Pictures of All of Our Children

Enjoy!!












~Jen

Pictures of Our Sister and her Tol

Here are a few of the pictures of Bella in her Hanbok on her birthday and of her Tol Celebration:























~Ryan and Katie

Bella's Tol Party

We had B's Tol Party this past weekend. We had tried dairy with her over a week before her party and she had what we think to be an allergic reaction (just like her big brother) to diary. She had red rosy cheeks for her party. Poor girl!!!!

We were up until 1:15 am Sunday morning cleaning, preparing food, and decorating our home for the party later that day. She loved coming down the stairs and seeing the Hello Kitty Happy Birthday balloon we picked up for her. Her face just lit up and she smiled when she saw that and the Hello Kitty party lanterns we hung up. It was like she recognized it.

We invited family and friends to come celebrate her Tol. I had made Chicken Bulgogi, Ssam (vegetable wrapped rice), and Nokdu Namul (seasoned mung bean sprouts), P'atbap (rice with red beans) for our Korean dishes and the ever staple in a Korean home--Kimchi. We served red and white this year. I found the white one to be more palatable for me and others who aren't into the spiciness of the red one. I always have made Korean foods for the kids' birthdays and birthday parties. I also cooked up a Calico bean recipe in my crockpot and my mom had made potato salad. I had Korean music playing or a Korean children's video playing for the kids.

Due to Bella's reaction to dairy, I had made a special Applesauce Snack Cake that was both dairy-less and egg-less (since one guest is allergic to eggs and Bella hasn't tried them yet) that was topped with a simple glaze. The snack cake was done in the shape of hearts for my B.

For her Toljabee event, she chose rice and the jujube (we used a substitution of a date since we couldn't find anything else suitable). So this girl is growing up rich and will have many descendants!!! She really didn't want to be in her Hanbok again (I had tried on her birthday and it was a struggle to get her into it, leave the hat alone and take pictures!!!

I cried again today both in the morning thinking about the kids' First Mom. I started at night thinking about her Omma and her First Mom again. I thought about all of the other losses she has had...loss of knowing her birthfamily, loss of homeland, language, etc. Then the tears started to flow again. I have been crying on and off since for various reasons but when we left Korea in November, I think I left half my heart there!!

She got many nice gifts from everybody who came so thank you. 감사 합 니다 (in Hangul) Kamsahamnida (in Romanized Korean) or, Thank you (in English)to everyone who came and celebrated B's first birthday with us.

See pictures from her birthday and of the Tol Celebration in my next post!!

~Jen

We now have a one year old in our home!!

Our little Valentine turned one today!!

I'm dealing with very mixed emotions today. I'm happy to have her here with her brother and sister but so sad about all of her losses. She is just one of my princesses here in our home. She loves to dance to music. She loves to give hugs (or as I like to call them "loves"). She loves her siblings and her puppy (Maggie). She loves it when we play Korean music or our Korean DVDs She smiles when I sing to her in Korean (let me just state here that I know right now one song in Korean and that is London Bridges--I'm hoping to learn more).

As I have done with the other kids, they got dressed up in their Hanboks for me to take pictures. I always take pictures of the kids in their Hanboks on their birthdays (of course it's done outside since the other two kids have their birthdays in Spring and Summer months). Today being that it was 25 degrees outside with several inches of snow and ice on the ground, we did it indoors.

I'll post pictures from today after her party this weekend.

So today I'm crying both happy and sad tears for my little one year old Valentine in our home. To me, she will forever be my Princess Valentine!!!!

~Jen

Sungnyemun (Namdaemun) Gate fire

It is with a heavy heart that I type this in. Korea lost it's number one cultural treasure that dated back to 1398. It was the oldest wooden building in Seoul, South Korea.

Jeff and I visited this beautiful building the night before we left Korea to come back to the States. My pictures don't do this building justice.



Taken from across the street from the Gate.




Taken from inside the Gate looking up at the beautiful painting on the ceiling. This is in the bottom structure of the Gate.




Taken from the grounds of the Gate.

To read more about the loss of this Treasure, please read Third Mom's Blog on the Namdaemun Fire where she gives you links to read.

We here in our household are very saddened by this news especially since this comes right after Seol-nal (the Lunar New Year) in South Korea.

~Jen

Racist Superbowl Ads??

I thought I take a moment to chat about some Superbowl ads. First go to FamiLee Life. The ads in question are listed on that webpage under February 6th date. Let me know what you think of them. I'm so glad that I didn't watch the Superbowl...so glad my kids didn't see and hear that crap either.

~Jen

Sick again?????

Okay I have been sick for going almost 2 weeks now and it shows no sign of stopping. Katie is sick again with sneezing and a runny nose. Ryan isn't over his sickness yet either but he isn't resting. How does one stop a near 4 year old since a cold hasn't??? Onto Bella, she is getting over one ailment only to have what looks like a cold now. But DH is fine.

I'm tired of telling each child to blow their noses, use the nasal aspirators on them and more. Hopefully they will be over their sicknesses soon!!!!

~Jen