Jaemin is one!

Okay, so technically, in Korea, he's already 2. A tid bit for anyone who doesn't know, when you're born in Korea you're already 1.  When the new year comes everyone turns the next year, so Jaemin turned 2 then already.  You don't really age on your actual birthday.  Kind of confusing when someone from Korea tells you how old they are because sometimes they change it for Americans and tell us their age by our culture and sometimes they don't.

Our sweet baby boys turned 1 yesterday.  I can't believe that just 6 months ago we had just found out we were going to be parents again and now our baby is 1.  Other than being sick the day before his birthday it was great.  He was in a great mood all day.  He laughed all day and tried to take a couple of steps.

We had Js TOL party in the evening complete with; cake, ice cream, deli meat, chips and bulgogi.  There wasn't much bulgogi left at all.  It was a huge hit.  All 3 grandparents were there, Loa and Js Godparents.  Since we'd had illness in the house we asked some not to come so they wouldn't get sick (or have their kids get sick).  J got plenty of present though.  The room was packed with toys in the end and I don't think he knew what to do with all his toys.  Though he really does love to hammer away on his xylophone.  Apparently, like his sisters, he likes music.

Jaemin selected a spool of thread and 10,000 Won from his TOL table.  This means he will be wealthy and have a long life.  He wore his gorgeous hanbok that his foster mother sent with him.  I loved his birthday too.  It was so fun to sing happy birthday to him all day long!  We had a little problem with the cake, but I'm trying to forget that.  :)

Here are some pictures from the party.



















Thanks, Anita, for the great 1st birthday tshirt!!







And this is the next day.  He also had a great time with his balloons this morning, though he got a big tangled as he crawled with them in hand.

What a day!

In midst of 3 sick kids in 4 days and Lysoling and Chlorixing the house for the 4th time this week and getting ready for a TOL party tonight (which will be very small family only now with strep), I went to check on little man sleeping and he was all sprawled out in his crib wearing nothing but a diaper. I looked at him and smiled and thought....he's ours. I'm so happy he's ours. How lucky were we to get a call, out of the blue, and find out we had a baby we'd never planned for, but couldn't imagine him not in our lives.

My J turns 1 today and my little boy. He took a couple of steps today, finally slept the majority of the night last night and has been smiling and talking all day. He put his hand to his face this morning and said "heo....dad". He just kept talking to his dad on his hand. So glad to get to spend today at home with him instead of work. While I don't wish one of my other baby boys were sick, I'm just thankful for all the time I get with him.

How do you thank the Lord enough for a blessing so sweet. I have 4 others that I'm truly thankful for too, but he was just such an unexpected blessing and has truly made our lives better and happier. Even on the nights (many, many) that he pushed away, hit, slapped and scratched, I couldn't believe God was entrusting another baby to us. Even though he's a bull-headed little boy who doesn't care for the word "no" and therefore ignores, I just am in awe. I love his differences from his siblings as well as his similarities. He's the glue that binds the other 4 together....truly.

Thank you, Lord, for this boy, thank you for Korea who cares enough to call for siblings and thank you DH who knew we needed him here with us, with no doubts.

I love you bubby. Happy Birthday to the sweetest kisser in the world!

Football and Illness (Update on my sickies)

First, K has strep.  After a couple of days and still a very low grade temp with meds we were worried so the doc wanted to test for flu.  It was negative this morning.  Since J ended up with a temp (low grade) last night they're planning to treat him for strep.  He's not supposed to be contagious anymore by the time his birthday party time comes around tomorrow, so the grandparents and great grandparents want to come regardless for his special day.  Unless anyone else gets sick we're having his TOL, cake, ice cream and bulgogi...just not in that order, tomorrow night.  Can't wait to give J his riding/push toy I put together at nap this morning.

Since J and K were both running temps last night only dad got to go to Chase's football game last night.  This is Chase's first year to play.  A lot of kids, if not most have been playing flag since 1st grade and he's already in 4th with this being the last year of flag.  5th grade is tackle.  He came home SO excited last night.  He had an awesome game.  He scored 2 of the 3 touchdowns and had 2 pickoffs and "almost" an interception.  He's a lot like K.  He's in his element out on an athletic field, yet great in the classroom too.  I'm thankful for a boy who really strives for good grades and tries his best on the field.

We are not the type of parents to get our kids involved in everything.  We don't have time for overscheduling and neither do they.  But, if they want to try something, they are allowed to.  Once they sign up they must finish the season and then they can decide what they want to do after that.  By the time they go into high school they'll have to really limit it with us having so many kids.  C has already decided on basketball only.  K really likes soccer, but is wanting to try basketball in a year or two...so she will get to.  Chase is definitely not wanting to play basketball and is deciding between football and baseball, though he's pretty great at both and his build is perfect!  Chels.....well, she's doing soccer this year for the first time and after practice #2 she told dad that she didn't want to play anymore.  We told her she must finish, but it was fine if she didn't want to play next year.  All she wants to do more than anything is be a cheerleader.  And she will probably.  She can yell and cheer for Chase at his games and could care less who hears that very loud voice of hers.

If I had to guess, I think C will work with computers, Chase will do something with art (graphic arts maybe), K will be a teacher as she already wants to and would be wonderful at it, Chels will be on the big screen some how (she's a little tone deaf, so probably not a singer ;)  ), I haven't figured J out quite yet.  Though J is VERY strong and I can see him excelling in some sort of sport.

I'm such a proud momma of my babies some times and truly miss when I don't get to see their special moments like at last nights football game.

So for a special moment for Chelsi tomorrow, the radio station is going to play "Chicken Fry" for her.  She loves the Zac Brown Band and she knows this song by heart.  After they announce J's 1st bday and Chelsi's 4th bday they will play her song.  She will be thrilled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lisa

Virus.....hope not

K came home from school and just laid around.  A little later she complained that she was cold.  Sure enough she had 102 temp.  Normally, I don't worry too much because she runs high fevers when she's sick.  But, with this H1N1 stuff going around it worries me.  I have a baby, premature toddler, heart kid and 2 allergy induced asthmatics in the house.  This actually scares me a bit more than I usually am.

On top of that we have everyone coming over this weekend for J's TOL party and this is a HUGE deal.  We have the food bought already too.  We can't have people over if someone in the house is sick.

Please pray it's nothing more than a little short-lived virus and it doesn't go through the entire house...or even half...or anyone else. :)  Everyone was sick enough last year.  We've chloroxed the heck out of the house and gave each kid hand sanitizer to use.  We go through a lot of that anyways.  Every time we leave some where, while the kids are in school, I'm at work, everywhere, we use sanitizer.  But, K touches everything and I"m sure that hasn't helped.

I just hope we get out of this pretty easy.  Prayers from anyone reading that no one else in the house gets it and she's over it very soon and the party can also go on as planned.

What a relief!

Chelsi has been so upset and has dwelled on losing her sunglasses we bought in Korea since we got home.  She swore she left them in the hotel.  Lois swore she saw her with them at our home airport.  The kids found them in the couch today!  She was so excited to find them.  They are cute and irreplaceable.

Bright day.



Cloudy day.

Annual Photos for the Kids

We don't buy school pictures for the kids.  They're just too expensive.  I think the smallest package is at least $20 and you don't get much for that.  This would be $20 x 5 eventually.  I needed to take Jaemin's one year picture anyways, so we took the kids to Jay's farm and took pictures of all 5.  Here are the top 3 of each one that I like.  The great thing about taking pictures yourself is that you can have any of them and as many as you want for hardly any cost.

Jaemin







Chelsi







Kaelin







Chase







Cole







All 5 kids







And just for fun, Chelsi had to wear her kitty boots on the tractor.

B and Ms Weddings

We don't have any official pictures yet from either wedding, but both my younger brother AND  sister are married....one in August and one in September, just two weeks apart.  We didn't get to go to B's.  We couldn't afford airfare, hotel and van for 7 of us.  Everyone said the food was great at B and Ms and I heard Ithaca is just beautiful!  But, I finally got to see some pictures.  They're super small, but it was probably just so dad could email them to M.

Here is B and M.  Welcome to the family M.





Here are M and As.  Welcome to the family A.

Only because Chelsi's in the picture I will post one of me with my "escort" for lack of a better word....okay, the Best Man.

This must have been Chelsi before the ceremony.  She just wanted to ride the bus to the party.  :)



And for Lois, here are some pictures of the decor M designed and put together.