Is this what I signed up for?

Ok - so I thought I was busy when it was both Craig AND I caring to Emmett. I had no idea what being a full-time Mom was like. Shout out to all stay-at-home parents - you folks have a tough job!

I have survived 3 full days at home alone with Emmett. He is such a good kid, I couldn't ask for a sweeter disposition! No temper tatrums (well at least not yet). A few tears for nap time, and a few ahn-nee-yo (no) moments, but all in all, we've done well.

I think the most amazing part of this time in Emmett and my life is watching how he and I are becoming more and more fond of each other. I've always felt an affection for Emmett. But don't be fooled by my glowing reports of the angel we've adopted! I did not fall madly in love with Emmett the moment (or weeks after) we met. This has been such an adjustment for all of us - and despite my claims at being a change junkie - this change has not be easy. I'm discovering I like change which I can control. (no control freak comments please! =))

I remember when we brought Moby (the dog) home from the breeder. The first three weeks we seriously thought we'd go mad. We said over and over "what have we done?". Now, I'm not comparing my son to a dog, although my dog is much like a child! I am comparing the experiences. In both cases we were dealing with the needs of a living breathing thing, which required (not just needed) our attention and affection. I think there are certain changes that can not be prepared for.

However, despite all the uncontrollable change that my little Korean jumping bean has introduced into our lives - I am beginning to love the change coming over me. Last night as I sat in the ER with Emmett sleeping on my lap, having arrived after a major dog vs child collision which caused lots of crying and eventually vomiting, I realized that I wanted nothing more than to protect him from the next poke of a nurse or Dr. I wanted to feel sure that he was ok. Which he was - we're still learning his reactions - and apparently he is a vomitter when he cries really really heavily. I wanted to pick him up (all 34 limp pounds) and tuck him back into his bed with his stuffed doggie under his arm and watch his little chest rise and fall in relaxed sleep. I didn't even mind waking up at 4am to wake him up and make sure he was alright (Doc's orders, I'm not a nut who just randomly wakes sleeping children!). And everyone knows how much I enjoy my sleep!

So for you sports fans - the score is:
In the Dog Vs Child match: Dog 1 Emmett 0
In the New Mom vs Child match: Emmett is leading with a perfect vomit on Omma shot! (it wasn't that much)

Like I said - I survived.

All by myself

Tomorrow, I parent all by myself. Craig returns to work. I stay home. Again, I think - Holy Cow, what have I done??

Not that I want to return to work anytime soon (sorry guys!). It's the prospect of 10+ hours of parenting all by myself that frightens me. All my experienced parent friends tell me that my feelings of apprehension are normal, considering I've jumped into the toddler parenting sea with no life jacket and the responsibility of a lifetime like an anchor tied to my leg. (So, maybe I'm being a little dramatic, just go with me). I remind myself that I've learned how to do laundry, prepare a meal, blow someone else's nose, and keep the dog from eating the kleenex all at the same time. Just like Emmett can now confidently say "apple".

Tonight as my little guy fell asleep in his big boy bed, his little face all relaxed and content, I had to thank God for the gift that he's given me in Emmett. Reality continues to confirm my belief that Emmett was chosen to be our son by God. Not randomly by a committee at Holt, not by group of people here on earth, but almost 3 years ago, when Emmett's birth mother was feeling the pains of labor, God decided that Emmett would become our son.

I think back to what I was doing in October of 2003. We had just moved into this house a few months earlier. We hadn't really given adoption much more thought than "One day, let's adopt". Meanwhile thousands of miles away Emmett's birth mother was giving life to my son. Later she would make one of the hardest (if not the hardest) decision of her life. To wish for her son a better life than she could provide. I don't know that I would be so brave as her.

I pray for her when I lie on the floor in Emmett's room while he falls asleep. I pray that God would give her peace that Emmett is safe and loved. That he's happy here and is being spoiled by everyone he meets. I pray that despite the circumstances that have brought both of us to be this little boy's mother, that she might feel God's plan in it. And rest assured that what He has begun, He will bring to completion.

Where ever you are this Monday in Korea, birth mother, know that your son is loved. By his adoptive parents, his adoptive community, and most importantly - by his Creator.

Sorry to turn so heavy tonight - guess all of that is what I needed to get out of my head.

v1.?

It's strange the things you think about as you're trying to fall asleep. In my mind I remembered seeing a set of T-shirts while shopping several weeks ago. They were meant as a father/son matching kind of thing. The Dad's said "v1.0" and the son's said "v2.0". For some reason, that struck me today, just how meaningful that analogy is.

As I struggle to relinquish the joys of couplehood, and embrace the joys of motherhood, I remind myself that this is a new phase in both my & Emmett's lives. That's what made me think of the T-shirts. I know that the T-shirts are a joke (I honestly don't take everything this literally, really!). But I think they should be more specific. If a child is 2.0, then how can the parent still be 1.0? How many 'upgrades' have we undergone over our lifetimes?

I think honestly you can categorize a few stages of life into software upgrades and patches (can you tell I'm really a PC gal?).

v1.0 - Infancy:
-Basic functionality includes (but is not limited to); eating, sleeping, crawling, rolling, messing diapers, crying, smiling, and cooing.
-Known problems: Sleep program requires frequent midnight maintenance. Possible patch will be included in next upgrade.
-Next scheduled upgrade = Childhood approach 12 mos from v1.0.

v1.1 - Childhood:
Basic functionality includes (but is not limited to); builds upon v1.0 functionality, adds new tricks and games such as; walking, running, talking, playing coordinated games.
- Known problems: whinnying virus has been known to corrupt Talking program. Tantrum virus has been known to completely shut down system. Attempt to reboot if this occurs.
- Patches included: Sleep program has improved so that maintenance can be performed mid-day instead of during nighttime. Also, diaper operating system can be phased out with the use of the potty training application. Beware that installing the potty training application may take time, and frequent malfunctions are to be expected while the application is being loaded.
-Next scheduled upgrade = Student approach 4 to 5 years following installation of Childhood.

v1.2 - Student:
-Basic functionality includes (but is not limited to); riding bus, homework, reading, writing, math skills, comprehension, social studies, science, organized sports, musical lessons. Later versions of the Student upgrade include, late night studying, essay tests, and paper writing.
-Known problems: The following viruses are known to attack this upgrade; High Phone Bill virus which can cause headaches to user, Constant fundraising virus which can also cause headaches to user, Boyfriend and Girlfriend worms may be harmful to all other applications - these worms should be watched closely.
Patches included: Sleep program no longer needs maintenance. Potty training application is no longer necessary.
- FOR YOUR INFORMATION - the program College is sold separately.
Next scheduled upgrade = Adult approach 16 years following installation of Student. Be forewarned that Adult upgrade will not automatically run.

v1.3 - Adult:
-Basic functionality includes (but is not limited to); maintaining steady job, moving out of home, search for significant other, and paying bills.
-Known problems: Viruses known to attack are Debt, Over zealous partying, Job Hopping, and Forget Rent all of which may cause operating system to revert back to v1.2 without the many of the v1.2 programs functioning properly.
- Patches included: All known problems from v1.2 have been corrected.
Next scheduled upgrade = Retiree


v1.4 - Spouse: (this upgrade is optional)
- Basic functionality includes (but is not limited to); sharing everything, companionship, friendship, affection, and love
-Known problems: Anger and Fighting are both viruses which can be harmful to Spouse.
Next scheduled upgrade = Retiree

v1.5 - Parent: (this upgrade is optional) primary function of v1.5 is to facilitate the running of v2.0.
- Basic functionality includes (but is not limited to); Multi-tasking, Car Sounds, Kid songs, sesame Street, Toy Assembly, First Aid Administrator,
-Known problems: Problems with v1.1 & 1.2's can cause Sleep program to be interrupted, can also cause Elmo Overload virus to shut down Rational Thought program.

v1.6 - Retiree:
- Basic functionality includes (but is not limited to); Senior Discount Hunt, Slow driving, Mid-day Napping, Dinner at 2PM, Spoiling Little Children, Grandparent.
- Known problems: Sleep program requires maintenance every few hours, Eating program requires Teeth maintenance to be running in order to function properly, Boredom virus can cause problems if left unchecked.

With every new generation, we are on a new release.

So with these six versions, I think I can safely say I'm installing at least v1.5 While Emmett is on v2.1, but I guess that's all hard to explain on a T-shirt. Oh well!

Eureka!

Eureka... Eureka! When you find the thing you seeka, Eureka. This is a line from one of Emmett's favorite songs. It's from the Backyardigans cartoon soundtrack. And you should hear him spontaneously start singing in fairly clear English "Eureka!". Not that he understands what it means. But it's so darn cute!

I have decided that the language barrier is not going to stop me from my usual Irish gabbiness! I've started to just talk and talk and talk to Emmett. Telling him what I'm doing, where we're going, who will be there, etc. He nods his head and says "neh" (yes) and doesn't understand a thing. I could be telling him that we're going to the moon, and we'll be there for 5 years, and he's going to stay with aliens. He'd just nod his little head. Today he learned how we make dinner. First we have to preheat the oven, then measure the milk, etc. He was very interested!

Today we had Emmett's first Dr appointment. He did a great job despite being pretty scared. He sat on Omma's lap while he was examined, and only had a few tears roll down his chubby cheeks. Breaks my heart! I started singing another song to him (since music does such wonders for his mood) - the song says, "everything will be alright, be alright, day or nighttime" (K & J, you may recognize it from the Land of Nod CD). He chimed right in like a trooper! That's my little man!


That's about all for now.

How do you say exhaustion in Korean?

4 days home, 4 days done. I can't believe how much energy this little man has! I've taken to calling him my Korean jumping bean. When he's happy or excited he jumps in place up and down about a dozen times, then collapses on the floor. We have had a good deal of fun, and I think he is starting to get used to the routine of our life. Well, maybe routine is a little more than I can give myself credit for.

We've been to a playground, where Emmett was engaged in a short lived but fearsome tag game. Although he doesn't understand what tag is, nor that he was tagged, he gave chase without hesitation and figured out that he was supposed to catch someone. Funny how child are the best ambassadors! Language barrier - who cares!, I'll lay a hand on you and say "You're it", and run away, you'll figure it out!

We also embarked on a 2.3 mile hike in the forest yesterday. Before you start thinking that both of us are totally nuts (which in reality we are), I expressed my doubt that he'd make it through a 2.3 mile hike. He did a great job, and actually walked maybe 1.75 of the 2.3 miles. The rest of the time we carried him, which made for great bonding! During this hike we discovered Emmett's true love of singing and music. He was looking kind of bored, so I began singing one a children's song from a CD. He picked right in, and sang along (albeit without really using the words). He was consistently in time with our steps, even when we weren't singing and he was just humming to himself. Future percussionist maybe? Bro J, we'll need to have him watch some DCI - get him in early!

Bedtime continues to be tough. So much has changed as far as this routine. We read him stories in English, pray with him in English, then lay him in a bed and expect him to sleep. All very foreign (no pun intended) things. He's still grieving, and that is to be expected. To be quite honest, we're all grieving something. Craig and I are grieving our sleep in late mornings, our run out whenever we want to days, and the ability to just sit and think or read. But in comparison, so much is still the same for us. Emmett on the other hand has lost almost everything familiar. The land looks different, the people look different, everything smells different, everyone sounds different, and even though Omma bought kimchi and has made burgogi, it's just not the same, I'm sure. I have to remind myself that everything is so different for him.

Church today was great for all of us. Emmett was immediately accepted, loved and played with by all the kids. He's only a 7 mos younger than the youngest kid, so he's in pretty good company. He played all day, we even got to stay and watch the football game (GO BEARS!). He was so tired tonight that he could barely cry before bedtime. He just dropped off to sleep in no time at all. Poor kid plays so hard, he gives his all to playing. I think he'd been in his car seat about 5 mins before falling to sleep!

Speaking of sleep - I'd better get some. What was it I was saying about exhaustion? Don't hold the hour of this post against me.

Pictoral Diary: Part 1

Below are a few extra pictures I've been meaning to post. I'll post the rest in a future blog, but for now, this is what's uploaded. I've been having serious uploading problems, so bare with me. =) FYI - go to the bottom and scroll up - it will probably make more sense.

This boy is the apprentice, he did a number of tight rope acts, including walking like a nobleman (high kicking walk), and walking like a woman (all hips). He was really very good, and occasionally had the whole crowd fretting that he'd fall.
These girls are jumping on a seesaw (kids, don't try this at your local playground!). They would fly in the air and do tricks, even backflips. It is apparently great exercise. This was strictly a woman's exercise, and as the folk legend would have it, if a girl didn't do this enough she wouldn't be able to have babies. Interesting, huh?
Not sure the name of these flowers, but they are crushed and made into a kind of dye for fingernails. If only I could get a manicure from my garden here in the states. (of course that would require me getting some type of green living plant to survive!)
Tanya, this picture is for you. This is a Korean dog. There is a specific breed of dog native to Korea. They're known for their loyalty - in that the saying goes that "they are a dog of one owner".
This is a monument to a family. If a particular family did something really amazing, the village would make a monument to it. (Hopefully, I got that right Sunny!).
Entrance to the Traditional Korean Folk Village. It's a distance from Seoul (about a 45 - 50 mins from Sejong by bus), but well worth the trip!
Seoul Tower. This shot is from the street behind the hotel. You can just look up there and see the tower!
Kimchi or Soy sauce pots! These were outside the tea house where we enjoyed the best tea! This little gem of a place is in the Insadong market. It's down a little alley across from a famous Man Doo shop. Sorry I can't be more specific for those who will be traveling - but, I'd definitely check it out if your in Seoul. Even I liked the tea (and I'm not a tea person). Thanks Mike & Sunny!
Our kind, amazingly generous, wonderfully knowledgeable, and darn good looking friends who so graciously showed us around Seoul. Thank you Thank you Thank you and Camsam nee da!

Ah - Home!

Sorry for the absence! As you can imagine since Wednesday, we've been kind of busy. We are home now, and I sit in my comfy bed and type while trying to stay awake at least until 9pm. Boy, I just hate jet lag!

Wednesday was probably one of the most difficult days I've experienced. I thought I was nervous on Monday, but that was nothing in comparison to the nerves that overtook me on Wednesday. Foster Mother & Father were both at Holt when we arrived to bring Emmett home. Emmett has certainly made an impression on everyone at Holt, practically the entire place was tearing up at his leaving. Foster mother hugged me, openly weeping and said - "Please take good care of him". A charge I don't take lightly. She has loved him completely and without reserve, and I can only hope to live up to that standard.

Wednesday night, back at the hotel, was overwhelming. As we tried to pack up a few things in preparation for our early departure the following day, Emmett grabed his shoes and said many things in Korean that we just didn't understand. From his reaction and persistance, I gather he thought he was going back to Foster Mom's house. When we finally put him into his PJs for the night, it hit him that he wasn't going back to Foster Mother's - at least not tonight. He cried for about an hour & a half. Not a hysterical cry, but a soft weep, which broke Craig and my hearts completely. We held him, sang to him, rocked him, and finally he fell asleep firmly planted between us in the bed.

Today has been an excerise in patience, endurance, and steadfastness. I think these will become my mommy mottos! P-E-S (yes, I've been at Hewitt too long that I now have to make an acronymn out of everything). The check in and security lines in Seoul were brutal to say the least. It's tough for any 2 almost 3 yr old to stand patiently in line - heck, it's hard from some adults. It's even harder when you're parents only understand about 10 words you say. Ah-neeyo (No) became my most practiced Korean word. All in all, Emmett did a great job throughout the day. He slept about 4 hours during the flight, which is more than Umma and Appa have had in two or three nights! He has begun testing his boundaries already (ah - 3yr olds), which has been frustrating. But boredom seems to be his worst enemy, so we'll have to watch out for that. Our arrival in Chicago was celebrated with family only, and it seemed that Emmett was not too overwhelmed by all of the people. He's generally a social little guy, so maybe people don't overwhelm him as much.

Moby (the dog) made quite an impression when we got home. To the extent that Emmett was afraid of him completely, and I mean paralyzed with fear, for the first few hours. He is slowly starting to warm up to Moby, now that Moby has calmed down from the initial excitement. Hopefully this will be a short lived thing - as neither are likely to be leaving the home any time soon. We will be praying for Emmett's fear to subside.

Our biggest stumbling block by far is the language barrier. You can tell it frustrates Emmett, and Lord knows that it frustrates Craig and I. I lost count of the number of times he said something to me with his sweet little "huh?" at the end, which is my que to respond - and I had to say "I don't know". I think those will be his first English words "I don't know".

Now, we have to sleep. It's only 8:34, but I think I've come close enough to my goal. Glad to be back on U.S. soil.

Ah what a day!

We were offered a second meeting with Emmett and his Foster Mom today. We went to the Seoul building 63 which is like the Shedd Aquariaum, Navy Pier IMax theater and Sear's tower all rolled into one. Having the opportunity to spend another day with Emmett before offically becoming his parents is such a great surprise and blessing! We had no translator - Foster Mom speaks just about as much English as we do Korean so it made for interesting communication! However we managed just the same.

We are continually thankful for Emmett's Foster Mom! We can see how much she loves him, and how difficult this parting will be for her. But through her grief, she continually encourages Emmett to interact with us, hold our hands, etc. God has certainly answered our prayers regarding Emmett's preparedness for the coming event. Although I'm sure that he is going to grieve, his little heart broken over leaving his Foster family and his country. I know that Foster Mom has worked hard to prepare him as best she can, without withholding any affection, care and love from him.

In addition to our few hours with Emmett and Foster Mom, we revisited Namdemun (South Gate) market. Even Craig went shopping! (I know - shock & awe!)There are so many additional packages between the four of us that we had to buy another suitcase to carry them all home! Oh heavens, what have we done?!?

To cap off this wonderful day, we had dinner again with Michael and Sunny (M&S from a previous post) our friends here in Seoul. What absolute blessings they are to us! We will be forever indebted to them for their kindness. There is nothing they haven't done for us - and we would have been truly lost here without them. I'm sad to know we won't see them again for several months. They've become like a brother and sister to Craig and me, and we've so enjoyed getting to know them, and the beautiful country they live in.

As I look to tomorrow, and our impedding insta-parenthood, I have to give pause. I am becoming a parent tomorrow. I am becoming responsible for the well-being of another person. It is strange to think that this little guy has so totally stolen my heart. His little hand in mine today made me feel so special to be becoming his Meegoo Omma (American Mom). There is no doubt in my mind that God has choosen this child to be ours. Despite major language barriers, cultural differences and 14hr flights - God has planned tomorrow, this past week, and all weeks to come. I can rest in that assurance.

Whatever you bind on earth

Matthew 18:18 - Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will shall have been loosed in heaven.

This is Emmett's verse, as was given to us, written in Hankul (Korean) by Nurse Lee. Today I met my son.
My stomach is still lodged somewhere in my throat, my heart is still beating a bit faster even though we left Holt over 2 hours ago. We met Emmett as we entered the Holt building. We were 15 minutes early thanks entirely to our guides' excellent instructions, yesterday, on Seoul's subway system. Thanks M & S! Emmett, was playing in the nursery when another foster mother recognized us and brought him and foster mother out to us. He bowed very low in polite Korean fashion and won our hearts there and then. He was a bit shy until we produced the Mini Cooper toy car, then he was all about the toy cars!



He is such a wonderfully relaxed little boy! He was very quiet and reserved. Laid back would be the best description of him. He loved the cars, and played crash with Craig and Grandpa while Umma (that's Mom in Korean - meaning me) asked our translator/social worker here all her many questions. The foster mother is so gracious and amazing! She kept a diary of every day with Emmett - and has given it to us. She also provided a photo album of his time with her. We are so very very blessed! Tomorrow we go to the aquarium with foster mom & Emmett. This will be just Craig and me on this little trip. We are so very excited for this second opportunity to spend time with them.



More than ever I have felt God's peace, His soveriegnty in this whole process. God has heard all our prayers and has prepared Emmett and us for this meeting. To God be the glory! Most assuredly! Amen!

To Maia

Maia, Uncle Craig says hello! I wanted to post something directly to you. Do not worry, Uncle Craig did make the trip. See here he is in the alley or street behind our hotel. We were looking for some breakfast this morning!


Today we went to the Korean Folk Village. Here we saw traditional Korean life as it was a century ago. We saw the most interesting dancers perform a traditional dance. This dance was to the sound of drums and cymbals. It was very cool to watch. Do you see the ribbons in the air? They are attached to the hats which the dancers wear. They move their head to make the ribbons fly through the air. It is a very pretty sight.

Also, you asked if there are any girls who look like you here in South Korea. You are Chinese and Emmett is Korean. However you are both from the continent of Asia, so you are Asian. Because you are both Asian, you look alike. Here is a Korean girl who reminded me of you today.


It is very late here in Korea, so I am going to go to sleep now. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday. Please greet everyone at church for Uncle Craig and me. Tell them we say hello, or ahnoung ha say oh. Have a good day, Maia.

Kayobo Bookstore

Children reading in store. Why don't we see this as much in the States? Look at the these kids just finding a spot on the floor to read together. Really cool, huh?


Jennette with Korean Folk tales book (in both Korean and English)




Hallway in Kayobo

A Sea of Humanity

I remember my short time in Tokyo. A lasting impression was the masses of people. Large numbers of people, of all ages, packing the streets. Today we experienced the same sea of people, only this time, Korean. After spending the day shopping and exploring the many galleries of Seoul, we walked back to our hotel under the sure guidance of our friends. Our route back took us through Myeong-dong market, which is only a few blocks from our hotel. It was packed on this rainy Saturday afternoon. Packed with teenaged kids, cell phones in hand, IPod earphones in use - walking in sure determination to the fashion hot-spot of choice.

I became keenly aware that under different circumstances, Emmett might have grown up to be one of those teenagers. As we ate a traditional Korean meal of MonDou (sp?) I wondered if he enjoyed this dish? The longer I stay here in Korea, the more I am aware that I am being given one of her treasures.

On a lighter note:
Today's adventures included Namdemun (South Gate) Market, where we found a very nice Hanbok for Emmett, a small wooden lantern, and a set of traditional Korean fans. Our guide, M, took us through a simply beautiful flower market where the fragrance of fresh flowers was almost overpowering. We then moved on to Kayobo bookstore. This bookstore puts Barnes & Noble or Borders to shame! I have never seen so many books! See below for pictures. We moved on from Kayobo to Insadong market. Here we explored a few art galleries, ate lunch and went to our friend's favorite tea house. After Insadong we trekked back to the hotel, where we mostly rested after fighting up-stream through Meyong-dong market.

I'm going to download some of these pictures - and then sleep! I haven't struggled too much with jetlag yet. We'll see if my luck continues.

Enjoy your Sunday morning!

Greetings from Seoul

Or should I say Good Morning!? We have arrived safely and are all settled into our hotel. I thought I was prepared for complete exhaustion from my last international trip! HA! 16+ hours of constant travel are tiring, let me tell you!

I highly recommend Korean Air for anyone traveling here. Our flight was very enjoyable, if not incredibly long. Entertainment in the back of the seat rest in front of you, including video games. I now am quite good at MineSweeper! Despite some rocky spots of turbulence, we had no trouble at all. I can only hope for such a smooth ride on the way back home. Although, I must admit I kept thinking- if I'm sick of being on this tin can in the sky - what is my 2+ yr old son gonna be feeling!

Today we shop and site see! A family friend (American) who lives here in Seoul has volunteered to play tour guide for the weekend. A very sweet and gracious sacrifice of his time, and we're very excited to be shown all the sites by such a giving person.

Craig and I have lost track of the number of times we've said "I can't believe we're here!" A year and some of waiting for this very moment, and here we are - in the birth place of our son. A very strange feeling of calm is with me, and that I can thank the Lord for. So here we go to enjoy our Seoul adventure!

Happy Friday to everyone back home!

And we're OFF!

Our flight is scheduled, the hotel booked, our bags are packed (well mostly), and the house cleaned. I think I can safely say we're ready to go! Of course tomorrow, in the panic of security check-ins and passport inspections, I will remember that I forgot to _____ (fill in blank) or left ______ unfinished. I just hope those things won't be my passport or plane tickets!

Want to say thank you to everyone who has expressed such care and excitement for us in our journey. It warms our hearts that we are so loved. And it is very encouraging that Emmett will come home to so many people who care for him already. Just as we do.

So without further ado... We're off!

Next post will be coming to you 13 hours in advance from Seoul!

How do you spell SHOCK?

Holy cow! Holy cow! I can't believe it - this can't be happening. These were the thoughts running through my head when we got our travel call to pick up our son, Emmett, in South Korea.

You see, we were told it would take 20 - 40 days for this call. Seven (7) days later, today, I received the news. For 1 year we've been praying for this call, and now it is here. Along with immense joy, came the realization - the sudden impact of reality, that I will be a mother. A mom, to a 2 year old boy who knows nothing about me except a picture we sent a month ago. I wonder what his little head is thinking. He doesn't know me - nor Craig. And yet he needs to put his complete and total trust in us. He needs to trust that we'll take care of him, love him, giggle and play with him. And we have vowed that we will care for him, love him, giggle and play with him! But, what a shock this all must be for our little guy.

I can only pray that God is preparing his little heart for what is to come. I pray that God be preparing my heart for what is to come, for this roller coaster in front of me. Huh, roller coaster... I remember my first roller coaster ride. I begged my Dad (who doesn't like roller coasters) to come with me. He asked why I choose him to go when Mom was the one who liked roller coasters. I told him he had bigger arms to catch me if I fell out! I'm looking for that now, God. You're big arms to catch me if I fall out!

That's all the time I've got for now. Keep checking back as we travel to Korea, I'll be posting the latest and greatest as we learn it. We'll go for the ride together (well, kinda). =)