My favorite picture of the day.....ha.

Alright, I know it is a bit of a picture overload, but come on....they're cute! I can't help it. 

Okay, so I have to write about something else too. My friends have lied to me! My friends in the adoption community said "just when you think you can't handle it anymore, you will get the .....(fill in the blank of what you are waiting for.)" Apparently, they lied (non intentional, I am sure). But, I really do think I can't handle it anymore. We need our baby home. 

We got a video last week. We will get it to where we can post it soon (it takes a lot of conversion). Honestly, I loved getting the video and I TOTALLY would not want to not have it but it was hard. The last video was just so great, we enjoyed every moment of it. This video we enjoyed totally but also had a sense of sadness that Jude is growing up while we are 15,000 miles away from him. 

We've just GOT to get that piece of paperwork soon, please God.

Welcome to my rollercoaster, I am glad you are along for the ride, my friends.

The "talk"

As we do every year, we went and saw the best Santa Clause in our area. He tells the children about Jesus and explains that He is the real reason we have Christmas. You also get an extended time with Santa. This year we didn't even have to wait in line. It was so great and so sweet. Santa wanted to talk to Rinny but she got straight down to business "I want an Ariel costume...Where are the reindeer, where are the elves?." Creed took a little more time to chat. Finally, Creed told Santa that he wanted a guitar, a helicopter, and could he please help his brother get home. Gulp. 

Creed has been asking lots of questions about lots of things lately. We've been studying in Bible class about how God is the only God. About how even though you cannot see Him, He is very real. So, Creed has been questioning that alot lately. He has also been feeling more conviction and always wants to talk about baptism. Un-related he has been asking "Is Santa real?". My answer is always "what do you think?" Micah and I have talked about it and we realized that soon we would need to answer his question truthfully because we don't want "Santa" to bring confusion about God and the reality of the True God. (I know many of you may differ in your approach to how you teach your children; some of my friends have never done santa, some of you will do santa for alot longer than we have....this is just simply how we have felt we need to handle it...that's my disclaimer :)

It happened today. At lunch, Creed asked the question, again. (of course, Micah had stepped away from the table to take Rinn to potty...urgh). I just explained to him that there had been a real Saint Nicholas but that now, it is in our imagination. I also talked about how we have been answering that question with "what do you think?" because we never want to confuse him and we want to be truthful. I told him Jesus was real and we know that because the Bible talks about Him, we see His work in our lives, etc.etc. but that Santa was just in our imagination and that mommy's and daddy's help have fun on Christmas that way. We can have all sorts of fun in our imagination, I said. 

It was really a sweet talk. I think he understands and I think we will still have lots of fun for Christmas imagining fun and crazy things together. My big boy is growing up. 

Blessed....

My best buds threw me a shower in our old town (where we lived before we moved a year ago). How incredibly blessed I was by it!!! Here are these people that we went to church with, shared our lives with, but haven't seen some of them in a YEAR!!! I think of them often, but as you all know, I am terrible about communication. So, I really didn't know if people would be up for coming, but I figured they would because that's just the kind of friends we are. We can not talk for awhile, but they are still all up for sending blessings my way. These people who came are the ones that experienced our adoption right at the beginning stages. They stood by us, they loved us, they supported us all through the process and even as we moved towns. One of the friends there even Divinely knew about 6 months before we started the process (really before we had shared with ANYONE) and showed up at our doorstep with some financial help and said she really felt God had told her that we might need that for something in the future. Several other families that was there got one of our letters that we had sent out asking for prayer and sent us a very helpful donation. Countless others that were at the shower have donated financial help but most of all, they have loved me (and Jude) unconditionally and prayed for our family fervently. I honestly think this is what heaven is going to be like. Seeing people you haven't seen in awhile, but loving them all the same.God is so good, friend....so good to His children. 

Okay, so here are my buddies that threw the shower for me. We talk on a pretty regular basis, due to the persistant, undying attempts to do whatever it takes to get me to call/write/text back:)...that is a true friend. Love em'. 

ps: they are pretty cute too...you can check them out here and here....Christie's not quite with it and doesn't have a blog yet :)

Seriously, have I not had the best cakes ever at my showers?
This is little Malachi....he is two weeks older than Ju Ju bee. Of course, I got some lovin' out on him! Poor Sabrina, I was asking her like a MILLION questions: What size shoe, what size clothes, how many teeth, how much formula, what other food, how does he sleep????? She graciously answered all my questions. 
Oh my goodness....my friends know my favorite foods.....gotta love yourself some s'mores.
The girls enjoying their cake together like old times. 
Rinny helped open every single gift, graciously, of course. 

Tatum ("Tamen) got in on the action a little bit, as well. 
What a loot! Seriously, we have everything we could possibly need for this little guy. If a stranger came into my house today they would be sure that a nine month old lived in this house! I love it. I even just leave stuff out sometimes, like bottles, paci's, etc. just because I love walking in and seeing it out, it reminds me that before too long we will have our son in our arms!!!

Ready

Highchair ....CHECK

Baby Spoons.....CHECK

Frozen baby food.....CHECK

Frozen Jook......CHECK

A bijillion cute outfits....CHECK

24 pair of shoes for size 6-12 mo......CHECK (No, I am not exaggerating)

diapers and wipes......CHECK

baby bed.....CHECK

Bottles.....CHECK

toys....CHECK (in a major way)

Bath stuff.....CHECK

Baby Proofing....Working on it

Finished adoption courses.....Getting really close

Baby Jude....Hmm....Welp, keep praying friends!!! Still waiting for our government (I 600 approval) and Korea (EP-Emmigration Permission, PP-Passport, VI-Visa). 

Still praying for January.

Enjoy the new pic! I just love this little boy. Our friend from our agency describes his as a "very busy boy...he is a very busy boy" She mentioned this several times which leads me to think he is a very busy boy just like his big brother. He is pulling up on furniture and is very drooly. His hand is healing MIRACULOUSLY. Seriously, they sent us a picture and it looks better than I ever envisioned it looking, honestly. He really doesn't have to go back to the dr. for his burns until he is home. What a blessing, thank you LORD! He is even holding a toy with that hand in one of his photos. He has a new foster brother or sister. I have been telling myself that is because our agency must know that Jude is coming home soon and thought the transition would be easier for Mrs. Kim if she and her husband have another foster child. I totally made that up in my head, by the way. Aren't his foster parents beautiful? They are so special to us. 

Mad Scientists

In school, we are doing fun science experiments. Not one set curriculum, just finding fun things to do to help the kiddos appreciate and love science....It's really funny watching them. 

Rinny....It is essential that she wears the goggles since we are working with such hazardous chemicals :)

Creed always says he is the "mad scientist" and Rinny says she is the "happy scientist".
He looks a little mad in this picture, doesn't he?
Oil and Vinegar DO mix, with a little special something. 
Yep, it is mixed. The mad scientist has confirmed.
Pop bottle science....sweet. One of the favs.
Creed can magically make an egg float (after a couple of tries).

Ready for Christmas

Creed's version of our decorated Christmas tree. We let him decorate it however he wanted. What a good mom I would've been had I left it that way :)

Creed and Rinn in front of their creation.
Our newly decorated tree, with clumps of ornaments, all in one place. 
We are not forgetting about Ju Ju bee's first thanksgiving. Love you, JJB
Creed hanging the nail inside the tree. It has become a tradition, and a reminder of Christ, His sacrifice, and our Father's love. 

The day after Thanksgiving we went to see a fabulous production of Annie. My kids are obsessed. We loved every second of it. From now on, however, I will always compare the performances we see to the INCREDIBLE homeschool performance that we saw, none can compare (especially Savannah's rendition of Ms. Hanigan)!

Thankful....

New friends who are attending our university next semester and are from China. It was a joy to have them with us. We talked (and laughed) alot. Today they are shopping the Black Friday sales, I told them that was crazy. They got to one of the stores last night at 9 PM!!!!! Yikes, they are serious. Welcome to America :)

She made a little pink bird for Rinn, it really was amazing.
Yummy Food.
A fabulous puppet show performed by Creed and Rinn.
Yumm-OH chocoloate pie.
Oh my gosh, this may have been the funniest thing. Aunt Bekah's imitation of Sarah Palin. HILARIOUS. She kept saying "I am Korean, I can't do immitations" but you could totally tell she had practiced and practiced and practiced. Seriously, HILARIOUS.
Creed joining in the festivities of the traditional singing around the piano at Holidays (really is a Kersh family tradition).
Just about ready to sing "Have a little talk with Jesus"...this is the song of choice. Bekah sings the operatic style soprano.Hehehe.

Lots of things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!!!