a long three years it was

Three years ago, we took a huge leap of faith and answered the call of adoption that had been on our heart for years.  We didn't know where our journey of adoption would lead or how long it would take, but we did know God would lead us.  Through it all, He was faithful--never leaving us to journey alone.

August 2011: We walked into the adoption agency knowing only one thing--God was calling us to adopt.

September 2011:  Began the arduous task of completing enough paperwork to kill a small forest.

October 2011:  Had our first home study visit & lived to tell about it

November 2011:  Unbeknownst to us, a beautiful baby boy, who would become our son, was born on the other side of the world.

January 2012:  Completed the many hours of adoption ed credit...yes, it's as exciting as it sounds ;)

April 2012:  Home study completed and approved!

The process of waiting for a referral begins.  We were expecting a referral in a/b 8 mths.

June 2012:  Forget 8 mths, a call beginning with, "There's this baby..." came, taking us completely by surprise!

July 2012:  Completed even more paperwork and sent it, along with all required fees, to SK!!!  A miracle of miracles..

November 2012:  Our sweet boy turned 1!!

January 2013:  An adoption law that would come to affect us greatly, in terms of how long we'd wait, took effect in SK.

Feb-May 2013 Complete and total silence while those in charge in SK determined how the new law would apply to international families.

July 2013 Our paperwork had moved up the line and was being readied for submission to the government.

Aug 2013 Paperwork submitted to government for EP

November 2013 Received EP and our sweet boy turned 2!!!

December 2013 after much waiting and wringing of the hands, we were given a court date!!

January 2014 went to SK to meet our sweet Sam and to go to court

February 2014 the hardest waiting of all--waiting for final approval, which came on the 27th

March 2014 After three years of walking this journey, SAM CAME HOME!  To God be the glory!

friday night special: the easy way

The uppa brought "the crud" home with him last Sunday when home from a weekend on the road, and we all took our turn with it this week.  In times past, when I came home from school not feeling well, I would eat cereal for supper and be done with it.  That's not possible now that I have a certain growing little boy who is always ready to eat ;).  Thanks to my (limited) Korean cooking experience and to Pinterest, I have the perfect go-to recipe for times such as these.  Sam was none the wiser about the simplicity of the recipe and left the table with happy taste-buds and a full tummy!

the better late than never friday night special

For Friday's feast, I put the Crockpot to good use and made dakjjim--Korean-style braised chicken--the perfect dish to eat when you need some comfort food!  Made all the more comforting by sharing it with my favorite little boy and my favorite large canine :0).

If you've been wanting to try some Korean food, this is a good one.  It's very similar to what we would call a stew.  Give it a try; I promise there's no wild and crazy ingredients!

Sam's thought process when eating food that he enjoys is simple:  why use one spoon when you can put one in each hand?

five months home!

It's been five months since we brought our sweet Sam home.  How things around our house have changed in such a short period of time!

Seeing Little People lined up waiting for their school bus is not out of the ordinary.

Our kitchen cabinets are no longer used to simply hold dishes; they are also used to provide the perfect cover for trains wanting to remain incognito.

The bathroom door has become home to this Pororo whistle-style harmonica, which is often used to make as much noise as possible before 7 a.m.

Our refrigerator is covered with all things Sam; my favorite being original pieces of art from Pipsqueak Picasso.

The sound of laughter is frequently heard throughout our house, filling our hearts with joy!

friday night special: (somewhat) spicy soba noodles

100 Words of Sam

Since Sam's been home, I've been keeping a list of all the new words that he learns.  For a word to make the list, Sam had to use the word spontaneously (meaning on his own w/o being told) and in the correct context; plus, the word had to be mostly intelligible*.  After four months home, Sam has reached 100 WORDS!!!!

One of the best things for us as Sam's parents is watching him learn and grow.  It brings such joy to our hearts!

*Washing Machine and Lawn Mower are two words that he uses quite a bit; however, I didn't put them on his list because I have to add, "I promise he's saying washing machine." ;)

friday night special: a fusion of flavors & fun

We couldn't have the uppa home on a Friday night and not fire up the grill because he really does make the best burgers .  After scouring the internet and finding a Korean BBQ sauce recipe, I enlisted the help of my favorite assistant and started cooking.  When we combined our sauce with the uppa's burgers, we had a little Korean-American fusion of flavors--perfect for this Friday night!

1.  To ensure the food tastes just right, you need to have a taste-tester at the ready.
2.  Our Korean BBQ Sauce--Sam approved.
3.  Remember this Food Fact:  The best food always ends up in your tummy, on your face, and throughout your hair.
4.  Playing choo-choos right after eating is the perfect leisurely activity, allowing your food to settle before moving on to number 5...
5.  Tree Climbing--something you only do when the uppa is home :).