Day 6 - Insadong, Seoul Tower, & Padlocks

We awoke to our first full day in Seoul with Joshua (and our last full day in Korea) to the sound of steady rain and signs of clouds outside our windows.  We were a bit surprised, actually, since the weather for our entire time in Seoul to this point was quite sunny, nice, and comfortable.  But hey - we can handle one rainy day during our trip!  (and besides, we learned quickly that Joshua *loves* playing in water puddles!)

Ready for the day!

Joshua had a great first night with us, sleeping throughout the entire night, except for a few short outbursts of tears that woke him up (but then fell back asleep).  It was really cute to hear Nathan & Brooke continually ask us when Joshua was going to wake up in the morning.  They were soooo anxious and eager to play with him!  What a blessing to have two older kids who are eager to love on their little brother!

Our plan for the day was to check out Insadong, a popular outdoor market area in Seoul that has a number of shops, stands, and stores to purchase some traditional (but also modern) gifts.  With rain ponchos and umbrellas in hand, we met up with Rachel, and headed out to the subway to find Jared and explore the city once again!

We had a great stroll up and down the main street of Insadong.  We were drawn to this specific market to try and purchase a marble name stamp for Joshua.  This is one traditional Korean gift we wanted to get for him, and needed to find a good place to do it.  Skilled craftsmen take a small block of marble and hand engrave your choice of design on the side of it, along with your child's name (in Korean characters) on the end - all done in front of you.  The marble block then becomes a "signature stamp" that you dip into ink and stamp onto a piece of paper.  We found a place that gave us a great price and had one made with a design that reflected outlines of the Seoul Tower, a palace, and country flag, along with his name (Joshua) written in Korean.  It was a really neat gift to find, and something we hope Joshua will enjoy having when he gets older.

Is that a Red Bean Frap from Starbucks?

We also found a few other souvenirs to help us remember our special time in Korea.  One of them was a set of hand-carved and hand-painted wooden wedding ducks.  These are also a traditional Korean gift and custom that we will share with Joshua, but wait until he gets married.  The tradition is that these ducks are placed in the newlyweds home as a reminder of their commitment and love towards one another.  Tradition also says that their position towards each other reflects their marital state:  nose to nose means their relationship is good, but tail to tail means there's a good chance they're working through a little problem!  So, when in doubt....check the ducks!  = )

After finding a few other souvenirs and taking a little break for some fresh, yummy pastries and a splash in the rain puddles, we headed back to the subway.  While we were getting ready to head back on the subway, we ran into an older Korean man who had set up a table and was creating some beautiful Korean character scrolls and wall-hangings.  We were impressed, and decided we wanted to get something made for Joshua's room.  Since Jill & I had both been meditating and praying over Joshua 1:9 during this week, we decided to have him write out the verse in Korean.  Thanks to Jared (who knew Korean and had his Korean Bible app on his iPhone!), this man created a beautiful wall-hanging of Joshua 1:9, written in the traditional Korean characters and format (vertical, left to right).  It was amazing to watch him create it on the spot, and even more amazing to see the people who would stop and watch.  Jared told us that using the traditional Korean characters and format is rare in modern Korea, and was always viewed with respect and honor.  We are so grateful to have this lasting blessing of Scripture written for Joshua in Korean, and to be able to hang it in his room as a reminder to him of our heart's desire for him as he grows.

Our last stop of the day took us to the Seoul Tower.  This is a famous landmark in Seoul, which sits on top of a mountain and reaches almost 780 feet high in the air.  It has an observation deck and restaurant near the top that people can go visit (for a fee).  But we found the view around the base of the tower and overlooking the city was just our price - FREE!  Our adventure to the tower, however, was quite different - as we had to walk up part of the mountain on a paved road.  Not a bad walk, but it became a great adventure when it was pouring down rain, and the water was streaming down the road like a little river!  Nathan & Brooke loved walking up the hill in their bare feet with the water flowing through their toes, although I'm sure they got a few curious stares from the locals!  = )

Our purpose in going to the Seoul Tower was to put on our "lock of love".  There is a spot near the tower where people bring a padlock and lock it onto the side of the fence to symbolize that their love and commitment to one another can never be broken (cue sappy love music, please).  There were literally thousands of personalized locks hanging from fences and railings that people had put up - it was quite an amazing site to see.  As a newly expanded family, we thought we'd modify that idea a bit and attach a lock to symbolize our commitment and love for one another in our new family of five!  So we braved the clouds, rain, and water puddles and attached our lock to a part of the fence as a remembrance of our time in Seoul and to celebrate our new family!

The day was wearing us out, and we arrived back at the guesthouse for a late dinner and quick change of clothes in order to get the kids to bed.  All the kids were great troopers through all the shopping, subway rides, and climbing we had to do.  Joshua did really well hanging out in the carrier with us, and Nathan & Brooke made sure he was well entertained.  = )   But now, Jill & I had a lot of packing to do, as our ride back to the airport was coming at 8am the next morning.  We enjoyed a quick bite to eat with Rachel and Jared and said our final good-byes to each of them (they were great to have with us on our trip!  Thank you!!).  Yikes - how time flies in Seoul!  It's been almost a week....and now it's almost time to go.  One more night in the guesthouse, and then the long plane ride home.....

Our little guy *loves* water puddles!

Almost done!  Writing "Joshua 1:9" in Korean

The end result!

One row of locks at the Seoul Tower

Our lock, with the Seoul skyline in the background

Forever connected with Seoul!

Day 5 - Family Day!

 
The day has finally come.  September 3, 2012.

The day we had been waiting for since first turning in our application to our adoption agency back on September 1, 2010.  733 days of waiting.

And it's finally here.

It's Family Day - the day we welcome Joshua into our family!

As I sat in the hotel room the night before, I began thinking about what the next day would bring.  While I was waiting for Nathan & Brooke to fall asleep, I grabbed my Bible and opened it up to the book of Joshua.  There, sitting on the floor near our door, using the glow from the light of the bathroom, I reread the words of Joshua 1:9 once again and thought about our little Joshua and the challenges he would be facing in the next 24 hours.  This is the verse that Jill had been praying for Joshua the night before our first meeting.  Then, at that meeting we received a photo book of Joshua's first two years from the foster family, and toward the end under one of his pictures this verse was written out.  When Jill came across this, it was so encouraging for her to know the foster family had also found this verse meaningful, and may have even been praying it as well!  What a blessing from the Lord!  So, this night, I, too, began to pray.  I began to pray that Joshua would have strength to endure the unknowns he was about to face in transitioning away from everything he knew.  I prayed that he would be courageous in facing the challenges of adjusting to a new environment, a new family, a new country, and a new life.  I also prayed that he would not be terrified or discouraged by any of these adjustments and changes, but would instead know that the Lord God would be with him wherever he would go.  What a promise!  With the assurance of God's presence and involvement, there is no need for him - or us - to fear!  God's presence provides peace, hope, and life!

2nd Breakfast @ Dunkin'

Our schedule on Monday was light in the morning, so we decided to take a fun family trip down the street from the agency to sample some of Korea's finest morning pastries - Dunkin Donuts.  We loved having a little time to indulge and have a fun donut treat.

We were asked to attend an orientation meeting at 11am with other adoptive families that were also picking up their child.  In total, there were approximately 10-12 other couples represented - a good sized group to accommodate!  The meeting was hosted by one of the Vice President's of Eastern, who shared a few brief remarks and then showed an overview video of the agency and their services in the community.  In addition to adoption, Eastern also provides care and support to unwed mothers, physically and mentally disabled Koreans, elderly/senior citizens, and counseling services all across Korea.  How they do so much with so little is beyond my comprehension!  We were then given a brief tour of the babies room, where each of our kids spent the first 3-6 months of their lives before being placed in a foster family.  (this was the same room Jill & Rachel volunteered in the day before)

We then had a very nice Korean buffet lunch with the other families and were free to go once we finished.  Since our meeting with Joshua was shortly after lunch, we headed back upstairs to our room and relaxed before heading down to the small meeting room where our transfer would take place.

We arrived a few minutes early, but then greeted the foster mom, dad, two of their daughters, Joshua, and our case worker once again.  The foster family brought Nathan & Brooke another gift (children's books), along with a few more of Joshua's belongings and food.  The case worker asked Jill to sign a few papers, while Nathan & Brooke hung out playing with Joshua, sometimes watching a Korean cartoon on an iPhone while eating some snacks....sometimes running around the room playing.  I was trying to snap pictures of all that was happening (it was a little crazy!), while the foster mom and case worker explained a few things to Jill about Joshua's medicine for diahrea he had recently developed.

At one point when we were playing with Joshua, our case worker told us that the foster dad commented, "I can tell your family is very stable and have a lot of care for one another.  I am very happy to know that Joshua will be taken good care of in your home.  I can also see he will have a lot of fun and enjoy playing with your two other children."  Wow, someone pass the Kleenex please!  The foster dad didn't speak much when we were together, but his words carried so much weight and significance at that moment.  We were so grateful and honored for his kind words, and thanked him for all the love and care he and his family had given to Joshua during this time.  From one father to another father who cares very deeply for his son, this was one of those moments I don't think I'll forget.

After a few more minutes of playtime and wrapping up details, we were taken downstairs into the lobby, where we met up with all the other families who were picking up their children that afternoon.  As each child leaves Eastern with their adoptive family, it is customary for the President to pray over each child (an act that was started by the founder of the agency back in the 1970's).  Since the President was out of town that day, the Vice President led the group in a time of prayer for the children, foster families, and adoptive families.  Although the entire prayer was in Korean, I knew it was another powerful moment of asking for God's blessing, guidance, and support as each family began the process of raising up their adoptive children.  I was able to record the entire prayer on video, and hope to get it translated into English sometime soon so we can appreciate the prayer even more!  (anyone willing to translate?)

After the prayer, the difficult moment of separation and good-byes began.  The foster family handed Joshua over to us and began to cry, as did Joshua.  Our case worker directed us to get on the elevator to head upstairs.  We were trying to say "thank you" to the foster family again for the care they had given Joshua to this point.  And then the elevator doors closed, and we were on our way up to our room.  With Joshua crying, us crying, and our case worker holding our stuff, we headed upstairs to begin the transition with Joshua.  Words can't express the emotion of watching the elevator door close with his foster family on one side, us on the other.  From his perspective, it may have appeared we were taking him away from everything that he knew.  But yet we were so committed and excited to have him to love and nurture as our own.  Such a range of emotions, mixed with a lot of tears and happiness.

After some down time and cuddling with Jill in the room, Joshua decided it was time to play.  For the next 1.5-2 hours, Joshua was the most joyful, happy, funny little kid you could ever imagine.  Who would have thought?  He spent the majority of his time running up and down the hallway on our floor, smiling and giggling the entire way, while being chased by Jill or I to make sure he didn't fall and hurt himself.  We quickly learned we have a active little boy on our hands!  He also quickly found the two computers that were in the kitchen/common area of the floor and proceeded to not only turn them on (both the main unit and the monitor), but also shut them down properly and then back on again.  This kid knows technology!  He also explored the washing machine - putting in a few balls he was playing with, closing the door, turning the knobs, and pushing the button to start it.  In light of that, we took note that he'll be doing his own laundry once we arrived home (just kidding).  Overall, he provided us with a lot of great photo moments and laughter along the way.

After a little while we went out to a nearby playground area and his boundless energy only continued.  He traveled well in the baby carrier we brought from home, and was content the entire way there.  Once we arrived, he spotted a few older kids who were playing on one of those sit-in pedal cars and pushing it around.  Knowing that he loves those things (and all things cars), it was fun to watch him calculate the exact moment he was going to "move in" and commandeer the car from the bigger kids.  Needless to say, he didn't let anyone stand in his way....and he cruised around in the little car for a few minutes until we pulled him out and let the other kids have a turn.

We later headed back to the agency and the boundless energy only continued while I (Eric) went off in search of some incredible Korean cuisine known as McDonald's.  After dinner, Rachel & Jared stopped over to say hi and meet the little man, and they also got to experience the energy and excitement of Joshua!  So much fun to see him squeal and laugh!  Needless to say, at the end of the day, he was tired and Jill got him to sleep without too much difficulty - a true answer to prayer!

Our family day was filled with a lot of emotion, transition, and change, but one that was also filled with a lot of joy, happiness, and excitement as we finally welcomed little Joshua YoonSeo into our family!  Thank you for praying and supporting us on this very important day in the life of our family - we appreciate the support and encouragement as we've gone through this process and brought Joshua into our family!

Enjoy some of the pictures of our first day with Joshua!

Jill & the kids, playing with Joshua and one of his stuffed animals

Nathan & Brooke - all smiles about their new sibling!

The three kids, dancing and playing together

Checking out his new set of Pororo keys

First stroll out on the town (to the park) as a family of 5!

 

 

 

Our busy little boy enjoying some time at the park

Joshua getting ready to do laundry (he actually did!)

Day 4 - Sunday in Seoul

It's hard to believe our time here in Seoul is already half-way over.  It's flown by so quickly, we're realizing we have more on our list of things to see and do than we have time for!

The morning started off by attending church with some friends of Rachel's, who are teachers here at Seoul Foreign School.  They invited us to join them at Seoul Union Church, the oldest protestant church here in Korea.  They currently meet in a chapel at a nearby university, so we found our way and enjoyed an English service with other fellow believers and friends.

After church, we decided to do a little shopping at the local E-Mart to find some new toys for Joshua and possibly a few much needed groceries for ourselves.  E-mart is a huge department/discount store chain here in S. Korea that has almost everything you could imagine.  The one we visited was 4 floors tall, complete with a food court and full grocery section.  One could spend hours going through all the different departments and floors and find what you needed.....while the store goes through your wallet and finds every bit of won you have!  = )

We hung out in the toy section, and the kids helped us find a few Pororo the Penguin toys for Joshua.  Pororo the Penguin is a very popular kids cartoon character here in S. Korea, and we were told Joshua was a big fan (as most kids his age are).  We stocked up on a few special Pororo toys for him to open when we brought him back to our room at the guest house to help him feel more at home and have something he was familiar with.  We took a break for lunch at the food court, where we found some Korean food to eat.  Rachel ordered bibimbap, a signature Korean dish, that was prepared with baby fish and fish eggs.  Rachel, in her gracious loving way shared part of it with each of us, and we all got to try a bit of the tiny dried baby fish (even the kids!).  They've got something to share with their classmates at school when they return!

After lunch, Jill had expressed interest in wanting to spend some time in the baby room here at Eastern, where all the newborn babies are kept and cared for until they are able to be placed in a foster family.  With only four paid workers working in a baby room that cares for approximately 45-60 babies (low estimate), they are always eager to have volunteers come in and help hold babies, feed them bottles, or help them fall asleep.  I'm sure Jill will share later about her experience of spending time in the baby room, but suffice to say....when I walked in to check on her and Rachel, I counted 36 babies in one room alone.  A second smaller room was also full with babies.  In some cases, there were 3 babies sharing a space where typically only one or two would sleep.  Many of them were crying, a few taking their bottles (that were being propped up by something in their crib), and a few sleeping.  The workers were doing their best to meet the needs of each of the babies, but it was pretty overwhelming and heart-breaking to see all these little babies just lying there looking for someone to care for them and nurture them in the ways they needed it.  Joshua was also in this room when he was initially born for approximately 3 months, before he was transferred to his foster family.  It brought a deeper appreciation for these babies, the workers, and the incredible care they receive here at Eastern.  They do so much with so little.  Absolutely amazing to see.

Our evening plans took us to a true South Korean cultural experience - baseball!  Being big baseball fans (especially Nathan), we knew we had to take in a baseball game while we were here.  Jared (who lives here), bought tickets for a game between the SK Wyverns and the Doosan Bears, so we headed to the ballpark for a night of fun.  Jared told us that baseball games in Korea are unique, in that each team has equal number of tickets to sell to their fans.  In addition, those tickets are all located together, on opposite sides of the field, which results in huge group cheers, chants, and all out pandemonium when that team scores runs.  We were cheering for the SK Wyverns, which meant we were on the first base side, and surrounded by a sea of red and white jerseys, along with red "air bats" that the fans would beat together in unison to create the most deafening sound that could be heard blocks away.  Of course, we had to jump in on the fun, and so we grabbed a few sets and tried our best to mimic their motions and cheers the best we could!  Each team even provided their own cheerleaders and emcee to work their side of the stadium crowd, and got everyone involved in non-stop chants that lasted the entire inning.  We found a hot dog stand to grab a bit to eat at (in between the traditional Korean food stands that offered bulgogi, kimchi, and fresh dried squid, of course), and were quite pleased to see how cheap the prices were compared to ballparks in the States.  Hey Cubs....are you listening?  Nathan had his heart set on getting a baseball jersey, so we even took a trip to the souvenir shop and he was able to pick one out.  As for the game itself - it went back and forth all night until the 8th inning when the Bears took the lead 6-4, and the Wyverns weren't able to come up with a late 9th inning rally.   Either way, we still had a great time and it was a fun way to end another day in Seoul.

Our big "family day" happens tomorrow - when we finally welcome Joshua into our family!  Our most exciting and overwhelming day yet.....

A bite of Rachel's bibimbap - see the little fishy on the top?

Nathan & Brooke ready to make some noise!

Nathan sporting his new team loyalty!

Nathan & Brooke, loving the game!

Day 3 - Lotte World (And A Whole Bunch Of Fun)

After our incredibly emotional and overwhelming day of meeting Joshua for the first time on Friday, we had planned to go a bit lighter and have some fun with the kids in the city.  So we decided an all day trip to an amusement park was in the plans for the day.  Strap on your seat belts...it's time to ride....

Lotte World is one of the well-known amusement parks here in the city, and is an amusement park like no other.  We were told it runs a close comparison with Disney World/Disneyland in the U.S......and that's not a far exaggeration from the truth.  Although slightly older in it's appearance, it boasts of being both an indoor and outdoor amusement park, complete with themed areas (like Disney), a variety of rides, shows, food shops, and their own cast of loveable little characters to round out the experience.  And if that's not enough, they also have a large shopping mall attached to the park, a folk museum, a hotel, and an indoor ice rink for people to go skating at, should you have the urge to hone your skills and prepare for the next Winter Olympics.

Rachel joined us again today and we all had a great time walking around and taking in all the sights and sounds.  One of Nathan's favorites was the "Giant Loop" - a 360 degree spin circular rail that went forwards and backwards a number of times before stopping.  He was also a big fan of the "Gyro Drop", a ride where you were raised approximately 210 feet in the air while spinning around, and then after a brief moment at the top (while getting a great look of the Seoul skyline), the lock goes out and you drop into a free fall all the way back down to the ground.  One of Brooke's favorites was "The Conquistador", an old pirate looking ship that sat approximately 70 people at a time and swung back and forth, almost to the ceiling of the building.   And she also happened to get me (Eric) to go on those swirling teacups 2 different times too.  Yep, our kids have no fear of heights, motion-sickness, or that "stomach coming up in your throat" feeling!  Love it!

A fun story from the day happened when two Korean girls approached Brooke and Rachel while they were getting ready to go on a ride together.  They said something to them in Korean, and then showed them their iPad/tablet they were carrying.  Thinking they wanted Rachel to take a picture of them, she was preparing to take one.  But then the girls pointed to the screen where they wrote (in their best broken English), "We would like to give this little girl our stuffed animal, because she is so cute and sweet."  So, thanks to the graciousness of these two Korean girls, Brooke received a sweet gift of a soft, white, fluffy teddy bear, which she loved and held on to for the rest of day.  Brooke continues to be the attention getter, and she's handling it pretty well!

Because we were having so much fun and there were a lot of rides the kids still wanted to do, we ended up staying there later than we had originally intended to.  But who's keeping track of time when you're having this much fun?  We ended the night going on an indoor hot air balloon ride which took us on an aerial tour of the entire indoor part of the park, which was a great way to cap off a really fun day together.

Another busy day packed with a lot of fun and creating some great lasting memories with the kids!

Only one more day until we get to see Joshua again and he becomes ours!

The Giant Loop - after hanging upside down!

The indoor part of Lotte World

The mighty Gyro Drop - 210 feet of free fall!

Brooke & her new teddy bear

Brooke & Nathan meet Pororo and Lotty!

At the end of a long, exciting day at the park...

Day 2 - Our First Meeting With Joshua!

Friday was our first full day in S. Korea, and we were scheduled to have our first meeting with Joshua and his foster parents.  Feeling nervous, anxious, excited, scared, and even uncertain all ran through our minds and hearts as we woke up and were getting ready.  What would our one hour with Joshua look like?  How would he respond to us?  Would we be able to learn everything we wanted to learn from the foster parents about how to care for him?  Would he be able to understand that we are his parents?  We were about to find out, and we were having a hard time waiting for the clock to get to 10:50, the time when we were asked to arrive downstairs at the agency to meet with our case worker first and then Joshua.

After having a little breakfast and doing a quick walk around the neighborhood to find a bank and grocery store (only found the bank, not the grocery store), we came back upstairs to our room and did some last minute prep before heading down.  Gifts for the foster family?  Check.  Gifts for Joshua's case worker?  Check.  Toy and baby care donations, along with a few care packages from other families waiting for their kids?  Check and check.  After having everything ready to go, we spent a few final minutes praying for our meeting with Joshua, took a few pictures, and headed downstairs to the office where we were told to meet our case worker.

After some initial paperwork and interaction with her, we were led upstairs to the playroom where Joshua and his foster family were waiting for us.  The moment we walked in the door and saw Joshua for the first time was, in short, almost unexplainable.  The rush and excitement of meeting him for the first time was finally met with reality - he is here!  We are here!  We are finally together!  I don't think words can adequately describe our thoughts and feelings at that moment, except that we were overwhelmed with joy, excitement, and love for our son that we had, to that point, only known through a few pictures and brief medical updates we received every couple of months.

We were quickly introduced to his foster family - his foster mom, and her three older daughters, one of which also brought her husband.  Their warm, joyful "hellos" and smiles helped create a very comfortable, fun atmosphere to be in as we interacted with Joshua.  Here we were, two different families - unique in our culture, language, backgrounds, and geographic location, yet brought together by the common love and affection we have for this 23 month old little boy.  What an amazing thought to think about.  What an amazing bond we share.

The foster family brought Joshua over to us and Jill gave him a big, long hug.  Powerful and amazing.  Nathan & Brooke started engaging with him soon after, and we all enjoyed some playtime with Joshua, while laughing and smiling at his interaction and playful spirit that we all saw through his actions and smiles.  Up and down the slide he went, in and out of the play car he sat.  This boy loved to be active!  Although a bit cool and reserved at first, Joshua warmed up to us as our time in the room went on, eventually letting us hold him, tickle him, and feed him some snacks that we had brought along.

As is custom to do at this first meeting, we gave gifts to the foster family, which they enjoyed and were very appreciative of.  Likewise, the foster family brought some gifts for us, as well as a bag of clothes for Joshua and a few of his favorite toys and videos.  Along with some food or drink items they gave us (some were Joshua's favorites, some were for us), they made some really creative t-shirts for our entire family with pictures of all five of us on it.  They also made a beautiful hardcover photo book of Joshua's first two years, and another large photo album of pictures for us (with two jumpdrives that contained all the photos on them).  It was evident to us that they all had a very deep love and attachment to Joshua during his first two years, and wanted us to have a record of this precious time with them.  We were overwhelmed by their gratefulness and are so thankful for these precious gifts!

We interacted with Joshua throughout the entire hour we were in the room with him, taking a few pictures and video, as well as talking with the foster mom and daughters to learn more about Joshua and how we can best care for him and his needs.  Too much to share here on the blog, but suffice to say, he's full of energy, smiles, and a cute little grin that can turn into all out giggles when he's tickled in the right spot.  He also has a sense of adventure and exploring, so we'll see where that takes us in the years to come.....  = )

Near the end of our time, after a great time of playing and interacting with him, he began getting tired and being ready for his nap.  With that in mind, we wrapped up our time with him and the foster family and said our good-bye's, but only until Monday...when we will see him again and have the official transfer of him to us.

After our meeting, we were able to meet up with Rachel and Jared and grab some lunch and do some exploring in the city.  Since it was a beautiful day here in Seoul, we decided to tour Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of many famous palaces here in the city.  As we walked around and toured the grounds, we were amazed by the beauty and intricate artwork that was crafted into every building we saw.  We also checked out Dongdaemun Market, one of the many street markets that are popular here in Seoul where many shop and find good deals on a variety of items.  This specific market had a focus more on textiles, shoes, and clothes, and we found a few fun things at a pretty good deal.  But after a long day of meeting Joshua, walking around the large palace grounds, and then shopping at a market, we were ready for bed!  A quick subway ride home and we were in bed for the night!

Overall, our first full day here in Seoul was one of overwhelming emotion and thoughts due to our first meeting with Joshua, but one that will be permanently impressed upon our hearts as the day we were introduced to our son for the very first time.

Brooke perhaps said it best when we were coming back to our guesthouse at the end of the day.  While carrying her through one of our subway stops, she wearily looked up at me and said in her sweet little voice, "I just want to see Joshua again."  And then put her head back down on my shoulder to rest.

Yes, sweetie, we all do.  And next time, we won't need to say good-bye.

Joshua!

Daddy & Joshua, checking out one of J's favorite Korean cartoons

Mommy & Joshua, enjoying the slide together

Joshua already learning lessons from his big brother....

Mommy helping Brooke hold Joshua for the first time.

The siblings...together at last!

Joshua's extended foster family - full of love and joy!

At the Gyeongbokgung Palace

Brooke at the Gyeongbokgung Palace

Day 1 - Travel & Transition

Our journey to Korea started yesterday morning and got dropped off at the airport and checked in for our long 14 hour non-stop flight to Seoul.  6 suitcases, and 4 carry ons between the 4 of us.  After a 2 hour flight delay while we waited for our plane to arrive, we were off and ready to roll!

The kids did great on the flight, thanks in part to the many movies, video games, and activities they had for them to do.  Between a large variety of movies to watch, electronic games to play (Nathan beat me in Yahtzee), and a few things we had brought ourselves, the time went by quickly.  Thankfully, we all had a chance to get a few hours of sleep, which helped when we arrived in Seoul and it was 5:30pm (and rainy).

We were met at the airport by a driver from our adoption agency who was ready to give us a ride back to our guest house, where we are staying during our time here.  He was the greatest - very kind, knew a little English, and loved the kids!  He kept commenting how we have “great kids”, and Joshua is very fortunate to have “a great older brother and sister” to play with.  So kind of him...and a great way to be introduced to the Korean people (very gracious and loving)!

After we got settled into our room, we were eager to try and locate a dear family friend of ours, Rachel, who was planning to meet us here in Seoul for the week.  Rachel attended our church and was a volunteer adult leader in our high school ministry for almost 7 years before she became a missionary and moved to the Philippines.  She’s been a close family friend of ours over the years, and had offered to spend the week with us in Korea when we came to pick up Joshua.  What a blessing!!  The kids were super excited when she appeared in the lobby of our guest house, and there were hugs and kisses all around!  We hadn’t seen Rachel since over a year ago, so it was really fun to reconnect with her.  We were also introduced to Jared, a friend of hers who she knows that lives in Seoul, and together we decided to grab some quick Korean food before calling it a night.

We ended up finding this inexpensive Korean “quick service” restaurant nearby the agency, and quickly became immersed in the full Korean experience - not being able to read the menus, unable to communicate to the locals....but loving every minute of it!  Thankfully, Jared knew the Korean language and helped us find some great food that we enjoyed (who knew fried pork with cheese inside would be so good?).  The fun part of the evening came near the end, when the restaurant’s owner (?) came over and expressed a great interest in Brooke and Nathan.  We had been told that Koreans are fascinated with blonde-haired children, and even want to take pictures with them or touch their heads, faces, etc.  We had prepared the kids that this may happen from time to time, but it was still fun to watch it.  The owner definitely enjoyed seeing Nathan & Brooke, and we all enjoyed the fun it brought!

Brooke, Rachel, & Nathan - all smiles!

Day 1 in the books.....Day 2 is now just beginning, and the first time we get to meet Joshua (in 2 hours!).  = )

Our Video Letter To Joshua

Back in February when we had our adoption dinner, we created a short "video letter" to Joshua that introduced ourselves and told him a bit more about us.  At the time, we were only able to show it to those who were at our dinner, but really wanted to share it with others - especially those who weren't able to make it!

Now that we're on the eve of our departure to Korea....it's time.  = )

Hope you like it!

Next update - from Korea!

P.S.  If you'd like to learn how you can help us as we travel (in prayer and/or financial support), please click here for more info.  Thanks!

Love in A Ziploc Bag

Throughout our waiting process we've had the opportunity to send over a few care packages with other families who are traveling to Korea to pick up their child.  Since our referral (when we were matched with Joshua), we've had the chance to send over three packages, each filled with a few different things for Joshua and his foster family.  We are limited to only sending over one gallon sized Ziploc bag of "love" at a time, so what we put in it has to fit and be sealed tightly (easier said than done).  How do you stuff all your love in a gallon sized Ziploc bag?

Well, with our most recent package (#3), we were a bit more creative than in the past.  = )   In this package we included a few new updated pictures of our family, some Starbucks VIA coffee packets (for his foster parents, not him!), and a little fun Cubs outfit (gotta start him off right!). 

Knowing that we were getting closer to meeting Joshua, we also wanted to help prepare him for that time of transition into our family.  So, Jill made a music CD of her singing some baby lullaby songs that we hope his foster family will use to help him fall asleep at night, so he can begin to get used to Jill's voice.  We also purchased a Korean-English copy of "Guess How Much I Love You" and made a video of Jill and I reading it to him and put it on a DVD and jumpdrive.  And not only did Jill and I make a video of us reading to him....Nathan and Brooke got in on the act too and picked out a story of their own to read to their big brother along with playing a few songs they just learned on the piano.  We had a lot of fun putting together a little "music and stories for Joshua."  We hope the videos will help him not only become familiar with our faces, but also our voices so he'll be more comfortable with us when we bring him home.


And here's what the result looked like.  Enjoy!

Travel Plans Getting Set!

After receiving our long awaited travel call last week to be able to go to Korea and bring Joshua home, we've been in "travel planning mode" and trying to get all our travel arrangements made and finalized.

Eastern Social Welfare Society (the agency we are partnered with in S. Korea) has requested that we arrive in Korea no more than two weeks after our travel call, so our window of time to travel is a bit tight, but not too tight that we can't make things work!  After waiting for 1.5 years for this to come, we're doing what we can to pull everything together to go see our son for the very first time!

After looking over a number of options for flights, we are booked to fly out on a non-stop 14 hour flight to Seoul on Wednesday, August 29.  Then, after spending the necessary days to take care of our adoption-related appointments and a few days to sight see and explore around Seoul, we'll arrive back home on Wednesday, September 5.....with Joshua!

We also just received our itinerary of the times when our adoption appointments will be held at the agency:


-Friday morning 8/31, 10-11am:  first meeting with Joshua & foster parents
-Monday morning, 9/3, 11am:  meeting with the Executive director of Eastern
-Monday lunch, 9/3, noon:  luncheon with Executive director, workers, and other visiting adoptive families
-Monday afternoon, 9/3, 1:30-2:00pm:  final meeting with Joshua and transfer of custody to us


We hope to blog a bit about our time while we are there, and would love to have you join us on the journey.  You can follow along with us in one of the ways listed on the right side of our blog - email updates, Google Friend Connect, or RSS feeds.  Either way, we hope to bring a little insight and fun while we spend our time over in Seoul getting Joshua and exploring the city!

T-minus 6 days and counting.....

Travel Call!!

So it just started out as any other day.....and then it all changed when....we got the call!

After hearing of Joshua's VI being scheduled, we knew it was a matter of 24-48 hours until we would likely receive a call from our adoption agency letting us know we were cleared to travel.  This was exciting to hear, but anxious since we didn't know exactly when it would come.  Every time the phone rang at home, we all jumped with anticipation a bit thinking it may be "the call".

Wednesday morning came and I (Eric) headed off to work at church for another regular day of work, while Jill remained home with the kids.  Thinking I may get a call from Jill sometime, I kept my phone in my pocket so wherever I was in church I could (hopefully) get the call.  Our cell service is a bit spotty at times, but I hoped for the best.

Then around noon, as I was in my office reading, I looked up and saw Nathan standing in my doorway with his hands behind his back yelling "Boo!" with a big grin on his face.  Jill & Brooke quickly followed, and they explained how they had a surprise for me.  Nathan gave me a bag that the three of them had filled with 3 of my favorite items - espresso beans (from Just Love Coffee), Ghirardelli chocolate mocha powder, and a new bottle of toasted marshmallow syrup from Caribou (all essential ingredients to make my favorite coffee drink, a campfire mocha!).  Also in the bag was a little handwritten note from Joshua (with a little help from Jill) which read:

Dear Daddy, I'm ready and waiting for you, Mommy, my big brother Nathan, and big sister Brooke to bring me home!  Here is a little coffee just in case you get a little behind on sleep taking care of me.  See you soon!  I love you!  Love, Joshua

My gift and note from Joshua!

It didn't take me any more time to realize that we got the call we had been waiting for since September 2010 when we turned in our initial application to our agency!  Wow!

After a few minutes of taking a few pictures and celebrating, we retreated downstairs to our h.s. room where Jill & the kids brought a quart of Oberweiss chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and we had ourselves a little ice cream party (with a bowl and spoon reserved for Joshua, of course!).  A lot of fun....and lots of smiles to go around from the whole family!

Daddy & Nathan celebrating our Travel Cal

We continued the celebration later that night by going to the local Korean supermarket (the "Super H-Mart") nearby.  Besides Jill giving me a tutorial on what types of food I may need to run out and get for our little guy, we spent the most time in the fresh bakery cafe area and each picked out a fresh baked Korean pastry.  Somehow I think this stop may be part of any future visit we make to the H-Mart.....  = )

Jill & Brooke, enjoying their Korean pastries

So now we're in "travel prep" mode as we work to finalize flight arrangements, lodging, and other arrangements for our time in Korea.  In addition, we're getting our suitcases ready and packing them tight!  Our Korean agency expects us to travel within 2 weeks of our travel call, so time is of the essence!

But for now, we're celebrating and excited to finally be at this point in the journey...and the best is yet to come!

Thanks to many of you who have been praying for us and this exciting time!  Please don't stop!  We appreciate your prayer and support as we go through the final prep and travel to Korea.  You can read about some of our specific prayer needs here.

Joshua - here we come!