{Documenting Chaos}

Thought I would document my day...

Many people have said many things

'How do you do it?' That ones easy.. I don't.

'Must be nice to stay home and not have to work'--- Hahaahh good one.

So I documented my day...

It is 11;52.... We have sat at the table since 9:02... Paul is done with school. Camye had done math. Blake has done English. I have sat here and done lessons plans. 

Here are a few messes I see as I look around. My little three are having a blast.

Still working at table... No lunch.. Hoping to get it by 1pm. Paul did finish everything. Blake, Camye and I are still at it. But I look up to find this...

Yes such a mess... Paints.. Sticker letters..books... An IV that the hosptial still won't pick up after 3 calls...my Advocare Spark...phone chargers... 

Quit school for the day at 1:52. Still not done. Did a quick clean up. Fixed lunch. Cades meds. Moved 415,621 boxes out of the pouring rain.. Thank you fed ex man. Headed to two different pharmacies to get Cades meds. Mail bags at ups. Mail stuff at PO. 

Oops... Slight problem at home even though only 3 kids were there.

Post office later. Everything else done. But it's now 3:50... And I need to get home to start supper at 4:15. And the loveofmylife gets home at 4:15. 

But my kids surprised me with a super clean school/dining room! Yay!

This blog is to say.. 

I don't do it all.

I don't have the awesome clean, perfect settings for Instagram, Facebook or Blogs.

Life is chaos. But documenting my day.. Sure made me realize... I love my chaos. I am going to embrace my chaos.

I am enjoying the messes that won't always be.

I am choosing to realize that life is what you make it.

As I look around at the 5 kids snuggled in my bed... This is exactly what I love.

He left today...

This is a very sweet boy 11 year old boy that my friend hosted. He returned to Chin@ today.

He doesn't have a family....

He is active and likes to try new things.  He is considerate of others and helpful around the house when asked.  He is a very good athlete and loves to do flips, and other tumbling activities.  He loves a bike and rip-stick as well. He has very good hand-eye coordination.  After 4 weeks at the pool, he has learned how to swim and dive!! He is very mechanical and likes to figure out how everything works.  

He is a good eater.  He loves pizza, cheeseburgers, Spanish rice, chips and salsa, French fries, and noodles.  His very favorite thing to eat is Pineapple! He enjoyed all fruits, and vegetables.
Like any other 11 year old boy, he enjoyed electronics.  But always asked before using any and when Was told no, or he had enough time on them, he was always very obedient and put them away. He does not particularly like TV.  He would rather be doing something more active...whether that was video games or outside activities, or puzzles.   
 
After only one month in the U.S., he spoke some basic English phrases and would use them readily.  
 
He bonded well with both host mom and dad.  He particularly liked his older brothers.  He had one younger host brother who was 4.  He generally was very kind to him, but was a little annoyed but nothing unusual for his age. His host family believes he could thrive in a family here in America.  He also loved both our cat and dog.  He loved the song  Gangnum Style and would dance to it and always say it to make our 4 year old smile!
 
He has no known special needs.  He had a perfect check up at the dentist and eye doctor. He has very good personal hygiene.
 
His file is with Great Wall.  For more information about his file you can contact Jeanne.  Her phone number is tel:512.323.9595;3091. For more information about my friends experience with him, feel free to contact my friend at kbrackeen@Hotmail.com or private message my friend on FB at Karen Brackeen Graham.

 

 

Announcing...again

We have debated announcing this... But here goes.

We will be adding on another daughter when we adopt Gina.

Sagelyn Faith

10 years old

She is quiet, shy and adorable!

She is small but this picture is 4 years old and the only one we have at age 6.

She will come home at the same time Gina does, Lord willing.

Is he yours?

Do you think some orphans cry themselves to sleep at night? 

Do you think they look longingly at other families that are passing by?

Do you ever wonder what an orphan is thinking when they are returned? For not being perfect? For not being good enough? For not looking a certain way?

There is a little boy upstairs in my house right now... He doesn't have a mom or dad committed to him yet.

It's storming,  so I went to check on the kids. This little boy is sleeping soundly. He is laying on his side, snuggling his teddy bear..... I just watched him sleep for a moment. I wondered what was he thinking as he laid his little head down. What was his last thought before dozing off?

He ran into my daughters room earlier and said... Where is daddy? Which he calls my husband..:( he was so worried because he couldn't find him. He seemed to be in a panic.

What will happen when he returns to Chln@ in a few days? Will he be in a panic all alone? Will someone comfort him? Will someone give him a reassuring hug and tell him a family will come?

I am praying like never before for his family to please step forward... I thought it would be 'fun' to step forward and offer respite for this family. I hate this. I am broken hearted. 

He is adorable. Loves his chopsticks. Speaks English and understands it. Sleeps with 3 teddy bears. Loves video games and swimming. Goes to bed easy and sleeps all night.

He would do great in most any family. He loves kids. He is so awesome with our little kids. We have a son with a PICC line, he was so gentle when he saw that. He is very helpful. 

He is 7 years old. If you are interested.. Please contact Gre@t W@ll adoption agency.:)

{One Year Ago}-- Announcement

One year ago .. Today. We met the most precious, shy, scared 11 year old I have ever met. What we thought would be 'simply' a mission trip in our home by hosting an orphan in our home.

We quickly knew this child was ours... Within days. I knew.. I had to bring her home to STAY.

BUT she wasn't available for adoption....

Until...

Last week... I told my husband... Something bad is going to happen before we get Gina's file. He asked me what? I said I bet Cade gets sick before her file comes. Satan wants more than anything for us not to adopt again and wants Gina to not have a home.

Well....

Yesterday.... The day from hell at the hospital with Cade...out if no where her agency calls me...

We got her referral. Guess who will becoming home in 4-6 months!!! 

You got it!

Gina Joy BingDin

Grass is always greener....

on the other side.

I think something we should all remember that the grass always MAY appear to be greener on the other side and with social media it sure does appear that way.

We need to remember that these are happy glimpses with a few "in the minute" not so happy glimpses into people lives.

Some people think because I only post the good and he seems to be feeling great in all my pictures. Well that is true I do not post pictures of my son having 15...yes 15 veins collapse or his I.V. infiltrate and cause his hand swell 5 times the size of what it should be.

For example...I posted praise because his bili went down to 2.9....however I haven't posted that it is up 10.9. Or any many other issues we are having.

I personally don't want photos or everyone in my negative business but have no problem having people in my positive business.

Annoying yes..the negative business may be more dramatic and interesting.

But for now..I choose to leave you with smiles and hope for clear blood cultures and healing of his suspected Choloangitis.

God has this...even every little bile duct. He knows when my baby will need a transplant and will work his magnificent plan in ways that will blow my mind.

But until then...we will deal with infections..and Cade's sweet smile.

and another little annoying positive tidbit...as I type this and Cade is playing with his "droppers"....aka medicine syringes. Cade is singing, 

"I love Ga-jok....I love Ga-jok." Music to my ears.

Ga-jok is Korean for family.

A little update: while I was writing this blog. Cades nurse came in.. We have a negative blood culture!! Yay! 2 more and we can go home!

Home 2 months:)

I can't even describe the joy I have that this bundle of sweetness is finally home.

A complete joy.

Complete potty trained.

Quite the shopper.

And wants to be just like daddy...

Be still my heart. The long wait for him to come home was worth every agonizing second.

Amsa kiddos!

Good bye friends!!!

One last HooRah at Namdamun Market

So I ran out of deodorant in Korea.

We did find some sort of liquid deoderant at EMart but after some googling I found you can buy Imported goods in an underground market.. Ahhhhh let's go! Sounds exciting to me!

First set of Stairs..

Second send set of.. Well.. More of a ramp.

An odd mixture of things.. Un-refrigerated  things.

But we found deoderant.. Now on to the better part of Namdamun.

Little girl accessories!! Hello heaven!!

Some are more than others. I held out and found some for 500 won.

And a glimpse into heavens gate right here..

Ahhhhhhh

A nice salesman.. Offered actually insisted I try dried squid. Which I politely did.

There is a man at our church and when he eats some seafood... His face blows up like a blowfish. I don't eat any seafood.. So I was afraid my face could explode just like his... But alas it didn't.

We saw him again.. Today. That friendly man said he knew I love Korea so much.. And today insisted I try a dried persimmon.. Tasty. Better than the squid. Haha

Fourth Times a Charm Part 2..

Market shopping... My favorite.

Insadong.. Is Insadong. Souvenirs... Fun items. Local Amethyst and Jade. Street food. Below are some snow globes in found for a friend... Around $20.

Myeongdong market--- TOY alley... Not as big as I had thought from reading other blogs. But best prices by far on Korea character toys.

Fabric. My friend Robin asked me to get her some fabric if we made it over here.

So we went.

We saw.

We failed.

I can shop with the best of them.

I Black Friday shop all night.

I can 'work' a Joanns like no other.

But Robin... I failed.

The overwhelming amount. Amount of people. The wall to wall fabric on top of each other was too much for this ADHD /OCD and about to have PSTD from this adoption process mama to handle. 

I am not kidding. There were 50-60 booths of fleece. 50-60 booths for wool. 50-60 booths for vinyl. 50-60 booths for buttons.

I failed you Robin... And I apologize.😉

Maybe on a future moms trip to Seoul... You can show me your ways.

Where I did not fail.. Is Shoe alley. 

A little bit of heaven on earth.

Row after row.. Store after store of shoes.

Girls shoes were $7 and the Pororo shoes were $20 but they light up.

The girls shoes were in cardboard boxes. They had $5 boxes...$7 boxes.. $10 boxes.

I love to dig for a treasure.

Still deciding on these chevron shoes if we should return for them or not.

I just love them but want 3 pairs.. Maybe.😉

I forgot to price them.

Namdamun--- my favorite.

We have been there about 5-6 times this trip. Different entrances are like entirely different markets.

Tomorrow we venture into the underground Import market for a necessity item. I will blog that later.

Below.. This adorable cost $5!! I love the piles of clothing in the center(kiosk position).. Many locals all gathered around.. A $5 sign sticking up out of the middle... Much smaller than me Korean women sitting in the middle throwing out sizes. Love love love it.

Like I said.. Love it!!!! 

Girl mamas..

Leggings..skirts.. Ruffled tops. 

I love korean kids clothes!!

Great day!!

Lots of snacks from his Amsa Omma..

And we have made room for yet another Omma in his life...

Life father like son.

And I made my move.

It worked.

A dry erase board=lots of fun.

Oh yes he stayed on my lap for a good 10 minutes.

Ahhhhh my heart.