Fall in Seoul

I love fall! It’s cool in Korea so that means no more tank tops for this southern girl.  But here, that means pull out all of your big coats and bundle up.  It’s just fall, y’all, not winter. The leaves are changing and it’s really beautiful here.  My dear hubby bought me a little pumpkin and my dear friends (here and in Mississippi) bought me some fall decorations. Now I can decorate! Pumpkins, leaves and well, that’s about it. Decorating for fall is not high on Korea’s list. Maybe I could carve a sweet potato.

Hanging pumpkins!

My brain is on overload from a conference I’m attending.  Report cards come out soon and we’re about to start the 2nd quarter. This school year is going by fast! Jacob has asked every day what we’re doing for Halloween.  Sad to say, probably a bit fat nothing. I’ll find him some candy so he’ll be happy.  Julianna loves kindergarten but is exhausted everyday. She has more good days than bad but she’s still adjusting.  It’s hard for a little Korean girl! The boys are doing their thing and still enjoying school.  

Here is my challenge to you:  learn about trauma in kids.  Learn about transition with adoption.  Read about how trauma affects learning.  For the sake of all the kids who didn’t get a fair start, please do it.  Nothing hurts a mama’s heart more than when their baby is not understood.  And as a reminder, adoption is not all sweet and cute.  There is so much loss and confusion.

Thankful for big brothers.

We are thankful for friends here who love on our girl.  (the boys opt out of being loved on!) We are enjoying Korea and venturing out more and more. And we bought a car!  We’re adjusting to life here and feeling more at home.  And we bought a table! We look forward to going to the states in December.

KIA

Happy fall, everyone, and be sure and hug someone you love today!

Happy Fall from the Garricks!

Thankful

Folks are getting travel dates–I hope we get ours soon! I’m getting a little crazy, so I thought I would make an effort to focus on what I’m thankful for. Ya know, instead of obsessing about the wait. At least for a minute. (I’m trying, really.)  So, this is a short list…

my very creative Caleb

Jacob, the truth teller

Sean, the thinker

summer time

my family

friends scattered around

my sweet/feisty little daughter in Korea

memories

books

Coke (not diet, it’s bad for you)

elephant ears (the plant AND the fair food!)

 

the end.

My Days

This week’s dream assignment {<<linked with Holley!} was to blog about “a day in the life” and how God shows up in that.

So, here’s the run down: get up, make breakfast for the boys, get them off to school, explain to Jacob ANY change in schedule, go to work, go pick up Jacob, get snacks, throw a load of clothes in the washer, think about dinner, make sure the boys are doing their homework, start dinner (or send Sean the “dinner out?” text), eat, clean up, hope for an email from the adoption agency, throw the clothes in the dryer, run to OT or ball practice, come back home, give the boys the countdown til bedtime speech, make sure they bathe (on a good day!), watch TV, get the boys ready for bed, make sure Jacob is prepped for the next day, bedtime. I usually stay up a bit later with or without Sean and watch TV/get on the computer/iron clothes.  That’s pretty much it for weekdays.  Is it tiring? Um, yeah.  Would I trade it for anything else? Not a chance.  How does this have anything to do with my big dreams? The best job in the world for me is being a mom.  I love doing “kid stuff” that wears me out. I love being tired from running around like a crazy woman.  I heard someone say that while they’re making their child’s lunch for school, instead of just throwing it in the bag and checking one more item off of their to do list, they take a minute to be thankful for their children. So that’s what I do.  Being a mama is what I love the most! Advocating for children who need a mama is a close second. I love what families stand for—everyone needs one!

I don’t believe that God blesses perfection, I believe he blesses. Period.  I’m thankful that God doesn’t expect me to follow a bunch of rules.  He knows I can’t.

³⁵ Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

And that’s what I want my children to know.

Blessed

I am thankful for my boys.

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him…

1 Samuel 1:27, 28