Two Years as a Family

Two years. We have been a family for TWO WHOLE YEARS! That means that we have been together for about as long as it took for us to go from seeing Oliver's photo and referral in January 2012 to taking custody on December 20, 2013. 

I still cry anytime I stop long enough to reflect on that day...both the best and worst day I have known. We were joined with a wonderful, funny, smart, loving little boy who turned our lives upside down in lots of great ways. He, in turn, gave up his whole world, all those he loved. As I think back to the confusion, sadness and terror that so obviously filled him, my heart breaks again. As I recall the complete sadness of his foster mother and foster brother, two people who loved him so much, my heart breaks again. For that day and many that followed, he deeply struggled and grieved. 

Yet it is with joy and laughter that we woke up together Sunday morning, happily a family of three. Oliver found the gift we had wrapped for him and was eager to open it -- an Olaf ornament. We headed off to church, followed by lunch at his new favorite restaurant: Red Robin (he likes the games you can play at the table). It was then off for the children's Christmas play: A Charlie Brown Christmas. Special family time for a special day! The play was fun and Oliver ended up being the first one through the receiving line of actors. He got every.single.signature, including Woodstock! 

Working backwards, here is a picture summary of the day:

Snoopy and Charlie...and Oliver! They actors are such great sports, signing autographs, posing for pictures and interacting with fans. We highly recommend Stages Theater.

Adorable!

Funny faces waiting for the play to begin

At Red Robin!!

Family day aside, Oliver and I enjoyed a bit of cookie making Saturday...all decked out in our holiday gear. Such a cutie!

And Friday was pajama day at school. Here is Oliver and Otter at Oma's house, getting ready to head on out for the last day of school in 2015. I wish we had pajama day at work sometimes! So cozy...

We may be missing out on a white Christmas this year, but we are still excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I think Oliver is a little excited for gifts, but he's also pretty happy to finish his advent calendar manager scene. He was even singing Happy Birthday to Jesus tonight!

Wishing you and your family a lovely week as we prepare for the big day. May the stresses of the season be minimal and the joy be overflowing.

Getting Ready

Christmas is coming and we are getting ready! The tree is up and trimmed, the house is decorated and Oliver's Advent Calendar with nativity scene is growing with each day. 

As mentioned in the "Three-Ring Circus" post, things have been rather busy here lately. We have managed, somehow, to visit no less than THREE Santas, however. The first was our more official visit at Ridgedale Mall (still can't get the formal photo to download, of course). 

The second was at the annual Brooklyn Park Lion's Club waffle breakfast, where we visited Santa last year. 

The third was the day after the waffle breakfast, at family brunch.

Though there has been plenty of Santa and talking of gifts this season, we have also spent time reflecting on the true reason for our joy during Christmastime. One of the ways Oliver did that was singing in the kid's choir during church earlier in December. The kids were adorable and I have enjoyed hearing him sing Happy Birthday Jesus around the house for the past several weeks. 

Don't worry, he's not making funny faces! Just a beat off on transitioning to the baby sign. :)

Cookies have yet to be made, but Oliver is not running out of sugary snacks to enjoy. Here is a post ring pop photo he insisted I snap, rounded out with a McDonald's toy on his head. We were also in the process of decorating our first gingerbread house....which turned out a bit sad looking and not worthy of a blog photo! Maybe next time. 

Goofy

I am excited to celebrate Christmas, though the warmer-than-usual temperatures and lack of snow has made it a bit difficult to really get into the spirit. While I grew up without white Christmases, I quickly got used to it and truly enjoy having one. Hopefully that will still happen....along with time to bake up some cookies!

Hopefully your holiday season is going well and you are able to enjoy time with friends and family.

A Three-Ring Circus

Things here have felt a bit like a three-ring circus, between holiday activities, prior commitments, my new (kind of cool but very challenging) job and the drum of daily life. But the Friday after Thanksgiving we went to a real three-ring circus! Oma and Opa braved the experience with us -- we were so glad they could come along.

The circus began at 6:30, with "family-friendly activities" beginning at 5:30. We arrived early so we would have plenty of time to check it all out. Here are a few of the pre-show things we did:

Pre-Show Pose

This may be Oliver's first time meeting a clown

Before, during and after the show they offered animal rides. Here is Oliver on a camel.

Oma and Opa bought Oliver an elephant ride and he had a blast!

We finally sat down for the circus and our dinner. Oliver refused all food except cotton candy....and as it was a night for him, we said "sure" (though I cringed inside). He was in heaven! The show began and Oliver was eager to see what was going to happen. 

Dinner of champions...cotton candy!

The circus wasn't quite as I remembered it. There were a couple of questionable dance numbers with scantily-clad women, a rather lame attempt at humor by a clown, and I was sad to see the animals were still a part of the theatrics. 

A few parts were rather cool. The trapeze act was impressive -- and as they finished their part of the show, Oliver wisely said "I don't ever want to do that!" The motorcycles in the cage are always fun, and Oliver's favorite: the human cannonball!

What a great night. I don't know that the circus will become a yearly trip for us, but it was fun taking him this year. It was fun getting the opportunity to do something like this as a family. Something I think about a lot more these days as our family day is just a week away. 

The First Meeting: Two Years Ago

Two years. Nearly how long we waited to bring Oliver home! Today marks two years since Tony and I met Oliver.

November 22, 2013 at 10:30 am (Korea time): Tony and I were scheduled to be in Family Court in Seoul. In preparation for this court appearance we (FINALLY!) were set to meet Oliver for the very first time.

November 18, 2013. We had met with our Korean social worker to go over some paperwork and then she led us to an elevator. When the doors opened and we stepped out, there was Oliver! Two years ago today we finally got to see and touch the little one we had been watching grow up via photos over a 22 month span. Our world changed completely that day. We left our first meeting overwhelmed -- with joy (he's real! We just met him!), with fear (he's got way too much energy, how are we going to do this? This is very.very.real!) -- and excited. 

As I recall that day, those first moments, tears fill my eyes. I remember the big smile he flashed us when he first saw us, the trepidation he showed as we tried to play with him, how easily he could use our phones, how the bubbles helped us break the ice. Here is one of my favorite photos from that first meeting:

And here he is today. He has changed so much over the past two years; overcome so much. And is so loved. 

Posing in the hall -- he chose the pictures to add here

Silly guy!

Tony and I are so blessed to be parents to this wonderfully energetic, funny, smart little guy.

Happy first meeting day, Oliver!

Sneaky Sneaky!

Oh how sneaky a four-year-old can be. Friday morning Oliver asked if I had any change in my wallet for his bank. I checked and had three coins to give him, which he promptly put into his bank. A few minutes later I saw that he had my wallet out and was looking to see if there were any other coins I had missed on my initial look. Needing to get out the door soon, I asked him to please put the wallet back in my purse right away so that I didn't leave the house without it. 

Can you see where this is going yet? 

As we hustled and bustled to get ourselves out the door, I didn't remember to confirm that my wallet was back in my purse. We had a busy morning ahead of us and I was making sure I had everything else in order -- Oliver had school and was then going to Oma and Opa's. I had a dentist appointment, coffee date and then needed to do a boatload of shopping. All before mid to late afternoon.

The dentist had asked that I be sure to bring my health insurance card in case the special x-ray I needed would be covered. When I dug into my purse to pull out my wallet, it only took a moment for me to realize what happened....no wallet. It hadn't been returned as requested. When I got home it took me a few minutes to find the wallet. Oliver can sure be sneaky! Here's where I found it:

Wedged between two chairs...my purse was not anywhere close to this spot!

Luckily I could email a picture of my health insurance card to the dentist, and my neighbor sweetly paid for my coffee. I didn't get to shop as much as I'd hoped to, but the day ended up okay. And now...

Lesson learned. 

What a silly goose we have on our hands! 

The Difference a Week Makes

A lot has happened over the course of the past week, much of it sparking a rather challenging internal debate. It all began last week, early Tuesday morning. I received an email from someone I had recently been in touch with, someone I knew from working at The Collaborative. He wanted to set up a call for later in the morning to discuss a possible job opportunity, so before lunchtime my world was tipped on it's axis.

That conversation sparked such a mix of emotions I ended up with my first migraine in over 6 weeks! Should I return to work? What about how wonderful staying home with Oliver has been? Is it better to use my talents in the workplace or focus them at home? What might happen to the work Oliver and I have been doing if I go back to working outside the home? Who is going to clean the house, run the errands, cook the meals, etc.? WHAT IF I CAN'T DO WHAT IS ASKED OF ME? 

Turmoil. Turmoil that millions of mothers have faced, often with no "right" or "wrong" answer. At the same time, how wonderful it felt to be pursued! To have an experienced and successful businessman believe I am the right person to step in at the ground level of a start up and help it grow. After 5 months of working for a 3 then 4 year old, often being under appreciated for my efforts, to have this kind of professional attention is flattering, to say the least.

On Friday we had a second call, then set up a meeting with the two individuals currently working full time for the company. Significant prayers were sent up for God's direction, His peace or His closing the door on this opportunity. The internal turmoil continued, and when I headed off for the Tuesday morning meeting I was just desperately clinging to the hope that God would show the way.

Lo and behold, the meeting was comfortable, even fun. I left there at 11:30 and received an offer of employment at 12:30.

I accepted and begin Monday!

I begin as a contractor for about 20ish hours a week -- two days in the office and some working from home. A nice way to transition myself and the family into my return to work. The ultimate goal is to be a full time employee and to grow my role as the company grows. I've worked for small companies for a long time, but this will be my first adventure in the purely start up world. 

Oliver burst into tears when I shared the news with him, but he did celebrate with me and enjoyed a little frozen yogurt. So, here's to changes and how life can unexpectedly go in unimaginable directions! Praise God for opening doors, and sending continued prayers for His help during this time of transition. I have a feeling it will be much more challenging for me than when I returned to work right after Oliver came home.

A Busy & Fun October

It has been a very busy month -- lots of fun family time, a trip to St. Louis and (finally) the big night...Halloween. Let's go in reverse:

HALLOWEEN

Oliver has been so very excited for Halloween. For more than a month we have been doing crafts, decorating the house, talking about costumes and trick-or-treating, and watching Halloween themed things on TV. He is always asking to bring home spooky things, keep saying that we didn't have enough decorations around the house, and has been counting down the days until the special night. With this we have also seen Oliver struggle with lots of nightmares, trouble sleeping, and a general fear of all things. It's been a tough balance this past month! We had a great night, but I have to admit I'm pretty happy to move on to more upbeat holidays.

We carved two pumpkins this year. Oliver pick both of the patterns, which Tony did a great job executing! The one on the right was particularly hard and I was impressed with his talents using the tiny pumpkin carving set. 

Halloween began at 5:45 am for us -- a certain four year old was ready for the big day and couldn't sleep another wink! After dinner, Tony stayed home to hand out candy while Oliver and I went trick-or-treating with one of the neighbors. He went as a fireman that had fire engine tattoos on both of his cheeks. I went as a black cat. The boys did great and made it for almost an hour! He had a fantastic time and enjoyed diving into his loot once we were home. He also had fun handing out candy to the later trick-or-treaters. 

Can you tell he's excited!?

ANOTHER DAY OF BEING CUTE

Just A super cute photo of all of her hanging out one day recently! Yes me to take this picture of him with his bear.

I love that he uses his snowman blanket year round too!

CRAFTS

Oliver has been more into crafts lately, so I began saving toilet paper rolls. I thought we'd find a fun Thanksgiving craft, something cute, to make together. Then he came to me "with a great idea. Let's make a bazooka!" Now, I had no idea how to make a bazooka. I couldn't even picture it in my mind. Lucky for me, he knew exactly how we needed to make it! Several toilet paper rolls and duct tape created just what he was wanting...his first homemade bazooka. Here is the final result:

Once it was made we got to play army!

ST. LOUIS

The three of us spent a weekend in St. Louis with my family. It was another busy trip to the 'Lou, and lots of fun was had by all. Oliver begged to go back to the Magic House and this time Tony got to come along. Here are a few shots from our trip to the Magic House:

Yes, this is the President. I'd like to order  pizza.

The Supreme Court Judge singing Jesus Loves Me into a live microphone. Pretty funny!

Scooping up ice cream with PawPaw

We also went to Boo at the Zoo. We went last year as well...maybe this will become a family tradition!

Meow!

Oh no, the Headless Horseman!

It has been a great month, though so very busy. I'm looking forward to things slowing down just a tad in the next few weeks...and perhaps getting more time to blog. Enjoy November!

More Family Fun

We have been blessed with an absolutely beautiful fall weekend! Today we took advantage and enjoyed two fun outdoor adventures. Our first was a visit to the Brooklyn Park Fire Station Open House.Oliver and I went last year and had a blast. This year he wasn't quite as into the festivities, but yet he still had a very good time. We even got to see a demonstration on how the Fire Department rescues someone trapped in a car -- they used both the spreaders (jaws of life) and the cutters. It was pretty interesting to see how easy they made it look...and I feel fortunate that I've not had the need to see their efforts up close and personal. 

One of Oliver's favorite things to do at these kinds of functions: climb around the trucks and ambulances. 

It might be just a little bit before he can reach the pedals!

He asked to have his picture taken but was too busy eating a sugar cookie to stop and pose!

After the open house we headed to the big corn maze that is about 7 minutes from our house. Tony and I have never been, so it was a fun "first" for all of us. We took on the challenge of the corn maze (thankful for the map) and had a great time! Tony was our fearless leader while Oliver helped to mark our trail. Along the way there were 20 trivia questions for us to find and answer, keeping us moving throughout the maze. 

Oliver wanted to take a picture of the corn -- here is his photo.

In addition to the corn maze, the corn pit was a big hit! Tony bravely jumped in to play with Oliver and they took turns burying each other. They had a blast....and I had a few minutes of terrific entertainment.

Tony jumped into the corn pit with Oliver and they had fun burying each other!

Oliver was very sweet and tender with the little bunny in the petting zoo. I love his tender side! I love his silly side, too...

Bunny time

Riding a tricycle in a clearing of the corn.

After the full afternoon we stopped for dinner before returning home. Oliver fell asleep in the car at 6:10 and stayed asleep once we got home. We now having a dirty, non-tooth brushed boy sawing logs and we are hoping he is able to sleep through the night. Tomorrow should be another beautiful day for us to enjoy!

The Perfect Fall Weekend

Hooray for Fall! Our house is buzzing with all things Fall....especially all things Halloween related (thanks to a very eager four year old!). In fact, Oliver and I have spent several hours working on a couple of Halloween crafts while listening to Christmas music (yes, you read that correctly). Oliver requested Christmas music, and I have to say it is kind of fun for this lover of Christmas! I'm trying to embrace Halloween, though.

We have a full Fall weekend, kicking it off with a family dinner Friday night. Saturday found Tony hosting a golf tournament for work, so Oliver and I filled our day with festive fun. We began with a big Halloween craft, released our just-out-of-the-cocoon Monarch Butterfly (amazing!), and then headed to Eidom Farm for their Fall on the Farm gathering. 

Oliver is a big fan of scarecrows and found this one right away on the Farm.

On the farm we learned how a 1900's home looked, what they did for fun and even how they powered their stove with wood fire. We took a hayride around the farm, fed a few animals and played a couple of games. It was a great time!

We were then off to a craft event at Michael's so Oliver could make a glow in the dark Mummy pumpkin, which he named Cookie. In a mommy-fail moment, I thought we should go into the Halloween store to look at costumes...but found lots of freaky and spooky and scary decorations instead. Oliver got pretty scared, so we scooted to Barnes & Noble for a hot chocolate break.

Contemplating life over cocoa

Sunday morning was a big morning for us. Oliver sang in church for the first time! The children were in both services and had been practicing for a few weeks. Oma and Opa came to watch and Oliver even got to wear his tie. While lining up for their first performance I asked him to smile for a quick picture. This is what he gave us:

Goofball! 

After church Tony, Oliver and I headed to an apple orchard some friends had told us about. Now, you may recall that for years I had dreamed of going apple picking with our child. Last year the dream (finally) came true, but I was very sick with what turned out to be the flu. This year we were all healthy, the day was beautiful and we had a great time! Here's a little photo story of our time at the orchard:

Oliver found the pile of hay, falling on it just after this picture was taken.
About 10 minutes later we were down one of the apple rows trying to get all of the hay out of his clothes!

Apple picking...a team sport! So cute.

My two favorite guys.

Oliver insisted on taking this picture. He put the pumpkin up on the hay and everything.

Future farmer?

Of course our child is the one dumping entire buckets of corn on himself! 

I nearly cried at one point out of sheer joy. God has truly blessed our family and I am so thankful. 

Speaking of crying...Friday night I found myself with two sleeping guys and a bit of time. I found a movie on Netflix that I had been wanting to see call "The Drop Box" and decided to watch it. It is a documentary about a pastor, Pastor Lee, who has established a baby box in Seoul to provide birth mothers a safe place to abandon their newborns. While the documentary does not go into great detail about the Special Adoption Law of 2012 (the law that dramatically changed things for us during our process), nor does it address what happens to the abandoned children (they are actually not eligible for adoption because they do not have any way to prove who the child is, what their family heritage is, etc.), it is an amazing story and it is an inspiration. Please consider either learning more or watching the movie. Here's a link to find out more: The Drop Box

I am overdue on other posts (parenting conference and women's retreat), so hopefully there will be more soon. Enjoy the beautiful leaves, crisp weather and all of the fun fall festivities!

Family Fun in STL

Last weekend Oliver and I headed south to visit my family in St. Louis. Our time in STL was busy-busy...and lots of fun! I miss having the opportunity to see my family more often and hadn't been down to visit since late February.  

We began our visit at Steak n'Shake. We ordered up shakes, malts and a little bit of cousin horseplay!

This is even BEFORE their shakes came out!

Friday morning we had breakfast with Dad / Grandpa Tom. When we got there Oliver recognized him and ran right up to him, joining him on HIS side of the table. They had a great time at breakfast and it warmed my heart that Oliver was so happy to see him, given that February was a long time ago for a four year old.

Being silly with Grandpa Tom's old-school flip phone

After breakfast we headed to the nature center at Powder Valley. I don't think I've been to this nature center before and was surprised at how much there was to do and see. Oliver had a blast and we spent quite awhile going through all of the exhibits.

"Ta da, I built a bird house!"

This is Peanut, a turtle that had an old 6-pack ring stuck around its body. Now his body looks like a peanut and they use him to help discourage littering. Oliver wanted to bring him home or get one of our own!

The day had only just begun. After lunch we headed to the Magic House for the afternoon. I remember going to the Magic House as a kid, but it is now even larger and more exciting than when I was a kid. Lots of interactive areas and fun stuff for Oliver. We were there for a couple of hours and didn't get to everything. I guess we will need to make another trip!

Oliver going down the 3-story beanstalk from Jack and the Beanstalk

Proud of making an F out of the construction PVC in the construction exhibit

Gears!

Friday night Oliver got to spend some special time with Pawpaw and Nana while I caught up with a couple of my friends. As much as I appreciated the time out with friends, I think I am more grateful that my parents want to spend solo time with Oliver. Tony's parents get equally excited when they have the chance to have special time with Oliver too. I have several friends who have parents or parents-in-law with little or no interest in spending time with their grandchildren, so I am sure not to take advantage or let it go by without appreciation. We are certainly blessed on both sides of our family!

Saturday morning we met up with the cousins for a trip to Grant's Farm. Oliver was intimidated by the extremely aggressive goats, but he found one that he wanted to buy and bring home (he even had me take a picture of the tag so we could find him later!).

Oliver and C080...the goat he wanted to take home

We listened to the educational session on elephants, which was fitting as we were just reading about them earlier in the week. We also checked out a variety of other animals. Oliver even got to ride a pony for the first time!

He was having a good time!

For some reason Oliver also really liked the lawn statues outside the beer garden. Here he is posing with his cousin, refusing to smile for Nana.

This is my serious face...

He was giving the statue his "creepy" look...and boy is it creepy!

Whew...anyone else tired? All of that in under 48 hours...and having a child go to bed late and get up before 6am. We took it easy the rest of Saturday (meaning Pawpaw took Oliver to the park while I took my Mom to check out Costco, and then we ordered pizza). We had such a great visit it was hard to leave on Sunday.

Luckily the whole family is heading back in just over a month for another visit. Yeah!