Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas!

This year we thought we'd put our Christmas letter online. We're still mailing out cards, but the letter is online. We hope you enjoy it. Click here to view it. It will open up in Google Docs, but we recommend you download the original version for the best quality.  Once it opens, click Download Original in the upper right corner of the page.  You'll need Adobe Acrobat to view the original version. If you don't have it, you can get it from Adobe for free. Or if you let us know, we'll mail you a copy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Let's hear it for the Ears

This summer Cami and Kylie were set to get their ears pierced together when Aladodo and Papa and also Mike, Allison, and the kids were in town. When we got to the mall, Cami saw a little girl crying after getting her ears pierced and opted not to get them done. Kylie still got hers done as we all watched. So brave!

For the past few months, Cami has been asking to try again. She said she is now ready for her ears to be pierced. We waited a few months to make sure it is something she still wanted. This weekend, Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Neil were in town. We took a girls trip to the mall (although the boys were also in the mall) to get Cami's ears done. We didn't tell her until we got there. She was so excited!!!! She picked out several pairs of earrings before narrowing it down to the one she wanted...flowers in the color of her birthstone. She sat by herself in the chair then decided it might be less scary sitting on mom's lap. Grandma took pictures as Cami bravely sat and had her ears pierced. We are so proud of the big girl she is!

Cami said it hurt a little bit when they "poked" her ears, but she is so happy that she did it!

Korean Language Dinner

We spent the last few months attending the UW Korean Language class for beginners. Tonight we rewarded ourselves with a delicious dinner at K-Peppers.

We waited to tell the kids about our Korean dinner until right before we walked in the door. They had heard about my trips to K-Peppers in the past for dinner w/ friends or a Mom's Night out. Any place that serves good Korean food is a place the kids want to go! They were very excited to hear our surprise. We all enjoyed a delicious dinner and great company. Can't wait to go back!

Happy Gotcha Day Ian!

Ian with Foster Mother

4 years ago today our lives were changed forever as we met with Ian's foster mother one last time and did the "hand off". As a very experienced foster mother, she showed only happiness of handing the child she took care of for so long over to his forever family. Ian wasn't so sure of this as he only knew the love and care of his foster mother. It would be a long journey to bond and develop the trust he had with the woman who made him his favorite pumpkin porridge every day.

Ian in December 2007

Christmas Pictures

We headed to the State Capital to take our Christmas pictures. We were suppose to get them done a few weeks ago, but Ben had an accident and his face met the sidewalk which caused major scrapes on his face. We opted to cancel the pictures and give his face time to heal. Although it was damp and chilly, it made for a nice day to be inside (and a little outside) the capital to get our pictures done. A friend from ALCS who has a photography business, Melanie Guest Photography, did our photo shoot. We love how our pictures turned out and can't wait to use her as our photographer in the future!

Father/ Son bike ride

Ben, Alex, and Zach

Our FTKA group had a father/son bike ride last weekend. Due to the cold weather, only 3 dads and their kids went on the ride. Ben and Justin had a great time!

40K Blog

I have been following a blogger whose focus is teaching classes and also posting deals and coupons online on how to save money. She saved her family $40,000 by couponing. I love getting good deals and love any chance to help others save money too.

This week I received a card in the mail from the Wisconsin State Journal for 13 weeks of the newspaper for free. I signed up then shared it with the 40K blogger. Today she posted it on her site!!!

This is from an email from a reader -- so THANK YOU to Dana M for sharing this! If you do NOT subscribe, this offer should work for you.
:)

We just received a card in the mail from the Wisconsin State Journal. A good deal for those who do not subscribe to the paper. They are offering 13 weeks FREE of either the daily or Sunday only paper. The link is go.madison.com/13weekfree


Great way to get coupons when you are first starting out!
Thanks for all of your helpful tips!

Dana M.

As heard in Eastside Preschool...

Something pretty cool today...

Ian's teacher, Mrs. Novotny, stopped me today when I was dropping off Chloe. She stated that during preschool yesterday, she asked the kids to tell her some of the jobs their moms and dads do. Some kids stated that mom cleans the house, dad works in an office, etc. Ian raised his hand and told her that "My mom and dad give money to people that don't have any money"

Wow! While we don't give handouts to everyone, we do try to teach the kids to give to those who are less fortunate. I don't think they understand completely what that means or why, but someday they will.

What a blessing to have a teacher tell you something positive, especially on a day when my youngest child was a little challenging and this mom's frustration grew and patience lessened.

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween

from a race car driver, pirate, and a princess witch

Mommy and Kids weekend

Daddy and our friend Brian flew to Las Vegas for the weekend to run the Hoover Dam marathon. The kids and I decided it would be fun to get out of the house and have some fun. Since we have not been bowling since summer, we thought it would be a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

My kids are great bowlers! They have such passion. They are encouraging to each other and celebrate each pin as they are knocked down. Mommy enjoyed watching since my back is no longer up for that type of activity.

We missed daddy, but know that he is having a great time in Las Vegas!

Ian's Alphabet

Today we got a special note in Ian's backpack...

Ian wrote the entire alphabet in his journal at Sandburg today!

We are so proud of Ian for working so hard in school!

A Day to Play

With Ian in 3 different schools, time with him seems to be limited. He has 6 weeks off from Phonology, so we are down to 2 schools. Today he went to Eastside and is suppose to go to 4K for the afternoon. It turned out to be a bright and sunny day after the forecast stated it was suppose to be a little chilly and rainy. I decided that we would stay home and hang out for the afternoon. We ate lunch then headed outside to enjoy the weather. Ian practiced riding his bike, took a spin on his big wheel, and practiced on the scooter. We played basketball together. Ian scored lots of "touchdowns"(I smiled as I reminded him that they were baskets). We came inside played legos for a while then looked at our newest photo album from Shutterfly. The afternoon is almost over and it is time to get Ben and Cami from school.

I love my job. As difficult as it is some days and as much driving that I do on a weekly basis, I wouldn't trade it for anything! I love my kids and am thankful that I get to be the one to take them to school, pick them up, and spend the mornings and the evenings with them. I may not be a perfect mom, but I try my best and pray that the kids know that they are loved and valued.

My Story Lifebooks

We ordered a template from My Story Lifebooks several weeks ago. I have been meaning to start the kids Lifebooks, but wasn't sure how to start or where to begin. A friend had posted something on Facebook about this template, so I checked out the Facebook page. WOW! This is exactly what I needed to get moving on making the kids Lifebooks. I started with Ian's book. I am almost done! I just need a few more pictures to be scanned in and put in the book. My next book will be Cami's and then Ben's.

Check out this site.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Story-Lifebooks/281869076331

Teaching our Daughters

I saw this posted on Facebook and I pray that we are able to teach Cami that she is worth so much in our eyes and in God's eyes. We pray that she is blessed with a godly husband who will always treasure her.

We also pray that we can teach this to our sons.

Happy Fall

The summer is over and school is in full swing. I crave my time at home since I spend most of my days driving around Madison. I get Ian into his van in the morning which takes him to Phonology on the west side. After the Badger van pulls away, my kids and my daycare kids, who are already in our van and we head to take them to school. After drop off, Chloe and little Ben and I head to do an errand or two before heading to the west side to get Ian. We usually arrive a little early at school which gives me time to read and the kids time to be silly and either read their books, watch a movie or just keep listening and singing along to the kids songs on the CD. We pick up Ian and head back to the east side to Chloe's school. With a picnic lunch already packed, we either eat on our way or we wait to get to her school and have a picnic and play on the playground equipment. We drop Chloe off for her school and head a few minutes away to Ian's 4K program. Little Ben and I head home for some craft time snack time and a walk around the block and head back in the car to get all the kids from their schools.

Yes, my days are crazy busy! Thankfully we go in 6 weeks on and off for Phonology, so we are looking forward to a much needed break from driving so much in just a few weeks. Even though we spend a lot of time driving and more on gas than normal, I wouldn't give up the blessing I have to take my kids to school and be there for them during the day. I am thankful that they don't have to rely on a school bus to take them everywhere they need to be. Instead, they have Mommy Bus!

Happy Chuseok 2011

An excerpt from visitkorea.or.kr

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=811650

Chuseok (추석) is by far the biggest and most important holiday in Korea. It is a time when family members from near and far come together to share food and stories and to give thanks to their ancestors for the abundant harvest.

This year (2011) Chuseok Day falls on Monday, September 12, but the holiday is observed for a total of three days (Sept. 11 – Sept. 13). For internationals, Chuseok is a prime opportunity to go sightseeing in the major cities since many Koreans return to their hometowns in the countryside, leaving the city attractions relatively crowd-free. Visitors need note, however, that many places (especially stores and restaurants) may be closed for Chuseok Day or the entire Chuseok holiday.

Chuseok is one of Korea’s three major holidays, along with Seollal (New Year’s Day) and Dano (the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar year) and is also referred to as Hangawi (한가위), meaning “the ides of August” (August 15th according to the lunar calendar).

Hangawi/Chuseok was the day on which Koreans, an agrarian people throughout most of history, thanked their ancestors for the year’s harvest and shared their abundance with family and friends. Although the exact origin of Chuseok is unclear, the tradition can be traced back to ancient religious practices that centered around the significance of the moon. The sun’s presence was considered routine, but the full moon that came once a month, brightening the night sky, was considered a special and meaningful event. Therefore, harvest festivities took place on the day of the bright, full moon (Aug. 15 of the lunar year).

As heard from Ian today...

Ian: Daddy, when you are dead, can I have your baseball glove?

Daddy: How about you use it when I am not dead

Ian: Uh...alright.

Ian: Mommy, when we have a fire, will you get all my binkies (aka blankets)

Mommy: Ian, hopefully we will never have a fire.

Ian: Well, when we do, will you get all my binkies and meet me outside

Mommy: Let's pray to Jesus and ask him to keep the fire away (we said a little prayer asking Jesus to keep our family and our house safe from fire)

Ian: So, you will get my binkies safe from the fire and meet me outside, right???

Mommy: Yes sweetheart, I will.

Ian: Ok Mommy, I love you the best!

Pottery

Earlier this summer I purchased a coupon from one of the "better than half price" sites. A friend of mine and I have been looking for coupons to use toward fun things to do over the summer. We both purchased on for a pottery place. Week after week we talked about putting a pottery date on the calendar. My childcare has been full which means most days I am unable to go anywhere. I enjoy this, yet I sometimes feel trapped in being able to take the kids to fun places like the pottery place. Finally this week we decided to go. We headed to the west side after lunch. We arrived and spent about 20 minutes trying to pick out a piece for each of the kids (my 3 and 2 of my daycare kids). The kids had such a great time expressing themselves with the paint. Ben made a bowl and Cami made a princess mirror. They both have amazing artistic ability that I can only dream of having. Ian painted away. I love how carefree he is. He just paints away, loving every minute of it. I love that! We have to leave it there until next week. I can't wait to see how they turn out. The kids are so proud and so is their mom!

101 Summer Fun Things To Do In Madison

This list come from Julie Henning at Madison Loves Kids - and can be seen here

In no particular order or importance, here are 101 ideas for summer fun in and around Madison, Wisconsin. Many of the venues are on the Madison Loves Kids iPhone app. As always, follow Kid Friendly Madison on Facebook for timely events and suggestions.

Have a good one!


Watch an evening performance of the Mad City Ski Team (water ski, that is).

Let Rudabaga Outfitters teach your family to kayak.

Spend the day getting splattered at Apocolypse Paintball.

Complete the Sun Prairie Geocaching Challenge.

Letterbox at Glenwood Children’s Park.

Help the volunteers complete the new BMX Track in DeForest.

Have a picnic at the Concord Zoo (Exit 275 on I-94).

See The Young Shakespeare Players in their first performance of the season.

Find a frog at Picnic Point.

Splash and play at Conservancy Way (DeForest).

Yell “Kastup!” at the National Mustard Museum.

Shop for deals at the Mattel Store on the American Girl campus in Middleton.

Earn a free ticket to the Mallard’s Game through your local library reading program.

Climb Gibraltar Rock (but hang on tight to your toddlers please).

Ride the Merrimac Ferry (both ways).

Tour Sassy Cow Creamery and have an ice cream cone.

Take in the Highway 18 drive in.

Feed the cute goats at Kappell Park in Waunakee.

Visit Jimmy the Groundhog at Jerry’s Apples in Sun Prairie.

Brush up on your physics at the LR Ingersoll Physics Museum.

Cool off and get your sluice on at Cave of the Mounds.

Paint some pottery (Madison has at least two different studios).

Look for the fabric fairy at the Create Studio Lounge.

Ian’s Pizza by the slice.

“Billet on” at Boulder’s Climbing Gym.

Compare the indoor play areas at East Towne and West Towne Malls.

Canoe down the Wisconsin River (Wisconsin River Outfitters can help).

Coffee shops with kids areas (caffeine and crayons for everyone).

Kids eat free on Tuesdays as many local restaurants (we like Market Street Diner in Sun Prairie).

Visit a dream park in Deerfield, Monona, Fitchburg, Janesville, or Sun Prairie.

Story time at the UW Geology Museum.

Ride the train at Little Amerricka in Marshall.

Ride the train at Mid-Continent in North Freedom.

Make a sand castle at Maple Bluff beach.

Talk to a naturalist at Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

Paddle a swan on Lake Wingra.

Ride the carousel at Ella’s Deli or the Henry Vilas Zoo.

Open skate at Fast Forward.

Bowling (many places have Kids Bowl Free all summer long).

Hike on the stroller-friendly trails at MacKenzie Nature Center in Poynette.

Find a horse. Ride a trail.

Collect your pennies and find some fountains.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens (outside or in).

Frosting overload at Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery.

Discounted movies at Marcus Theaters (search for “Kids Rule”).

Splash, swim, and sunbathe at an aquatic center (in Madison and surrounding towns).

Ice cream (and bait) at at the Monona Bait and Ice Cream Shop.

Find the museum at Folklore Village in Dodgeville.

Pick berries (strawberries are ready now).

Migrate to the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo.

Fly a kite or play frisbee golf (McCarthy Park has a new course).

People watch at the Memorial Union.

Check out a free kids activity pack at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Make a salad (but get the vegetables from a local farmer’s market or your own garden).

Learn about badgers and mining at Pendarvis.

Pizza and games at Rocky Rococco or Chuck E. Cheese.

Take a tour of the capitol building (get your rotunda on).

Dinner and a movie at the Stoughton Cinema Cafe.

Let your kids get crafty at The Glitter Workshop.

Community events at The Goodman Center.

Fondue for two at The Melting Pot.

Shop for shoes (and see the parrots) at The Shoebox.

Play mini-golf or the do the real thing at Vitense Golfland.

Look for superheroes at Westfield Comics.

Go on rides and see the animals at the Dane County Fair.

Cool down in the Lodi Pool and look for Suzie the Duck.

Take a field trip to Old World Wisconsin.

Take a field trip to Circus World.

Take a field trip to the Cranberry Discovery Center.

Take a field trip to Palermo’s Pizza.

Take a field trip to Forevertron.

Finally enjoy the rooftop exhibits at the Madison Children’s Museum.

Learn how cheese is made at Babcock Dairy Hall.

Fourth of July parades and fireworks.

Camp in your backyard, at a state park, or a private campground.

Press a penny at the Wisconsin Historical Museum.

Eat popcorn on State Street.

Talk about the Civil War at Camp Randall.

Find a 5K race and run or walk with your kids (many have 1 or 2 mile fun runs).

Bike the entire “Planet Trek Dane County” (from Monona Terrace to Mount Horeb).

Play inside at Legacy Academy.

Be inspired at the Monroe Street Fine Arts Center.

Play ball at Hitter’s Sports Complex.

Bounce around at Pump it Up or Bouncy Town USA.

Open tumble at Madtown Twisters or Gymfinity.

Say “uff da!” at Little Norway.

Open skating at the Ice Pond in Waunakee.

More farms and orchards (Trienen, Hinchley, Busy Barn, Elegant Farmer, Schusters, Waldvogel or Epelgaarden, to name a few)

Complete the Junior Ranger Program (pick up a booklet at Governor Dodge State Park).

Shop for survival gear at the Glacier’s Edge Council store (boy scouts rule).

See Sam Sanfillippo’s stuffed animal dioramas.

Music programs and church camps.

Swimming lessons at the YMCA or your local Parks & Rec.

Visit the animals at Animart or the Humaine Society.

Tour the new Discovery Center in the heart of the UW-Madison campus.

Have lunch and watch planes land at The Jet Room.

Hike at Devil’s Lake.

Say “ommm” at Bliss Flow Yoga (kids can play while parents stretch).

Register for a summer sports camp at MATC.

See the Midget Racing at the Angell Park Speeday (bring old clothes and ear plugs).

Unplug and relax.

Cami's Snack Day

During the school year, kids get to bring in snacks to share with the class. If you have a birthday during the school year, you get to pick a treat and bring it in for the class. Since Cami's birthday is in the summer, she was able to bring in a summer birthday treat this past week for her class. After a lot of thinking, she decided on Ice Cream Sundae Cones. She was very excited for the special treat. She had fun handing it out to her friends. Ian even enjoyed helping by handing out the napkins.

Mommy's New Toy

Love my new Keurig Machine. The kids love it too! Ian helped me set it up (really easy) then helped brew the first cup. He chose Hot Chocolate.

FTKA Dad's Morning Out

This past Saturday, our Korean Adoption Group had a Dad's morning out. The dads and their kids met at the Arboretum and went for a hike. They stopped at a shelter to take a picture. The boys had a great time on the brisk morning.

Grandparents Day

One of the kids favorite school days has finally arrived...Grandparents Day! Ben and Cami enjoyed Aladodo's visit last year and couldn't wait for Grandma Sandy to come to school this year.

Even though Aladodo and Papa couldn't be here in person, they were able to come to Grandparents Day in the form of Grandma and Grandpa on a stick.

Miss Rohrer starts the day with the kids introducing Grandmas and Grandpas.

Purple Park

A beautiful day, unfortunately they are few and far between lately. We spent the morning at swim class then headed to pick up Mimi. I planned ahead for lunch so we could stop at a park on the way home from school. The kids decided on the "Purple" Park.

balance...

crossing the bridge

swing time

In honor of Mother's Day

LEGACY OF AN ADOPTED CHILD

Once there were two women

Who never knew each other

One you do not remember

The other you called mother

Two different lives

Shaped to make yours one

One became your guiding star

The other became your sun

The first gave you life

And the second taught you to live it

The first gave you a need for love

And the second was there to give it

One gave you nationality,

The other gave you a name

One gave you a seed of talent

The other gave you aim

One gave you emotions

The other calmed your fears

One saw your first sweet smile

The other dried your tears

One gave you up

It was all that she could do

The other prayed for a child

And God led her straight to you

And now you ask me through your tears

The age old question through the years

Is it “Heredity” or “Environment” –Which are you the product of?

Neither my Darling, neither

Just two different kinds of love.

-Author Unknown

Royal Wedding and A Knight for a Princess

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was celebrated all over the world, including Madison, WI. The kids were able to dress up in their fancy wedding clothes for school and celebrate with tea and cookies. Ben had an oral book report that day, which he had to dress up for. Thankfully he had to wear nice clothes for that, which fit into the wedding dress up theme. Cami was excited to get out her hat and gloves and one of her dresses.

That night, Daddy escorted Cami to A Knight For A Princess at City Church. It is an opportunity for dad's to take their daughters out for a nice dinner and dancing, kind of like a prom for dads and daughters. Cami was looking forward to this all week!

Daddy brought his date flowers, which made her smile from ear to ear!

Cami spent a lot of time getting ready, making sure she looked perfect (even though daddy already thinks shes perfect)

They had dinner, played games, did crafts, and danced. They both had a wonderful time!

Photo Essay: Korean Adoption

Thank you Yvonne for sharing this...

http://busanhaps.com/article/photo-essay-korean-adoption

Since 1953 over 150,000 Korean children have been placed with adoptive families overseas. From 1987 to 1997 the yearly average dropped from 8,000 per year to 2,057 and in 2009 there were 1,050 children adopted by families in other countries. Jeanne Modderman turns her lens towards the compelling story of international adoption in Korea.

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Between delivery and placing them with a foster family, babies usually spend their first few weeks in the adoption agency's nursery. The nurseries are usually crowded with a handful of caregivers to look after them.

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A foster mother releases her foster child to her adoptive mother. After caring for these babies for the first months of their lives, it can be difficult, especially for first time foster mothers, to let them go.

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One week after her delivery, Sae-Rong, 18, put her baby girl up for adoption. She was unaware of her pregnancy until 7 months in, when she noticed she had gained weight. With strong objections from her family to keep the baby and no support from her boyfriend's family, she made the decision, like many Korean unwed mothers, to put her baby up for adoption.

While staying at a home for unwed mothers, she wrote a letter to her baby, saying " When we were sending you off, I wanted to keep you in my arms. How could I be giving up my own flesh and blood? Please don't forget about me and please look for me."

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After escaping North Korea and living in China for the past five years, Keum-Joo, 30, made it to South Korea. There she delivered a baby at an unwed mother's home in Pyeongtaek. With no family and little support, she chose to place her baby boy for adoption so that he might have a better life than she could provide.

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Nick Breedlove stares out the window as he awaits the arrival of his adopted sister from S.Korea.

Laura and Paul Breedlove decided to adopt their first child, Nick, after they were unsuccessful conceiving their own children. Soon after, they applied to adopt their daughter Lily.

Laura arrives at Baltimore/Washington International airport with Lily. Laura spent two weeks visiting Korea before flying back home with her new daughter.

Korean adoptee, Jocelyn Schulken (far right) and her friends pose for a picture at their neighborhood playground.

Two dolls, one asian and one caucasian, lay on Jocelyn's bed.

The Schulken family make sure to talk about adoption and learn about Korean culture. Jocelyn is currently enrolled in Korean Culture Camp.

Jocelyn speaks on the phone to her grandmother as her mom stands by.

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Allen Majors, an adoptee from Illinois, was one of the first babies adopted out of South Korea through the Holt International Adoption agency. On his visit to Seoul he continued searching for any birth family. Due to the lack of records and information he has had no luck.

Maria Hermann (right) is a bi-racial adoptee living in Massachusetts. On her first visit back to Korea, Maria visited the Pearl Buck International museum, one of the only agencies that found adoptive families for children of mixed race.

Daniel Gray is the creator of Seoul Eats, a popular food blog dedicated to Korean cuisine as well as the co-owner of O'ngo Food Communications, a culinary tourism company. Adopted when he was five, he returned to Korea to learn about his roots. He has successfully made his career and life in Korea.

Amy Ginther was adopted to New York in 1983. She has become increasingly involved in the expat theater community in the three years since she has lived in Seoul. She is also the creator and star of "Between", a one woman show about her adoption and identity.