Keep her in your prayers

Theresa (Jin Ha), "our" little girl will soon be 10! We have been trying to adopt her since 2005 and pray that God opens the doors soon...no matter what God has in store for her, we will always love her and want what is best for her!

Kahee/Amy, Kaitlyn, and Theresa "stuffing their faces" at Outback in Korea













My girl is more smiles than anything and LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to have fun! She can make the simplest, silliest things fun.











God blessed us with the opportunity to meet her Biological siblings Melanie/SongHa, Nam I/Shawn, and her bio-cousin in May...they have SO much fun together and Kaitlyn loves SongHa and Nam I

Please keep Theresa, Melanie, and Shawn in your prayers-they all need to know they are loved and to have their basic needs met. Melanie and Shawn live with Halmonie; I met Halmonie in July and she is an awesome woman-I love her!

a few pictures to update you

Mac cooking jae yuk bokem (spicy pork), Chicken and beef Galbi (dak galbi and galbi) for my sister and her family...for someone who does not like Asian food, he sure can cook it! lol











Mahkayla and Kaitlyn with my sister, Theresa (ok...Tess)
Kaitlyn showing "no fear" ha ha-as long as the vest or "arm floaties" are in place
















Kaitlyn practicing "belly up" or swimming on her back as Aunt Tess tells her how...
















Mahkayla modeling one of Kaitlyn's Hanboks..."OH aunt Tammy, now we are REAL princesses!" wish I could have caught the look on her face when she saw them!!


















Kaitlyn loved meeting her cousin who is 2 years younger-and just way too smart for any 3 year old!
Kaitlyn trying to show Mahkayla how to do "woodcock" bubbles in the tub... funny how Kaitlyn picked up on doing it but can't seem to get anyone else to pick up on the ability...she uses the hand soap in public restrooms to do the same! lol Thanks "MoMo Bu" for teaching her this unique art!

Well, it seems Miss Kaitlyn is enjoying attending school-I am so thankful! She and I both worried about the difference between Korean and American school, and she says she likes American school better-she asks "if Theresa comes to live with us will she like American school better too?" I don't know if she will ever realize that our dream for Theresa may never materialze...I must trust that God will provide for the little girl we call Theresa, that He will make sure her needs are met, that she always remembers how much we love her and that one day she will have a family-if not ours- that will love her even half as much as we do!

My sister and part of her family came to visit us early in September-everyone seemed to enjoy the swimming pool-which was officially "closed" today due to the weather showing more signs of winter than summer...Kaitlyn hates that it is "closed" (drained, covered, etc) but prays that it means snow is soon to follow...

Still praying that a quick return to Korea is in our future, but my father must first make it through the surgery coming up the mid to end of October...if I would get the call to go pick up Theresa, I would leave tonite...in the meantime-we are enjoying the time with my father and step-mother and at least Kaitlyn is looking forward to a winter in Virgina (if it is like Christmas 2006 we won't see any snow until after January and then it will be COLD for ages...hoping for one snow for Kaitlyn and a mild/warmer than usual winter for Mac and I!

Where the heck does time go??!!

Looking at this blog, I realize I am MONTHS behind.
So much has happened-
A) The adoption for Theresa "fell through" but we were able to help her connect to her bio-paternal grandmother and will do our best to facilitate visits while she lives in the orphanage...the grandmother financially cannot take Theresa out of the Orphanage as she is raising 2 of Theresa's bio siblings (high schoolers!) as well as 2 cousins
B) My father became ill-sudden onset of neuro disorder that is causing the loss of the use of his legs as well as more heart problems, so Katie and I had to leave Korea much earlier than planned
C) We arrived in San Antonio, Tx on 21 July, spent 4 days in Galveston, TX during a hurricane (had a blast!)
D) enroute to Lousiana my husband got a job offer in DC...not Korea where we wanted, but also got us out of Lousiana-and we managed to move ourselves in less than 2 weeks!
E) We moved to Virginia, but enroute I was offered 2 jobs in Korea-due to my father's ill health I felt it best to turn them down and pray they will again be offered next year!!
Ok...that is a speedy update, and hope to do a better one with pictures
Well... happy September!

June 1st took us to Busan (the KTX station is shown below) in preparation of a ferry ride to "Dae Ma Do" for the Koreans or "Tsushima Island" for the Japanese. We wished we had spent a few days, but our reason for going initially was not a vacation or site seeing, but a cheap way to renew our Korean Visas! Tsushima is a beautiful island with tons of history for Korea and Japan as well as Russia (the Russians invaded Japan and uses Tsushima for a stopping point). I have vowed to return and spend a few days!














Katie enjoying the flower and water garden outside the KTX-Busan station. The had older people singing traditional Korean songs and younger ones singing more modern songs-until 3 AM (was not so "cool" when we could not sleep as our hotel did NOT have A/C and we needed the windows open!).













Unfortunately this was NOT our ferry to DaeMa Do or Tsushima Island, but now that I know it is only 60 dollars more it will be the next time! lol















Kaitlyn loved the ferry for the first hour, but as the seas became rough-so did her stomach...she is not so sure we will make the trip again! lol















It is near the end of June and we are still in Korea. I am not sure if I am happy or sad we are here-today (here in Korea and tomorrow in "America") is Shy's 25th birthday; Thankfully Daddy drove the 7 hours to go see her and spend the weekend with her (he has really began showing the older kids he cares-not sure why but definitely can't complain!). Can't believe Shy is 25-where did the time go? (Altough, due to her mental condition she will always be "13" or so...).

Kaitlyn is complaining of "being sick mamma, maybe we should go see the doctor?!" but she is not having any problems eating popscicles, ice cream or Hershey's kisses-or even a few mini-reeses cups! She does have the snottiest nose I have seen in ages and is running a low-grade fever so we are medicating with Dimetapp and Children's Tylenol...

We are currently house and pet-sitting for a school teacher-the poor little dog is lost without her "real" mamma, but is finally beginning to come around-she only growls when she sees or hears us! lol She is finally eating without being bribed and runs to the door to go out when she sees or hears a plasitc bag rustling (poopy bags per Kaitlyn).

The weather has been very co-operative for being Monsoon Season-it rained last night and that is the first rain in a week! The temps are running 70's to 80's and we have only used the AC one night in the bedroom (not that I would not prefer it if I was not worried about the bills! lol). Yesterday was cloudy and today is as well, but for 3 days before that it was sunny and very warm.

Kaitlyn is finally speaking Korean-and lots of it! We had a parent-teacher conference at her school and the teacher says "she volunteers now to go to the front of the class and speak Korean and does a good job of it". She is also realizing the limits of my Korean vocabulary and occasionally spits of something that does not sound anywhere near a real word and then says "hmmm, can YOU speak Korean? No? Why not! Do you mean I will have to teach YOU?!" She is a smarty pants occasionally, but for the most part is just too good-and she is beginning to love her "native" language and people. She is aclimating to the customs of the Koreans and now knows what is expected of her by the Korean population. Although I am pleased beyond measure thaty she is speaking Korean it is posing a slight problem...she understands when people now say "mahnee ipoyo" or something similar-meaning "she is beautiful" and she now asks "mamma, do you think I am beautiful? Do they think I am the most beautiful?" We are daily having the conversation of "you cannot be beautiful on the outside if you are not FIRST beautiful n the inside!

LOL, I am appalled at the price of "ice cream" in Korea- it is up to 700 won for one on a stick...about 65 cents of late...but from 2001 to 2007 it was only 500 won (about 40 to 50 cents depending on the won rate) so this increase this year is about a 25% increase! Katie of course thinks it is cheap (and she is oh, so correct) so will do just about anything to earn the money to go get an ice cream; you also have to realize that Korean ice creams are not as sugary (ok, some are) as American ones so she is getting fruit (most are fruit based!) with a little sugar or milk for 65 cents per day...I know it adds up, but we usually spend the "loose change" laying around and don't miss it too much.
The morning of the 19th brought a sad day to Korea and to the local Army base and the H____________ orphanage! Tracey Momo and Jon Momobu flew to Hawaii for thier next duty station. Tracey and Jon were active in the local community and Tracey was VERY active in the Korean community near the orphanage-teaching English to underprivledged kids for free (while others only do it for 30 to 50 dollars an hour!), taking "goodies to the orphanage children (fruits, clothing, even going and cooking dinners for the 50 kids there!). Tracey and Jon have 2 boys- Ian who is 7 (bio son) and Caden who was Kaitlyn's "mat mate" at the orphanage. One of the things that helped us get thru the "good-byes" was in knowing that this family is a wonderful family and that we will keep in touch with Katies's "soul mate"-Jon will be a totally awesome example of a father and husband for Caden, so if it is the way God intends- Katie will have a wonderful husband down the road! The other "happy" thought? Caden became a US Citizen upon landing in Hawaii and clearing immigration!!! This family went thru hell and back to complete their adoption of Caden and then the US Gov't side waited until only 6 days before take-off to grant the immigration Visa...but Thanks to tons of prayer-God is bigger and He got things done-the final result? A happy, healthy family and one very happy, new US Citizen!!
Katie is asking for ice cream, so perhaps a short walk is in order...hey! we get exercise and ice cream...can't complain TOO much! lol

Birthday photos

The photo below was taken by Tracey MOMO and shows a few of the children adopted from the same "babies home" as Kaitlyn. They are called the "H___________ Nomads" as they will inevitably move from place to place-curtesy of the US Military!

Pak, Jin Ha aka Theresa, and her recently discovered bio-siblings Pak, Song Ha, Pak Nam I, and her "Komo" or aunt (although I think it is really a cousin) Ms. Chae (15 years old~). Taken at the Dragon Hill Lodge, Yongsan Korea
Song Hoon, a 2.5 year old gorgeous boy who lives at the Babies home- he has a father who DEARLY loves him but cannot care for him, his 3 other brothers and work, so the youngest has to live at the babies home. Please keep this little guy in your prayers- he was a "premie" and is showing some signs of a serious medical condition; also pray for the director and the nurse assigned to the "home" that they make wise decisions on his behalf!
One of my favorite pictures; Kaitlyn and SaeHee-love and life can't get much better than this!

Daddy tying of the "bow" of Kaitlyn's "Hanbok"

Kaitlyn demonstrating the "typical pose" for photos- the "Peace" sign in hopes that one day North and South Korea will be united; I pray that there will be peace on the side of the South and that the younger generation does not forget what the older ones have taught them!

Below you will see two of the awesome decorations Rosita Imo made for the party- ALL Koreans who saw them asked for them, but they are "safely" home and I will use them to decorate her room or figure out a way to save them for her 16th Party!

Where does time go?!

Where does time go? How do we get so "busy" that we forget the day of the week, the date, or even what we did yesterday? I don't know, but I see I must have been in a time-warped fog for a while now as I have not updated this page in ages!
20 April brought Daddy to Korea to check on jobs as well as to celebrate Kaitlyn's 5th birhday in the Country she is learning to love. We celebrated her birthday a few days late in order to allow the majority of her friends to attend; the children still residing in the Orphanage were not able to attend-much to our dismay- as they had other plans in place per the Seoul Welfare Society.
The characters and decorations were made by "Miss Rosita" a wonderful friend and totally awesome mommy to one of the little girls adopted from the same orphanage as Kaitlyn-she must have spent hours on them (as Kaitlyn says "too many to count, mama!").
Daddy brought the "wrong" hanbok for her birthday celebration so we purchased another one and per daddy "Nothing is too good for our princess, after all- she will only be 5 once!" And of course next year it will be "she will only be 6 once", etc!! Her daddy sure does love her-sometimes "too much"!
We had fun with friends and friends who are more like family than some of our own family-but that is the life of "nomadic" peoples.
Please enjoy the photos from April, 2008.

Pics that would not add...

Three of Kaitlyn's friends from the "baby home"
The "famous" Mini Me...future husband?
Three of our former KATUSA friends
Do you think I ate enough Kimchi???

"Uncle Dan" playing cards with the girls
What we had hoped our "family" would be by now- but God had/has other plans. Dennis has a Korean family, Theresa is in limbo, and of course Kaitlyn is stuck with me!
Too much Easter! Sleeping beauties.
Kaitlyn in her "Exercise uniform" for school-they will do ballet, taekwondo, and other fun things on the days they are required to wear this uniform.

Well, seems I will have to do another post to add more photos- but time is out and I must pick up two soon to be 5 year olds!!
Bye!