Birthday wishes for the Birthday Girl

As my oldest daughter celebrates her 6th birthday, I have my hopes and dreams for her as she gets older.

• I wish that she grows up knowing that she is very much wanted, cared for and loved. From the moment I heard that Seong Tae had a younger sibling, she was wanted and loved.
  
• I wish that nobody hurts her precious heart in her life. She has a big heart and while she may not voice her love, she shows it.
  
• I hope that her love of animals continues. One of her first words was an animal and she loves all animals big and small.
  
• I hope that her dream catcher in her room catches all of the bad dreams she has.
  
• I hope that she finds the love of a lifetime who puts her up on a pedestal, treats her like a princess and loves her for her.
  
• I hope that she lands her dream job whatever that may be (right now that is an elephant and beluga whale trainer).
  
• I hope that she never feels the pangs of hunger and that the shelves of her home are always full of food and that her home is full of love and warmth.
  
• I hope that her love for singing continues along with her love for gymnastics. You could ask her to sing and she'll clam right up with embarrassment however if you sit in my home and listen, you'll hear her singing upstairs.
  
• I hope that her love to help others continues and she finds a way to help others in need each day of her life.

Happy Birthday my sweet lovable girl. You are my princess and I'm happy that I have you in my life to love, hug, tickle, cry with, kiss boo-boos and so much more.

My August Birthday Girl

I now have a 4 year old in the home. Katie turned 4 recently and we had her birthday party here at our home. She is into animals but extremely interested in elephants. She wants to know everything there is to know about elephants. We have stuffed animal elephants, books on elephants, and elephant figurines. Her invites were covered with elephants.

For her birthday she was asking for a baby elephant.

No not a stuffed animal.

No not a book about them.

No not a figurine.

A baby elephant as a pet. She has it worked out that it would live in the home and she would take good care of it. She is beginning to realize that maybe we can't do this. But she can hold out hope can't she??

And since my girl is now 4, she wants to learn how to play soccer. So this fall, after some investigating on my part, we'll enroll both her and Ryan in soccer.

Now I need to figure out where to bring her to see live elephants...I see a trip to a zoo in the future.

~Jen

Pictures from Katie's Birthday and Party

All in their Hanboks...trying to get all three dressed in them and then out the door is always fun for these pictures!!






Big sister looking at her little sister and vice versa.




Warm day out but Ryan wanted to look nice for the pictures going to Korea to his foster mommy!!!





Getting all three kids looking at the camera is always fun!!!





Katie in her special Birthday princess shirt that we gave her.





Katie eating her slice of ice cream cake...hmmm it was good!!!!





Ryan sitting with his Uncle Kevin (my only sibling who's younger).





Ryan playing outside with his Korean mentor and Bella's mentor.




Katie dressed up with tulle ribbon in her hair done by her mentor.


Hard to believe that one of my little baby girls is three years old...where has the time gone??? It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating her 1st birthday with family and friends at our local park.

~Jen

Katie's 3rd Birthday Party!!!

We had family and the kids' mentors over for Katie's 3rd Birthday party. She got really shy once everyone arrived. When it came time to her opening up her gifts, she couldn't wait. She enjoyed having Kathleen and Jen over and is warming up to Tae as well.

She loved eating the chicken bulgogi I made and cheese and crackers and the seasoned mung bean sprouts.

The ice cream cake we got was a hit with her as well. It was made by a local ice cream shop. It was delicious and we are definitely getting another one if we have another ice cream cake for somebody's birthday.

We are exhausted, I ran two dishwasher loads of dirty dishes but we enjoyed everyone's company here in celebrating Katie's 3rd birthday with her and with us.

~Jen

Katie's 3rd Birthday

Today is Our Princess Katie's Day!!!

She is turning three today. We have been told of this milestone from her for awhile now (since her last birthday I think). We are doing pictures in the Hanboks as a tradition that I started with them...special day requires a special outfit.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate for my girl so that pictures can be done outside with her siblings. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Pictures that I will post later since we have a birthday party with family and a few friends as well tomorrow.

Questions that I asked Katie and her responses:

Me: Katie, what is your favorite color?
Katie: Purple and pink

Me: What is your favorite holiday?
Katie: Daddy's Day

Me: What is your favorite snack?
Katie: hmmm let me think...cookies (her face smiling)

Me: What is your favorite place to shop?
Katie: a store

Me: What is your favorite animal?
Katie: lion...do lions bite?
Me: yes Katie, lions bite

Me: What is your favorite meal that Mommy makes?
Katie: cereal

Me: What is your favorite place to go eat out?
Katie: Jitters

Me: What is your favorite flavor for ice cream?
Katie: ice cream (Do you like her thinking??)

Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Katie: a mommy

Me: If you could go anywhere, where would it be?
Katie: to the zoo

Me: What is your favorite toy?
Katie: the zebra (it's a ride on toy that bounces up and down) she rides it every day

Me: What is your favorite game?
Katie: computer games

Me: What is your favorite candy?
Katie: chocolate candy I love her logic again.

We now have a 4 year old, a 3 year old and an 18 month old in our home. YIKES!!! Where has the time gone??

As with each of the other kids' birthdays, I hope and pray that her First Mom is safe and has somebody she can talk to. I think of her daily as I gaze upon my children's faces. I pray that she knows that we kept her children together.

~Jen

Happy Birthday Katie!!!!

Did you know that today is Katie's 2nd birthday???? We took pictures outside that Mommy will have to upload to the computer and post on here.

Katie and I dressed up in the Hanboks that our Foster Mommy gave to us. Mommy helped us get dressed. We wear them on special occasions like our birthdays and we don't play in them. Mommy cries a little when she sees us all dressed up in them and says how handsome I look and how beautiful Katie looks.

Well I gotta go to play with Katie,

~Ryan