Waiting For Lily

Home for a month!

2010-08-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Wow can a month go by quickly!!! Lily is doing awesome!! We are so glad that she is finally here!! Her first month home has been very busy! She has jumped right into our crazy busy life and has handled it like a champ! In the last month we have gone camping, to Nicks baseball tournament, to the county fair, and to Lincoln to visit more family!!! The boys adore her and will do about anything for her!! The sibling rivalry has started!!!! The younger boys like to pick her up like a doll and make her scream. I had no idea what my little girls voice could produce such a loud scream! WOW! This week we are heading on our family vacation! We are going to Omaha to FunPlex and then off to KC for Worlds of Fun! If the county fair is any indication Lily will love all the rides!!!! We will stay with some good friends in KC for the weekend and then back home! The boys start back to school on the 19th. It will be good to get back into a schedual!!!

I hope to get some more free time so that I can update my blog more often!!! Here are a few pictures of the last month! Enjoy!

Camping
Fun in the sand!

My 3 youngest

Lily loves the water!

Nick gets his 1st place medal

Nick

Playing

My beauty!!

Getting pretty at the cousins house!

My fab 5

Wordless Wednesday!!!

2010-07-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

The restaurant district
At the Palace

Outside the US embassy

At our hotel

silk worms....yum?

Mall in Insadong

Beautiful lanterns at the Buddhist Temple

Buddhist Temple

They say a picture tells a thousand words!

2010-07-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to tell you that things are going really good!!!! The flight home was long but Lily did great! When we arrived at the Omaha airport we had the most amazing welcoming! My whole family was there are the boys had on shirts with Lily's picture and they said Proud Brother #1, #2, #3, and #4. There was pink balloon's everywhere and the boys had flowers to give me! Lilies of course! The emotions of finally being home after 30 hours of travels got the best of me. I was so happy to see my family of 7 together finally!

We haven't had any problem with sleeping or jet lag so that has been great! The boys adore Lily and she is fitting in just fine and holding her own! She still grieves for her foster mom but still has fun and shows her personality a lot! She joined the boys running through the sprinklers Sun. night and had a blast! We are so in love and enjoy seeing her become more comfortable in our family every day! I will leave you will lots of pictures!!!

Our last day in Korea!

2010-07-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

Our last day in Korea was wonderful!!! Lily is quite the sleeper! We had to wake her up for breakfast. She woke up with no tears! Just kinda a blank look in her eyes. She quickly started to warm up and let us snuggle her. We headed down for some breakfast and she ate mostly rice and watermelon! She loves watermelon. Good thing daddy grows that in the garden. She likes to see our reactions to things. She was eating and started pushing her rice off her plate. We would say no and she would smile and laugh! She has a spunky side! Her foster mom said she is very sweet and also very stubborn. Yep, she is a Janssen!

After breakfast we headed to a market to pick up a blanket and pillow that she is used to sleeping on the floor with. We will have to see how the sleeping arrangement will work at home! In the cab ride you could see that she was doing alot of thinking. She would go in and out sometimes with lots of smiles and then be very serious. No tears though. When we got back to the hotel we had some lunch and then laid Lily down for a nap. She doesn't like to go to sleep unless she is literally right on top of me like I'm carrying her but only laying down. After she falls asleep I roll her over on the bed.

After she was asleep I headed to Insadong to finish up some shopping. I still needed her name scroll in Korean and a beautiful Korean jewelry box. When I came back she was still sleeping. I did some packing up of all the gifts that we have bought. Dave decided to head over to the buddhist museum. When he came back I asked him if it was interesting and he said it was all in Korean.

Lily was still sleeping so we woke her up so that we could head over to the Seoul Tower. We took a tram to the top and wow what a view! Seoul is huge!!!! Seoul Tower is the highest point in Seoul. It is also famous for the fact that it is where the most engagements take place. Tradition says that you take a lock and attach it to the cable and throw the key over the mountain to symbolize your ever lasting love. Did I bring a lock ..... of course! Our lock symbolizes our love of family and that Lily will always be part of her forever family! We also went to the Teddy Bear museum where they talked about the History of Korea told by the bears. Lily loved it and got so excited when the bears would move.

We came home after that ate a little supper and got Lily ready for bed. She really doesn't like bed time. She stalls just like the boys. Having to go potty again (yep she is fully potty trained:)) ect. Dave went in a turned the TV off and she did not like that she started crying and yelling something at Dave. She came running to me and we laid down on the bed. Again she was on top of me. I'm not sure if the tears were that she didn't want to sleep or because she was grieving. But I would say that Dave and I agree things are going better than we expected. She is the sweetest little girl and we are so excited to bring her home to meet the boys and the rest of the family!

Today we leave for the airport at 8 am. We will fly to Chicago leaving at 11:40 Korea time Fri. and arrive in Chicago 10:00 am Friday. We gain the day coming back! Dave and I have really enjoyed our time her in Korea but both agree we are ready to come home and see our boys and become a family of 7!

Please pray for a safe trip and for Lily that she will like the plane and have lots of fun today with all the new toys and art things that she hasn't seen yet that we brought for the plane ride!

Thank you guys so much for following our journey and I will continue to post about life back home!! Your prayers and support have meant the world to us!

Lily's Gotcha day continued!

2010-07-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

On the cab ride home Lily fell asleep and if I would have known what would happen when I tried to lay her down I would have paid the cab driver to keep driving for a few hours! When I tried to lay her down she woke up the grieving started. She called out to her grandma (what she called her foster mom) and searched the room for her. It was heartbreaking for us. This continued for about 30 minutes. Very loud and almost screaming. The only time she calmed down was when we skyped the boys. She liked seeing the boys on the computer screen and waving to them. When we were done making our calls she let me rock her while she cried and then fell asleep on the bed. I tried to lay down but couldn't sleep because I wondered what she would do when she woke up.

When she woke up she cried a little more but started to play with her doll and some of her toys on the floor. She didn't show very much emotion and not any smiles. We decided to take a little walk outside. We walked around for about a hour and decided to head back to the hotel for some food and water. Dave was holding her and was tickling her and we got a few smiles. Her foster mom said she love fruit and veggies and seaweed and grilled white fish. She sent along a container of sticky rice and broccoli and she loved both. After she ate we started to see some personality come through. Dave went to grab a sandwich for himself and she was very observant when he left. I reassured her he would come back. When she heard the door I said see its Appa. She went running to Dave with arms held high yelling Appa Appa right into Dave's arms. The sight was truly priceless. It was right then and there she wrapped her daddy around her finger. They played on the floor, hide and seek and she ran all over the room. I took some video of that moment she came out of her shell. She comes to me for comfort and daddy to play. She will fit in perfect...just like the boys!

Her foster mom said she loved her bath so we gave her a bath. She was still all smiles but reserved again as if she was thinking this isn't like home. When it was time for bed she wanted nothing to do with that. Every time I would sit her on the bed she would climb right over me and stand on the floor. She looked up at me with her big brown eyes and her lip started to quiver. I held her tight and rocked her as she cried very quietly and fell asleep. She is still sleeping and Dave and I are awake for the day. I pray that she will have some fun moments here on our last day in Seoul. I'm sure that the grieving will return and that will be a good thing! She needs to grieve her loss so that she can bond with us.

Thank you so much for all the prayers! It helps knowing that this too will pass!!!! Enjoy the pictures!

A wonderful day!

2010-07-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

Today was wonderful!!!! We headed to Holt this morning to meet and pick up Lillian! We got there about a 1/2 hr early and DJ took us into a room. As we sat there waiting my emotions overwhelmed me! At 9:30 the door opened and DJ stuck her head in asked if we were ready!!!! I had been ready for so long and when they walked in I was over joyed! Lilys foster mother had already been crying and so had I so we were to peas in a pod. Lily was very shy at first! Her foster mom said that they had already cried together on the way over. She said that she has been talking to Lily and that she looks at our pictures and says Omma and Appa (mom and dad). She came and sat on our laps for a little bit but keep her eyes on her foster mom. Her foster mom said that she is a sweet little girl and prefered men and that she would be a daddys girl! She has fostered over 25 children. When we were leaving she was picking up her next baby. What a wonderful woman!!!

We headed downstairs for her last check up with the doctor then it as time to say goodbye. Lily did wonderful! When her foster mom told her to go with her Omma she came running to me with a smile! It melted my heart!! We said our goodbyes and headed to the holt reception center to drop off our donations and see the babies! I took lots of photos of the babies there!!! We grabed a cab and the tears started to flow! Lily cried herself to sleep.

I will write more later. Lily needs me!

We have our daughter!!!! Our family is complete!

2010-07-06T23:28:00.000-07:00

Right now you get some much anticipated photos! Details will come later ... after we get some rest!

A restless night!

2010-07-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

It is 3:15 in the morning and I'm wide awake! As I sit here a think about my day ahead tears are falling down my face. My heart is excited, my stomach is in knots and my mind is scared. I'm so ready to meet Lily and bring her home to her forever family but cant help to think of all that she is losing. Since this blog has been my personal journal to my journey to get Lily I have decided to put in my letter to her.

My dearest Lily,

As I sit here in the middle of the night I think of how you are sleeping in you foster families home for the last time. It is the family you thought you would always have but we all knew that it was a stepping stone to your forever family. You have had two mothers that love you so very much but couldn't keep you and one that prayed and longed for you to join their family forever. That family is ours and soon to be yours. And this mom has loved you since I saw your face for the first time and gasped! You have 4 brothers that are so excited to meet you and have you come to Nebraska and be their cheerleader. A mother and father that will never leave you!

I know that in a few hours you will leave a family and home that you have trusted and grown to love and follow parents that you don't know and have only seen in pictures. This meeting will be a very happy occasion for your dad and I but a heartbreaking one for you and your foster family. We will get through it together! I will probably be a mess because my heart is heavy and will break for your loss. I know that there will be lots of tears from us all and I will be there to wipe away your tears and probably mine, and don't tell anyone but probably your dads as well. This is your gotcha day the day we become a family of 7!

You will join a family that already loves you!!! That can't wait to see you in person and watch you as you grow! I know that you will be leaving everything that you know! Your culture, nationality, and a country that your dad and I are so glad we got to experience and came to love! We promise to take you back someday and to teach you about your culture.

I can't wait to see your face for the first time, hold you, watch you sleep and to comfort you in your grief. I love you Lily and your mommy and daddy are coming to bring you home to your forever family!!

Today was our city tour!

2010-07-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful day touring the city of Seoul. We woke up again at 4:30 in the morning but after tossing and turning for a few minutes we both ended up falling back to sleep. At 8 we went down for breakfast and then got ready for our city tour. Our first stop was The Palace. It was very educational and beautiful! We got to meet Jackie and Steve from our BB and they had there new son with them. They didn't get to stay long because it was so hot outside and they had just got their son the day before. Our tour guide was the most adorable girl named Mi-na. We saw the changing of the guards and had a chance to wear traditional Korean dress and get your pictures with them. After that we went to Isadong for a traditional Korean meal. We ate lunch with another couple on the tour. Their family was from Boston. They had a 3 year old girl that was adopted from China and she is getting a new baby sister tomorrow. I had Bimbebop (sp?) and it was really good. Dave had bulgoui and he kinda liked it. I had a hard time using the chopsticks so I stuck to the spoon. After we were finished we did a little shopping and I picked up a few things. Mi-na then took us to a Korean tea house and sat with us and told us about Korea and we told her about Nebraska. I tried cold plum tea, Dave had cold citruis tea, and Me-La had a hot tea. I liked all of them.

Mi-na and I went to a nail salon so that I could have a manicure. It was really fun having her to talk to. Dave went and had a beer and did a little people watching. Then it was time to tell Mi-na goodbye. I gave her my face book name and e-mail so that we could continue our friendship!

Dave and I came back to the hotel to drop off some packages and headed out to dinner. We decided we were ready for a regular sandwich and wings so we went to Bennigans. We walked back home and I started getting my gifts together for my big day tomorrow! I will tell you that me stomach is in knots and my head is spinning thinking tomorrow I have my baby girl. I feel like I just started labor and the time is coming fast.

Please pray for Dave and I as we journey to bring our daughter home. Please pray for her foster family that has to give up a daughter that they have loved for 10 months. Pray for Lily that she will know that we are here to love her always and forever and will never leave her or let her go. She will be a part of our family just like our other 4 children and we will take care of her!

Day 2 we took in the culture!

2010-07-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

Eating....I don't know?

Children's market place

Small street with places to eat!

Market Place

Picture on the balcony

Hotel Pool

Today was wonderful! Dave and I both slept restless and I was wide awake from 1am to 3am. We woke up around 5:30 and waited for breakfast to open. The breakfast here at the hotel is wonderful. Some the same as home and some very different. I had a omelet, toast, and juice and coffee. They also had lettuce, hot soup, and local yogurt with lots of toppings. We headed to the top of our hotel to see the pool and gardens! Beautiful view! We then asked the front desk for a cab to take us to Namdaemun Market. When we arrived there the shops and vendors will just opening up! We walked around awhile and headed to the Lotte Mart. Lotte Mart is a cross between a Super Target and Department store. I purchased some puzzles with Korean and English alphabet, Korean music CD's and some Pororo toys. Pororo is the cartoon for kids here in Korea. Then we walked back to the market and it was lunch time. WOW was it different! The place was packed with people!!! Food vendors everywhere!! We did some shopping and bought some clothes for Lily that are made in Korea. Also some things for the boys at home! There were small narrow streets with Korean food on both sides. After looking at the the fish and octopus, ect. Dave lost his appetite for the whole day. There is a very strong spicy fish smell where ever you are. It didn't stop me! I bought something like a egg roll on the street but instead of being fried it was bread. Then I went into a small resteraunt and Dave watched as I ate a Korean meal. One that I think was kimchee in it? It was good but she had to show me how to put everything in it. :)
We took a cab back to our hotel around 2:30 and decided to take a little nap. Well we woke up at 7:00. We headed out to find a bookstore. The streets were still packed with people! We thought yesterday in Insadong that it must be the place to be in Seoul, then it was the market today, but we found the restaurant district and it was bustling! We set down at a bar and had a beer and people watched for awhile. Then all of the sudden there was a crowd of people in front of the restaurant across the street and cameras were everywhere (of course I forgot mine). It was a man that the girls were crazy for, even the girls next to us jumped up and took his picture. When they returned we asked who he was and they said he was a very famous actor. Wish we knew who it was.
We then headed home and now I'm wide awake at 10:45pm. I think I will journal, read and then head to bed!
Tomorrow we have our Seoul city tour. I'm really excited for this! Only 1 more full day before I met Miss Lily. Every little girl on the streets today made me smile!!!

We are in Korea!!!! Trip has been wonderful so far!

2010-07-04T04:24:00.000-07:00

I had ice cream but they also served cheese and fruit

Third

Second course

First course

We have arrived in Korea!!! The trip has been amazing so far!!! The flight to Chicago was smooth and quick!!! We had a 3 hr layover in Chicago and grabbed a Chicago dog for lunch!

We waited to board the plane to Korea and our names came across the intercom. I started to panic a bit! We headed up to the ticket counter and as they spoke Korean to each other they asked us to sit down for a bit. When the man came back he said that they were trying to get us better seats for our flight! Better seats is a understatement!!!! We were moved to Business class! I felt a little overwhelmed and the tears started to flow! What a wonderful way to start off a trip of a lifetime! We had our slippers, drinks as we set down, and lunch and dinner that was 5 courses! Also we had pods, with our own TV, gaming systems, you name it we had it! Seats that laid all the way back into a bed. We have been spoiled!!!

Our van driver was waiting for us in Seoul and took us to our hotel the Somerset. It is beautiful. 2 bedroom 2 bath with a kitchen and washer and dryer.

Dave and I decided to try to stay up so we went to sight see a bit. We saw a beautiful buddhist temple, and found our way to Insadong. We are now home and ready for bed!!! It is 6:30 in the morning at home and in our bodies right now!!! So night night! I hope you like the pictures!

Leaving on a jet plane!!!

2010-07-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

Our plans are set!!!! We are leaving Sat. morning (yes like 36 hours) and returning on Fri. afternoon. I couldn't be more excited!!!! I can't wait to see my little girl and bring her into our family!!

We don't have hotel arrangements yet but will find out if we are able to get into our first choice of hotels tomorrow. Also we will find out when we get Lily for good!!!

Travel Call!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has granted the desires of my heart. -1 Samuel 1:27

The call came today at 12:01. It was Lisa telling me that our daughter was ready to come home! I can't believe the day is finally here!!!! WOW!!!

We are leaving Sat. morning to arrive in Seoul on Sun afternoon and returning on Friday. We don't know where we are staying yet or when we will get Lily but the time is here!!! Thank God for this amazing blessing!!!!

Have to go pack now! :)

The start of another week! Is this THE week?

2010-06-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

We had a fun filled weekend! Nicholas made the all star baseball team and he had his first tournament Sat. It was 95* and he had to play 3 games out in the heat! Nick played great but their team lost in a few nail biters! After the 3rd game I think we were all ready to be at home enjoying the air conditioner!!! My mom came down to watch Nick play and spent the night!

Jacob turned 8 on Sunday!!! We had a fun day! After church we went to Kearney for the day. We ate at Valentinos and went to the movie Shrek. When we got home we hit the fireworks stand for the 3rd night in a row and had a little firework display in honor of Jacobs birthday!

The paperwork that we had to submit last week just landed in Korea yesterday at 4:45pm so hopefully the packet can be sent to the embassy so Lily can have her visa issued. I called DC this morning to see if there was any update and the wonderful lady on the other end said that she can see her picture and that she is beautiful and had lots of hair! I about fell over! For 2 weeks I have called and heard no news! What this means is that she made her Embassy appearance. So it is all ready but her visa interview! The visa interview and travel call can come on the same day! Maybe just maybe we will get our travel call this week!!!!!

Please pray for our family as we prepare for Lily's arrival and also for her foster mother that is preparing for her departure.

Just one more piece of paperwork!

2010-06-22T13:48:00.001-07:00

Well I was hoping to get the "Travel Call" this week but we hit a bump in the road....again! I got a e-mail from Holt that Korea needed a paper signed by Dave and I and notarized today and sent back to them ASAP. Well Dave was working in McCook today (of course) so he had to head back to Holdrege early so that we could get the paper overnight ed to Oregon by 3:00.

It is the last thing Korea needs before they submit it into the Embassy to have her visa issued. We are hoping that tomorrow Holt can scan it and Korea can use that to submit knowing that the hard copy is being sent Fed X to Korea. This would be the best case scenario! Worst is that they would wait to get the hard copy and then submit. Hopefully this won't set us back to far.

I'm trying to look at the positives. Nicholas made the all star baseball team and has a tournament this Sat. and Jacob turns 8 on Sunday. So I will be here to enjoy these things with my boys!

We did have a great weekend! Dave turned the big 40 on Friday so we celebrated with his twin brother and his family! Saturday we went to our towns parade and then to North Platte's parade and topped the night out with the rodeo! Sunday was Fathers Day. It was the first since I lost my dad in January. A hard day. We took the boys to the movie Karate Kid and heading but home for a quiet evening! I thank God daily for my husband! He is a wonderful father that spends quality and quantity time with all our boys.

I hope to have some wonderful news soon!!! Stay tuned!

A wonderful month!!!

2010-06-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it but it has almost been a month since I have blogged. Alot has happened!!! I will start with a update on Lily! We finally received our I600 after 14 weeks of waiting. We had to get re-fingerprinted in Omaha to complete the approval. We also have received news the Lily's Emigration Permit was approved and that her visa physical is scheduled for this Wed. What does this mean you ask? It means that we are so very close!!!! After her VP (visa physical) she will have a VI (visa interview) and she will be ready to come home!!!! My guess is that we are in Korea in about 2 weeks! WOW!!!! Saying that out loud is crazy!!!

We also received another well baby check with 2 new photos taken with the care package we sent her. That put my mind at ease because I know that she has seen us and that her foster mother is preparing her to meet us. I can't believe that I will be a mom again very soon! This has been the longest pregnancy ever! 2 1/2 years ago we started this process and now with in weeks our daughter will be in our arms.

I try to imagine how I will be when I see her for the first time in person. I remember the feeling when we saw her picture for the first time. The emotions overcame me. I hope that I can pull myself together when we meet. I hardly go a day without breaking down thinking of what she is loosing and what she has already lost. I pray for her birth mother and he foster mother every night. The strength that both of these women have is amazing. The love they must have for my daughter. That one would give her up to have a better life and one that takes care and loves her until her forever family comes for her.

Also last month my sister-in-law through me a celebration shower for Lily and I. It was at Laura's house and we had a cake and punch and lots of fun! We had the videos playing on her laptop so all my girlfriends could see Lily in action! Because I'm so blessed and I have a closet full of clothes :) we asked our guests to bring a donation for the Holt reception center. This is where the babies come before they are placed with a foster family or in some cases they stay there until there adoptive parents are chosen. Wow do I have tons of donations!!! Thank you so much to all my giving friends.

I promise to be better about blogging and that I will have my laptop in Korea when we go! My nieces asked me when will they know Lily is coming home for sure. I told them when Aunt Marcie calls and you answer and all you hear is screaming. :)

May was a big month for birthdays as well! Joshua turned 4 on the 26th and Nicholas turned 10 on the 31st. Joshua had a party at the YMCA with the bounce house of course. Nicholas is still planning his party for next week.

Mothers day was very special as well. My boys made me breakfast in bed, let me sleep in a little and took me out to lunch! I got a very special gift from my husband. It is the gift that has kept on giving. I received my first Mothers bracelet on Mothers day 10 yrs ago and each time there was a new addition to the family another strand was added. So this Mothers Day I got to add my first daughters name. I love it!!!! Then I bought a necklace for Mothers day for me from me! :) It is from Pixiedots and I wear it all the time!

Last but not the least last weekend we decided to go camping. We decided at 4 pm on Sat. and loaded the car and off we went. the boys put up our new tent and we had a blast!!! We roasted hot dog for dinner and smores for dessert. In the morning we did a little rafting and fishing. What a wonderful weekend!!

Well that's a month in review. Now I will leave you with the newest picture of Lily!

Last day of school for the boys!

2010-05-19T05:53:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of school for the big boys! The little ones are out and Matt had his preschool graduation on Monday ! It sure doesn't seem like summer break could be here already! Today it is pouring rain and only 60 degrees out. So much for our annual shaving cream fight. It will have to be rescheduled for a much nicer day! I think we will head to Pizza Hut for lunch.

I'm still waiting for my I600 approval. It has been 12 weeks since we have sent it in. We have contacted our state senators office and they have someone working on it so hopefully we will get it very soon. We are still looking at a month or more before we head to Korea. Boy the wait is getting really hard. I'm trying to keep my spirits up but the waiting at the end is so much harder than the wait to referral because now I have a daughter and I want her home. Every day she is getting older and having milestones that we are missing.

I will leave you with some photos of the last few weeks!

Nicholas playing soccer. Undefeated season!

Jacob takes first place on the P horse at State gymnastics!

Matt graduates from Preschool!!

I wonderful surprise came in the mail!

2010-05-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

On Friday when I went out to get the mail I had a bubble mailer from Holt International. I was really looking for a envelope from the USCIS with my approved I600 so I was a little disappointed. But when I opened the bubble mailer my heart started beating fast! It was a dvd from Lily's foster mom. All the boys were home and we ran to the computer to put it in! At first it said that my computer couldn't open it. So I looked into other options and finally was able to import it on to my laptop. When the files (yes I mean files with a S) opened up I was so excited! There were 7 new photos and 8 video clips. Each clip is a few minutes long and 2 are about 7 minutes long. The boys and I watched and laughed as Lily ran around with her hair in piggy's. How she can eat with a spoon and drink from a glass as big as she is. We got to see how she is so well loved and cared for! This was such a blessing and just what I needed last week. In one of the video I think she is playing with her foster dad and he has her on his legs playing airplane and she is smiling and laughing.
It was wonderful and hard at the same time because you can see that she loves her family and it will be very hard for her to leave them and come into our family. If she only knew how much she will be loved and how we have waited so long for her, and prayed for her. How we have prepared a beautiful room with a closet full of dresses, tea sets. and dolls. How her cousins ask when will baby Lily come. If we could tell her that her big brothers will never let her have a boyfriend! :) Just kidding, but she will be very well protected! It must feel like a eternity to the boys. It has been over 2 years since we told them they would have a sister.
This May brings lots of hopes! I hope to recieve approvials of both the I600 and our EP. Then we will have a little better idea of when we will bring our little girl home!
I will leave you with the new pics and a video clip if I can figure out how to post it.

A big day for Mom!!

2010-04-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

Well it did finally happen...I have turned the big 40! :) It really has been a wonderful day!! This morning Dave made me breakfast in bed! Not just a bowl of cereal but eggs, biscuits and gravy, and a waffle because he didn't know what I would want. The boys woke up one by one to tell me Happy Birthday and then they were off to school!

My sister in law Laura planned a day in Kearney for us and I was to meet her at 10:00. When I showed up 8 of my friends were there to greet me all dressed in black! We left and went to Kearney and got pedicures and then went out to lunch! When we were driving to lunch I got a e-mail for Lisa from Holt. When I opened it up there were 2 new updated pictures of Lily! What a wonderful surprise!!! God is so good!!!! I think my daddy did it again!!! I was so sad last night thinking of my big day without him and just like he sent Lilys referral he has sent me my birthday gift from heaven! Thank you Daddy I love and miss you!!!

Last week I also got the news that our Emigration Permit was submitted in Korea. All I know is that it is one more step to bring Lily home!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILY!!!!!

2010-03-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

Today Miss Lily turned 2! Bitter sweet here at our house. Although I wish she was home with us to celebrate I know that she will be soon! I hope that she has a wonderful birthday with her foster family!!!

Our family here is going to celebrate with a cake for Lily and singing Happy Birthday to her on video so that when she is older she will know that we didn't want to miss this special day!!!

We received our Legals on the 22nd and filled our I600 with USCIS. This is the last step here on the State side. There is much more on the Korean side that they are working on! The I600 is said to take 6-8 weeks to get returned but we are hoping that it is much sooner! At this point the sooner we get the legal paperwork done the sooner we will bring her home. We are still thinking the end of May or beginning of June. What a wonderful summer this one will be!!!!

The Fed Ex man delievered!!!!

2010-02-01T14:06:00.001-08:00

I waited all day Friday for the Fed Ex truck to deliver Lilys file!!! I wanted to get a picture of him with the packet in his hands for Lilys scrapbook. I only had to leave once to pick up the boys from school. I was gone only 15 minutes and guess who came.....the Fed Ex truck. So when I pulled up the package was propped up in the door. So I took pics of the boys holding the file.

But the package had many gifts!!!! More pictures of sweet Lily and also a video of her at a well baby check. She was playing with blocks and would stair at the camera. 2 and 1/2 minutes into her life... Priceless!! Here are her new pictures. She is holding up 2 fingers I'm not sure if they were saying your going to be two or if it is the peace sign. Whatever it is it is adorable!!!

Wonderful news after a really hard week

2010-01-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

I lost my Dad to Acute Leukemia on Thurs. January 21st. He was only 58 years old. He entered into the hospital on Sunday night Jan. 17th. My sister and I were by his side when he passed away. I was able to tell him how much I loved him and that it was okay to go. His funeral was on Tues. I prayed to my Dad in heaven to help guide my daughter to us and he sure did deliver.

Last night as I drove back into town I received "the call" from my social worker Deb. She told me how sorry she was to hear about my Dad. Then she said " I have some news for you!" I pulled over to the side of the road as I listened to her tell me about my daughter. I cried and cried!!! I cried with sadness that I had lost my father. I cried with happiness that I was about to see my daughters face for the first time. Then she told me that the little girl was already 22 months old....and I cried again. I cried because of the uncertainty because we always envisioned a 10 month old. She told me her birthdate and then I can't remember anything after that. The tears just wouldn't stop. I was 15 miles from home. I called my husband and waited for him to arrive home and we opened the file together. We scrolled down to see her beautiful face and I cried again!!! There she was my daughter that I have longed and waited so long for. The minute I saw her I knew God had a plan for our family and he had sent her just for us. Lillian Yeon-Su Janssen was born on March 2, 2008 At her last well baby check on the 17th of Jan. she was 30 inches tall and weighed 22 pounds.

Now the paperwork begins. We have lots of papers coming overnight FedX and will be here tomorrow. The most excitting thing is we have a video of her coming in our packet. I will try to post it here this weekend.

Now we wait for the next call the "travel call" This call comes somewhere around 4 months. So she will be here in the summer!!!!

Thank you for all the prayers for our family!!! Continue to pray that we have a very speady travel call.

And of course what you have all been waiting for as well.....her beautiful pictures. Here is my girl!

I didn't realize that it had been so long!

2010-01-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!! Wow the time has just flown by! With all the holidays, snow storms, and travels to family near and far the time just came and went.

Christmas was a wonderful time. Christmas Eve we went to the children's Mass at our church and came home to eat our traditional potato soup and bread. We let the boys open their presents to each other. The boys had gone to the bank and got their own money out of their savings and purchased presents for one of their brothers. We got everyone in bed by 10:00. Well the morning came extra early this year when Jacob entered our room at 3am to show us the bow and arrow that Santa had left him. We told him to return to bed and go back to sleep. I believe the next time he came in was 4am and we sent him back again. By 6am the 2 big boys were up and we told them they had to wait until 7 to wake up their other brothers. Oh boy did they hold us to that! All 4 boys were downstairs at 7 to start the festivities! Santa didn't disappoint. Nicholas received a DSI, Jacob a electric scooter, and for the little boys Santa had something very special......a real hamster. And this wasn't any hamster he was special. Santa left a note for the boys telling them that their hamster came from the land of the misfit toys. Why they asked, well because he only has one eye. They still love him and named him Zhu Zhu.

Christmas day brought us unbelievable weather! Tons of snow and wind of 40 mph. We were unable to head to Lincoln to visit my family. The drifts were 12 ft high in areas and the interstate had closed. The next day we were determined to make it to Mema's (grandma). We left at 10am and arrived at 4:30. A drive that normally take just over 2 hrs. Wow what a stressful drive that was!

New Years Eve found us with family. My sister-in-law's birthday is on New Years so we went to their house with the kiddos and enjoyed some family time and a little Rock Band and Yatzee.

The wait for Lily is still going strong. We just know that the call will come soon and we are so ready!! On Sat. the 9th we will have waited for her for 18 months from the time of our home study was complete and just shy of 2 years since the first application was sent into the agency. We are holding strong but hope this wait ends very soon!

I will leave you with lots of pics of the holidays!

Another New Week

2009-12-14T14:22:00.001-08:00

Every new week brings more hope that this will be the week we will see our daughter.....or will it? Time will only tell. I love the new week because it symbolizes a renewed hope. 5 full days of chance.

Dave and I are in Chicago until tomorrow. Dave has meetings 3 times a year in Chicago and at Christmas time we stay downtown on the Mile. We flew in Sat. and went to dinner at our favorite restaurant the Big Bowl. Spicy food is something we both love. We did some shopping and had a few drinks in the bar and called it a night. Yesturday we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and walked around and looked at the lights. It was a beautiful night and the weather was wonderful.

Today Dave was in meetings all day so I did some shopping and tonight we go out to dinner with everyone in Dave's 20 group meeting. Tommorow Dave will have meetings in the morning and and then we will fly out at 2:30.

A New Week

2009-12-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday started a new week. Will the call come this week? Only one person can answer that question and its not me! I will continue to pray that our daughter is being loved and enjoying her first holiday season. Our family is wishing she was here with us this Christmas! But we know that she is being well taking care of. When I say that out loud I can't believe that there is a family in Korea that will love and care for my daughter. My daughter....the one that God made just for me. WOW! I will never be able to thank this women for the sacrifice that she has given. I think of her birth mother and pray that she is okay. That she knows that her daughter is loved and will have a wonderful life. The holidays will bring her much sorrow and I hope that she knows that what she given our family is a answered prayer.

Yesterday I received a beautiful surprise. My friend Stacia sent me a Christmas arrangement. The flowers where Lily's and the card read " Here are some Lily's while you are waiting for Lily to come". I have some of the most wonderful friends. I couldn't get through this without all the support they have given me.

We are in the middle of a huge winter storm. We are expecting to recieve 10-16 inches of snow in the next day or two. Our boys are so excitted to play in the snow and have been asking to go outside since 8 this morning. I will try to keep them in for awhile but then they will have to run and burn off some steam.

Number 1!!!!!!!!

2009-11-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

We found out Friday that our family is #1 on the wait strip. This means our family is the first one to receive the next little girl that comes available! It could be 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month but wow does that sounds better than 1 year!!!

Last week was kinda a blur!! Sat. night was the boys school fundraiser so the week was fulled with tons of last minute thing and also decorating the auditorium. The kids came and sang "We are the World" and everything went off as planned. I think we raised about $35000 for the kids school.

Amy came to go to the fundraiser and it was wonderful to see her. She bought a new van from Dave and came to pick it up. It is always wonderful to catch up with my BFF.

This week starts the fun!!! Thanksgiving is Thurs. and then Fri. I leave with my Mom and family to shop in Kansas City for the weekend. I'm ready for the Holidays. The magic of Christmas is so wonderful!

I'm so thankful for my health and for the health of all my boys and my husband. I'm thankful that there is a foster family in Korea that will share the holidays with my daughter and show her all the love to help her grow!

A New Week!

2009-11-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well today starts a new week. I like Mondays because it brings hope of getting a referral this week. It seems turned around I know. I hate Fridays because then the week is over and during the weekend I can't get the call that I long for. For most it is just the opposite...unless you are adopting then I know you fell the same way.

I would love to tell you how things are great and the waiting isn't getting to me, but then I would be lying to you all. Each week I can't believe I didn't get to hear about my daughter, I didn't get to see her face, and I didn't get to say "Yes I got the call" instead of fumbling to smile and say "any day now." I know the friends that ask are feeling awkward as well because I'm sure they can see the frustration in my eyes. I keep holding on the the ones that have gone before me and tell me that the wait will be soon forgotten when you see and hold your baby for the first time.

I will have a very busy week this week so I hope that will help! My boys school has their annual fundraiser this Sat. night. It will be a great time! But this week will be crazy with last minute details, seating charts, auction items, ect. The kids are coming to sing again which was a big hit last year. This years theme is Change The World. They will sing "We are the World". I will be sure to take some pictures. It has been a stressful week since we found out the Huskers would be playing their football game that night. If you are a Nebraskan you know what I mean!!! We will have the football game playing so I hope the Huskers play well.

Here comes the holidays!

2009-11-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Well November is here and that means it starts the holiday season. Fall is my very favorite time of the year. It crisp air and the falling leaves can't be beat.

Our October went out with a bang! Halloween was a blast. We have so much candy in the house that its hard to stay away. :) The boys dressed up in all boy glory. Nick was a zombie, Jacob was a scary goblin, Matthew was a ninja, and Joshua was spider man. When did they give up the cute costumes for the scary ones? Boys will be boys I suppose. The weather was wonderful! In Nebraska its kinda a dice roll. We have had some wonderful years and years that Halloween was cancelled for weather reasons.

My mom also came to visit this past weekend. She hadn't been trick or treating with the boys before so it worked out to be a great weekend. She also came down to help me paint Lily's room. What a chore that ended up being! The room had been the boys toy room so it had to be cleared out then the wallpaper had to come down. Wow that was hard! Then to my surprise under the wallpaper there was purple paint splattered all over the walls. So then we had to sand the walls and then we finally got to paint. The walls are a soft yellow. We still have a ways to go with the decorating but at least the hardest part is behind us!

Our fantastic trip!

2009-10-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Dave and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary in July. I wanted to do something really special for him. So after searching for the perfect time the plans were in place. I planned a 4 night 5 day trip to Puerto Rico without him knowing. The boys stayed at my friend Amy's house down in Lincoln. The Sunday night before we left I took Dave out to eat. I gave him a card that told him to go into work on Monday and tie up his loose ends because we were leaving on vacation at 4:00. He was shocked!!! It was so exciting. I also left the location up in the air. He started guessing right away! He didn't guess until 6:00pm Monday night. I was bursting at the seams to tell him so I said "YES!!" We left at 5:40am Tuesday morning. We had a wonderful time! The weather was 80-90* everyday! We spent time on the beach and the pool. The food was awesome! We found a new love called mofongal. It is green plantations fried and mashed with garlic and butter. YUM! We took a boat tour to a island to snorkel and swim. When we were snorkeling we saw a black stingray. So cool but a little scary! We stayed until Saturday and returned to snow on the ground! Big shock to the system!

1, 2, 3 and 4

2009-10-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

1 year, 2 months, 3 weeks, and 4 days is the count for the length of time we have been waiting for a referral. This past couple of weeks have been so busy that I didn't do a ton of thinking about it. Well maybe just a little. :)

I love Sundays for so many reasons! My husband is home all day. We go to church together as a family and it means it is Monday in Korea. A new beginning to a new week. We did get the monthly update from Korea and they are placing girls with home studies from June of 08. What does this mean to us? We are the first family waiting in July so we are now #3 in line for a referral of a little girl. We are getting so much closer!! Maybe this month? Only God knows when and I will trust in his perfect timing.

Joshua had quite a eventful week! Last Sat. he decided he was too big for training wheels and asked his big brother to take them off. He took to it instantly! He was now one of the "big boys". Things took a interesting turn on Tues. night as we were getting ready for dinner. Matt came in to tell us that Josh fell of his bike and had a bloody nose. It didn't take long for me to realize this was much more than a bloody nose! I cleaned off his face and realized that he had split his chin open. So off to the ER we went. After waiting for 2 hours the doctor gave him dermabond (liquid stitches). We were praying that it wasn't going to be the old fashion stitches. Been there and done that and would prefer not to go through that again! With 4 boys we have been to the ER more times than I would like to remember!

The big boys started playing flag football. They both made touchdowns on their first games! Mom was so proud! They love football and we love spending time watching all the boys with thier sports!

Last week when Laura and my nieces and nephew were here we started ripping off the wallpaper in the room that will be Lilys. We had lots of fun trying to pull off the biggest pieces. My mom is coming down for 4 days the end of the month to start painting the room. I'm so excitted! When the room is painted when can start doing the fun decorating! After 4 boys this will truely be a different experience for me.

I will leave you with some pictures of the past few weeks!

Its Monday!

2009-09-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today starts a new week! We had a good weekend except the cold I got yesterday that keep me in bed most of the day! Saturday night we took the boys to see GI Joe. Great movie! A little far fetched (okay alot) but very action packed!
Sunday the boys let me sleep and had a fun day on their own. Daddy played kick ball and football. One bloody nose and many ouches later they took Nick to the football field to compete in Pass, Punt, and Kick contest. Their were 9 boys in his group and he placed 3rd and received a ribbon. He was thrilled!
Today is Matt's birthday party with his friends. Since he has a summer birthday we waited until school started so all his buddies could come. So I'm gearing up for 10 5yr olds! It's a football theme so Daddy and the big boys will set up a game! Then its time for pizza, pinata, and cake!
A new week brings new hope for a referral call. It could come anyday now or weeks from now. What I do know is that we are very very close to meeting our little girl that God made for our family!

And then there were 4!

2009-09-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the #1 family got their referral of a beautiful baby girl!!!! Yeah!! This means that we are now #4 on the list! Pretty nice to move up 1 spot in 1 week! Hopefully it means things are on the move now! Today is 1 year and 2 months waiting for a referral. I feel good this week!

We had a great time in Lincoln this past weekend! I got to see some old friends on Fri. night. We had a mini reunion but there weren't a ton of people but we caught up with my friends Tiff and Lisa. Dave and I had a great time taking the boys to the Husker game on Saturday. I think my mom had a great time with the little boys as well. She took them to the park for a picnic and out for ice cream. Our family went to my sisters house for a grill out Sun. night. A beautiful night and I had fun playing with my niece and nephew.

Sunday my sister took the kiddos to Pioneers Park. It had been many many years since we had been there and the boys had never been. We went up to the Indian sculpture and took a few pictures! Jacob picked a beautiful flower and gave it to me for my hair (don't tell the park ranger!) It was a wonderful weekend!

My niece Aubree
My Mom and the little menDaddy and the boysGo Big Red!Jacob and INick and IThe big boys

Go Big Red!!

2009-09-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well it's labor day weekend and we are heading down to Lincoln this weekend. Lots of plans! My high school has a little get together reunion tonight. We are going to take the kiddos out for dinner and then we head to Mema's house. In the morning I'm heading to the farmers market with my mom and hopefully my sister and niece. I haven't been able to make it for a few years now. Then off to tailgate and celebrate the Huskers first home opener! Go Big Red! A baby shower Sunday and family reunion to top off the weekend. I love long weekends with my family. I'm taking my camera so I will post pictures of the fun when we get back!

5 is the number of the day!

2009-09-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday brought some more hope! I called Lisa at Holt Korea to ask how things are coming along and she said that we are #5 on the wait strip. Yea!!! So 4 other family are waiting for a girl before we are the top dog. Closer and closer we come! Could be any day or 2 months from now. They are working on May 08 home studies and we are the first in July. It was a great feeling knowing it is moving along slow but surely! A little peace of mind in the middle of the week.

Also Dave and I enjoyed our 10 year anniversary last month and Dave bought me a anniversary band. It was finished yesterday. It has 5 stones for our 5 children. So 5 was the number of the day!

A New Month!

2009-09-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

"Have you heard anything yet?"

If I had a dollar for every time I heard this question a day, a week, or a month I would be rich! :) I wish I had a concrete answer for everyone including myself. I remember when we took our adoption classes our instructor said " I can tell you 2 things for sure! You will have delays and you will end up with a daughter." Well we have had delays! When we first sent in our application back in Jan of 08 we were told the wait from application to placement would be 17-20 months. Now we are looking at 22-26 months. I used to wish she would be home before the boys started school, then it was before Halloween, then it was before Christmas, and now I pray she is in our arms before Easter!

I'm so excited to get "The Call" that says "you have a daughter!" I'm sure it will be as sweet as every time my doctor lifted my newborn up and said "Its a Boy....again!":) Every time the phone rings I look for a Holt number on the caller ID. Everyone says it will happen when you least expect it and I know that it will come when God decides my daughter is ready to leave her foster family and join with ours.

When the call does come I will receive a e-mail with all her birth information and health records and of course the part we are dying for, a glimpse of her beautiful face. We will fill out the acceptance paperwork and get the ball rolling. I wish I could say that we would book our flights and go get our daughter but that isn't the case! Lots of paperwork on both sides of the world have to be completed and red tape galore! The time frame will then be about 3-4 months to complete it all and then we wait for the second call. The wonderful "Travel Call". When that is received we have 10 days to make our way to Korea to meet and pick up our daughter.

Today I ask for prayers that I can be patient! Enjoy the now and rejoice in all the blessings in my life!

End of the month!

2009-08-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of August. It has been a very busy month. The boys all started school. Nicholas started 3rd. grade, Jacob is in 1st, Matthew is in Pre K, and Joshua 3yr old preschool. It is actually nice to get back in the grove of school and activities. The big boys will start flag football next month and the little boys are starting Little Tykes sports (introduction to football, baseball and soccer).
The boys also got some new toys, 4 wheelers and motorcycles. They have been ridding a ton! I try to stay away as much as possible because I just can't watch them. They do enjoy it, all 5 of them (Dad included).
We enjoyed some vacation time at World Of Fun. The boys have no fear!! The big boys could ride most every rollercoaster and did! Which if you know Dave and I well Mom is the one who rides with everyone! Dads stomach just can't handle it. :)
No word this month about our daughter! It is getting harder but I know that she will come in His time. It was a good day for one of my fellow waiters! Her family got their referral of a healthy baby girl. She had waited for 1yr, 3mo and 3wks. It gives me hope that things are moving along! I pray that her time to travel comes sooner than later!

I hope you enjoy looking at pictures of the last month!

Nicholas 3rd Grade
Jacob 1st Grade
Matthew PreK Joshua 3yr old Preschool

Matthew David is 5 today!

2009-08-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today my middle man turns 5. Wow how time flys! His big brothers and I just got done wrapping all the gifts. The plans for the day are to eat lunch with daddy and dinner tonight at Valentinos. The birthday boy has requested a brownie cake with whipped creme and sprinkles. I will post some pics of the big day later on.