Random Acts of Kindness Part 2

Okay no takers on the suggestions for Part 2 so we are donating some food to our local food pantry. The kids had a blast getting together the food to donate. We try to involve them in everything that we do with the community (whether that community be local or thousands of miles away). We have a bag and a box of food for them.

Random Acts of Kindness Part 3 coming soon!!!

Pictures from Inauguration Day 2009

Here are some pictures of the Inauguration that I took of the kids. Watching it with them was amazing just to see and hear their reactions.



Ryan saluting all of the former Presidents just like the guards did. My girls did it too but I couldn't move fast enough to capture it on camera.




Ryan taking the oath of office for both Vice Presidency and the Presidency. Katie and Bella did the same.




All three are glued to the events unfolding on the TV while having snack.




Bella waving her flag to President and Mrs. Obama while not giving up her snack. Did I mention we also said "Hi Michelle" alot of times like every time we saw the First Lady on TV?????

Our 2 Year Old

Bella is now officially two. Her birthday party went off wonderfully. We had invited family and friends over to celebrate it with us.

Jeff and I cooked for nearly a day and a half preparing for this while watching the kids. We made her 2 cakes (one was a flower-shaped orange flavored cake with orange buttercream frosting and the other were applesauce cupcakes for the birthday girl and one of her friends who both have food allergies). We made chicken bulgogi, seasoned mung bean sprouts, carrot cole slaw, and oven roasted broccoli (all requested by the 3 kids). We served up kimchi. My mom made Penne Vodka and my dad made bread especially for the birthday girl and one of her friends.

Bella had 3 helpings of food for lunch until she realized that she had presents to open up. All of a sudden she was done and wanted to open up her presents immediately. She had 2 helpers (her brother and one of his friends) to get rid of the wrapping paper. We oooed and ahhed at the various presents she received from others.

Here are some pictures of the birthday girl from more formal pictures that we took of them to the pictures of the birthday party....Enjoy!!!!




She had to take a picture with one of her Hello Kitties and her Panda bear.




The gang



1st outfit change




2nd outfit change...this outfit used to be mine!!! Yes I had fun doing the outfit changes.

Both of my girls have worn this outfit.







Bella's special heart shaped cupcakes!!









Bella with her Papa





Yeah!!!! We found the puzzle piece that was missing!!! 2 of the adults had a head to head puzzle making tournament game going on with 25 piece puzzles to see who could complete theirs the fastest. One of the beat out the other by 1 second. I am not reporting who was involved or who won...sorry folks!!!

~Jen

Random Acts of Kindness

As some of you know I'm Catholic and I'm doing some Random Acts of Kindness this Lenten season. I've given up chocolate in past years along with popcorn, going out to eat, doing take out and more. This year I wanted to do something for others.

Act 1 will be done this weekend...I can't say what it is but hopefully you'll hear about it afterwards on here. I'll need to chat with the other person to make sure it's okay with him/her.

As for Act 2, I'm open to suggestions...I'm thinking of a few things (clothing donation to my local domestic violence center, donating food to our local food pantry, donating pet food to our local food pantry and more). Anybody have some different ideas??? Please share them...

A bit of Korean News...

A doctor here in the US (that I think we met at the KAAN Conference in Boston in July 2007) is working on getting help for single moms in Korea (read the article in the Korean newspaper). I am hoping that his efforts there will help others in the same situation in Korea so that the First Mom won't have to choose between her child and their social status. I hope that more and more single birthmoms will be able to parent their child if they so desire without feeling shunned by society and have the financial ability to do so.

This particular AP (adoptive parent for those of you not up on adoption lingo) thinks that his efforts are a good thing.

Adoption Fundraiser for a Friend of Mine

First some background as to who this is: Beth is a mom who is fundraising to adopt a little girl from Korea that she and her husband have affectionately named Jocelyn. Jocelyn is a biological sibling to one of her other children (so you can see how this hits home for me). Beth is also somebody that I know through a group of women who have adopted either domestically or internationally. We are helping her do some fundraising. I hope that you are willing to help.

Please visit her fundraising website for more details. I'm hoping that you will help her out.

Thank you from my heart and from Beth's heart as well...

~Jen

Bella's 2nd Birthday...Where Oh Where Did the Baby Go???

Soon I will have a 2 year old in my home. She knows how to operate a mouse, click on things on a computer, and play some computer games. She knows how to host a mean tea party. She loves eating Kimchi and is finally learning that veggies are a wonderful thing to eat. She loves to be a Mommy to her dolls and stuffed animals. She loves her Hello Kitty (otherwise called affectionately Kitty). She still loves to hug. She still loves to be held. She is still very much a Momma girl but loves her Daddy as well. She loves her big brother and sister. She loves to talk on the phone.

She sings the ABC song, can count to 10 on occasion, , loves to smile and lights up the room when she does, has an infectious laugh and so much more. She loves her Omma and I know that her Omma loves her. She loves her puppy (and her puppy loves her too!!) and when she calls her puppy to come Maggie will go to her (but not to the other two kids).

We talk about puppy dogs, butterflies, Dick and Jane, letters, Elmo, Hello Kitty, her dolls, music, flowers, her wanting to help, Korea and more. We talk about her mentor, Jen, and how she came from Korea too. We still wave hi to the First Lady that Bella is on a first name basis with when she says Hi Michelle all while waving at the TV at the First Lady.

My little girl who came home 2 days before Thanksgiving was so afraid of us and then afraid that I would leave her sight so much so that she had a deathgrip on me for about 48 hours. Slowly that grip loosened to the point where she felt comfortable to have me out of her eyesight but within hearing. She took no time to warm up to her siblings and her siblings took no time to warm up to her. She slowly started solids and has had little problems except for a few allergies/intolerances that she seems to have to dairy and to berries. She disliked most veggies at the beginning but now loves beans, corn, broccoli, and a few more. My little girl who tells me every day love you and then smiles. My little girl who tells me hug me please and then says thank um afterwards.

Where did my little baby go???

She grew up into a wonderful 2 year old

~Jen

PS You'll see the traditional photos we take after the party this weekend with our family and friends.