A Picture (or two) is worth a Thousand Words

Here's a look at what we've been up to over the past few months. So many exciting things to blog about so I will try to catch up with photos and start fresh.

Fun in the Sun

Emma loves to be in the water. Whether at the pool or in the tub, she contents when she's swimming and splashing!





We took a family vacation to Pensacola Beach this past summer. Emma loved the pool but wasn't sure about "big water." We enjoyed the family time and slow pace. Chase ate crab legs for the first time and found a new favorite food.



Summer was spent at the ballpark as Chase played minor league and All-Stars. This momma loves some baseball!





It's so hard to believe Chase is in fourth grade this year. Emma spends the day with a retired kindergarten assistant who is like family to us. We Love Mama and the gang! I went back to work full-time and still have the agency. Blessed to have the ability serve students and orphans!


Fall Fun



Emma had her first haircut since coming home from Korea. She wasn't sure about it but was able to be bribed with suckers!


Chase turned 10 in October. Where did the time go? So proud of him. Love this kiddo!


Someone loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!


Can you see him? :)


These two have a neat relationship. He's so patient with her!


We were blessed to meet three wonderful Chinese teachers this year. Two are teaching at one of our elementary schools and one is at the high school. I have enjoyed getting to know them, sharing meals, and spending time together. They are such neat ladies!


My little turkey! Thankful for two years with our sweet girl!



Winter Happenings

We went to Disney World before Christmas. December is my favorite time to go! They have Christmas decorations and music playing. Such a neat atmosphere! This was Emma's first time to go. She had so much fun. The characters and the parades were her favorite. Chase loved riding the roller coasters and took advantage of the parent swap to ride twice!



Emma loved operating the Dumbo ride



I didn't think we were going to get her off the carousel. We rode about ten times in a row!!!



She loved seeing Mickey! Her expression was priceless. She kept looking up at Ryan and I with such anticipation asking if it was her turn yet.



Cinderella was one of her favorites.



Emma also loved the nighttime parade with lights and "snow."



Donald was her favorite. She even picked out a Donald stuffed animal in the Disney store. She also threw him over the monorail fence and Chase had to get him. We put some bandaids on his legs and she took good care of him after that!



Chase really liked Test Track and the Lights, Motor, Action show, especially since he's into cars and hot rods.



Both kiddos liked Animal Kingdom and gorillas.



We adopted An Elf on the Shelf this year. Chase and Emma named him Jerry. Jerry helped look out for good and bad behavior. Emma was upset when he went back to the North Pole. She also liked to manipulate and bribe Jerry to not tell Santa. The negotiating skills of a two year old can be amazing!






Christmas Eve with Nana and Popa.



Christmas morning






Christmas at Gran and Pap's






Emma started taking gymnastics this year. She loves going! The bars are her favorite. She likes to swing like a monkey!



That's a snapshot of what we've been up to... The little things are the big things!

Jess

Happy 3rd Birthday Emma Yeirin!

So it's been way too long since my last post! The delay is due to my OCD ;o). Since I lost the detailed notes I made of Days 3-5 in Korea, I decided not to post until I found them. I guess you can figure out how that's going?

So, after major holidays have passed and lots of exciting things, I couldn't let Emma's 3rd birthday go by without a post so I am trying not to think about not completing the blog in chronological order...However I am just now finishing her 3rd birthday post on March 26 but logged onto the blog in February to "secure" the February date on the timestamp. Yes, I'm that crazy!

So here's a snapshot of Emma's birthday:

We went to Disney World in December (yes another post to do) and Emma loved all the characters. So she decided on a Donald, um, I mean Minnie birthday party.

Emma and her best friend, Bekah, enjoying some ice cream.

She was so excited about turning 3 and told everyone she saw on her birthday, "Today is my birthday," followed by holding up her fingers and saying "I'm three!"
Emma is an active, funny, imaginative, smart little girl these days. I absolutely love her personality and the way she looks at life. Her smile makes this momma's heart so happy!
Posing with Daddy, did I mention she is a Daddy's girl?

This year was such a neat birthday for her as she was old enough to understand what her birthday was all about. How thankful we are to celebrate with such a sweet little girl!

Korea Trip Day 2: Monday

Today was so special. Meeting Emma's foster mother was a wonderful experience I will never forget. See the complete post regarding our visit.

Here's a look at what we did today:

Woke up around 7:15 to get ready and see some sites before meeting foster family. By the way, our guest house doesn't believe in wash cloths, so we had to improvise by using hand towels :)

Found the Dunkin Donuts near our room and enjoyed some American breakfast :)

We then decided to find somewhere close to shop. Since we are staying at the SWS guesthouse which is in the business district south of the river, we weren't sure where to start. We knew going north of the river to the tourist areas wouldn't work since we were meeting our foster families at 1:00. As we stood on the sidewalk trying to figure out where in the world we should start looking for somewhere to go, two Korean ladies (I believe sent by God) walked up to us and asked if we needed some help. You might ask why that's such a big deal? Because in Korea very few people speak English to you. It's not necessarily because they don't know (most taxi drivers don't) but it's because they are intimidated. So, language is a rather big barrier if you can't speak Korean. Anyway, the two ladies were very helpful by telling us somewhere close to shop. When we arrived, it looked more like a convention center, but upon going inside, we found an "underground world" of shops. Yes, I loved it! On a side note, the Korean culture seems very energy efficient. They don't run air conditioning often and the escalator doesn't run continuously. So, after figuring out that you have to swipe your hand on the sensor, we were in business... There were lots of neat shops at the COEX where we went, similar to a mall in the US. After some shopping it was time to head back and meet the foster families.

We first met Emma's foster mother who was very sweet and loving. She is always hold a special place in my heart for the care and compassion she showed to Emma. We exchanged contact information and will keep in touch. Read more on the separate blog post.




Then it was time to go to MinJoon's foster mother's house. It was a
neat experience to get to see a Korean home. She lived in an apartment and as most other places, it was quite warm. They seem to conserve energy when possible. It was so neat to see how SWS brings the families together at the foster family's home to allow the child to interact with the adoptive family. We stayed for about an hour. Leaving was one of the most difficult things as Dana had to leave Ben there, which is generally the case. So Dana was set to get Ben for good on Wednesday at the SWS office.

After getting back from the foster family's home, we were able to visit the reception center. It's located in the same building as the SWS guest house and surprisingly, it doesn't have any security to speak of. We were able to get on and off the elevator there without any questions. This just shows the perspective and attitudes of the people about orphans. The reception center is home to about 30 babies from birth to 6 months. All babies stay here until they are unsuccessful at domestic adoption. Once they turn 5 months and no one has adopted them domestically, they are place with foster families until an international adoption is completed. I thought that was quite odd but I think it may have something to do with the way adoption is perceived and allows for domestic families to adopt discreetly. It was very emotional seeing the children there and knowing that Emma once played in the bouncers and cribs that were there. The staff love the children and have great compassion for them. If you have a little one at the reception center, let me know and I may have a photo...


Since our room is quite bare without any form of entertainment, we decided to venture out that afternoon and find some things for our families. We took a cab to Insadong market which is about 10 minutes. Since Seoul is similar to NYC but more spread out, we decided not to take the subway and the cab fares are reasonable. Insadong is a traditional Korean market area where you can find popular souvenirs like wedding ducks, name chops, scrolls, flags, chopsticks, pottery, t-shirts, and many other things. In the markets it's okay to negotiate price and if you know me, I love bargaining! I picked up several things there including a name chop for Emma with her American name since a dear friend went and got a traditional one the last time she was in Korea. This vendor used a stone to carve out the name while you waited and had been featured on television. There is also an area of Insadong that resembles more of the NCY shops and we looked there and decided to eat at one of the local barbecue places. Most of Korea consists of major roads with alleys that then have alleys off from them. So it can be a maze in terms of getting from one place to the next once you go off the main road. There are also lots of clubs, generally nestled in the alleys as well, but we never felt unsafe.























Jess

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Seoul, South Korea

Meeting Emma's Foster Mother

I can't begin to explain the emotions I have felt today. My heart has been joyful as I have anticipated meeting Emma's foster mother for the last week. I am so thankful for this experience. Getting to see first hand how much Emma's foster mother cares for Emma was very humbling. She said Emma was very special to her and remembered all the little things Emma did. Meeting her gave me assurance that she was well taken care of during the first months of her life. I will be forever indebted that she took such great care of our little girl while she was waiting for her forever family. I truly believe Emma's love for music and dance is contributed to her foster family exposing her to it. Today was very meaningful day as I was able to fill in some of the pieces of Emma's story. I will take this experience and share with her just how much she was loved not only by us but by her foster family also.


I had the privilege of getting her contact information and look forward to keeping in touch as Emma grows. How blessed we are to have Emma in our life!

Here are some sweet gifts the foster mother brought her Emma. All of the sweet treats are for Emma and her brother!


Jess

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Seoul, South Korea

Introducing Ben Minjoon Lewis

This post is dedicated to Minjoon, the agency's first international sweetheart! When we met his social worker, she informed us that Minjoon was featured on some of the posters that have been hanging on the walls here in the building. Little did we know we have been oohing and ahhing over him!!! These photos are of him when he was younger. They are part of the campaign to encourage domestic adoption in Korea so being was being snuggled and loved by a famous Korean actor!














Dana met Minjoon for the first time at the foster family's home around 2:45 Seoul time. Minjoon was sooo sweet! He was tired as it was nap time! The sweetest part was that he fell asleep in Dana's arms. Minjoon will join his forever family Wednesday at 11:00 Seoul time. Needless to say she can't wait!!!






Jess

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Seoul South Korea

Over the Pacific

We are 7 and half hours into our flight from Dallas to Seoul. Korean Air has amazing service. The picture below was taken on our individual screens that are loaded with American and Korean movie releases. There are games and music libraries as well. The hospitality of the flight attendants is remarkable. They are so nice and helpful even carrying children up and down the aisles! It will be approximately 4 pm Korean time on Sunday when we land. We are hoping to visit a few shops and go to sleep early since Monday in Korea is a big day for both of us! Emma's foster mother meeting is Monday afternoon. Even though it hasn't been that long since I left, I sure do miss the family. Love you guys!


Jess

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Leaving on a Jet Plane

And headed to Korea!!! It's been a hectic few days as I have been preparing to go to Korea to meet Emma's foster mother and see where she spent the first few months of her life. This all came about last Thursday as a family I am working with received their travel call. I am flying with another adoptive mom to get her son. How special to share this with her! We are leaving on Saturday morning and will return Thursday afternoon. The flight is about 16 hours but Korea is 14 hours ahead. So, we will lose a day going and gain a day coming back!

There are so many emotions dancing in my mind as I prepare for what I will say, how she will react and trying to think of all the things Emma might ask me one day about her birth country. I can't wait to see where my sweet girl started her life. I am going to take lots of pictures and keep a journal here on the blog to record this experience for her to learn about one day.

Please pray for safe travels and for Ryan and kiddos as Mommy is away.

Family Rules Canvas

Recently at a birthday party, I saw the cutest Family Rules Canvas. It was so neat, I decided to make one for our new house. So, here's mine:

You can find the step-by-step instructions here. Here's the short version:

1. Purchase a canvas, mine is 24x30 using 40% coupon from H@bby L@bby

2. Pick out scrapbook paper (this is the most fun part!) Be sure the paper isn't too dark, as my first rule is hard to read.

3. Look at the list of rules and decide which ones you want to use or make your own.

4. Cut the scrapbook paper into various strips (I used 1, 2, and 3 inch widths) Cut two and tape them together to make one long strip since scrapbook paper is 12x12

5. Write the rules or print them off on the computer and trace over them. I just eyed them and wrote them out.

6. Paint the edges of your canvas with an acrylic paint that will match the room you're putting it in. The strips will cover the middle so don't worry about painting all of it.

7. Use Modge Podge and "paste" the strips to the canvas spacing them however you like. (The paper will curl/bubble, just try to flatten the paper as much as possible but it adds character! ;o)

8. Allow to dry overnight or a few hours and apply a coat of Modge Podge over the top to "seal" the canvas and papers. You can apply several coats about 20 minutes apart or a single coat will suffice. (Use a brush or sponge to apply)

9. Enjoy!

5. Use paint pens to write the rules, you can also print them off on the computer.

Here's some pictures of the project in process:

Notice where I taped the strips together in the Never leave angry strip

Blacks were too dark even with the white paint pen. FYI using the white paint pen require tracing the rule several times...

Long Time No Post...

Wow! It's been a while since I last posted! I've been posting on photos on Facebook and haven't kept the blog as up to date. I know that lots of people read the blog for information, inspiration or to just see pictures (yes Papa, I know you don't have Facebook!). So, what have the Johnson's been up to?

We celebrated Emma's first Gotcha Day September 29th at Chaney's. To say it was an exciting day is an understatement. There were so many emotions surrounding this extremely happy time for us. We were overjoyed with this blessing God has given us and at the very same time, saddened for the loss that occurred for this day to happen.

Emma is getting so big, talking ALL the time, getting into everything from climbing on the kitchen table to throwing toothbrushes in the toilet. She loves singing and dancing, Barney is her favorite show (I know, I know, but she has learned so much from that purple Dino), she can count to four, loves working puzzles, and puts a smile on our faces every single day.

I love being at home with her. She and I have such fun snuggling, playing, reading, and having lunch with friends. Our adoption agency has taken off and we are working with several families. We recently sent our first family's home study to Korea, so in the near future, Emma will have another Korean friend to play with.

Chase celebrated his 9th birthday this week. It's amazing how fast he's growing up not only mentally but physically. He's grown so much and continues to make us proud by being the sweet young man that he is.

I'm still learning how to plan and organize without the structure of a full time job. I thought staying at home would give me time to keep the house super clean, dinner fixed each night, and laundry caught up...Who was I kidding??? I am even further behind but house keeping never was my thing anyway!!! We are getting close to finalizing Emma's adoption, so stay tuned for pictures and a post!

Happy 18 Months Emma Yeirin!

Miss Emma is 18 months old today. We spent the day by shopping in Bowling Green, eating lunch with Daddy, and taking another trip to the ER tonight! Emma was in the office and I took her by the arm to walk into another room. She decided she didn't want to go and tried to throw herself on the floor (I know sweet Emma). When she did, my natural reaction was to hold on to her and pull her up, well apparently some kiddos have nursemaid elbow. That means the elbow dislocates easily. She cried for about 15 minutes and wasn't moving her arm. Needless to say, we went to the ER and they put it back in place and she was back to her old self immediately. I was amazed at how quickly she got relief. The x-ray showed that everything is back where it belongs and 4 hours later, we're back at home and Emma is asleep. Whew, what a way to spend your day! I am so in love with her. She continues to amaze and bless our family. It's so neat to watch her grow, learn new things, and interact with us. I am thankful for Emma's life and the decision her birthmother made to allow her to come into the this world and become our daughter. I pray that her birthmother finds peace and comfort in knowing that she choose a better life for Emma. I will forever be thankful to her and I hope she knows how much we appreciate her selflessness.

After the doctor put her elbow back in place. . . Coloring with her toes!

Waiting for the x-ray results...