A few months ago, we went to get Austin's eyes examined because he thought he had trouble seeing things at a distance. Our opthamologist confirmed that he did in fact need glasses, but that the loss in vision was minimal. He told us there was no need to rush, but recommended we wait no longer than six months before getting Austin fitted for glasses.
Well, tonight was the night we decided to get Austin's glasses. He has been dreading this day ever since his eye exam, and let out a sigh during dinner saying, "This will be my last meal without glasses.". He can be so dramatic at times. :)
Checking out the selection.
Checking himself out.
With his glasses picked out, Austin was finally feeling a little bit better.
I know he is not looking forward to it, but I really hope he will get
accustomed to them quickly, and realize they're not so bad after all.
Besides, all the cool people wear them, right? ;)
Not to be outdone by her brother, little sister decided to get in on the fun.
To those who are expecting
To those who have given birth
To those who struggle with infertility
To those who are foster moms
To those who are spiritual mothers
To those who have experienced the miracle of adoption
To those who have suffered the incomprehensible loss of a child
To those who have lost their own mothers
Happy Mother's Day to all!
Thank you to my mother-in-law who helped shape my husband into the man he is today, and for loving me and our children.
Thank you to two very special women who I have yet to meet (but hope to one day); Bethany's birth mom, who selflessly chose life for my precious girl, and Bethany's foster mom, who lovingly cared for her when I was half a world away.
Thank you to my mom for showing me what it means to be a mother. My mom is an amazing woman and I have always admired her strength, loyalty, courage, wisdom, creativity and sense of humor. She has lived a life of continued sacrifice for those she loves, and has unconditionally given of herself without ever asking for anything in return. Not only is she an amazing mom, but she is also just as amazing a mother-in-law and grandmother. Just ask my husband and kids! I am so fortunate to have her be a regular part of my family's life, and I can only hope to follow in her footsteps as I strive to be a better mom to my children.
I love you mom!
Oxnard - July 4, 1979
Mother's Day is not only a time to give thanks and recognize all the different moms, but it is also a day that reminds me of what a great privilege it is to be a mom, and the great responsibility that goes along with it. I thank God for entrusting me with my children, and for using them to stretch me and humble me in ways that would not otherwise be possible. Thank you God for drawing me closer to You as I seek to grow and mature as a mom.
And finally, thank you to my two precious kiddos for being patient with me, and for forgiving me when the flesh gets the better of me. Thank you Austin and Bethany for giving me the most treasured, exciting, fun, and blessed gift I could ask for, the gift of being your mom. It is my pure joy to be your mom, and my heart overflows with love and thankfulness for you both.
Thank you to my family for a very special Mother's Day weekend!
On Saturday, our sweet girl turned three. We celebrated the day with lots of hugs and kisses, and ended the evening eating a delicious meal with dear friends.
On Wednesday, we had a party with a handful of very special friends ages three and under. As you can imagine, for the next several hours, our home was filled with lots of laughter, and it brought me so much joy to see Bethany have so much fun with her friends.
Despite her traumatic encounter with Hello Kitty a year ago, I went ahead with a Hello Kitty themed party. Being the good mom that I am, I of course made sure there were no life size versions of Hello Kitty around. ;)
Welcome!
I had two "stations" set up for the girls.
The first one was for Hello Kitty tattoos.
And the second was a Hello Kitty cookie decorating station with iced cookies, edible markers and baggies to take the cookies home in.
Soon it was time to fill our tummies with some party food. Party food is what these little girls wanted, and since it was a special day, I was more than happy to oblige.
After their tummies were quite full, they worked it off with some more running, jumping, squealing and playing. Then it was finally time for what they had really been waiting for.... dessert!
After getting their sugar high, the little girls were ready for some more fun in their new found play area.
We managed to wrangle them in for a few minutes to take a group picture, and after many attempts, this was the best we could get.
Thank you dear friends for celebrating Bethany's 3rd birthday with us. We thank God for each and every one of you!
*a special thanks to my friend judy for taking most of these pictures!*
Two years ago, our family of three stepped inside an airport and waited...
After much anticipation, a woman emerged from two sliding doors pushing a blue stroller. I immediately recognized the precious baby sitting inside. I had spent countless hours studying every inch of that beautiful face for that past five months, and now she was here.
I had imagined this very day for years, daydreaming about it constantly. In my "best case scenario" daydreams, I would be greeted by a happy little girl, eager to meet and embrace her new family. But in reality, I was greeted by a frightened and confused ten month old who had just been removed from everything and everyone she knew, and was now expected to fall into the arms of a complete stranger. Understandably so, what I saw in her face was fear, confusion and sadness --- and it broke my heart.
I vividly remember her tiny hands grasping onto the bar of the stroller, not wanting to be picked up. I remember struggling to get her out, and to this day, my eyes well up when I think about how frightened she must have been. It was without a doubt, one of the most amazing days of my life, but it was also heart wrenching.
When I think about all Bethany has had to go through, and the sacrifices made by her birth parents and foster families, my heart is filled with conflicting emotions. Sorrow and guilt at the losses experienced by so many for Bethany to become a part of our family; and immense joy and gratitude for this precious and amazing gift we have received. As an adoptive parent, I have gained so much, but there's no denying that it was through others' significant losses, that my gain was possible.
Today, I look back and thank God for every single person who had a hand in bringing her home. Thanking her birth family and her two foster families are a given, but I also wanted to thank the adoption agencies both in Korea and here in the U.S., the adoption community, our dear friends and family who prayed for us, encouraged us, and supported us all along the way, and all the government agencies who played a part in bringing Bethany home.
As difficult as some parts of our adoption journey were, it pales in comparison to the joy and love that has now filled our home for the past two years. Gone is the frightened and confused ten month old, and in her place is a loveable, affectionate, independent, adventurous, and spirited little girl who is growing up much too fast. Not too long ago, I wrote a short post about her, and not much has changed. She's still full of that "sugar and spice", and we wouldn't change a thing. :)
It's hard to believe Bethany will be turning three in a matter of months. The last time we checked, she was at the 5th percentile for weight, and 13th percentile for height. I'll be curious to see what her new percentiles are when we go for her three year check up in April. Bethany has had a growth spurt recently, and even her tiny feet have managed grow into a size 6! :) Her speech and language development are still a bit delayed, but she has shown a lot of progress, allowing us to decrease her speech therapy sessions to once a week. We are currently in the process of getting her assessed to see if she will need to continue once she turns three. Fortunately, in all other developmental areas, Bethany either meets or exceeds the targeted outcome, so we are not too concerned. We know in time, our little girl will be talking our ears off, just like her big brother. :)
As we celebrate two years together, I am overwhelmed by my love for her,
and thank God for the miracle and beauty that is adoption. Our family has been given a tremendous gift, and to quote my nine year old son, "I don't feel like she was adopted. I feel like she was born into our family." Amen!
In the future my sweet girl will have questions
about her adoption. Though we may not have all the answers she's looking for, I pray Sam and I will be able to respond with patience, wisdom and compassion. I pray she will know just how much we love and cherish her, and that we will always be there for her. I know there might be times when even those truths may not be enough to shield her from the pain and sorrow that is inevitably part of her story, but I pray that when and if that time comes, my dear Bethany will know God, and that He will be the ultimate source of her peace and joy.
I love you so much Bethany, and I thank God everyday for choosing me to be your Mommy. You are my beautiful baby girl, an answer to prayer, a precious gift from above.
Now I'll leave you with some video clips and a year's worth of pictures from Bethany's second year home.
Posts
