New Pics

Took Jae outside real quick for some snaps.

So super sweet

Kind of personal, but I was writing my annual letters to send to Korea for the foster moms and birth families and Kaelin wrote to her foster mom.  Her foster mom has requested her to write her own letter this year, so she wrote a few short sentences, I had them translated and then she wrote them in both Hangul and English...thank you Denise.

So after she writes them, she brings me the papers and the whole bottom half of the Hangul letter is decorated.  In one corner, though, is an outline of her hand.  Inside she wrote "This is my hand.  And this is how big it is.  This is my left hand."  Is that not super sweet and enough to cry?

Lisa

Creative Kids

I'm pretty sure Chase was the mastermind behind this, but I think all 3 boys participated.  Chase is our resident, take things apart, figure them out and fix-it guy....at barely 10.

Does this big wheels look right to you?

Apparently, they had finally worn ours out...it's everything except the back wheels, I believe....running it down the hill so many times.  Neighborn H's was broken as well, or I think his sister's, so the boys stripped them and merged them together.  They love the new toy!

Teaching Money to Children

So, a few months ago or so, I entered an essay contest to win cash.  It was 5 essay questions on teaching responsibility with money to your children.  I had read about the couple of past winners and they were all single moms, so while I thought we had no chance, I entered anyways.  So glad we've been doing what we've been doing with our 5 kids!

Turns out we won!  We won $1,000.  In the essays you just had write (without going over the character limit) how you teach this to your children.  Well, we all know where that money is going/went!

http://chaostimes5.blogspot.com/p/tickets-to-korea.html

What memories

One year ago tomorrow is the day we found out we could leave to go get Jaemin.  But, it was actually the kids' last day of school I found out.  I was at the kids' awards assembly when I found out we could leave, so as soon as I got back to work we got our arrangements made and we left the very next morning...Saturday morning at 3:00 am.  I was watching Kaelin and Chase receive their awards again this year and all I could do after I left school was think about that call one year ago and how hard it was in the beginning and how much things have changed and how much I wouldn't change a thing.  And wow....was that trip amazing and life changing for all 3 of us that left this house. 

I can't believe Korea is a memory from 1 year ago.  I would love to go there every year if I could.  I would even choose that over the beach, which is saying A LOT.  I miss you Korea.

Does it come with age?

I mean the intensity of love for each child?  I just got in bed after checking on Jaemin for the night.  I could just lay by him for hours and look at his perfectness.  I can't help but think about another woman, half way around the world, that doesn't get the wonderful experiences I get.  I get all of it and I am SO lucky.  Everyday gets better and better with him.  He smiles more, he shows his true self more and he IS funny!

I get so much out of all of them.  Chelsi had her last night of gymnastics and we had to stop and get a new flat iron for me afterward because mine literally fell apart this morning.  So we walk in to the plethora of flat irons and she immediately notices the exact one I have.  She's that observant and that smart!  I get her too and I am lucky.

Kaelin, well she is always in her own happy little, giggly world.  She's figured out that if she hugs us longer she doesn't have to go to bed quite as early.  She is her own funny, silly self.  I get her too and we are lucky.

Chase is goofy and silly and smart.  He is a great kid and one of my hardest little workers at school.  Cole works hard too, but in so many other ways and is truly blooming as a mature young man.  He has SO much potential that I see.

I have 5 great kids and they're all mine and I am lucky for this and I know it.  If I could just take more time with them ever night while they're little.  I try to take all I can, that's for sure.  So if I don't volunteer enough and do enough running around, socializing etc., it's because I need to spend as much time with them as I can while I can.

So, if you're a first time mom, slow down and love them.  Love them slowly and don't rush them through their milestones and childhood.  Let them be kids and enjoy those kids and the hugs that you can get while they're young.  You'll still get hugs when they're older, but those tiny little hands wrapped around your neck are the best hugs of all.

Worries and wishes..

For some reason I get so many comments on how we must be perfect...supermom.  I'm not sure if it's just because where we live 3 is getting to have a larger size family and with 5 people are just astounded.  Usually when they find out I work fulltime too I get the 'saint' comments and looks.  Further from the truth, you think?  Oh Lord, if they could just be in our house some days. 

I'm human and I have the same problems in life.  I'm content and happy with my life.  I have the kids I want and need and the husband I want and need.  We make the money we need and survive for necessities in life; nothing more, nothing less.  Do I want?  Sure.  I want someone or something to rescue us from my worries.  My worries of the kids ever going to college, really getting to go to Korea as a family one day, the kids (some anyways) surviving school and life.  Some days just worries that we will be able to pay all the bills that popped up that month or I will have enough leave to always take off when my kids are sick and need me. 

I have wishes too.  I wish we could have a laundry room big enough for a family of 7 and enough time to actually do all the wash of a family of 7.  I wish I could work parttime and be with my kids just a little more than I am now.  I wish we didn't have to watch every single penny because we're worried our washer or dryer or car will break down.  (can you tell I've been having laundry issues tonight?) 

Wishes and worries are different.  Worries are for my kids' safety and well-being and near and dear things to my heart.  Wants are materialistic things that we don't need to survive life, but would make it easier.

I try to just count our blessings and focus on that.  I try not to let things with other people ruffle my feathers.  My favorite saying is 'it is what it is' and you go on and accept your life and make the best of everything.  And quite honestly, I have most of the best.  As long as God keeps us all happy and healthy, it's the best.

So all I pray everyday is that each hurdle that's given to us is able to be cleared with relatively little trauma and harm.  I pray that God just keeps us all well, together and loving and good people.  I pray that 1/2 of what I try to teach my kids sticks.  I pray that our two salaries, together, are always enough for us to pay our bills monthly.  I pray that I remember and the kids remember the simple things in life are some of the most important and money cannot make up for that.  I pray that we remember that life is what you make of it sometimes, not what it makes of you.  I pray that I ALWAYS remember that when I think I have it bad I can always remember there is always someone who is going through something worse and surviving.