Cora Jihee

I have been enjoying blogging about our time in Seoul last year.

It's brought back so many wonderful memories.

And this post...well...you're gonna have to just go back here to read all about our first meeting with Cora.

There's just no way I could capture the thoughts and emotions from a year ago adequately.

*sigh* Meeting her for the first time...one year ago today...

*sigh* She took my breath away

*sigh* I was instantly in love.

Namdaemun (South Gate)

Monday, April 18, 2011...

After going to ESWS, stopping for some lunch, and hitting up Kyobo...we decided we should make the trek to Namdaemun. It's one of my favorite places and I just couldn't go to Korea and not stop there. Here's the post from our trip for Lily. Lots of great pictures on that trip...not so many from this trip.

I've got a good reason. It was cold and it was rainy. Not great picture-taking weather and not great shopping weather either...but I had a shopping list with me and I wanted to spend some won.

So we hurried through the stalls and stalls of vendors looking for all things I could cross off my list.

Even in the cold, damp weather, there are people everywhere.

It wasn't long until we were having to hide under awnings to stay dry. And since they sell everthing and anything at Namdaemun, there is also an umbrella stand. We bought one. I'm sure we were quite the site trying to huddle underneath it together trying to protect our packages from being drenched.

We decided that we were hungry again and that warranted some great yakimandu. It was time to head to restaurant row.

Now restaurant row is a site to behold. It's not for the squeemish. It's for the adventureous. And I...well, I love it. It's just unlike anything I've ever seen.

There are small restaurants on either side and they have bowls and bowls of entrees setting out. A lot of times they are wax replicas of the real thing...and sometimes, it's the real thing.

Yes, my husband snapped this just after I had stuffed a whole mandu in my mouth...but never mind me...just look at how good that kimchi looks. (That's the red, spicy stuff)

 

 

The clock in the background said 5:07pm. We left the hotel around 10am that morning...we were putting in a full day around Seoul, that's for sure. Who wouldn't need some sustinance?

There are the familiar items...(I made him take another picture...one without me looking piggish.)

And then the not-so-familiar items...

Can't say it's not fresh, now can you?!?

And, no, we did not eat that. Nor did we eat any of the bubbling hot pots of silkworms. Bet you wish you could see a picture of those babies, huh?

All in all, it was a great day spent getting things to bring back to the states with us. It was a busy day which is exactly what I needed. A day of hustle and bustle...activities to make the day go faster...cause the very next morning...

we were going to meet our daughter for the very first time.

ESWS, Pizza Hut, and Kyobo Bookstore

Monday, April 18, 2011...


While we were in Korea, we skyped back and forth with the kids almost every day. Some days were successful, others were not. On the good days, we could hear and see everyone clearly and they could hear and see us clearly.

On the bad days, we would be able to hear everyone...but not have a picture. Those days were frustrating as I longed to just see my kiddos back home. Not only that, but I knew that having them see us would be something really good for them too. Overall, it worked out well...just being able to hear their voices tell me about their day, tell me they missed me and hear them say I love you did wonders for this mama's heart.

It's not easy being on the other side of the world from your children. Even when you are there for important reasons...like bringing home their baby sister.

Here I am blogging. You can see the three necessities for being in Korea. The little camera on top of the laptop for the skyping, the Seoul City Guidebook, and my T-Money card for the subway.

After we had our little family chat time, we got ready to run an errand. A pretty important errand at that. (It's crazy to think I had an "errand" to run while there...)

We hopped on the subway and made our way to north of the river to Eastern Social Welfare Society. This is the agency we adopted Ben through and I had brought along a few letters for his file as well as two picture books I had made. One set for his Korea mother and the other for his fostermother.

It still amazes me that we stayed here at the ESWS guesthouse over 5 years ago now. When I walk in the building, the smells, the sights...it all brings me back to that amazing day I met my son. How we came over as a family of 3 and left as a family of 4.

We dropped our precious items off and then walked up to the 6th floor where we had stayed, checked in the kitchen where we ate so many meals, and looked at all the pictures on the wall. The elder Dr. Kim, who started ESWS, has since passed away...but the legacy he left behind is remarkable. I thanked God for my miracle I received that trip and the wonderful memories I have of ESWS.

We walked back to the subway stop and decided to stop at Pizza Hut for some lunch. It's amazing how so many things about Seoul are etched in my brain. I've only been there 3 times over a period of 5+ years, and I can remember where things are like I was just there yesterday.

We stopped to get our favorite Pizza Hut pizza ever.

Bulgogi Pizza with a sweet potato stuffed crust. Yum. Why they don't sell this in the states is beyond me....it's so delicious.

Oh. My. Stars.

Seeing this picture makes me want to eat one of these so badly. Seriously, it's rockstar food. So good.

Once our bellies were full (and boy were they...I couldn't stop eating the stuff), we headed over to Kyobo Bookstore.

I wish I had more pictures of this very cool bookstore. It's actually located in the basement, underground, right outside one of the subway stops. It's absolutely giagantic and oh-so-fun to peruse.

We spent quite a bit of time between the children's section and the language section. We ended up with some very cool purchases. A Pororo laptop for the kids (he's a little cartoon penguin...very popular in Korea), some great hangul posters, and some fun hangul workbooks so the kids can start to learn the language.

This picture they had up was just too cute. It says something about "a cozy family".

While we were taking the subway, we came across this wall...

We had to stop and take a look. There were thousands of pictures make by little children.

I wish I would have taken a picture of the hangul so I could have figured out what it was all about. But even without knowing the reason, it was still very moving to see .

Arrival...Destination: Seoul (One Year Ago)

You remember that old adage "better late than never"?

While...I'm going to claim it as my own today.

While in Korea, between the jetlag, emotions, etc, etc, etc...well, I wasn't too great at the blogging. And since the main reason for this blog is to have a journal of sorts of my family, it's high time I get some pics posted and stories told.

The time machine awaits...

**ONE YEAR AGO TODAY...**

April 17, 2011

After that rocky beginning ...praying for a flight to get us to Korea...braving wind and rain...ticket agent after ticket agent, and wild cab rides...arriving in Korea was nothing short of a miracle.

And the stress of it all had certainly taken it's toll. I look a tad worse for the wear here...but the relief is quite evident on my face. The relief of arriving in my child's country.

Once our "limo" arrived, we climbed on the bus, and sat back for the hour long ride to the Gangnam area on the south side of the Han River. It was still so early and the sun was still working it's way up into the sky. The fog hung over the city and all the colors were muted.

There are so many people in Seoul...which also means there are lots of apartments. Every direction you look, you see highrises.

We passed by the Bus Terminal. Now that I know korean, I can read this sign in Hangul. Did you know that "bus terminal" is the same in english as in korean? Who knew?!?

Our flight got into Seoul a little before schedule, 4:30am to be exact. By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was a mere 7:30am. A far cry from the 4pm check-in time. The Renassaince Hotel was very accomodating and told us they would have a room ready for us shortly. You can judge a hotel by their lobby...and yep, this one was pretty nice!

Marble, giant chandaliers, shiny floors, and magnificent restaurants. We decided to try their Sunday buffet...knewing that if the lobby told us anything, it would be a little more expensive than we were used to. But, when you are in a foreign county with no where to go...guess what...you're willing to pay a little extra for some food while you wait for your room.

The buffet was out of this world. The presentation alone was amazing. They had everything imaginable...omelet station, pasta station, fresh fruits, salads, hot cereals, fresh squeezed juices, donuts, pastries...the whole nine yards. I ate until my heart and belly were quite content.

Then the bill came. Jason wouldn't even tell me how much it was...just kept telling me it was better that I didn't know. I can tell you from experience that that is never a "good" sign.

I finally convinced him to tell me what the "damages" were...that there really wasn't any way around having to eat there anyway, I mean where else were we gonna go?!? Turns out he was right...it would have been better had I been kept in the dark. Suffice it to say, it was over $70 for the two of us to eat breakfast that day. The following days consisted of donuts. 'Nuff said.

Once we got settled into our room and freshened up, we decided it was time to see the city once again. I still can't get over the fact that I have flown to the other side of the world three times now. Seoul was calling and we were itching to get out and explore.

Since it was April, the city had all sorts of colored globes hung up everywhere. Turns out they were celebrating budda's birthday. A month long celebration. For budda. I wish we celebrated Christmas for more than one day out of the entire year. If budda gets a month, I'm thinking we should not only match that, but maybe even double it. Celebrate Jesus' birthday for 2 monts. I'm so glad that my God is bigger that budda.

Never-the-less, the globes were pretty.

 First stop: Insadong. I'm always amazed at how many people there are at any given time at any given place. We walked the streets, took in the sights, and thoroughly enjoyed this little artsy street. We found some familiar shops and looked at some new ones too.

At the far end of Insadong, across the road, is a little park on 97 Jongno-gil street. It's called Tapgol Park. It's a quaint park quietly nestled in the hustle and bustle of the city.

It used to be called Pagoda Park.


This park was once the site of a buddist temple.

The word tap means "pagoda", and the park gets its name from the Wongaksa Pagoda, a 10 storied stone pagoda (which is a national treasure) located in the park. It's in the big glass structure in the background. You can't take pictures of it...it's that old.

The details...amazing.

The colors...brilliant. 

I can't even fathom how much time it took to paint all of this.

There's so much history in this city.

I would have loved to have sat in this park half the day to learn more

...and to people watch.

Isn't the calligraphy beautiful too?

I found this on the internet...it shows what the park looked like in 1904. The thirteen- story stone pagoda, which is seen at the back of the picture, was sent from China as a gift from a Chinese emperor to his daughter when she married a Korean king, perpaps in the twelfth century. Picture from Cornell University Library

While in Insadong, we stopped at the namechop shop. This is such a neat shop. The owner takes down your information and then hand makes your namechop in a few hours. They are marble and come with their own inkpads. Expensive, but well worth it.

Once we were done shopping, we headed to our favorite mandu restaurant. It's tucked away in a little alley behind the InsaArt building. First one on the left. Go if you are ever in that neck of the woods. You'll love it.

Jason ordered his "usual" manduguk. It's a tasty dumpling soup. However, they have added something to it since the last time we were there.

As soon as Jason pulled it out with his chopsticks, our converstion went a little something like this:

Me:  You're not going to eat that, right?!?

Jason: What is it?

Me: Seriously, you don't know?!? Look at it! Can't you see the tastebuds??

Jason: Whoa, is it really a tongue??

Me: If you are going to eat that, you have to tell me in advance, cause I'm getting nauseous just thinking about you chewing on it! I can't watch or I will be sick.

Jason: Ok, just a little taste...don't look.

Me: (covering my eyes and turning the other direction)

....a little while later, back at the hotel...

Jason: I have this aweful taste in my mouth...I just can't get rid of it. I've brushed my teeth like 10 times! What's the deal?

Me: Ah, Honey, it's...the...tongue... *eewww*

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Conversation that took place a few nights ago around the dinner table:

Ella: When I grow up, I want to be a chef. That sounds like so much fun.

Ben: Hmmm, I want to be a chef too!

Ella: I thought you wanted to be a fire hydrant?!?

Ben: What?? A fire hydrant??

Ella: Oh...oops, I mean a firefighter. *insert embarrased smile*

Lily: I'm gonna be a pink butterfly when I grow up.

Me: Really? A pink butterfly, huh?

Lily: Yep, and I'm gonna grow up soon.

Me: Really...gonna grow up soon, are you?

Lily: Yep. Tonight. After supper.



Asian Airlines, Chicago O'Hare airport...high winds and rain

I have spent so much of my day sorting through memories.

Memories of what I was doing on this very day, one year ago.

Where I was, what I was doing, what state...or what country for that matter, I was in.

In case you need a refresher (since it might not be crystal clear like it is in my head,) feel free to relive that exciting day with me here . And if you think you remember, click on it anyway, you won't be sorry.

Are you back up to speed? Now do you know why I said to go back and check it out? I knew (and kept reminding myself while in the moment) that one day I would look back on that day and laugh. I must have told myself that 100 times that day.

It wasn't too funny when we found out our flight to Chicago had been cancelled...

It wasn't too funny when we realized that the only airline to cancel their flight and not just delay it was the airline we were booked on...

It wasn't too funny when we were told that all other passengers had been moved to other airlines and there just weren't any seats left now...

It wasn't too funny when I broke down in tears in front of the not one, but two ticket agents (and a host of people waiting in line, but we'll keep that just between us)...

It wasn't too funny when we were told that we may just be able to get on a different flight if we got to the other airport as fast as we could, after all, that flight was leaving very soon, we had "no time to waste"...

It wasn't too funny when we were told we couldn't purchase said tickets on Southwest over the phone and if we wanted those last tickets, we needed to pysically be at the ticket counter in person to buy them...

It wasn't too funny when I wanted to pull my hair out because the vehicle was on a different (and very ellusive) level...

It wasn't too funny when we waited 30 long excruciating minutes for our bags to show up at baggage claim in Chicago, all the while watching the minutes tick by until our international flight (at an entirely different airport, mind you) was getting closer and closer...

It wasn't too funny when the cab driver was reaching speeds of over 80 mph in a 55 mph zone, praying that we wouldn't be stopped by a cop wanting to write out a lengthy ticket...

It wasn't too funny when we waited with baited breath to find out whether our flight to Seoul would even be allowed to leave the tarmac considering so many flights had been cancelled due to high winds.

Nope, not too funny then.

But now...

Now's a different story.

I have read over our journey from one year ago today, falling off my chair at times, and laughing so hard that I am crying.

What obstacles we faced that day...but God brought us through it. He had a plan and I am so glad that it was bigger than anything I could have done. I truly believe that He wanted me to rely on Him and Him only. He showed me that I had to give it to Him...give it all to Him, and trust in His plan completely, whatever that was. I gave all my cares to the One who cares for me and He blessed that by giving us miracle after miracle.

When we touched down in Seoul that next day, the emotions were running high. We had made it. We were on Korean soil to pick up our daughter. We truly had arrived.

As I am reading through these posts from last year, I find my heart pounding out of my chest, my breath coming in short bursts, laughing at the twists and turns of this journey, and so thankful that my God is bigger than all of it.

Tonight we went out as a family and celebrated. Those pictures will be coming later this week. Cora is truly one of the best surprises I have ever received in my entire life. I'm so thankful that God has allowed me to be her mother. I would do anything for her, she's my daughter, and I love her from the deepest parts of my soul.

The Call That Sparked a Whirlwind

One year ago today...I received one of the most important phone calls of my life.

One year ago today...I gasped when I read the caller id.

One year ago today...I fell to the ground with gratitude and thankfulness.

One year ago today...I cried tears of joy at the news.

One year ago today...I received the call that my daughter was ready to come home.

A team of wild horses couldn't have kept me away. Jason and I immediately went into overdrive making plans. We spent a good part of the morning searching for plane tickets, hotel reservations, and childcare. We got all our ducks in a row and by lunchtime...we had our itinerary.

The suitecases were pulled from the closet, the lists were being checked off, extra snuggles were given, baby gear was being packed, and the excitement was building. We were ready to become of family of six.

We would be leaving the house in a little over 24 hours to board a plane for Seoul, South Korea.

That precious face I had falled in love with, the daughter I had only read about in reports, the little girl I longed to get to know...soon I would be holding her, meeting her face to face, and telling her how we have longed for her.

One year ago today, a whirlwind swept me off my feet. And it was the start of one of the best chapters of my life.

I love you, Cora Jihee.