Say goodbye to the 80's

I have never been more happy to see carpet go in my life.  When we moved into our house almost every carpeted room had this hideous salmon colored carpet in it.  Our bedroom was the last to go.

I am planning to do a new color theme over Christmas break maybe new curtains, paint, rug, and bedding but am happy just to have the carpet gone for now.

We did this same flooring in several rooms but I only have pictures of a few so far.

Family room before

Family room after.

I am so happy we did this.  It is so much easier to clean.  Next up the kids rooms and upstairs hall pictures.

15 Months

Waiting 15 months today (insert the sound of a sigh)  I know we were quoted 20 months but I really just thought they way things were looking at the beginning of the year we would have had our referral by now.  I guess that is the thing about adoption, it is always changing and unpredictable.  

Things are still moving, in fact our agency just got 3 new referrals (and they skipped us twice again by giving referrals to those with HSTK dates after ours)  

I know, I know, I am waiting for MY baby, God has the perfect baby picked out for our family but sometimes the waiting just SUCKS! 

I am hoping this 3 referrals every other month continues....but Korea is moving their capital out of Seoul to a neighboring city in December and this move could cause a major delay with the Ministry of Child welfare while they relocate.  This is a major move 2.5 hours through the city.   They have already said to expect EPs to slow down and when EPs slow down....so do referrals.

On a brighter side Jeff and I were shopping for some new furniture and this little treasure was sitting right there in the furniture store for me. 

I have been bugging Jeff about buying me a rocking chair since this is my last baby to rock.   I saw it from afar and thought it looked smaller than normal rockers and would be perfect but also saw the big bold $800 so never moved in closer.  When we went to finalize our couches I walked right buy it and saw the $800 was crossed out and the clearance price was $199 YAY!!!!  The salesman said it had been there forever because it was too small for everyone.  It is a beautiful solid wood Kincaid piece that I'm excited to use one day and will be awesome to hand down to my kids as well.  

Letters to my son: How to be a gentleman

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Dear Son,

We have a culture that has embraced the feminist movement where many girls try to prove they can do it themselves or may even seem offended if you open the door for them.  I say chivalry is not dead!!!!  More boys need to be raised to be gentleman.

Gentlemen:

• Speak with gentleness and honor.  You don't really have a temper but learn to control an anger so that disagreements can be handled by talking it out not yelling it out.
• Hold the door for a lady (even the car door) and allow a lady to pass first.  You can always practice on your mom :)
• Use table manners
• Don't fart or burp in front of a lady
• Help a girl when they are struggling with something heavy
• HAND OVER THEIR UMBRELLA WHEN IT IS RAINING to a lady or hold it for her
• Stand when a lady enters a room

Keep in mind the word Gentleman is self explanatory or how to act - GENTLE!

So give it a try as you grow over the next few year.  Practice here and there until it becomes habit.  Your future wife will thank me.

Letters to my son: She kicked me

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Dear Son,

The girls are beating you up....what to do????  This is a tough one.  You grew up with many of these girls playing sports, games, and wrestling.  Pushing them down, beating them up with a pool noodle used to be normal childhood play.

Now you are in middle school and the girls still kick you and hit you.....and it is frowned upon to kick and hit them back.  What is a guy to do???  Well don't just take it....dodge those swings run if you have to but let them know you can no longer hit and kick back so they are not permitted to treat you that way either.

If that doesn't work tell Mom and I will have a talk with their Mama's :)

Love you,
Mom

Letters to my son: Choose your friends wisely

Dear son,

Choosing friends over the next few years might be some of the most important decisions you make.
Middle school and high school years are full of pressures from friends.

Mom has told you many stories how in the end your friends may not be by your side.  They may just leave you in the ditch...literally (remember the story).

There may not be any stronger pressure than that of your friends trying to get you to participate with them in wrong actions (drinking, drugs, sex).

Resisting these pressures that you know are wrong makes you into a man of honor and integrity. Giving into their persuasions and going along makes you a fool and coward for not standing up for what you believe.

Stay strong and make sure your friends lead you down the right path and if not you do not need them as friends.

Love you,
Mom

A different kind of boating weekend

Last weekend was a beautiful weekend for boating.  Jeff took the day off on Friday to spend the weekend on his boat and the kids and I joined him when possible via car.

Friday night Jeff docked close to restaurant and after work and school for me and the kids we drove down to meet him for a nice dinner.  The evening was beautiful.

It was a perfect evening for just sitting and enjoying the view

The next morning after soccer we met Jeff at a near by planation for a tour and just to enjoy the day

 Meeting Dad on the dock to walk up to the plantation

A beautiful mass of American Lotus flowers

Getting educated on the courting candle - we may need to get one of these

Banana being shown how the boys would carry buckets of water into the house several times a day

On the roof 

 If you look close you can see the mast of our boat above the first tree line.

The kitchen outside the main house

 Carrot informed us that she just wanted to live that life SO BADLY....marry well my girl that is all I can say :)

 Jeff with is boat in the background

 Enjoying an afternoon stroll on the grounds before we went to the boat for the night

 Carrot likes to bring fresh flowers on the boat for decorations

I enjoyed a relaxing evening of crocheting and being served while soaking up the sun on a beautiful autumn day.

안녕하세요

안녕하세요 (Hello in korean)

You'll never guess what I have been up to ;)

Banana is off to a 4 day camp for school so the Letters to my son will take a break but I will catch up on the other things I have missed while I wait for his return.

If you didn't guess yet I have been up to learning Korean (yeah!!!!).  I'm pretty excited about this.  I had my first lesson last week.

It is a pretty exciting story how this all came about.  I have been wanting to learn as much Korean as possible since I plan to stay in Seoul for the duration of the adoption (about 4-6 weeks) instead of taking two trips and also so I can have a little understanding of the words my toddler will say upon his coming home.

I gave the samples of Rosetta Stone a try and was not liking it.  I also feel like I need the pressure of a teacher coming back each week for me to actually do my studying.   So with John back I ask him to visit our laundry lady (who is Korean) and ask her if she knew anyone in her church who gave lessons.  She knew a girl who did give lessons but she was very expensive and could only come on a Saturday and as all you mom's out there know Saturday's with kids and sports are super busy.  John told her I could not do Saturdays and she took him to meet another lady who was a stay at home mom who was happy to come to my house each week for the lessons.

To top it off she refused to take any money.  She said she was happy to come as she is home all week alone and this gives her something to do and also an outing and play date for her daughter because she is able to play with my daycare littles.

SO EXCITING isn't it!!!!

What is even more exciting is I sat and learned the basic Korean alphabet and over the weekend when John was giving me words I could spell them using the Hangul symbols.

I would love to write more but I have to get back to my studies ;)

Letters to my son: Why the chores

Dear Son,

I know you hate it when I make you do chores.  You probably wonder why I torture you like this.

It does help me out when you do chores but it is it is actually very difficult for me to leave some housework undone for you and your sister.  You know I like to clean....SO WHY DO I DO IT?

1.  It teaches you responsibility:  One day you will have a household of your own and if you grew up never helping do chores WHAT A SHOCKER it would be for you when you house didn't just stay magically clean all the time like yours did growing up when you mom did the housework during the day while you were at school.

2.  Your wife will thank me one day:  I know your dad doesn't have time to help around the house a lot but I would have been a little annoyed if he did not know how to clean up, do the wash, or cook a decent meal.

3.  Independence:  I kind of like taking care of you but I want you to go off to college knowing how to do your own wash, clean your own bathroom, and cook your own meals.

So next time you want to grumble and complain realize it is helping you AND you are just doing 1 of maybe 20+ chores I had to do that day.

Love you,
Allyson

Dear Son: Shower Power

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Dear Son,

This letter can be kept short and sweet.  You actually are pretty good at this but just a good life lesson to always remember.  Take pride in your appearance.

Shower daily, wear deodorant, and keep those nails trimmed.

Love,
Mom

Dear Son: Where I've come from

Dear Son,

I want to start these letter by telling a piece of my story, how I became a Christian.  Sometimes as parents we forget to tell our kids "our story" which we should't because it is important.  By me telling you my story maybe you can learn valuable lessons sooner than I did.

I asked Jesus into my heart when I was 3.  I don't really remember it.  I only remember sitting on the edge of my mom's bed and telling her I wanted to go to heaven.  I guess my mom talked to me and we "prayed the prayer".

As a child and teenager I placed way too much emphasis on the "prayed the prayer" part.  I kind just figured well I asked Jesus into my heart now I'm saved and I just continued on my christian life.  I grew up in a christian family, I was taught how a christian should act and so I just kept on living as a christian (so I thought).  Growing up in a christian family is a blessing but also allows you to overlook a lot.

I was taught how to live and how to do right from wrong.  I lived a pretty straight path (of course still making mistakes) but I always looked at those around me and thought, "wow they do way worse things than me, I'm really not that bad".

I felt that way for a long time......I mean a long time until one day in my early adulthood I realized.....I'm not suppose to compare myself to others I should be comparing myself to Jesus.   WOW!

It hit me then that I took for granted being a christian.  I knew all my life being "good" or "not that bad" was not what got you into heaven.  You know, "for the wages of sin is death" but the GIFT of God is eternal life" or how about "It is not by WORKS so that no man can boast but is the GIFT of God." I knew all this stuff why was I just now thinking about this.  No one is good enough to get into heaven that is why we need Jesus.

If you need to be perfect to get into heaven I will never be that.  It is only by the grace that Jesus showed us on the cross that can wipe away all our sin to make a way for us to get to heaven.

I know you know this.  You have also "prayed that prayer" as a young child and are growing up in  a Christian home,  but I just want to challenge you to think about what Jesus did for you more than I did.

Don't ever just assume you are a christian because you were raised in a christian home and your mom and dad are christians and you live a good "christian" life.

Accepting Jesus is a personal thing.  It needs to be your religion not just the religion your grow up with.  Becoming a christian isn't just praying the prayer it is living a life for Jesus and having a relationship with him ALL throughout your life.


Love you,
Mom

P.S. Tomorrow I promise to go lighter maybe we will talk about B.O. and personal hygiene :)

Dear Son

Dear Son,

There is so much I want to tell you in life and so little time before you are out in the world on your own.  You already face the majority of your day without your parents by your side.

I am writing these letters to help you along your path of growing up.

As your mom I want the best for you in life.  I would love to spare you from many of the hardship you will face while growing up but I know that part of growing up is facing those hardships.  I hope that some of these letters and this advice will help make growing up a little easier.

I couldn't ask for a better son.  I am so proud of you.  You have been a pleasure to raise these 11 years.  Your such a good boy and and have an awesome personality.  Don't let anything change you.

Love you,
Mom

Letters to my son

You have this little boy,  he is perfect, he is small, he is part of you.  I remember like it was yesterday he was so brand new and I was so young only in my early 20s.  I remember looking at him and thinking, "wow I'm responsible for him, without me he wouldn't stay alive, I have to do everything for him and I have to teach him EVERYTHING"

Life with young children is filled with so much work, feeding, bathing, life's basic lessons, how to behave properly....you get through those early years and hope you did it all right.....then from around the ages of 4-10 it gets really easy.  Your hard work on teaching independence and how to behave has paid off.    It can't get any better than this.......but it goes by so quickly.

Now my little boys in 11,  a middle schooler already and I only have so much time left with him.  I get this overwhelming feeling sometimes that here are so many more things I need to teach him but when?   Our days are filled from sun up to sun down with school, homework, you have to get in your trumpet practice!, have you done your chores?, soccer, youth group, how will I have time to cover all the "life lesson" he needs to know?  I try to use what little time I have to get in those chats, but it is hard.

Today his technology became my friend.   I made my blog a favorite on his kindle with instructions to read it each morning, and on mornings that there is not a new post to ponder my last post.

Letters to my son.  They will be a mix of everything, how to be a gentleman, God's promises, things I really want him to know.

 I know I will not capture all I need to say and I know he will not always follow this advice but it will always be here in these letters and even if one day I am not here to remind him he will always have them to read.

Here is to hoping he reads them.

Fun in the sun

Our lovely niece Sarah is home for a break from the Disney Cruise ship so we offered her another try at sailing since the first trip we offered her ended not so great.

It was a beautiful day and she captured some awesome pictures.

My sweet Carrot as happy as can be

 My handsome hubby putting out the anchor

Banana and his cousin Caleb

Boys being weird

Swim time

Skippy all wrapped up to stay warm

Me being silly as well

 Carrot and Sarah getting a foot shot while holding hands

Proving that Banana will never be to old to get Sarah kisses

Picture of our boat headed to the dock

Skippy looking like a drowned rat but enjoying fetch the stick just the same.

Boys in the water

More Carrot cutness

My pretty sis 

Never thought the fenders would make for such a nice picture

Lovely Sarah

....and my favorite freckled cheeks of all