There is really nothing like September at the beach. We were blessed with a sports free Saturday and it was one of the last warmer days of September we would get so we decided to enjoy the beach one last time.
Can you get any sweeter
Michael kept making such a funny face in our family selfie we decided to embrace it.
We ended the night at Hibachi and Michael enjoyed the show. He was completely mesmerized.
On Friday September 18th we re-adopted Michael in the US court. 3 years and 9 months after beginning this process we are down to one social worker post placement visit. It is so nice to not have any more paperwork to do 🙂
When Michael first came home hair cuts were not one of his favorite things. He began to tolerate them but I always had to sit on my lap and be very distracted by Elmo or some game on my phone. Then on day as we went by the salon on the way to get groceries he said “hair cut mommy” Oh my was he really ASKING for a hair cut? So since he did need one we decided to stop in after the store. And low and behold he was really happy about getting his hair cut. He got in the chair himself, smiled and was well behaved, and thanked the stylist several times, got down and went to the lollipops and that was that, he is like a pro now 🙂
Labor Day weekend we decided last minute to get a hotel room and go to Hershey Park. It was such an enjoyable day.
We had a wonderful summer. Our boy turned 2 years old.
July fun!
Visit to Mt. Vernon
Combo brother birthday parts
camping
Learning not to be afraid of the water
The county fair
kayaking with mom
biking with dad
August fun!
enjoying nature
Beach and boardwalk
August also brought the milestone of M officially living with our family longer than he has lived elsewhere at this point. It is a wonderful feeling. It also makes me so thoughtful to think his foster mother had him this same amount of time and had to say goodbye. I feel like he has been with us forever. I have so much respect for these blessed woman who give these babies a good start at life and then have to say goodbye.
Crossing this point also was a good reminder to me as well that our little boy had so much life before us. It is easy to forget he was not always raised here with us and important for us to be mindful that we are still earning his trust and love.
He has been a blessing to our family in so many ways and we have been SOOOO blessed by his wonderful transition into our family. He is such a good boy and has such good verbal skills. Yesterday he expressed after playing in the sand, “Sand Michaels shoes” and then last night at bath he said, “soap eyes”. For being just two years old, English as his second language, and all the changes he has had he is just such a trooper and we are just so blessed.
We have had so many fun times over the past few months and Michael has had so many first!!
Disney World
It was such fun for our whole family to be able to be in Disney together. A day to remember as I’m sure it may not happen again. 
Michael got to meet “Mee-Moo” for the first time. 
Not happy about the sibling picture shot I guess
First time seeing fireworks
I decided he was big enough to start scaling our playset 🙂
Enjoying nice weather to eat outside
Trip to the zoo with HiHi
First time seeing the ocean
First overnight boat trip
Life is about making memories. Ellie was had strep throat and couldn’t make school and it was awards day but we packed up a lunch and headed out and she got the best big sister award 🙂
Michael is very cautious but everyday is getting used to new things like the pool and the beach and is starting to enjoy them instead of clinging to me so. 
Can’t wait to enjoy more adventures!!!
Our sweet boy has been home 6 months. He is more incredible than I ever could have imagined. His personality, his adjustment, how he fits into our family…it has all been so incredible.
I can’t begin to say all the things I love about this little guy. I love how he calls me Umma, Mommy and shouts a big loud MOM when he wants something. I love how he smiles and has this cute little dimple on his cheek, I love how at night he tries to prevent us from leaving by starting to sing another song and he knows it is so cute that it works and we start singing it with him too, I love his delight to see his daddy come home from work, how he yells NOONI when his sister gets off the bus, and his big loud Hyeong when he gets up from nap and notices his brother sitting on the couch after school. The list really goes on and on. Don’t even get me started on the cute way he talks and how smart he is.
Saturday morning with daddy
I think he though winter would last forever but he learned to embrace the snow.
Oh my 3 techno’s
Oh Nooni!
but he adores her even though she dresses him up.
Dedication day
Fun with the boys
Little mischievous at times
Easter cuteness
Last month I put on this outfit for church and M looked down at his sweater and said “HiHi” LOL yes M HiHi does wear a lot of argyle.
More Nooni fun
We love you little boy and are so happy to have you as part of our family.
There is something indescribable when your adopted child says the words “I love you”. He didn’t even say them to me but to Jeff but I can’t tell you how it made me feel. It seemed like such a big deal to me. I guess with the bio kids you know the love you and you expect it but when you take this little boy away from all he knows and put him in your family you hope they love you but how WONDERFUL to hear those words.
Friday night Jeff was playing tiger with Michael and Michael would run to me to “save” him. Jeff took a pause from his roars and with Michael sitting on my belly he looked at Jeff and mumbled “I love you”. Jeff and I looked at each other amazed that he said it. He speaks so well but repeats a lot of what we say so for him to say the words own his own out of the blue was just awesome. Jeff told him he loved him too and Michael said “I Know”. He cracks me up how he uses that phrase at all the right times (my friend told him he was cute the other night and he said “I know”. It is not a sassy “I know” just a loud boisterous agreement 😉
It is these little things that stir your heart and you want to remember forever. A feeling like no other for me that he does indeed love us 🙂
Michael has been home 3 months now. I’m pretty sure he understands almost everything we say. I am amazed at how fast he has picked up English. I have not been so good about blogging and know I have forgotten a ton.
Like a few Sunday’s ago Michael touched my curling iron and burned his hand (not bad). The next Sunday he quietly watched me get it out and plug it in. He continued to play on the floor glancing up at the curling iron now and then, but when he saw his Noona getting ready to walk into my bathroom he was super quick to get up and run to her with a WARNING – Hot, hot (which he pronounces Hot-A, hot-A). It was super cute to see him looking out for his sister.
We just had his 18 month doctor visit and I counted all the words he knew before I went. I was very impressed when I realized it was close to 40. I typed them all up on my phone so I could remember. His doctor was pretty impressed as well. As soon as she walked in the room he looked and her and said a big “Hi!” She chuckled and said hi back and said well that answer my first question about if he is talking 🙂
Family words: Umma, Dada, Hyeoung, Noona, HiHi (not korean but what we call his grandpa)
Sounds: mongmong (dog sound korean), Moo, Neeigh, Meow, Vroom Vroom, Roar, Gagueul (frog sound Korean)
Food: Oohyoo (milk), juice, Eat, mama (eat in Korean), orange, cookie, gumgum, mull (water)
Misc: PohPoh (kiss), shoe, Hi, cup, Ouch, peekaboo, baba (bottle), moon, Hot, cold, Tickle, Eye, Annyeou (no), No, Michael, Thank you, Please
Sings: E-I-E-I-O (for old McDonald), Rub-a-dub-dub (sings then when headed to his bath)
He has enjoyed his first snow!
Likes to hide match box cars in his overalls
I was the last to be called by name and one day Michael randomly started calling me Umma (which is funny since I refer to myself as Mommy) and has not stopped since. The first few days it was constant. If I walked out of the room “UMMA”, him sitting on my lap a loud UMMA!, had to take him out of church one night because he was yelling UMMA at the top of his lungs…just for fun!, talking to someone, yup he made sure to tell them I was his Umma….and I am very proud to be just that!
!
Noona put one of her hair things in Michaels hair and it was a big hit. He doesn’t want to take them out.
At his “first dance” at Noona’s school
Did I mention likes girl hair things in his hair.
What did we do without this little life of the party.
Yes you would have made a cute girl too.
Rocking his Mr. Rogers sweater!
Spoiled rotten just has to utter a moan and is picked up by a sibling
“Umma is this going to be how you cook my Korean food the rest of my life”
Picked on by Hyeoung but didn’t seem to notice….it took me almost all through dinner to notice.
Entertained by Noona with her homemade craftiness
He seems happy and we couldn’t be happier to have him home with us!
Michael has been home 2 months now. When you say two months that seems like such a short time but Korea feels like a distant memory. Month two has come with some surprises and challenges. I have to remind myself that he has only been home 2 months and that we are all still learning about each other.
The beginning of December took me by surprise when Michael must have gotten comfortable enough with us and his environment to LET LOOSE. He was into everything. I had gotten used to the fact that he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth but one day he woke up and decided to become a climber and get into everything as well. We started referring to him as the tornado or king kong.
The tree had been up a few days and all was going well. I read a story about a kid who swallowed a tree hook so I decided to play it safe and take all hooks off the bottom part of the tree. Went on feeling confident of my decision and then boom (literally)
Michael pulled over the tree. I was still holding it up trying to stop the water from pouring out onto our floor and I look up and he was walking on the table top. I drop the tree (which I was unable to get back up alone) and took him down, put him in his high chair with some crackers and called my friend to come help. Before she even got here from only like 5 houses away he had crushed all the crackers and was putting them on the floor for the dog…..AYE YAI YAI!!!! We got the tree up and I was cleaning up the needles and crackers and broken glass and no sooner he was climbing the outside of the banister.
It was about this time I started to wonder if this was what my next 18 years would be like 🙂 He is just into disaster I guess! My house is child proofed to a point. Kids can learn and I have had a lot of kid experience with kids and toddlers with my other two and multiple daycare kids but this little guy was giving me a run for my money. My good friend let me spill my woes to her and she encouraged me to do a little more baby proofing so that I was not telling him No to EVERYTHING and to get down and play and pretend with him more, and that this WOULD NOT LAST FOREVER.
So I gated the tree. Spend some time each morning with him in the backpack because he can’t get into any trouble there and got down and PLAYED more. It is hard for me to let stuff go around the house but that is what needed to be done. My world shrunk into watching him non stop every minute.
There was something to be said for a good drive with the disney songs on and my coffee with my seat heat on…..it gave me a break. So a little daily drive to see the horses or to the post office was instituted.
The cord protectors went up and life got a little more optimistic. Look at the little stinker trying to get the cords out right after I covered them 🙂
I gave up on things like touching the dishwasher and DVD buttons and the foot on the table while we ate and concentrated on the banister and table top climbing and all the things that might hurt him.
…..and low and behold the phase exited just about as quick as it came only about 3 weeks. A few days before Christmas he started playing with toys instead of everything but toys.
The climbing is still here every once in a while but not like it was. He is not even messing with the dishwasher and DVD player that much any more. His foot is still on the table almost daily (much to the distress of John when he was here for his Christmas break) but I’ll take it.
Playing with playdough……yes he did eat some.
Super Mario with Daddy
Enjoy’s his MongMong
Went to winter wonderland and rode some rides and saw the Christmas lights. He gave us lots of “wows” and “Whoas” at all the lights
Was very happy Christmas time was also baking time.
Has learned to be more gentle with the animals
Still loves playing in that darn cabinet.
Was sent some fun welcome home presents in the mail.
Sat on Santa’s lap
Enjoyed multiple Christmas light outings.
Is Mr. Silly
Did better getting his second hair cut and is doing great brushing his teeth with his brand new molars.
Put his first ornament on our tree
Enjoyed some Korean cooking
Met John!
With John hear we realized he is saying “Heyoung” (brother) more than we knew
Enjoyed his first Christmas with our family and maybe his first Christmas ever since his foster family was Buddhist.
Enjoys his ice cream so much he can’t wait for daddy to feed it to him.
Does great eating out at restaurants and has a LOVE for corn on the cob. 
Looks ridiculously handsome in his Mr. Rogers sweater
It was awesome to have John home this Christmas. We learned how to properly say peekaboo in Korean. We thought Michael was saying “takoo” but it is pronounced Gakgoom. John also pointed out that when Michael puts his hands on his head like below that he is saying “I love you”. I guess that in Korea you sign I love you by making a heart with your hands over your head.
I can’t believe how far Michael has come with his language skills. I think he is understanding 50% or more of English. He also is still understanding Korean well which we figured out with John here. We are hoping to get someone to help us retain his birth language. This is still a work in progress though.
I ask Michael to get his shoes and give them to daddy and sure enough he was able to follow both directions. He also has a special song we sing when we go to get a bath but the other day I said for his sister to go get her shower and he started to sing the song. I was amazed he knew what I was saying.
He is doing incredible and we love his some much and sometimes wonder what life was like without him.
To whom much is given, much more will be required...Luke 12:48
This blessed life and our journey to adopt from Korea
our future.
life in the color Brown
This blessed life and our journey to adopt from Korea
This blessed life and our journey to adopt from Korea
Sharing the stories, photos, and smiles of this crazy, beautiful life
This blessed life and our journey to adopt from Korea
In God's time not my own 