15 years

Of my sweet middle son.....well, in a couple of days.  He's growing up well and most days we're pretty proud of him.  :)

Happy birthday my sweet boy.

Guess I'm behind again!

I really have been SO busy.  There are very few hours in a week that we're home without something that needs done or we're not home at all.  I dread football AND volleyball.  Gymnastics and volleyball have been hard enough...plus weight lifting mornings and track afternoons.  Still less running than we'll have in the fall.  But, the kids can only be young once!

Easter....

And tonight, Chelsi's class did their Spring program to Disney.  They all could either wear dress clothes or Disney costumes.  We still had Pocahontas sitting around.  We got tons of compliments!
She is pretty great.

Christmas 2014

They all had a good Christmas.  Jaemin got a little more out of sorts as the days went on, but I think it was just too much stimulation for his system.  It was definitely not like him.  Today will be a settling day for him for sure.  The kids got pretty much everything on their lists, plus some since most of the kids ask for very little.  Cole got the stuff for his truck, or some of it, that he wanted.  Chase has pretty much gotten a full camo outfit for hunting; from head to toe.  Kaelin got her volleyball shoes, but we do have to take them back since they were too small and her volleyball and some other small items.  Chelsi got a tablet; which she didn't ask for because she said it was too much.  Lucky her  momma is a really thrifty shopper and got one for hardly anything.  She also got Frozen dolls which she didn't ask for was really excited to see Anna and Elsa as every other little girl was over the week.  Jaemin got a ninja turtle doll to sleep with and a tablet which he really wanted....same as Chelsi's.

Brian and I had already spent the money we got from grandma and my dad on a toolbox for him (which he really needed) a splurge of shoes I would never have bought myself and a tv because the one in the bedroom was so small I was starting to have trouble reading the menu.  Yes, I'm getting old.

The food was awesome, everywhere we went, as usual.  That's my favorite part.  Sitting around, talking to family, laughing and snacking on some great food!

  

Halloween 2014!

It was pretty cool on Halloween, but awesome since it was a Friday!  Chase had a football game, so that's where Brian went and Cole hung out with friends....actually, I came home to him and a couple of them hanging out watching movies.  My boss had mentioned he gave out full-sized candy bars.  When I realized he lived in our town, I told them kids we would go there as well.  We drove around for 2 hours....well part of that was stopping at their grandparents and walking the neighborhood.  We went down a street that K has always wanted to since there are about 30 houses.  We ended up with 3 oversized bowls of candy.  It was a LOT of candy.  Jaemin was tired of doing it just a few houses in and after doing the trunk or treat.  By the time we got to the big neighborhood and he was able to just run in the yards from house-to-house he was ready for more.  He was really, really getting into it about the time we were done.  His poor little nose was red and a little snotty from the cool weather.  y the way, the picture below is of them and K is a zombie football player.  She wasn't going to dress up, but then we told her if she wanted to, she could and since Chase's practice uniform was home she grabbed it.  She was going to dress up like Chase, but we couldn't find his beloved Bass Pro hat.  Likely he had it with him at school.  So, yeah the look she's giving in the picture is a zombie.  My little Pocahontas, zombie football player and teenage mutant ninja turtles.

Happy Birthdayssssss!

2 birthdays in two days.  Today was Jaemin's 6th and tomorrow is Chelsi's 9th.  With football in full swing and 3 games this week, it was tricky.....also 2 nights of practice and last nights went pretty late (over 3 hours).  So, I left work just a few minutes early and we were able to squeeze in the candles and cupcakes before Chase went to practice.  I wanted to get pictures, but they aren't good.  My camera isn't focusing right or something.  We sang twice.  Once for Jaemin to have his own and then for Chelsi to have her own.  Tonight, after the game we got McDonald's Happy Meals for them like we'd promised.  That's a treat here.  We generally do the dollar menu if we go, but they had to sit through football on their birthdays, so it was only fair to them.  Jaemin was so wild all night.  Obviously, the sugar in the treats he brought to school was way too much, plus he was just super happy it was his birthday.  The teacher working the gate even let the them in free since it was their birthdays.  Jaemin wore his birthday crown from school to the game and told everyone he was 6!  He really likes being 6, so I hope it's a good year for him.  Chelsi's just another year older I think.  She's loving the gifts, but other than that, just means she now has more chores.  :)  Poor girl.  My babies are getting older!  Tomorrow, we'll watch the Lego movie Jaemin got while the big boys are gone for football and I'm sure Cole will go out.  It will be a good mom and kiddo time.

Kaelin Day

Today is Kaelin's 12th birthday in Korea and tomorrow is her 12th birthday here.  Of course, in Korean age she's already 13.  We have a birthday party for cousins tomorrow, so we decided to do her stuff tonight since it's still her birthday somewhere in the world.  She wanted pizza, so we went grocery shopping and brought home some pizza and watched God's Not Dead.  Very interesting movie.  Anyway, Princess Kaelin wanted white cupcakes, so I found some with rainbows on them and bought some animal print candles for her.  She's moving on and I told her only one year until she's officially a teenager, though in a lot of ways age doesn't matter to teenagers.  You get a teenager based on biology not age....I've got 3.  I told her she needs to think enough of herself to do what's best for herself no matter what.  Basically, value herself.  I think she'll do well.  I have worries....always, but she's a good girl at heart and does try.  I see her as the child that will do what she needs to to succeed.  I see her going to college and providing for herself and finding  herself before she moves into a permanent relationship.  This is important for my girl.  We love her to Korea and back.

Last night, we took the 3 little kids up with us to the complex for the high school's first football game of the season.  It was close to 100 degrees, but we brought water and sweated through it.  The boys on the field had it much worse, obviously.  Chase was not going to get to play for sure.  He's a freshman and it was a varsity game and a hard and big one.  But, I just wanted to at least go to the game to see him step onto the field for his first varsity game.  We got to make a parent tunnel and cheer them on.  The lights went out in the stadium for awhile, there were tons of flags and just an all out long game.  It was moved to 8pm due to the heat and we left the stadium after 11pm with Chase in tow.  Chelsi and Jaemin fell asleep close to an hour before it was over.  Jaemin slept on me....HOT!  Chelsi slept on the bleacher on the blanket beside me.  That shower never felt so good.

Through all our tough times I hope for things to get better.  This is where the movie God's Not Dead is correct.  He is our hope.  The devil's advocate in the movie says we believe in God to make things better in bad situations.  But, the truth is that's when it's hardest, but that's what sometimes defines us and our real belief.  When you are going through hell and you still find the strength to believe in God, it does help you.  Free will will always exist.  Because of that sin will always exist.  We may not always understand why things are the way they are.  They don't seem right sometimes.  I try to believe and sometimes it's a struggle that there is some greater plan.  We just may not know or understand.....at the moment or ever.  I'm not the most devote to some by a long shot.  I'm not an avid church goer.  I don't profess my belief in God at every turn.  But, I'm not a closet Christian either.  I do believe.  My relationship with God is personal.  It's private.  I don't believe human man needs to be a part of it.  And I don't get all of my prayers answered and definitely not as quickly as I need or believe they should sometimes.  But I still try to believe that like my parents God only wants what's best for me and I can't know or understand that all of the time and that's where blind faith comes in.

Back to Kaelin and her birthday.  Some birthday pics and a pic from a couple of weeks ago of a 5K she did with her friends.  I was supposed to to, but I left to do mine at the track so I could watch Chase at football.  She decided she'd rather stay with her friends, so I let her enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day and Happy Birthday

We almost always celebrate Chase's birthday wrapped in with Mother's Day.  I certainly don't mind sharing  with such good company.  I'm very blessed to have these kids.  Everyone of them, though there are there downs, bring something wonderful to the table and our lives.  Cole is very special because he's our first born.  After the loss of our first daughter he was such a welcome to our world and was our world for 3 straight years.  I'm thankful for that time to focus only on him and his heart.  Then, came Chase.  Chase was brought home on Mother's Day, so he will always be my best Mother's Day gift ever!  Kaelin was our first daughter to have and hold.  She was so wanted and waited for in Korea.  Chelsi was the one I wasn't really sure we were going to have.  Brian was on the fence about a 4th, but Cole and I got him talked into just one more.  Jaemin was our surprise!  He wasn't a ooops baby or anything that people call their babies when they accidentally get pregnant.  He was a great surprise.  In the end, 4 were planned, 1 was not, but I wouldn't want life without any one of them.  They each have a gift for me and I love seeing life as we go through it together through them.  We've been through too much together and I hope they always love and appreciate each other for their individual gifts.

Chase is 14 (well tomorrow)!!  He was so excited yesterday to tell me he had grown.  The football coach measures them during weightlifting to track things and he had grown 2 inches.  He's now pushing just under 5' 9".  We were starting to wonder if he was ever going to grow.  He said he wants to be 6'7".  :)  Don't know that that's going to happen, but he says it's possible since the doctor said Cole's growth curve said 5'11" and he ended up being 6'2" and Chase's  growth curve was saying 6'4".  We'll see.  Chase will be a good young man.  He's sweet and kind and, well, nice looking.  Love my middle baby!

Happy Mother's Day to my mother, my grandmothers, my Korean children's foster mothers and their birth mothers.  Without all of these women, we would not be or be who we are.

It was Jaemin's last soccer game too.  He really did enjoy it and wants to play again next year.

Cell Phone Photos

I asked Jaemin to finish unloading the dryer tonight. We're trying to start him in on some small chores, so I unload most, but leave a handful of clothes for him to unload. I did mine, asked him to unload his and went to the bedroom to fold clothes. He was taking FOREVER. He finally comes running in telling me that he found his soccer socks, complete with shin guards, in the dryer and they're warm. Yep.....he had them on. He was in the laundry room putting them on. It might help to stay warm if you would ever wear a shirt around the house. Not Jaemin. If he's at home he does not want to wear a shirt.


So, I had to take a picture of him with his socks on. I figured my phone was faster, but I rarely use it to take pictures. He asked to see his picture in true kid fashion and I scroll over to find other pictures. I had forgotten I took a picture of him at my grandma's on Easter in his bunny glasses. Then, I found several selfies I'm pretty sure Kaelin took on Easter. The bedspread looks like my grandma's, so I guess her and her cousin were bored? Girls, girls!

Busy Weekend

Chelsi had 1st Communion for church this weekend and Chase graduates from 8th Grade this year, so we combined their parties like we did Cole and Kaelin.  We lucked out and decided to do their parties the day before 1st Communion instead of after because Jaemin was supposed to have a soccer game (canceled now with all the rain).  It couldn't have worked out better.  The weather was perfect.  We could have everyone in the garage for eating and the kids ran crazy outside.  I shredded up 4 beef roasts and then we made a dish of orange and yellow peppers, onions, jalepenos and sauted cabbage to top the barbeque shredded beef.  It was very good.  We had tons of desserts by the time great grandma and grandma brought some along with the cake and peanutbutter bars we made.  I was stressed running all day yesterday and most of Friday night, but it was really good and the two kids had a great time.

The good weekend ended after today with Cole's car breaking down and Brian listened to it and said the noise is bad and we think it's basically done at 108,000 miles.  That stinks.  We really don't need to be spending money on a car when we have all these medical bills.  But, Cole can't get a job without a car.  No transit here.

Pictures from Chelsi's day.  She was beautiful. See my grandma kinda photobombing right behind her.  :)

Easter 2014

We got to church this morning just in time to actually get a seat even if our family was divided into two benches.  Better than standing.  Jaemin wasn't too bad through either.  Yesterday, Kaelin and I ran to the bakery to get special donuts for everyone.  That's our Easter treat.  We don't normally do that sort of thing.  We dropped off a gift card to Subway for the family of a friend who is gravely ill.   We got quite a lot done yesterday.  After all that we went to my mom's for a really quick Easter hunt for the kids, then to Brian's mom's for dinner and hunt.  Today was church and then my grandma's for lunch and hunt.  It's always nice to see my aunts, uncles and cousins that I don't see all that often.  It's fun to see my cousins' kids playing with my kids and they really have fun together.  The oldest doesn't allow pictures anymore, so there are very few.  I wish he would let me do more.  The youngest four don't mind so much.  Here's all the great pictures.