Cousins!

Our families joined together this past weekend for a 'toddler shower' for Evan.  It was amazing, Evan did so well! A real prince charming, a bit of a flirt in fact.  It was so fun to have so many cousins all together.  When everyone did first meet it did have a north meets south feeling!  My sister, Rach and her family traveled from Houston, Texas; Val and her family from Fayetteville AR; and my parents from Monett, MO. And the Freudenburg/Day family was from all other Minnesota and Wisconsin!  I wish I had more photos of the actual shower but as you can imagine I was a little preoccupied so until I hunt some down I have posted other photos of the weekend!

Let me assure you we do clothe him, but he is so messy with yogurt/breakfast we wanted to make sure he was done eating! He is playing cars with his cousin, Hudson (also Korean born)

Hudson and Evan sharing some Captain Crunch (notice Evan isn't going to let go of the car even for breakfast!)

It was sooooo HOT!  The kids had left the pool for the driveway toys (that is why the no shirts)

Presley made the photo in this one, she loved the Jeep!

Charlotte with the bubbles

more car competition

I have said since we first laid eyes on Evan many many months ago- He takes after his PopPop with his hair!

 

Evan is NOT a sharer - Hudson sang the "sharing" song over and over and over again all weekend, I kept thinking maybe Evan would get the hint.

Tuesday: Family Day!

We started the morning off packing, repacking, and packing again, just so nervous I had no idea what I was doing.  We arrived at the agency at 1130 for a presentation and lunch with the president of the Eastern Social Welfare Services adoption agency, President Kim.  It was a lovely presentation about how Eastern started and the various activities/projects it sponsors. Lunch was provided by the agency we dined with other adoptive parents and the staff members.  At our table was a father and daughter doing a birthland tour. She was adopted 19 years ago and this was her first trip back.  I spent some time talking with her about her adoption and how it had impacted her growing up, what did her parents do right, what did she suggest.

Adoptive Parents waiting for ESWS Presentation to begin by Dr. Kim

Lunch at Eastern

At Hotel, Pororo keeping everyone calm

Afterwards we met with Mrs. Choi, our social worker, and Evan for about 30 minutes, which was great because I still had so many questions that didn't get answered at the earlier meeting.  Evan was in a good mood, we played with a ball most of the time. Then President Kim did a prayer ceremony over the three children leaving that day.  It was highly emotional, I think the only reason I kept it 'together' is that I have cried enough over the past 18 months thinking of this very moment, I really didn't have much left.  It was heart wrenching to watch these foster parents part with their children.  Nothing prepares you for that.  Evan did great until the actually removal of him from Mrs. Choi to hand to us waiting in the van that would drive us back to the hotel.  It was the first of many many tears, screams, pure agony.  After a few minutes I was sure he was going to puke all over us, he was so worked up I whipped out my phone and started the Pororo cartoons - ahh sweet relief.  It was amazing.

At the hotel we watched more cartoons and he was pretty chill.  After a while we ventured outside to blow bubbles and play ball. I think the bubbles were a new experience so it took a while to figure out what was going on but he loved it, and of course what boy doesn't love ball, especially when it can be thrown into a street!

We needed a bath afterwards and took advantage of the jacuzzi in the room, again may have been a new experience, the tub bath, but he eventually sat down and played.

Other than getting puked all over while wearing him in the baby carrier later in the night all went relatively smooth.