urgent prayers for our adoption

Update: While we don't know the total outcome yet on this issue, we do have a small victory and that is our agency has given the 'go-ahead' for our social worker to advocate for us on our behalf. We praise Him for that. PLEASE KEEP PRAYING..our agency will have to appeal to Korea to accept our application to adopt. Because of the time difference, we probably won't hear anything until Monday. This will make a long weekend for us but we are waiting on Him. Our case worker suggested to keep praying..pray that Korea will be lenient to our home study and allow us to proceed. THANK YOU!!
I don't know who pops in to read this blog and who doesn't..but once again I am asking for prayers. Please pray for our adoption. I cannot discuss what is going on but the next 48 hours are critical for us and continuing forward in the process. We would be so very grateful. Thank you so much.. -sm

My son, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, undisturbed in time of adversity. Cling to him, forsake him not; thus will your future be great. Accept whatever befalls you, in crushing misfortune be patient; For in fire gold is tested, and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation. Trust God and he will help you; make straight your ways and hope in him.Song of Sol Ch2 Vs1-11

let him eat cake

This weekend we're having a birthday party for Seoul-boy since we were at the beach last week. He is very excited because it is a Star Wars themed party at his karate school. And so I asked him just what kind of cake did our little big man want for his party? His response?

"A lightsaber cake that YOU make, mommy, not from the store. And I want it to be red and I want it to have star wars people on the side of it"

*sigh*

Now first of all..Seoul-mama is crafty but Seoul-Mama doesn't 'do' cakes very well. For Seoul-girl's 3rd birthday, she wanted a Dora cake made by Yours Truly. Nine hours worth of decorating later, she had herself a Dora cake, albeit the piping stopped in the middle because I got tired and just decided to smear all of the colors like I was fingerpainting. Tasted good, though. But back to the story..

After much searching on the internet, I found a lightsaber cake that looked like something I could actually pull off. Except I needed a french-bread pan. A whaa? It's a pan that has two sides and is somewhat long..think of cutting a roll of wrapping paper in half and sticking the sides next to each other.

Wal-mart, nope. Target, nope. Bed, Bath and Beyond, nope. Michael's, nope.

Williams-Sonoma..why yes, of course! The cook's haven! The very expensive cook's haven, might I add.
When the saleslady, who no doubt was angling to be a contestant on Top Chef, asked me exactly what KIND of french bread I was going to prepare in my new pan, I retorted, 'none..I'm going to make a lightsaber in it, we don't really eat bread'.

It was fun to watch her expression change to confusion and then into mortification all at once. I could almost hear her thinking 'The nerve of this woman using this beautiful pan for that..amateur!'

Well, hmmpff. I could not be bothered for I had to get home and set to work.

Now can I just say, I am a cake box mix queen. And Duncan Hines is my mix of choice. But you see, I don't bake that much anymore because of Seoul-daddy's gluten-free predicament. I swear Duncan Hines tastes better than the 'other brands'. I'm not really sure if that is the real truth or just my truth. My mom always insisted on using Duncan Hines and my G-ma (her mom) used to make these yummy cupcakes with chocolate icing that were always Duncan Hines. And if anyone knows anything about the women in our family, you don't mess with the way it's always done, honey.
Tradition is tradition.

So after rigging the pan with aluminum foil to keep the batter from spilling out the ends I snapped the lid off of my Duncan Hines yellow cake mix box. Adding my eggs, oil and water, I mixed it all together and then poured the runny concoction into my new fancy-pants pan and into the oven it went to bake for 30 minutes.

Did I mention the pan had about a million tiny holes in the bottom of it..for ventilation...oh. I didn't?

Did I mention I didn't read the back of the box very well and added an extra cup of water to the mix? oh.I didn't??

Ten minutes later as I'm peering through the oven window I am horrified. About half of my cake batter has dripped through the holes in the pan and is now on the bottom of the oven! I spring the door open to pick the pan up and the slight movement causes my foil sides to fall off. Now we have what I'd call nothing short of a batter tidal wave. A Duncan Hines monsoon! There was nothing left to do but start hollering. LOUDLY, I might add. So loudly that I woke up Seoul-girl and Seoul-boy. More hollering. This caused Seoul-daddy to run in and grab a spatula and aim it at the oven. I think he thought he was about to slay Julia Child's ghost by the way he was posturing..

My lovely "easy" lightsaber cake was turning me to the dark side, Luke. Clearly the Force was NOT with me on this one.

Seoul-daddy decided to do the most logical thing, which is get out of dodge. He ventured off to the store to buy me a new box of cake mix while I stayed behind to sop up the gooey mess. They don't make mops for this job, no sir. Lots of rags, lots of wiping, lots of mess. I had to be careful. Very careful. I needed to get every last bit of batter because (also forgot to mention) I've had a fire in my oven before. Twice. Big fires. Also with lots of hollering.
Once we even got out the fire extinguisher.

So bless his heart, Seoul-daddy came home and by then I've calmed down enough to thank him for being the knight in shiny tinfoil by trying to slay the baker's dragons with a spatula and for going to the store for more cake mix. Destined to a late night of baking cake, I started to open the new box.

But wait.

It can't be.

It's not Duncan Hines!!?!!

oh dear...this really isn't going well at all...



Three hours later, I finally have the finished product iced and neatly arranged on the cake board. These homemade birthday cakes sure aren't easy but here's to hoping Seoul-boy is pleased.

If he isn't, I'll just blame it on the fact that the cake wasn't made with Duncan Hines..after all, tradition is tradition..

Want to see the finished product?? Here you go.....

Thankful Thursday-Adoption Journal

I'm thankful for people like this..(thanks Jason Young @ jasonyounglive.com for this video)
Mark Richt, UGA head football coach on Adoption

Wordless Wednesday

Family Night-Birthday at the Beach

Actually, we are going to call this 'Family DAY' because when you have a birthday at the beach, the whole day is your oyster..literally! Seoul-boy turned 6 last week and we began the day with a traditional birthday celebration. Lots of Legos and Boy Things!!

Then we went for some adventure!
Seoul-boy wanted to sea kayak through the marsh.

Remember my post on brave people? Well, let me tell ya, I felt brave that morning!! Not my usual cuppa tea but I can honestly say I enjoyed it...
although afterwards, our arms were on fire!

But I think it was very therapeutic for Seoul-daddy, as well..

And then finally..Seoul-boy chose the dinner spot and had a good ole' Southern PB&J. Once we wrapped up, the waitress brought the kids a mysterious eye-patch with a clue..hmmm...

It seems some sea-faring' pirates buried their treasure and it was up to Seoul-girl and Seoul-boy to find it! So off we went on an island-wide scavenger hunt..
We found a clue in the 'spirit tree'..

We found a clue in the big whale's mouth at the pier..

We found a clue under a sea facing bench..

We even found a clue under a table at our beach house!

And a final clue at a hotel gate...

which led us to a treasure MAP in a bottle, hidden in the dune rocks...

and on to the beach where 'X' marks the spot!!

Thars the gold!!!

Two happy pirates!

We finished Seoul-boy's day up with cupcakes on the beach, a little bocce ball and a long beach walk.

And I have to show you all this..Seoul-boy wrote 'God Creating..' in the sand..

and this is what he was referring to:

Yes, indeed He was!

Happy Birthday Seoul-boy!!! We are all so blessed to have you in our lives! Without you, we would know nothing of skipping rocks, building the coolest trick tracks, chasing lizards, playing Star Wars, would not hear near as many space facts, wouldn't have had to privilege to gel up your stylish curly do and laugh at all your silly antics!

Love you bunches!!

My favorite place

We have spent the week at my favorite place in the world and it has been just what we've needed. Seoul-mama has travelled alot in her life and so has Seoul-daddy. As a former flight attendant, I've seen destinations far and wide, both for work and for pleasure. We've been to Europe, travelled to almost all of the 50 states, gone to the Caribbean..
But ironically, my favorite place is a little island off the Georgia coast that I have vacationed at since I was a tiny, tiny girl. It doesn't have the most beautiful beach or the poshest people (although there are some of those..) but what it lacks in flash, the island makes up for in charm.
It is here that I built sandholes with my baby sister when I was four and went crabbing with my parents for the first time when I was six. I've vacationed here with my aunt and cousins and we giggle to this day about a gold crab in a condo that had my mom enthralled. I used to 'ghost hunt' on this island in Christ Church cemetery and my dad would have me so scared, I'd run all the way to the car in a blurr. I've attended weddings here, almost had my own on this island and attempted to paint a couple of it's scenic sites. When I was sixteen, my parents let me bring a friend to the beach and we thought we were hot stuff getting to drive in our OWN CAR..until my dad announced that our car would be the car to have the luggage carrier on top of it..
In college, I was here with friends where we no doubt closed down a few of the local beach haunts listening to acoustic music and laughing ourselves silly. I claim bragging rights to the fact that I caught 13, yes THIRTEEN sharks on a chartered fishing trip just off-shore with a Captain that only had three fingers (I think he lost two of them in two separate fishing incidents, but I didn't dare ask..) I've spent Thanksgiving here for several years ever since my grandmother died. I took two youth group retreats to this island and have eaten raw oysters in a long-forgotten beach shack somewhere mid-island in the middle of the marsh. My father now owns a house here, although it's been rented for the summer--one day, I vow to own a piece of this place, too. Seoul-daddy and I have so many trips to this place that sometimes our memories of it wash together like the tide over our sandy toes. I've travelled to this island for family celebrations, beach vacations, "an ash-scattering celebration", in sad times and in smiley times..And what makes me smile? Seoul-girl and seoul-boy are making their own memories of this place and love it just as much as I do. It truly feels like a home away from home. I also feel close to my mom here. No doubt this was the perfect place to come after the week we had last week.
On a bike ride just the other day, we all passed under the century old oaks dripping with Spanish Moss and none of us could contain our smiles. What a quaint little place where we can go and visit the same shops at the pier, eat the same beachy cuisine year after year and never feel like it's getting old! Everytime I ride over the causeway as I'm coming on the island, I immediately feel my spirit lift- you can't help but smile!
And where else can you go and overhear in the beach chair next to you: (and you must read this next part in your thickest Southern drawl...)
Old guy: You say you're from Valdosta? Is Lanny Bowles still practicin' law over thar?
Young guy: Yessir, he is..isn't he the one with the practice down from the Holiday Inn?
Old guy: Oh yeah, he's been there a long time..long before the big mall was built. And what's the name of that restaurant down the way there on that one street..lemmee see...deadgummit, my mind has drawn a total blank..
Young guy: Gronto? St. Augustine?..
Old guy: naw...it's right there..you know the road before the main road that leads to the big main road..
Young guy: oh! You mean Plum Street!
Old guy: Yes, yes, Plum! That's the one..it has that Greasy Spoon restaurant that has the best pancakes.
Young guy: oh I luvvvv those pancakes..we took our boys there just the other night..and they have good grits, too! They put hot sauce in 'em..
Old guy: Everytime I travel to Valdosta on business, I get a hankerin for the Greasy Spoon..and you know, that place is only about 2 hours from here! You don't have a bad life my friend, not bad at all. Nice little town you live in.
Young guy: well we like it I reckon', we've been there so long I can't think of where else we'd be.
Old guy: well, it was nice talkin' to you..enjoy the beach down here, ya hear?

I mean REALLY! If you were born or live in any other place but the south, you will think that conversation is totally irrelevant bordering on a little bit simple but I tell you my friends, to us with those deep Southern Roots, we totally GET that little exchange. And conversations like that are a dime a dozen down here..everybody knows somebody at your grandparent's church or went to school with your daddy or your aunt and you will be delighted to find all of that out while lounging by the shore. And me, having family who live on the island, well everybody knows your family, too...and that is perfectly o.k.
Because places like this AREN'T a dime a dozen. It's easy to plop some high rise condos next to the ocean or visit the posh new urban communities on the beach..those spots all have a time and a place. But if you have a "special" place..one that preserves your history, feeds your soul, and is pretty to boot, well I say that's a keeper..I wish this week wasn't coming to an end but if I know us, it won't be long before we'll be back..
Where do you like to go recharge?

A day of emotion..

Yesterday we said good-bye to a very sweet and well-loved man..my father-in-law. He died suddenly and tragically at age 68 while out doing what he loved..paddling his hand-made kayak on the still waters of Stone Mountain Park. I will miss his gentle manner and his heartwarming grin. While yesterday was hard enough, it was also emotional for another reason. My precious mother died two years ago yesterday, July 7 from complications of Multiple Sclerosis. Another loss too soon...she was only 59. It was a loss that left me reeling and has been very, very difficult to get over. You never really 'get over' these kinds of losses, instead you absorb them inside you and then build your life around them and continue on..
Two special people, two funerals exactly two years apart, 2 grief stories.
Today was quiet in our house.
We took Seoul-daddy's brother to the airport and then came home to stare at a house full of flowers, pictures and memories. I remember the 'day after' my mom's funeral, as well. Like then, the grief is so heavy in the air it is almost palpable. If it could speak, it would be shouting in our ears. We have wandered around the house trying to figure out just what it is we do next..while everyone who has supported us in the past few days has gone back to their busy lives, now comes the time to adjust to a new kind of normal. It's odd. It's painful. It's scary. It's unfortunately real.
Yet, in spite of all of this, this loss-just like the last loss- is not without hope, not without glimpses of good. God does that, you know. He always, ALWAYS uses all situations for good.
For rebirth.
For change.
Change is not easy, in fact in my experience, change is almost always difficult. But it makes something beautiful if you let it. I personally wouldn't choose this path for an avenue of change but all of us are trusting Him. Trusting that we are safe in His hands and that He knows the plans He has for all of us.."plans to prosper us and not harm us, plans to give us HOPE and a FUTURE".
So we will trust.
And we will also remember the ones who have left their mark on our hearts. Their fingerprints are visible in their legacies: in us- their children, in the laughter of their grandchildren, in the smiles of their friends. I don't like to get preachy but after the experiences that Seoul-daddy and I have had the past two years, I really feel that the best tribute we can give to our parents and loved ones is to allow God to work through us and live our lives unabashedly, unashamedly for others..an amazing life..because then we reflect Him and we also reflect the lovely people that were 'Nancy' and 'Belton'.
Get out there and enjoy God's beautiful creation while you're at it...He is an amazing artist.
We all only have a finite amount of time...make it count. God Bless.. s-m

My mom, happy with a grandbaby in her arms..

Seoul-daddy's dad, happy with a paddle in his hands..

We are missing them today and always...

Pop-Pop

In Memory of Pop-Pop..


Seoul-boy with "Pop-Pop", getting a lesson from the expert



Seoul-girl with Pop-Pop's handmade kayak boat.


This has been a sad weekend for our family. On Friday evening, we received word that Seoul-daddy's father, known as 'Pop-Pop' to the kids, had tragically died in a kayaking accident at a local park lake. His boat, pictured above, capsized and while swimming to shore, Pop-Pop went under. Pop-Pop died doing what he loved. He was an accomplished outdoorsman and athlete and had a gentle, sweet spirit. He will be greatly missed to many but especially to us. It is in times like these when we lean heavily on our Heavenly Father to pull us through. The shock of this sudden tragedy is still heavily weighing on us and we ask for your prayers while we deal with this loss. Hug your loved one today! Don't wait!! Life is so precious and short. Hugs to all.. S-M

God Bless America

Do you know who's house this is?



Happy 4th Y'all!!

Have a great holiday weekend!

Gratification-Adoption Journal

Noone ever said this journey wouldn't be a rollercoaster ride. If I haven't said God is amazing, can I just say it today?? God is amazing! Last night I'm discouraged and thinking we have more waiting of who knows how long over this clearance letter and just before lunch I receive word from our caseworker that our agency has it in hand!! Our caseworker signed off on the homestudy and sent it to corporate this morning before she notified me. I know this is no coincidence..I know it's because of our prayers and your prayers. So THANK YOU from the bottom of this Seoul-mama's heart.
Here's another reason why He's amazing and is truly a personal God..two years ago our family was watching my mom slip away from this world. She died on July 7 but the days leading up to it were heart-wrenching and up and down. The time surrounding Independence Day, the ending of June and beginning of July is a hard time for me. I'm a sentimental girl..always have been so God knows how important 'dates' are to me. Memories of my mom are all around me right now. She adored her grandchildren. And she knew of our plans to adopt. Knowing that our homestudy is going over to Korea right around this same time frame of her death is yet another example of how God renews.
He turns sadness into gladness, death into life, despair into hope. Always.
And He just did that for me with this homestudy, just now..yet again.
Amazing.

Frustration-Adoption Journal

I'm writing this post in a place of utter frustration..and there have been a couple of other minor things happen today that have made my day less than stellar (being sick doesn't help) but basically if you're reading this, we'd like to ask for your prayers. And this prayer is very specific..

but first, let me tell you where we are with the adoption..

As I've said, our homestudy report is COMPLETE. I received a copy of it last week for review and everything looks great! It's funny to see your whole life typed up into a nice, neat document- it's almost as if it's a magazine ad of sorts for your family. Now when I received this report, it was understood we were waiting for 2 pieces of paper to get back that need to go with this report. One, our background check clearances and two, Seoul-daddy's fingerprint letter. Long story short, both of these items should have been back sometime ago. One was probably 'lost in the shuffle' but this one, Seoul-daddy's fingerprint letter, as been a thorn in our side for a few weeks now. Seoul-daddy and I had our fingerprints done back in April on the same day, right after each other. They received my clearances but Seoul-daddy's have gone MIA. To make the matter more comical, we have been told twice that they came in and we're good to go...but now at this point, they have gone missing. Again.
Our agency has made several calls and emails in the past couple of days to get this clearance and I don't fully understand the process but this is the hold up.

So here is what we ask you to pray- we ask for prayers that Seoul-daddy's fingerprint clearance letter will come THIS WEEK. That's it, that simple.

I know this is ONE form. And I know that God's timing is perfect. We will continue to wait on the Lord. Seoul-daddy reminded me that there could be a reason unseen that we are experiencing this delay. We've had such good progress, we've been so fast, things were clicking along..I can buy fully into that idea in my head. I really can. But my heart is experiencing frustration and desire for this packet to be in Korea!!

So if you will join us with and as we pray this, we will be so grateful..this baby is still an 'idea' to some but it is very much in our 'hearts'. It's real and it hurts when there is a glitch. Hugs to all..s-m

"When I was waiting quietly for the Lord, His heart was turned to me, and He gave ear to my cry." Psalms 40:1