Something A Little Unexpected...

For four years before HannahKate, we tried hard to have a second child, all unsuccessful. Well, here we are, 7 months later after traveling to get our beautiful daughter, we find out that we are pregnant with our third child. A complete shock for me because I was ready to tie everything up and end it at two. Well, God had a little different plan. He was obviously not done with our family yet. HannahKate had to come second for this pregnancy to last. I have made it to the two month mark and this baby is growing great, and believe it or not I have already gained two pounds!!! Our due date is June 12, but my doctor knows I will not last that long. She is trying to get my body to hold the baby in until May or until the baby reaches 5 lbs. Either way, this pregnancy is a high risk for us with preterm labor lurking around the corner, but we are a little excited for making it this far. I can guarantee you that the third will definitely be our last, but none the less another little blessing from God.

A Glimpse Into Our Beach Trip

For Jonathan's Fall Break, we decided to head to Panama City Beach for a couple of days. Thanks to my sisters' time share, this beach trip was super affordable. Jonathan has always enjoyed going to the beach and this was the first time we traveled as a family of four. Of course, Jonathan and HannahKate being siblings, they fought a good bit of the time. But we did have our times as a family where we made some good memories. Beach trips are definitely the way to go for our family!!!

Our room had a king size bed and bunk beds!!!

Jonathan and HannahKate enjoying the sand the first day. The second day HannahKate got sand all over her feet and refused to be put down because she did not want to be in the sand.

The merry-go-round became an instant favorite with HannahKate. I think we rode it five times in a row, and yep, that is me riding this little thing as well. HannahKate insisted, I couldn't say no!!!

Jonathan playing guitar hero.

Jonathan absolutely loves the ocean, especially the waves, the fish, and the crazy seagulls.

Jonathan's first helicopter ride and loving every minute of it!!!

Jonathan loves being strapped in and thrown into the air. No Fear Here, Just One Little Dare Devil!!!

In the end, Jonathan gave it a thumbs up!

Jonathan and HannahKate doing their pirate faces. Absolutely Perfect!!!

Good 'ol Waffle House for breakfast. Twice!!!

Home Sweet Home Old Fashioned Fun...

"Everything brother can do I can do also." This seems to be the motto for HannahKate's day. HannahKate still adores her brother the most, but I can't say it is the same for Jonathan. Jonathan still prefers his alone time, but he is definitely getting better about having fun with his sister. Now please don't think we have our kids sitting down posing for pictures all day. Believe it or not, Jonathan is the one who is asking us to take all these pictures and HannahKate is always right beside him with a big "cheese" smile. Some of the best times we spend together as a family are spent at home!

Our two kids are obsessed with Giraffes right now and are constantly fighting over who gets Baby Raffi. I have become a great beggar at asking people for beanie baby giraffes they no longer need. We have a Raffi family in our home with Big Raffi, Baby Raffi, and Little Raffi. Jonathan is always drawing pictures of them and HannahKate's fascination is biting their noses.

Jonathan puts a box on his head and HannahKate has to do it as well. They are so sweet to each other when there are two of everything. I learned this lesson the hard way. No matter how old your children are, make sure you have enough to go around (no concept of sharing, just mine). This definitely eliminates a lot of the fighting and sibling rivalry.

I will always look up to you, Opa!!!

With Jonathan's onion allergy, it is definitely hard to go out to eat. Jonathan loves pizza and begged to make homemade pizza at home. We went to the grocery store together and I had Jonathan pick out the ingredients for his pizza. No help from me, this is what he wanted: carrots, broccoli, ham, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and onion free tomato sauce. And would you know, this pizza was healthy and delicious. This picture goes with the others, HannahKate always being by Jonathan's side. Also take a look at Jonathan's homemade chef's hat!!!

Jonathan's Baptism and HannahKate's Dedication

This is almost two weeks late, but we just have to post and brag about this wonderful day. August 9th was a big day for both our children. HannahKate was dedicated to the Lord as well as Song and I dedicating our life to raising her in a godly way. Later that evening, Jonathan was baptized by Pastor Johnny, along with about 90 other people (Jonathan was 80 something in line...)!!! After all, these are our most precious gifts from God who give us little glimpses of Heaven everyday with their love.

Cheese?

The happy couple that looks like they were always meant to be...

Our beautiful girl sporting a Janie and Jack

Jonathan being completely ecstatic about being baptized.

Our Heavenly Angel!!!

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...
(now quick, hold that nose)

Tellus Science Museum

Saturday we ventured out to Cartersville to the Tellus Science Museum with some really good friends, the Linak Family. We spent four and a half hours enjoying the awesome construction trucks, playing in the hands-on science area, panning for gems, uncovering dinosaur bones, digging for fossils, and then relaxing in the planetarium. The three musketeers (Jonathan, Jackson, and Zoe) and the twosome duo (HannahKate and Addie) enjoyed each other the whole day. The museum was a lot of fun for the kids and a great way to end summer vacation. A must see if you enjoy museums as much as we do!!!

Jonathan's favorite part, the giant construction trucks


Hands-on science area...Very Cool!!!

Jonathan, Jackson, and Zoe...friends to the end

Panning for gems

Digging for dinosaur bones


"Can I trade two pretzels for some of your goldfish?"


Ahhhh...child eating fish!!!

The amazing dinosaur bones...no evolution here, just God's amazing creation!

Jonathan and Song touching fossilized dinosaur poop!!

Under Construction...

If you have been viewing our blog lately, you can see that we have been playing around with our layouts. We absolutely adore the one that is on there now, but after putting everything together we realized we have seen this blog before. Stephanie, sorry for having the same looking blog, but we have viewed your blog so many times it seems to be stuck in our head. We are looking for a background we like better, but for now please be patient with our construction. And don't worry, a better picture will be coming to match and put all the pieces together. Being a blogger in Blogville becomes very addicting to all the customizing you can do, but I do have to admit that it sure is fun playing around with all the features!!!

My Conversation with Jonathan 12:24 this Morning...

J: Mommy, where is my tooth? I looked under my pillow and all I found was some paper (which was the $5 we left him for his first tooth). I can't find my tooth.
M: Sweety, we will figure all of this out in the morning. Just go to sleep.
J: But Mommy, I need my tooth.

We finally went to sleep at some point, and this morning we reassured Jonathan that we did not throw his tooth away. I have put it in the bottom drawer of my jewelry chest, safe and sound. Well, Jonathan took his $5 and wanted to go to Target this morning. Jonathan picked out two airplanes with his money and continues to be proud of losing his first tooth. Don't worry, Jonathan is not getting $5 for every tooth that he loses. We told him that his first tooth is special and not to expect much for the other teeth. But Song and I did talk about the gold dollar coins for the other teeth. $1 is much more doable!!!

It's Gone!!!

After a month of wiggling that tooth, it is finally out. We are so proud of our Little Man for letting daddy pull the last little bit out. HannahKate wanted to be involved in all of the excitement that she started pulling on her teeth also.Jealousy never seems to stop between siblings! Jonathan is so proud to have lost his first tooth. My only thing now is what do I do with all these teeth that he will be losing.




Jonathan's last picture before losing his tooth.

HannahKate wants to get involved.

It's GONE!

The Second Dr.'s Appt.

Jonathan and HannahKate both had doctor's appointments on Tuesday. I put them together thinking it would be faster to get in and out, well, if 2 hours is fast for two kids than I guess it went all right. Jonathan did beautifully at his appointment, but was always asking when HannahKate was going to get her shots. Jonathan gained 10 pounds over this past year and was quite the talker with the Nurse Practitioner (we just absolutely love Mrs. Sara). In the past five months we have had HannahKate she only gained 2 pounds (quite shocking for how much she eats), but has grown 2 inches. Well, now it was time for HannahKate to get her 4 shots and Jonathan wanted to watch as close as possible. (Now let me tell you that Jonathan is extremely scared of getting shots.) I was holding HannahKate's hands while the nurse put the shots in her legs. Of course HannahKate was screaming and the nurse finally told me that I could pick her up. After I calmed HannahKate down, Jonathan comes up to me crying. This boy did not like seeing his sister being hurt and he was scared for her. Of all the times that these two spend fighting, it was right then that Jonathan showed the compassion he had in his heart for his sister. It just made me want to cry having both of my children upset over the shots. But I did come to a conclusion, Jonathan and HannahKate will have separate appointments from now on. Two hours with two kids upset is too much heartache.

Day Three with Uncle Song...

Day 3 was a fun filled day with jumping, sight seeing, and a family gathering to enjoy a personal fireworks show on our own lawn. We started off the day spending a few hours at Monkey Joes. We were expecting a large crowd, but it was a complete surprise to find it empty! Jonathan had a blast jumping around with his cousins. HannahKate didn't get to jump, but she enjoyed just running around and riding the little quarter carousel. After a good nap for the kids, we had great time hosting a dinner party for the entire family. Jonathan and HannahKate loved seeing all of their family together.


Love that smile!

Dog pile!

Freedom!!! Run... I'm free!!!

It's fun to bounce everyone on the trampoline.

Enjoying the wonderful sunny day.

She's ready for the LPGA!

A nice firework show from our own lawn... compliments of our neighbors!

Jonathan loves those fountain fireworks.... and thanks to Aunt Bobbi, we had a ton of them.

Our version of the lawn show.

Best seats in the yard!

Day two...

On day two with Uncle Song's family we went to Jonathan's second favorite place, Dave and Busters! We had a great time playing games, shooting some pool, and even got in a fun game of shuffleboard.


Say cheese!

Come back ball!

Yummy lemon? HannahKate didn't even wince eating this lemon! She wanted more!


The classic behind the back shot.

Go go go...

Score!

Stone Mountain with Uncle Song, Aunt Jasmine, Cousins Ezra and Chris

After returning from New York, our summer fun continued with a visit from my brother's family. The last time the families saw each other was more than 3 years ago in Singapore! Our first day together was spent at Jonathan's favorite place, Stone Mountain park. We had a great time playing at the Barn, riding the train and sky lift, playing some mini golf, and overcame our fear of heights (well at least mine) with the sky hike. Unfortunately, Christina didn't have closed toe shoes so she couldn't join us in the sky hike. Jonathan completed levels 1 and 2 of the sky hike!


Jonathan with his cousins Ezra and Chris.

It's a lot higher when you're up there looking down!

Uncle Song's Family

It's nice to have someone else there to take a full family picture!

Jonathan loves his sky lift penny! Thanks Uncle Song.

Chris and Jonathan get some air on the top of the mountain

Song and Christina jump for joy

Uncle Song's flying sidekick!

Ezra soars up into the sky

Chris takes off spread eagle

Strong Museum in Rochester, NY

On our last day in New York, we stopped by the Strong Museum in Rochester, NY. This is by far one of the best children's museums that we have been to. The last time we visited was when he was only 3 years old! Jonathan and HannahKate had an absolute blast going from one play area to another.

Dancing the night away...

HannahKate checks into work.


Would you like mustard with that?

Digging in the rubble.

You know Jonathan and train rides...Now HannahKate joins the fun.

Boating and Fishing with the Boss...Thank You Mr. Chris

While we were up in Skaneateles, NY, Song's boss took us to his camp on the lake for an exciting outing. Jonathan was looking forward to it all week and he had so much fun fishing and driving the boat. Four fish were caught that evening, all of them let go of course, but you can tell by the look on Jonathan's face that he did not enjoy holding onto that fish he caught (it was a little spiky). HannahKate seemed to enjoy her first boat ride, but with as fast as we were going you can't help but keep your face plastered in one position. Jonathan loved being the center of attention and being able to drive the boat with Mr. Chris. God definitely painted a beautiful sunset for us that night over the Finger Lakes of New York. Being a boy, Jonathan did not care for the sunset, only for the speed and excitement of the boat!!! Traveling to New York always creates some special memories for our family and I can only pray that HannahKate will enjoy traveling as much as Jonathan does. It is so much fun to experience things through the eyes of your children. Our precious little lanterns who bring so much light into our lives!!!

Hotel Fun in New York

1 Hotel Room + 2 Crazy Kids + 5 Days + 6 Pillows = Some Wild Pillow Fights
(And the weird part, HannahKate enjoyed every minute of it, and don't think Jonathan was easy on her as much as I tried to protect her)

Father's Day in New York

This week we took a vacation as a family up to Skaneateles, NY. Song actually had to come up for business and the rest of us just tagged along. We flew up here on Father's Day Sunday and Jonathan could not have been more excited to fly in an airplane again. This boy loves to travel!!! HannahKate looked a little scared in the airport, but we kept reassuring her that we were not going to let her go. After all, the last time she was in an airport, her whole life changed forever. The flight was only two hours and so much more bearable than our 14 hour flight to and from Korea. This is the first time we have slept in a hotel with HannahKate and we realized just how little she sleeps at night. This girl tosses and turns the whole night, bangs the side of the crib, and even has some babbling going on at times. It's no wonder that the monitors are turned off when we are home or else we would be up all night listening to her. Jonathan has had a blast living out of a hotel, but not eating out because with an onion allergy his only option usually is grilled cheese, which does get old after a while. HannahKate on the other hand is enjoying all the junk food she can get, which will quickly change once we get back home. It has only been two days, but we are having fun seeing old friends and visiting all the familiar places. Having lived up here for two years, my brain has been in overload remembering all the memories that were made with Jonathan. We drove by our old house, walked the mall (which was always a past time favorite for Jonathan), and went to the zoo. Jonathan does not remember living up here, but it has been neat to tell him all the stories and to have him fascinated by it.

Our Little Jr. Firefighter

Jonathan has been begging for a week to go to the fire station and so today we finally went. We actually went to the station three times, but the first two times the firetruck was out. Well, third time is a charm, and a charm it was! Jonathan got the grand tour of the fire station. Firefighter Paul was awesome!!! He took us inside the station, showed us the sleeping quarters, the living room and kitchen, and then took Jonathan on the ride of his life. Firefighter Paul explained everything about the truck, inside and out, and I was amazed at how much information Jonathan already knew about all the equipment. Jonathan got to ride in the fire truck and help pull it out of the station, then Firefighter Paul unreeled the hose for Jonathan to spray the water. Jonathan then got to sit in the driver's seat with flashing lights and blow the horn.(Through all the excitement HannahKate just stared.) Firefighter Paul also showed Jonathan the obstacle course that one must pass to become a real fire fighter, and Jonathan was sure that he could do it! Let me tell you, Jonathan is so excited about becoming a Jr. Firefighter when he is 16. We'll see if the interest last that long, but right now it is a true fascination.

One of Our Many trips to Stone Mtn...But HannahKate's 1st

Stone Mountain has become one of our family's favorite places to go. Yesterday was HannahKate's first trip and for the most part she had a great time. She definitely did a lot of sitting in her stroller, but found her niche on the mini golf course. Jonathan's favorite has definitely become the rock wall and the ropes course, which he did three times in a row. We did not get a chance to do the high ropes just because we did not want to wait an hour and a half. Next time we will go there first and get it out of the way. Overall, a beautiful and great weekend for our family and a great start to the summer break. (I did ask Jonathan what he would like to do this summer and he said go to school, I think Stone Mountain was a good alternative for now.)

Spy Kids Fever...It's Contagious!!!

Jackson, Jonathan, and Zoe
The Three Musketeers!!!

Fun with a Kiddie Pool!!!

Out of both of our kids, HannahKate is definitely the water rat. I have a feeling that she is going to be an excellent swimmer, Jonathan on the other hand does not like getting water in his face and has no desire for such competition, just always happy to be himself. Jonathan would splash and pour water on his sister, and would you believe it, she would laugh and want more. Pulling her out of the water was a battle, you know the kicking and screaming kind. Jonathan, however, was ready to help empty the water. Two different kids, but definitely the love of our lives (and the perfect pair).

Family pics.

Enjoy!
(School is almost out and the summer postings are about to begin)

Our Little Dancer and the Big Brother

In the beginning, we were worried that HannahKate would be a "TomBoy" (because she is always wanting to follow in Jonathan's footsteps), but just recently things are changing. Yesterday, HannahKate wanted to change into her ballerina outfit and dance around, and show off her new outfit to Daddy (who was still working in his office). It is hard to catch many pictures of our little girl in action, but this one picture did turn out great!

With all the new "girly" things going on in the house, Jonathan is still holding strong to his "boyhood". Here he is watching Spy Kids in 3-D. Spy Kids have become his new addiction, and I do have to say that they are pretty interesting to watch.

Our Picture Outing

So this evening we decided to get our family photo done in the traditional Korean dress (Hanboks). We did not go any where fancy, just to the Target Portrait Studio, which means it will take 1 - 2 weeks to receive our pictures. I have to say that out of the 47 different poses taken, we did manage to get some really great shots. After an hour and a half with the photographer, we are out $175. These pictures better turn out the way I have planned because it is such a big production to get everyone dressed, especially with two kids, and then to have everyone looking in the right direction. Sorry, no photos today (no cameras allowed in the studio), but we will definitely be posting them in a week. In the meantime, here are some pictures to enjoy, one of which has Jonathan in his Hanbok.

Dancing to Pooh bear

Jonathan Born Again...A Beautiful Day!!!

Just tonight, Jonathan asked Jesus into his heart. Praise God!!! It was quite amazing. Jonathan was in the bathtub and said that he wanted to get baptized. We told him you have to ask Jesus into your heart first before you get baptized. So Jonathan, right there in the bathtub, bowed his head and prayed for Jesus to come into his heart. Song and I looked at each other and said, "Does that count?" Of course it counts! What a childlike faith coming to Jesus in such an innocent way!!! Well, after bath, we took Jonathan to bed and read some verses from the Bible (all of which Jonathan recited before we even read them), and then we prayed as a family. We could not be any more thrilled than to call Jonathan our brother in Christ. It was so sweet to hear Jonathan say, "I've got to tell all my friends, I've got to tell William, I've got to tell everybody." You go boy, go tell the world just like Jesus told us to do!

Our Attempts at Photography

No matter how hard we try, it seems a little difficult to get our kids to sit still for a picture. You try bubbles, food, claps, crazy sounds, silly dances all to no avail. Here are a couple of our efforts at getting some pictures of our two precious kids.

Only Jonathan can make her laugh this much...

Dump It, Girl!

Our Little Dumper doing what she does best. She certainly is a mess!!!
(Can you believe she did all of this in a matter of 2 minutes?)

Happy Birthday HannahKate

Our beautiful HannahKate turned the "Big 1" on Sunday. We celebrated her birthday with family and some of our closest friends. Jonathan could not have been happier celebrating his sister's birthday. Jonathan was so excited about her birthday, he woke up at 5:00 am on Saturday morning and said "Happy Birthday" to HannahKate all weekend. HannahKate is always trying to get "Opa's" attention and loves being right next to him. We did a smash cake for HannahKate's celebration, and would you know our "Little Dumper" dumped the cake off the plate! Jonathan had a great time smashing the cake with his sister and the smashers brought smiles and laughter from all those watching. HannahKate did not know what to do with all her presents right away, but Jonathan sure had fun opening them and HannahKate enjoyed the wrappings. We had a great time celebrating your birthday, HannahKate, and I hope you felt all the love surrounding you on your special day. God picked you out perfectly for our family, and we will love you all the days of our life. We prayed for you and now your ours. Happy Birthday, HannahKate!!! We Love You!

The Days of Our Lives

It has been almost a week since we have posted, but it has been a really great 5 days with Jonathan and HannahKate. The two have gotten along so well and it's so fun to sit back and watch them interact. Yesterday marked our two month date with our precious daughter, and on Sunday HannahKate will be turning 1. The baby months are gone, but the toddler years have only begun. HannahKate is still a very independent girl who loves to dump things out, talk on her phone, still loves her food, and is now starting to interact with "Baby"(her baby doll). She has an amazing knack to turn our house upside down in 5 minutes, but all the mess and fingerprints are the artworks of our children. So when you enter our house, just look around and enjoy their works of art.

"Did you call?"

Stack 'em up, Girl!

Don't you just love her precious face?

Our Little Dumper at her best!

Nothing like a hug from brother.

My beautiful little girl!

HannahKate enjoying her first Tech game. Go Jackets!!!

Jonathan's photography of his sister.

HannahKate enjoying her first trip to IKEA.

The Truth of Easter

This is the coolest monologue we have heard about the truth about Easter. Our church, FBCW, had this reading during the Easter service, and at the end it has you saying, "Wow, that was cool! Who can I share this with?" Stick with the whole thing, all the way down and up again, and you will see what I mean.
(To hear this monologue read with passion, go to www.FBCW.org and look up the Easter service)

This is the truth

Today is Easter and

Today we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah

2000 years ago God confined himself to human form and

Jesus willingly became the sacrifice of our sin

To offer forgiveness to all who will believe

To set YOU free

To believe such things is misguided, the truth is

He is not the only way to God

You and I are destined to repeat our mistakes and

Our lives will never have purpose

Those who do not believe the truth say

We call Him the Christ, the Son of the living God

We call Him Emmanuel, God with us

We mourn His brutal crucifixion

We rejoice in His resurrection

This is not what is real

Prophets did not foretell of His coming

Angels did not declare that He had risen and

I would be lying to you if I said that

For the Creator of the Universe

There was only a crown of thorns and nails for a scepter

For the Son of God

There was only a violent death and a borrowed tomb

Whether you like it or not

This is the truth of Easter













This is what I used to believe,
But then Jesus came into my life
and turned everything upside down!!!

HE IS RISEN!!!

Happy Easter to all our friends and family. It is His Resurrection that we have our celebration, knowing that we have been forgiven and and given the most wonderful gift of eternal life.
"I am the Resurrection and the life,
He who believes in Me will live..."
John 11:25

Our Uneventful Spring Break

Well, Spring Break is almost over and both our precious children have been sick. We took Jonathan to the doctor on Tuesday to get some antibiotics for a sinus infection. His poor allergies have been acting up and he has been just miserable. HannahKate had a check up on Tuesday as well and has caught her first cold. She woke up from nap today with a fever of 102 and has had her first taste of Motrin. On the bright side, today was absolutely beautiful and with two kids past out for nap, I planted Begonias in our front yard. Hopefully, the forecast for rain tomorrow will clear out a lot of this pollen and we will be able to enjoy our Easter weekend. Pray for a quick recovery for our children because we are dying to get out the camera!

Bugz...

"Look at all the food my friends, just see what we discovered"
These are Jonathan's famous words in his school play "Bugz". It was absolutely adorable to see the elementary students sing about something that most try to get rid of. Jonathan had such a great time performing and we can't wait to see what they get to do next year. Enjoy the show!

The Chung Family Chase!!!

The Chung Family chase is a free for all, use whatever you want to make you go faster as long as you don't get caught. Look out, though, when you mess with Daddy, because you will end up laughing until your stomach hurts. And in the end, sometimes the fun is being caught. Our chases bring a lot of laughter and memories into the household. We started these chases when Jonathan was little and can only continue the tradition with our little HannahKate.

Our Days in Black and White...

Adjusting to a family of four, we definitely have had our share of good days and bad days, not too many in between. Having our daughter in the house after all the years of waiting is nothing short of a miracle, our children being the greatest joys in our life. To bring out the best in HannahKate has been a challenge, for we are still figuring out her personality, her likes and dislikes, and what kind of love makes her happy. She really is a happy, independent, little girl, whom we see attaching herself to her family more and more each day, but to us we want to see more (we just have to learn to be patient). Her stranger anxiety is coming out more now, and she is reaching for mommy when past on to another adult (other than daddy, of course). One thing that does make HannahKate smile is interrupting Daddy in his office during work hours. I know there are no pictures of Jonathan this post, but he is making great improvements as well, loving his little sister more and more each day (while enjoying his alone time). It is a growing process, but to us well worth it.

Rain rain go away...

Sleep Tight My Love!

Wow! My heart is overflowing with so much emotion. First off, I have to tell you about HannahKate's normal bedtime routine. We take HannahKate upstairs around 7:30, I sing her four songs, kiss her goodnight, and then she pushes off of me to go into her crib. We hear her on the monitor for about thirty minutes playing around and then she goes to sleep. Well, tonight, I sang her her four songs, kissed her goodnight, and she did not push off. She stayed lying in my arms and fell asleep after about ten minutes. My girl can have some attatchment after all!!! I was so excited and felt that HannahKate was finally comfortable in my arms. We love our daughter so much, but I often wondered if she loves us just as much in return. Tonight, my fears were settled when she stayed in my arms. Such a small act on her part, but a big leap of joy for my heart.

HannahKate's First Doctor's Appointment

Yesterday, HannahKate had her first doctor's appointment that lasted two hours. She had three vials of blood taken from her right arm, a TB shot in her left arm, and two more shots one in each leg. On top of that, we have to collect seven containers of her poop to be tested (within a 48 hour period). All of this is part of the adoption check-up, but let me tell you this girl seems to have a high tolerance for pain. She had no markings, swelling, bruising, or fever from any of the shots, and went on with her day as normal. I was hoping that through all this she would attatch to mommy more, but instead she did not want to be comforted by me, just pushed off of me.

HannahKate is definitely not an affectionate child like Jonathan, but she finally smiles when we kiss her instead of pulling away. However, she is a happy-go-lucky girl who likes to get into anything and everything. She does not sit still for a moment, but it sure is fun chasing her around. She loves to run back and forth between mommy and daddy (a new favorite game), and hide between my legs while I try to cook dinner. Her busyness keeps the house messy, the cat guessing which window she will look out next, and our hearts racing with joy. There is never a dull moment in our house anymore keeping up with both our crazy kids.

Silly Sunday...

Jonathan celebrating after sliding down the hill!

HannahKate loves her kitchen set.

"Opa, let's go on a wagon ride"

"I'm ready to go!"


Here, kitty kitty...

Jonathan's First Soccer Game

Jonathan decided he wanted to play soccer this year so we signed him up for Upward Soccer at our church. This is a great way to play sports without being so focused on winning and hearing about Jesus in the process (a great way to reach the unchurched families), and just a great way to have fun. While signing Jonathan up for soccer, I also volunteered Song to be coach. Song was confused how this happened, but today he had a lot of fun being out there with all the kids. To me, Song has such a natural coaching ability and a great love for sports (which he is trying to instill into Jonathan). HannahKate had fun cheering on her big brother as well, even though we did not get a chance to watch much of the game. I always wondered when I would become a "Soccer Mom". Well, today was the day, but I hate to disappoint you, I will not be driving a mini van any time soon!!!

Stretching before the game.

Warm-Up!


Prayer Time!


Yes, Coach!


Go Opa! Go Lemurs!

The Search for Food!!!

We told you in an earlier post that HannahKate loves her food and will never turn food away. Well, here she is digging for those last few crumbs in her highchair after dinner was over. It was too funny not to stop her and we thought everyone would get a good laugh over this.

Fun in the Sun

Here we are, the Georgia Hillbillies having fun in the sun. Georgia may not get to see snow, but hey, we have a lot of pine straw and what better way to make use of all that money than to go sledding. HannahKate loves being outside, and for some reason enjoys eating pine straw as well. As you can see, Jonathan is having more fun with his sister each day as he discovers new things that they can do together. HannahKate is always chasing after her big brother, trying to follow in his footsteps.

HannahKate walking...

HannahKate has been walking since she was only 8 months old. She's still a bit clumsy as you can see but she can move around fairly quickly. She definitely keeps us on our toes.

One Month with HannahKate

We have been with our precious daughter for one month now and her favorite person is still her big brother, Jonathan. Here is a list of some of the things that Jonathan does for his sister:

*Jonathan is the only person who got HannahKate to stop crying during bath time. He could not take her crying anymore so he came upstairs and started singing to her in the bath his own little song that he made up. And you know something, it worked! HannahKate loved his singing and now loves her baths.

*It is so sweet to see Jonathan picking up a book and start reading to his sister. HannahKate is not used to having books read to her, but she is slowly starting to enjoy them.

*How amazing is it to see Jonathan choose to play with his sister for an hour, not with boy toys but with her toys. Have you ever seen a big brother enjoy a tea set so much?

With all of the sweet things Jonathan does for his sister, he still prefers his time alone with mommy and daddy. It is a lot of work to bring us around to a family of four, but it is so much fun with all the memories we enjoy making together.

Overall, HannahKate is a happy baby who never says no to food. If you ever wonder why half her pictures are in the highchair, well, that is where she is half the time. Her favorite toy to play with is her kitchen set munching on all the pretend food. If you look at her belly, she is not lacking in the food department, but our reasoning is that maybe she is enjoying the food that we give her a little too much. Her favorite foods right now are oatmeal, yogurts, fruit (especially strawberries and bananas), cherrios, and her soy milk.

Our posting will become more frequent now that we have settled in, so keep looking for the updates on our crazy family. Love to All!!!

Fun at home.

HannahKate already has a fascination with shoes...

The Peek-a Boo game at the dinner table.

HannahKate does not enjoy bath time, but she managed to smile out of the water.

Studying her math facts!!!

HannahKate is a big eater and loves her high chair.

One please!

Jonathan being a wonderful big brother.

A perfect pair!

First day at Church...

Don't you just love those hairbows???




Peekaboo! I see you!




What an adorable little snowball!




Gotta loves those hats!




Jonathan's been really looking forward to seeing his Sunday School teacher! Check out that valentine's card that he made for Mom!

To cap off the great day, we even got a little snow in Georgia! Unfortunately, none of the snow stayed on the ground in Cherokee county. Other parts of Georgia had several inches of snow but we just had a few snow flurries, but hey it's not like it snows every day here so we'll take whatever we can get!

First weekend home...

After getting a lot of rest, Jonathan has really started becoming a big brother to HannahKate. He's had a tough adjustment, but now that we are in the comforts of our home, he's really taken a more friendly approach to his little sister. It warms the heart to see him and HannahKate chasing each other around the house. HannahKate has been appropriately initiated with the Chung family chase! HannahKate really loves her big brother, "opa"

HannahKate meets PawPaw for the first time!




Watch out PawPaw, Jonathan's going to get you with his bubble gun!





Is this a chef in the making?





Jonathan loved his LeapPad musical table and now HannahKate does too!

Safe at home!

Since we had an infant, we requested the large bulkhead seats so we could use the bassinet to allow HannahKate to sleep. Unfortunately, the airline miscounted the number of infants requiring bassinets and somehow we were left without one. For their mistake, KLM offered the last two remaining first class seats for us to use. These are the seats that are in the upper deck of the 767 that recline all the way back! Aunt Laura gladly took one seat and Christina and I shared using the other as a bed for HannahKate. Whenever HannahKate slept, one of us would take her up the stairs to lie down in the nice posh seats! I would never pay the premium for those seats, but it sure was nice to lay down flat when you have a sleeping baby in your arms on a 14 hour flight!

Jonathan was an absolute trooper during this flight. He hardly napped at all but throughout the entire flight he kept himself occupied with the in flight entertainment and allowed Christina and I the chance and peace of mind to rest and take care of HannahKate without a single complaint! Jonathan sure is growing up fast and we are so proud of his progress as a big brother!



Here we are riding the train at Hartsfield airport. I tried taking some pictures at the customs area but was roundly scolded for having a camera out. Apparently cell phones and cameras are not allowed in the waiting area. We were one of five families that were bringing home an adopted child and we all had to wait a long time just sitting there waiting for our immigration papers to be inspected. After a 14 hour flight, this isn't the type of homecoming you'd expect but after about 35 minutes we finally received HannahKate's immigration stamp and made our way into the open arms of Grandmom, Karolyn, and Wes, who were there to welcome us home!







Hugs and kisses for everone!







The car ride home was full of crying and screaming, but after a quick stop at McDonalds (yes... McDonalds...we needed something quick and easy since we were so tired and the kids were both incredibly agitated. One of whom didn't like being confined in a car seat for the first time and the other wanting the former to stop screaming... ahhhh the joys of having siblings!) we all crashed hard for the next few hours. It was great to see the signs on our door and mailboxes welcoming the arrival of our newest addition! After naptime HannahKate got to roam around the house and started enjoying all of her newest toys!



Our first day home and HannahKate already has found a new best friend!



Aren't they so cute together!!!

Tearful farewell...

The last few days in Korea flew by and before we knew it, we were boarding our plane ready to fly home. Packing lasted till about 11pm and we were up at the crack of dawn at 5am to catch the early airport limousine bus. We were planning on catching the 7am bus, but we were early enough to catch the 6:25am bus. After an hour or so drive, we made our way into Incheon airport and found our way into the massive ticket line. Fortunately we qualified for the family care line and only had to wait a few minutes before checking in our bags. Due to the large number of people at the security gate, we decided against trying to have a final breakfast together and began to say our goodbyes in a rather rushed fashion in the security line. The tears started flowing from everyone at that point. Words can't express the sorrow I saw in their eyes at having to watch our family leaving them. It was a great 2 weeks of sightseeing, family meetings, and just spending time together. It's amazing how attached they got to HannahKate and it hurt to think that they may not see her again for several years. In Jonathan's 6 years, he's only seen them twice... Hopefully we'll find a way to visit Korea again or convince my mother to fly again (deathly afraid of flying).

HannahKate enjoys her last walk with her grandparents.

HannahKate gives Grandma one final goodbye after we
made our way into the security checkin line.