made for one very content little daydreaming girl...

who seems well on her way to rockin' it like a K Pop Star...

Gotta start somewhere, right?!?!?

A Blast from the Past...

2010-11-29T17:29:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it's because of the holidays or what, but I've been feeling extra sentimental lately and having lots of fun looking back at the past!

I came across this picture recently of my family flying to the US from Korea in 1984. My very first time on a plane and my very first trip to the United States!
That's me next to my dad in the front row (hard to believe I am Zoey's age there!) and then my older sister and brother on the next row, then in the third row, you can just make out my other sister, next to the empty seat, meant for my mother, who is taking the picture.

I was adopted as an infant, but lived in Korea for two years after that and officially became a US citizen once in the United States.

Check us out! My sister looks absolutely adorable, doesn't she?!?!? And then there's me, who is lucky to be wearing a dress or else I would think that some little boy snuck in the picture...aw, good times, thanks mom for the great haircut.

And trust me, it got worse...the perms started next...

Not Me!!

2010-11-28T17:13:00.001-08:00

So, what a lame blogger I've been this past week, huh?

I have no idea where last week went and didn't realize I'd fallen so far behind!

So I thought it would be fun for a little week in review, 'not me' style...

Well, it was not me that shaved a mohawk on my 5 year old son's head for some extra fun this Thankgiving holiday.

It was also not me that half considered giving myself the same hair cut just so I didn't have to wash it anymore.

It was not me who allowed my children to stay in their pajamas just about every day all day, sometimes with or without baths.

It was not me who didn't say no to one thing my children asked me to eat all week, which may be why they looked like this the majority of the time! (as she stuffs another fruit snack in her mouth)

It was not me who was so relieved to have my niece and nephews come and visit for the majority of the week because they play so well with my kids and give me a bit of a break!

It was not me who laughed harder than the kids while watching 'Merry Madagascar' and it's not me that has been quoting phrases from it all week! ("Happy Juli-anuary!")

It was not me who told my husband to just wrap Zoey in his shirt to walk the 30 steps home in the freezing wind to our house because she had spilled something all over her top.

It was not me who only slept 2 1/2 hours before waking up at 3:15am for Black Friday, then stood in line in the freezing cold outside Target, only to end up having an employee yell at me while everyone watched about not wanting to price match an item. (I got it after talking to a manager, who was in a much, much better mood!)

It was not me that watched my sister and her friend down hamburgers from Jack in the Box at 6am. (Eeewww!)

It was not me who didn't get a nap that day and it was not me who slept an 11 hour night only to then stay in my pajamas and lay on the couch all day!

It was not me who orderd an early Christmas present for myself after my sister told me about Photoshop Elements on sale for 1/2 price!

It was also not me who rigged up some 'girly pants' for my puppy, who, well, had a visit this week from Mother Nature, just so she could finally come back in the house. (I'll spare you the details on that and what would be just wrong as a picture)

It was also not me who ate a turkey sandwhich for breakfast, lunch, and dinner two days in a row.

It was also not me who forgot to take tons of pictures this week!

But, it was me, who was so grateful to have such a great Thanksgiving holiday with family I love so much!

And it was me who thanked God for the many blessings in my life!

We have so much to be thankful for this year!

Happy National Adoption Day!

2010-11-20T05:20:00.000-08:00

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What I Know

2010-11-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

Recently, I stumbled upon a blog written by a girl named Sylvia.

As I read it, I realized we had a few things in common...we were both born and adopted in 1982 from Eastern Social Welfare Society, and we both happen to have daughter's named Zoey! Even spelled the same way!

As I continued to read on, I realized she was in the middle of a very big life changing experience.

She had recently found her birth parents.

And some sisters, aunt, uncle and cousins, the list goes on.

Through the magic power of Facebook, and since I love connecting with other adoptees, I was able to find her and we emailed a few times back and forth.

Today, she will meet her birth parents. In the flesh. Face to face. Here on US soil.

I am so thrilled for her to have this opportunity.

While I know that not every adoptee wishes to or is able to meet their birth parents, or members of their birth family, I am one that would like to.

But I have come to realize that I may not get that chance in this lifetime.

My story is like many others, I was abandoned outside an all boy's orphanage at about a month old. I was found, and cared for for a few days before my parents took me home, as they were living in Korea at the time. (yes things were a little different back then!)

I lived in Korea for two more years with my family before moving to the US.

I wish I could use this rockin' passport photo on my current one!

I had not been back to Korea since then, before I traveled there in April of '09 to pick up Zoey.

I did visit with a post adoption specialist while in Korea, who was able to give me a few details that I didn't know, but for the most part, I knew everything she told me about my adoption.

I'll be completely honest.

I had always wished there would be some long lost letter that my birth mother had written and left in my file after tracking down the agency I had been adopted from.

Or her name and address so I could find her if I ever made it back to Korea to seek her out.

Maybe I could meet her while I was there, as if she had been waiting all these 27 years for me to return to Korea and call her up.

It would all play out like a movie...adoptee returns to Korea to adopt her daughter, then meets her birth mother...they meet, they keep in touch...sounds so simple, right?

Needless to say, that didn't happen. And clearly, it's just not that simple.

When I was 15, I wanted to search for her.

I even wrote a letter.

A letter that was still in my adoption file when I went to pull out documents for our homestudy.

Even reading it today, makes me tear up. The girl who wrote it sounds sad, almost desperate. She's trying to find something about her past. Not because she's unhappy with her present, but because there are unanswered questions that keep popping up.

I don't remember being that girl for long...and I don't remember the urgency with which I wrote that letter.

I don't who she is, why she gave me up, who dropped me off at that orphange, why they didn't bring me in, why they didn't identify themselves, where they are now, if they wonder about where I am, or if they wish to know.

A person could make themselves go crazy with the endless questions.

But as I sit here today and write this post, I find myself more at peace.

Until I went back to Korea, there was always the 'what if'. What if there was more information, what if someone in my birth family had left their information at the agency, what if I was able to find them, what if my birth parents were dead, what if, what if, what if.

Now, I have more answers.

I know there is no information on any of my birth family.

I know that it would be very, very difficult to track them down.

I know that I can be whole without finding them.

I know that I will never stop wondering about them.

I know that being abandoned does not define who I am.

I know that I may never be able to meet the person who gave birth to me.

I know that some days facing this reality will be harder than others.

I know that some days I will go without thinking about it at all.

I know that God has a plan for me and it may or may not include finding my birth mother.

I know that I can be okay with this.

I know that I can be happy for other adoptees who seek out their birth family and find them.

I know that I can relate to those who wish to find them and cannot.

I know that I can respect the other adoptees who do not wish to search.

But most of all, I know that I am right where I'm supposed to be.

With loving parents, amazing siblings, a wonderful husband, two gorgeous children, and a great extended family.

That, I know for sure.

Wordless Wednesday {No pictures!}

2010-11-17T17:34:00.000-08:00

Shiloh, NO!

2010-11-15T18:42:00.000-08:00

Remember this?!?!? She was just five weeks old here!

Well, now she's this! 10 months and quite the terror of a puppy, but oh so sweet!

You would think her name is Shiloh, NO! 'cause that's usually the word that follows her name... :0)

Lunch with Brother.

2010-11-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

Today we had lunch with brother at his school.

In case you didn't know, Zoey calls Braedan 'brother'!

It was pajama day at school after the holiday yesterday (good call!)
and things seemed pretty relaxed at school today.

Zoey showed her school spirit by rockin' her Wiederstein Elementary shirt
and her squishy face.

Now that I know how not a big deal it is to eat with your kindergartner
at lunch, we may do it more often!

(I admit, I was envisioning a nightmarishly loud room
sitting at a table with screaming kids that spewed food from their mouth
onto your food every time they tried talking to you!
But I was pleasantly surprised to see many other parents there
and we sat at our own little round table completely undisturbed
by the other students, except for the occasional hello from kids we know from church! The noise was indeed deafening, but it made my kindergartner's day!)

Honoring Veterans

2010-11-11T15:28:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken May 5, 1991 as we greeted my father who was fresh off the airplane from serving six months in Operation Desert Storm.

(How's that sweater working out for ya, Kim?)

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."-Elmer Davis

Thank you to all those brave men and women who have served and are currently serving, especially my father and grandfathers, as well as other extended family, our country.

My grandfather, Arthur Hughes Williams (1921-2000), served in World War II with the Navy.

My grandfather, Edward William Roland (1923-2004), also served in World War II with the Army/Air Force.

Proud to be the daughter and grandaughter of these three amazing men!

Monkey-ing Around!

2010-11-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

Look who decided to pose for some pictures today!

Cucumber Kimchi!

2010-11-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to try this for a while now after starting to make my own cabbage kimchi.

I no longer buy kimchi from our Korean market as I like my homemade version better, but have been wanting to try it with cucumber for a while now.

It's the same method as the cabbage, with just a few different steps...

First, I bought the pickling cucumbers at our local grocer today. A little more than I wanted to pay, but would have paid the difference in gas to get our Korean market, so it all worked out. I think these cucumbers are just firmer, seedless, and hold up a little better. If you don't want to pay the higher price or can't find Korean cucumbers (which are perfect for this) then you can try the hot house or English cucumber. I wouldnt' recommend just regular old cucumber as I think they will get mushy.

Now, with my cabbage kimchi, I soak it in salt water for a few hours before mixing it with the kimchi paste, but was worried that if I did that, the cucumbers would get mushy to start out, so I skipped that step, even though some recipes still recommend it.

I may try it next time...if you do want to do this step, just soak the cut up cucumbers in super salty water for a few hours...

So to prepare, just slice into two inch sections, then in four spears like the picture...

And onto the paste. Here are the three ingredients I get at my Korean market. The ginger, Korean chili flakes (unlike no other!) and the fish sauce. I'm sure you could use all "American" substitutes for these, but this is what I use.

Take a whole head of garlic and peel and put into food processor with about a Tablespoon of ginger, 1/4-1/2 cup of chili flakes, 1/4 cup of fish sauce and about a teaspoon of sugar and blend till it's a thick paste.

Use a large bowl or pan and mix all together.

Dump into a container that can be made airtight and so the cucumbers just fit.

Then pour a cup or two of water into the pan you mixed in and scrape all the goodies together and stir to make a sort of "paste" water. This will be your cucumber kimchi "brine".

Then pour over cucumbers and wah lah! Seal in an airtight container and leave out at room temperature in a cool dry place for up to 24 hours. Then refrigerate.

I plan to pour off a little of the liquid once the cucumbers have fermented a bit so that the kimchi paste will "stick" a little better to it and give it a little extra flavor.

I'm also thinking next time I will probably let it sit a bit in just the paste first before adding the liquid.

It's all an experiment with me!!

We're having Bi Bim Bop tonight for dinner, so I thought this would be a good side dish for it!

Or try it with some homemade yakimandu or jap chae!

If I had it my way, I'd make all of it and have a little buffet!!

Orphan Sunday

2010-11-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

What can we do to bring hope to those still waiting?

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

Wordless Wednesday {Hit the ground running}

2010-11-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to make it one less?

2010-11-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Several days ago, I came across a song somewhere (can't even remember how!) and just heard a few snipits of it...one less something or other. I saw that it was linked to a video about an adoption, so I googled the song and found that is was indeed called "One Less" by an artist named Matthew West. I listened to the song on youtube and was hooked. Well, really, I was in tears. And totally inspired.

I had recently discovered through a Holt email that November was National Adoption Month. I knew I needed to do something. So after some thought, I contacted my friends in the adoption world, who had already brought their children home, and decided to make a video advocating adoption.

Of course, One Less would be the theme song.

This is what Matthew West had to say about this inspirational song...

Defend the cause of the orphans…" Isaiah 1:17

I was inspired by the hundreds of stories from people who were so passionate about adoption. What a gift for a family to open up their arms and welcome in a child with no home! Every adoption story is truly the proof that God is involved in the details, even the smallest details. I wrote the first verse to show how at the same time, in two different parts of the world, God is hearing the cries of two hearts, and little do they know they are about to be joined together by a God who can orchestrate the impossible.

There are so many orphans in the world today, that the mission of giving them all a home to the human eye seems more like a mission impossible. But, as I read one story after another about a child finding a home, I found myself saying, "That's one less, one less, one less broken heart in the world tonight."

You may not be in a position to adopt an orphan in your life right now, but there are many ways to carry out the command of the bible to care for the orphans. Personally, I have a friend who is in the process of adopting a little girl from Russia and he and his family are in need of financial support to do so. Many friends and neighbors are helping support this family's effort financially so this little girl can have a home. Ask God to show you how to care for the orphans. Every time you help, that's one less…

So I reached out to thirty or so of my friends from the adoption world, and they did everything I ordered them to do and provided me a picture of their children and families brought together through adoption! I knew that anyone considering adoption had to see the faces of the children who had found their families, making one less orphan in the world.

My mind often wanders to that what ifs of my own life, in a way that keeps me humbled and most grateful for adoption.

For that reason, I will do everything I can to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves and spread the word about the miracle of adoption.

Let me be clear, that adoption has it's struggles. Financially and emotionally for all involved...but know that in the end, God has a clear cut plan for where each and every person's path meets.

It just so happened that mine met my parents and Zoey's ours.

I hope that you will watch the video and pass it along, unknowing of who it can inspire and ultimately lead to new adoption journeys.

And be sure to keep up with the blog I have set up that will feature a family a day that have been touched by adoption at http://nationaladoptionmonth.blogspot.com.

My goal is to reach 10,000 hits on this video in the month of November...so that 10,000 people can hear the message that we are not to forget about the children who are still without homes...but if only one person walks away from this with just an open heart, then I have met my goal.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

From Ironman and his Angel!!

{Sigh}

2010-10-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be nice to be a child again,

and only have to make decisions like

the color of your tootsie pop

or which park to play at?

And sit in swings built just for you...

just close your eyes and let your face feel the wind...

and rock two fabulous ponytails?

Have not a care in the world...

like the fact that your sportin' some lingering breakfast on your face.

Or laugh out loud for no reason

while knowing the sky is your limit...

{sigh}

to be two again.

Seven of the Eight Cutest Kids I Know!

2010-10-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

My parents have some pretty good lookin' grandkids!

Don't cha think?!?!

(We were just missin' Baby A, who's not feelin' car trips lately!
We know how that goes!!)

Danny is actually back there somewhere holding up Zoey!)

I just love these kids!!

Treadmill Table

2010-10-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad someone in our family uses the treadmill.

Makes me feel a whole lot better about having one.

Just plain Zoey?

2010-10-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

Adorable, right?

That's what I was thinking too...

But little do you know what was going on "behind the scenes" of this little "photo shoot" today.

I'm amazed I got any shots at all!

I'm telling you, this girl is stubborn. Stubborn and very independent.

Does what she wants, when she wants, and will let you know with avengence when it's not done when and where she wants it to be done!

These photos were taken on her terms (as most things are in her life) and she does not take direction. at. all.

The whole plan was to model this cutie patootie dress I made for her yesterday (which by the way is safety pinned and cinched with clothes pins in the back, because it's HUGE!), then venture across the street to a park to play.

But things did not go quite as planned and after several, I mean many, many, meltdowns and attempts to run into the middle of the street, we packed it in and went home.

Terrible two's or just plain Zoey?

I don't know, but I hope this phase is over very soon! (Please or please be a phase!)

It's a good thing she is so darn cute! My patience runs very thin recently.

So, is your two year old giving you a run for your money lately, or is it just me?!?!?!?

My Toof-less Boy

2010-10-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Braedan had a little dental procedure...

Which included the pulling of FOUR of his teeth!

FOUR!!

I knew that it was possible they would pull at least one, but imagine my surprise when the dentist came out and handed me four!

WARNING: Next picture shows the gnarley teeth, so beware!

They pulled the other of his top front tooth, his two bottom front teeth and the gnarliest looking molar I have seen!

Check this sucker out! Root and all!

The staff was fabulous though and he came out of anesthesia quite nicely (especially compared to the boy in the other room who screaming like a banchee and trying to rip his IV out! Yowsa!)
He was quite ready to get home and as always, there's nothing a little Happy Meal won't fix...he hadn't eaten since 10pm the night before and we didn't get home till 2:30pm.
He's quite the trooper.

So after lazing around on the couch the rest of the day, he got ready for bed by pulling out his tooth fairy pillow.

And counted them one by one...

that's right! The tooth fairy would have four to pick up tonight!

I've never seen anyone happier to lose four teeth!

He made sure to tuck it under his pillow nice and snug...

and wasn't sure if he could help from peaking if she came before he fell asleep.

Let's just say he discovered she had come at 1:30 in the morning and immediately ran into our room to tell us! It took him a while to calm down, go back to his room and fall asleep, but when he woke back up, he had not forgotten! This "toof-fairy" as he now pronounces it with a few less teeth, was quite generous and he has informed me that there needs to be a trip to Toys R Us as soon as I pick him up from school today!

He deserves it! He may have that window for quite some time!

Little Boys

2010-10-11T13:47:00.001-07:00

What is it about little boys and the outdoors?

You give them a chore

that involves a little water

maybe a little bubbles

and they put all their effort into it

to make that car spotless.

Maybe it had a little to do

with the pressure washer

you allow him to use when the chore is complete

that may or may not resemble a weapon that little boys just love to play with.

Maybe that had a little something to do with the enthusiasm.

This wasn't even our car. It was his nana's and he was helping his papa wash it.

All boy this one. Every single ounce of him.

Too good to be true...

2010-10-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

It's too good to be true that I got these shots of Zoey sitting perfectly still looking at the camera and even a few laugh out loud shots! I had no candy, no chair, no one particularly funny was there...so how did I get these shots?

While she was happily perched on daddy's shoulders! And when I needed her to smile, he tickled her! Worked out perfectly!! And will definitely be a method we use in the future!

I LOVE how they turned out! A perfect fall photo shoot!

Wordless Wednesday {Pretty Girl}

2010-10-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Tuesdays, I wanna love you...

2010-10-05T18:53:00.001-07:00

but I just can't. Sorry.

Tuesday is what I like to call my "this is what it would be like if you were a single mom" day. I honestly don't know how you single moms do it.

Tuesdays are the day that my husband is at school all day. He hates Tuesdays too. He leaves here before 8am, then doesn't get home till after the kids are in bed, usually, 8:30ish.

That means that the usual 5:30pm break I count on, no, live for, doesn't come! Even if he just takes them out to jump on the trampoline while I finish making dinner, it is a much needed break to keep this mama sane!

So what usually ends up happening is that I get frustrated, the kids gets hungry, they get bored, I start something, they interrupt, so I get mad, do a little scolding, then there's some crying, you know the drill.

Stay with me, there is a good message here somewhere...

Today, I was determined to make Tuesday "if you were a single mom, you could totally do this" day.

So, after a very long day with my early rising, short napped and grumpy two year old, we picked her brother up from school and headed home. They watched a little TV, colored, played with ink and stamps, jumped on the trampoline, ate dinner, then we went for a walk, came home, bathed/showered, read books, brushed teeth, said prayers, then went to bed.

After not having time to eat lunch, I finally ate dinner at 8:30 as my husband was walking in the door. It was the first time I had sat down all day.

I know most moms (and dads too!) go through this same routine, or worse, every single day. I certainly know I am not the only one with a busy life and two kids in tow.

But on this Tuesday, I am grateful. Grateful, yes, that it's over!

But also grateful for what I have. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and two of the most amazing kids in the world.

And even though it's easy to say that, sometimes I have to remind myself.

Especially when the word "mama" has been used 100 times in a row by two very persistent kids who don't understand that when a phone is pressed to my ear, it means I'm talking to someone!

Then my mind wanders...and I think of all the children in the world with no homes, no parents, no family, nothing to call their own. No food, no clothing, no shelter, no one to watch after them or keep them safe. It's heartbreaking.

So the truth is, yes, I hate Tuesdays.

But somehow, today, I've managed to be grateful for them too.

I really am one lucky mama and would happily make every day a Tuesday if I had to, in order to have these three most precious people in my life, with a roof over our heads, food on the table, toy bins overflowing, warm beds and enough love for eternity.

Thank you God for allowing me to be their mother and wife.

(And by the way, as amazing as I think this picture turned out, it was THE only one I could use because a certain little someone with a determination to outsmart me, because she didn't want to take pictures, strategically placed her tiny hand on her brother's, well, her brother's tooshie in every single shot! No wonder she stood still so long for these and giggled, now I know what she was doing. That is so Zoey.)

A boy and his Dog.

2010-10-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

Hoping this fluffy guy, actually named 'Dog', hangs on a little while longer as it doesn't look like someone is quite ready to give him up!

Who knew a missing tooth could be so cute!
And apparently, with the right color shirt and good lighting, his eyes are blue!

One Little Monkey Jumpin' on the Bed.

2010-09-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Don't worry
she did NOT fall off
and break her head!

The dress, the hat, the flower, the hair, the garden...

2010-09-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

It all just makes

for some beautiful pictures

of my beautiful little girl!

Can you tell my new camera arrived

and I have been

LOVE, LOVE, LOVING it??!?!?

The Many Faces of My Adorable Boy.

2010-09-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

Last Swim?

2010-09-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

We're thinking today might well have been our last dip in the pool this season! (Not including our polar bear swims at Thanksgiving and Christmas of course!)

Yes, down here in the south, you can still swim in September!

So I thought I'd take some "last swim for the summer" pictures!

I also thought it was a good chance to mess around with Lightroom, the photo editing software, that I'll need when my brand new camera arrives next week!! VERY excited about that! :0)

And these photos just prove how crazy Texas weather can be! As I'm typing this, the temperature outside has dropped a good 15 degrees and it is now pouring down rain! Good thing we jumped in when we did!

Giving Back

2010-09-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

A while back I wrote a book review on a book that made a huge impact on me. I soon read the follow up book to that one, that once again, became so impactful.

For a while now, I have been thinking about what more I could be doing to help.

I Wish for You A Beautiful Life and Dreaming A World are two books that I highly recommend to every adoptive parent and adoptee from South Korea. We should read about what some of these birth mothers go through. For me, it changed the way I thought about their decisions. Additionally, the proceeds from the sale of these books, is donated directly to Ae Ran Won.

From what little I know about my own history, it is possible that a home like this could have helped my own birth mother in her situation.

I feel in many ways as though it is my calling, my duty, my honor, to help facilities like that of Ae Ran Won, an unwed mother's home in Seoul that provides services to woman who either choose adoption for their child, or to keep them and raise them as single mothers, something that is a long way away from being accepted in the Korean culture.

Not too long ago, I recieved this response from the director of Ae Ran Won after inquiring about what I could do to help.

Dear Kimberly, My Kyung:

Thank you for reading 2 books, I wish for you a beautiful life and Dreaming a world.

Aeranwon has supported the mothers to get their self-reliance for keeping their chidren. According to last year's statistics, 82% of the mothers chose raising babies instead of giving babies up for adoption. So Aeranwon needs funding.

Fund raising for the unwed mothers and their children in Korean society is very difficult because of a lot of prejudice and discrimination toward them.
If you help raise funds for them it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much.

Sincerely,
Sang Soon Han
Director of Ae Ran Won

Because I am not independently weathly, nor have unlimited funds to give, I have decided to do anything I can to help raise funds to give to Ae Ran Won.

To put into perspective what the money is used for:
• $300–500 can support one mother’s schooling or vocational training for a month.
• $100 (less than $3 a day) can feed a baby for a month.
• $50 (less than $1.67 a day) can buy baby supplies for a month.
• $30 (less than $1 a day) can buy a textbook for a mother’s education.

A portion of the proceeds from every sale in my Etsy Store goes directly to Ae Ran Won to use however they choose. But now through the end of October, for every hat sale in my store, I will personally make an additional hat that will be donated to Ae Ran Won.

Many of the birth mothers who come to Ae Ran Won for help, leave everything behind, including their families and jobs and possesions. My hope is for these birth mothers to have something to be able to put on their babies at birth. And whether they ultimately decide to go on and raise their own child, or choose adoption, it will hopefully be a keepsake to remember their time at Ae Ran Won.

The hat style that I will be making is currently out being photographed, but I will post a picture of these adorable newborn hats as soon as I have one! I appreciate you taking the time to read this post, and hope that you will help me spread the word. I would love to send at least 30 hats and hope to have them completed to send by the end of the year.

I wish there was more that I could do personally, but for now, this is my way of giving back.

Who are these lookers?!?!

2010-09-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

I have been working like a dog lately getting my Etsy store back up and running, which, by the way, re-opens tomorrow, so go check it out!!

But I've also been putting my poor cousin and his family to work too...but for good reason! Because he takes incredible photos like the ones below!

Here my kids are modeling a few of the items for the store taken by Brennon Hall. Aren't they just incredible?!?!

And they seem to capture my kid's personalities too...I think you'll be able to tell which ones. :0)

A huge, huge, huge public thank you to Brennon, K and Baby F, who are the epitomy of loving family! You guys rock!

Coloring Is Hard Work

2010-09-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

Especially for this little two year old...

who even had to stop and take a little break...

but it puts this smile on her face, so she keeps carrying right along!