We're here!

Overwhelmed in the only word to describe our thoughts and feelings. It is 4 am Seoul time. Which isn't too bad since I usually don't sleep past 230am at home anyway. (thanks to 10 years of night shifts) After we arrived in Chicago it became more real when we hurried to the Korean Air gate and at the first glimpse of the big blue bird that would deliver us to our son I got something between giddy and terrified! While we waited to board our social worker called for a last minute advice/ encouragement. It was God's timing. I had been rehashing all these different things I had heard recent adoptive parents say on the many forums I stalk. There just seems to be conflicting advice but she was great and really made me feel like we were prepared. It will be one of the biggest challenges of our life but we will make this transition and this trip is just the beginning.

prior to take off!

Here is my plug for Koreans Air!! Loved it. Beautiful and friendly and fairly roomy, food was wonderful and lots of bathrooms so no long waits! I ordered the Korean Bibimbap and dan the beef dish for the first meal. Both were excellent! Tons of entertainment available. Don't let me give you the impression we actually slept more than an hour because we didn't.

Keep in mind at this point it is about 3am back home and I've been up for 24 hours We found our way to the right bus in order to cheaply make our way into Seoul. Dan fell asleep I was too nervous we would miss our stop. 45 minutes later we were let off at a subway station so far so good. I pull out my hand drawn map of where the hotel is located. Because when I looked it up online it looked really easy and I couldn't get it to print. You can probably guess where this going. We trekked up and down busy steeply inclined streets for about an hour. I was sure right off the bat I knew the general location but couldn't see it. After about an hour we stopped a taxi that had a "translator" sticker in the window hoping he could give us a ride because we give up. He actually refused us and waved us on, I don't remember the last time I was begging someone to take money from me and they refuse. We decided to turn the next street (the original spot I thought the hotel had to be) and wouldn't you know it, it is tucked in behind another hotel in dark alleyway. Did I mention we are each hauling a large checked bag and large carry on and backpacks. Once we arrived in the room, both a sweaty mess, we needed an inservice by our hotel clerk how to turn on lights, ac, toilet. Everything is remote controlled! In our tiny room we have two desktop computers with desk and office table with another two chairs, a 50 plus inch tv, the bathroom is actually probably the same size as the rest of the room. It is a little awkwardly laid out and wondering how it will work when We bring Evan here the night before we travel home.

In a few hours we will once again attempt to navigate the streets this time to the adoption agency to meet our son. Again another hand drawn map (at least it isn't my poor attempt) it claims to be just a mile or so, so we will see. I've packed up our care packages for the agency and for my niece who is also here in Seoul waiting for her turn to come home. I've packed snacks and matchbox cars for Evan in hopes i can bribe him towards us. Gifts for Mrs. Choi, however I still need to write a letter to this incredible woman that has loved my son. I have thought about it for 18 months and still cannot put it into words. It still seems so unreal. I'm sitting in bed on my iPad and Dan is lying here watching killer animals on animal planet in Korean. Before that he watched a Korean cooking show-- anyone else think this is weird for us??

We searched the world for you

Dear Evan Moon,

Today we hop onto a flight around the world and I am a bundle of nerves, much like a 42-week pregnant momma would be, ready to be a family together but also the future is so full of uncertainties! Your daddy and I have been waiting a very long time to meet you and bring you home, in fact more than twice as long as you have been alive! No pressure or anything but we really hope you don't completely freak out right away.

Over the years we will make you promises and pray we are able to keep them. The first promise was to pray for you and the second to do everything we can to be the parents you deserve. We named you Evan, because it means "God is Gracious" we feel so blessed to call you ours, if anyone is lucky in this situation is it your parents! You are a true miracle in our family. We also promise to incorporate your beautiful culture and celebrate your heritage in our family. We will honor your birth parents and Mrs. Choi, they will always be a part of the man you will become.

Know that those tears you see on my face are a mix of happy excited tears that you are actually real and in my arms and bittersweet tears watching you grieve and knowing the grief Mrs. Choi is now feeling. Know that you may kick and scream the entire 20-hour flight but we still love and want you.  The 20-hour flight will seem like an eternity during the actual flight but daddy and I have been waiting for this flight for almost 5 whole years! So relatively speaking 20 hours is nothing. (that is NOT a challenge!) 

We missed so many firsts in your life, but now we will get to experience a different type of firsts. We are looking forward to your first English words (hopefully not the word "No!"), your first friends (both people and puppy), trip to the pool, play with your cousins, a bike ride, oh and sleeping in your own bed just to mention a few.

We anticipate many challenges we will face as a family and at this point we are a bit nearsighted looking towards just the next few months!  

-- We know you have probably been spoiled rotten and we will need to figure out how to transition and balance your needs and wants. 

-- We know you are confused why your world just got turned upside down and we do not share the same language to communicate well with each other. We pray that with our actions we will communicate our love and dedication to you.

-- We know that you probably have never seen a dog in person and you are about to share a family with two energetic but loving big lap dogs. If you are going to use the word "No!" aim towards Mocha! You already have an ally in Tyson, he has already started chewing off the safety locks we installed on the cabinets! (specifically the cabinet with the peanut butter!) You will learn to be their pack leader!  

-- We know there are about a thousand friends and family that want nothing more to love on you at first sight and maybe you will be a social butterfly but we want to be the people that love on you and meet your needs, not because we are selfish but because we want to teach you who you can trust and we aren't going anywhere, others will have to wait.

-- We know sleep will be a challenge but we promise to be right next to you until your ready to crawl into your big boy bed. We will sleep on the floor with your just like you have for 2 years with Mrs. Choi and when you cry out for her we will comfort you.

-- We know we will have a million other challenges but first and foremost we are relying on the power of prayer and God's grace to rise above! We pray we all will find peace in His reassurance.

We have searched the world for you,

Momma and Daddy

Super Cute Booties!

So I have some new baby girl booties for sale, may be a great idea for a gift later this year when it cools down!  

I still have some of the cute infant shoes left in case you are looking for something more summer like! just check out the following link.  The infant shoes were $8 but to celebrate summer approaching I have marked them $5!  Let me know if you are interested in anything else on the link, I need to start clearing out some space for Evan's playroom!!

http://sisterhood2motherhood.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html

Only $5

X-Small (10cm): 2.5

Small (11cm): 3.5

Medium (12cm): 5

Large (13cm): 6

Zebra Bootie

Leopard Bootie

Emigration Permission Approval!!

21 Months  April 19th

Yeah!!

After 5 weeks of waiting by the telephone each morning I can now celebrate we are one step closer to bringing Evan home!  Evan's paperwork has been approved by the Korean authorities now it moves on to the US Embassy for a visa interview and approval then we wait for yet another phone call . . . Travel call!!! Then we jump on a plane!!!!

I love seeing Evan all smiles, now I have to get use to the hair cut, I already miss the curls!!

Evan Moon's Baby Shower!

On February 25 the wonderful ladies from my small group hosted my baby shower, the one I have been waiting for for over 5 years!!!! A big thank you to Beth Anderson, Chelsea Pederson, and Kelly Hicks, you all are so amazing!  I was so excited to share this very special celebration with such wonderful friends and family.

Here is my plug for getting involved in small groups, I am apart of an incredible group of 4 couples who just happen to all be entering parenthood all within 2 months or so, we are in for an amazing journey together! These friends have been such an encouragement and prayer partners in this process and will continue to do so long after! We didn't realize how much we needed each of you in our lives until recently and cannot imagine the true impact of the relationships we are building.

With Kathy, my mom-in-law

yummy Daube's Carrot Cake!

Gabrielle, my little helper

Emily, Erika with Gabrielle, Chelsea, Kelly, Onna, Gundrun, Me, Crystal, Amanda, Kathy, and Beth!

Small Group: Chelsea, Me, Kelly, and Beth

Easter Trip to Wausau

Cannot wait to include Evan in the festivities next year!!!

Our Family (not a great one of the pups, they were kind of tired by the time we did our family)

Mocha love! Even these three couldn't wear her out!!

Kathy and Ernie, Tyson couldn't wait to run over and get in everyone's photos.

Tyson was such a ham all weekend.

He acted so embarrassed and went to hide, Mocha loved wearing it though.

Bacon flavored easter eggs, leave it to Tyson to find it.

Poor Mocha had such a time playing dress up

At least someone wore out.

Hartman Family and their new house!!

Babymoon, Vegas Baby!

Dan at the Luxor

Just call me a 'winner'  it was my first time playing the slots!

Lobster Rravioli @ RM Seafood

Yummy HayStack cocktail

RM Cioppino  YUMMY

Dan's Halibut

First night on the town

Second day on the town, The very BEST Mexican Food @ Border Grill

@ the Wynn

13.5 hour tour bus trip to and from the Grand Canyon

Braised Short Rib Lasagna @ Fleur by Hubert Keller

Rock Shrimp @ Fleur

 Some people go to Vegas to gamble or for the shows but not us (although we were thrilled to experience LeReve @ the Wynn) I went to experience the food!!  I was so excited leading up to our trip because I am a huge Top Chef fan and I have watched and drooled over Top Chef Masters! We got to eat at three different Top Chef Master's restaurants! RM Seafood by Rick Moonen, Border Grill by Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Millikan, and Fleur by Hubert Keller.  Unfortunately we didn't get to dine at Tom Colicchio's.   There was just too many places we wanted to try out and not enough time!

We had no idea how big the strip was, I would have packed better shoes! Not to mention the wind, so much for the summer clothes we both packed. But it was super fun, it was great to get away especially since I have been pretty much cooped up for the last 3 months since being off work with this silly broken hand.  It was great for Dan and I to have such a positive experience traveling before the stressful trip to Korea.