An Over-due Update! Our Trip Home

Well, the Wakeman house now has five members! This post is kind of late in coming, but we have been busy settling in to life together.

Hannah and I picked Kristen up on Wednesday in Korea. She kind of tuned out when her care-givers were leaving. Mommy, on the other hand, was a wreck - crying and crying. It was so touching to me that they would miss her and that they had taken such good care of her. We took a taxi back to the Co-Op and settled in. Kristen started playing in the water in the sink, with the computer and phone, AND in a triumph only a six year old would be capable of -- turned on the air conditioning that we thought wasn't working. We went out to try to find a Korean restaurant with pictures to order from, but I was a little over-whelmed. We ended up eating at McDonald's - good old Americans. ;) We walked quite a ways to get there and I think we tired Kristen out pretty well. We played a little more in the room when we got back. Her biggest idea of fun was telling Hannah and I to go up and down the stairs! She went to sleep fairly quickly that night in between Hannah and me on the bed. She slept until the next morning just fine.

It was a mad rush in the morning to get everything packed up - we had done most of the packing, but kept finding more things to fit in! We ended up leaving some things behind - like my pillow and a bottle of detergent, etc. I must be more frugal than I realized because this was so hard for me! We got into our taxi at 7:30 and it took about an hour to get to the airport. After checking in, we had breakfast and bought some water to take on the plane. At this point we could start saying that in 24 hours, we would be home! This sounded much better than "we will be traveling for 24 hours."

The first plane ride went great until about an hour in (halfway through). We still had seen no tears from Kristen, although Mommy cried again as we went through immigration and her passport was stamped as departing. All of a sudden on the plane, you could see things start to click and she got very quiet and started crying. I wasn't sure at this point if she was sad, or her tummy hurt, so for a while I was trying to comfort her while holding a plastic bag in front of her mouth.

Once we got off the plane in Japan, we got some snacks and stickers out and she calmed down. We were able to get reassigned seats so that all of us were together, which was great. There was a little boy in front of us that I think was sent to show me how well Kristen was doing. He hung over the seat ALL the time, and was just a general nuisance to everyone around him. We played with stickers, colored and ate for the first few hours. Then, Kristen fell asleep for the last half of the flight. Hannah and I dozed on and off, but didn't really sleep. When it was time to get off, it was hard to wake Kristen up - it was the middle of the night to her!

Getting through customs and immigration in Minneapolis was a bother - we had to collect all our luggage and get it through the checkpoint, just to put it back on the plane. But, we did it and as we came out, Jill from our agency in Minnesota was there to greet us! It was so nice to see someone familiar. We had a while to wait and Kristen was able to burn off some energy and Hannah and I each took a short nap - at different times, of course.

At last we were able to get on our final plane home! I was so excited! It was a quick flight and we used the last of our activities up - perfect timing! We had a little trauma getting off the plane as Kristen had to use the bathroom and we almost didn't make it in time. But, we did - whew! Then it was time to meet our public!

The first people we saw were Katie and a friend from church who had walked up the hall a little. As soon as I saw them, I started crying. It was such a relief to be home and so wonderful to be holding Kristen's hand and bringing her to our family. We walked down the rest of the way and there were so many people to meet us. Family, friends from church, adoption bulletin board friends - it was just amazing. There were balloons for Kristen which she loved! She was overwhelmed - understandably, but I can't wait to be able to tell her about all the people that were so excited to see her come home when she is able to understand.

The support and prayers of the people that were able to be there and so many more spread across the US are so important to us in this process of bringing Kristen home. It is just amazing to see and hear all the people that have traveled with us. Now we start the next part - the real journey of being Kristen's mommy and daddy.

I will post pictures soon and add the second part of this post - how we have been doing these first few days as a family of five!

Tuesday in Korea

Tuesday was the busiest day we have had! The sleep we got on Monday night helped us feel like we were ready to go out and do some things! We hung around the Co-Op Residence until 11:30 and then had lunch at TGI Fridays right down the road. We split something, as did most of the people there. It was fun to see how the menu was different and I had some delicious lemonade.

Then we headed off to start out shopping adventure. We started under the subway at our stop - Gangnam. We found some fun little things down there and got the shopping bug. We figured out where Kyobo Bookstore was and started walking there. We loved the street we walked down to get there - lots of fun little stores and signs. I loved the bookstore, of course! I got some coffee table books with gorgeous pictures and some Poong-Poongie DVDs. For the uninitiated, Poong-Poongie is a Korean kid's TV character - his name roughly translates to the King of Farts. The show is actually kind of like Sesame Street.

As we walked back, we stopped and got a strawberry smoothie - it was the best thing ever! I have at least mastered hello and thank-you in Korean. From there we can usually communicate what we want.

It was funny to walk past another Caucasian and think, "Oh! That person looks like me!" We have gotten so used to Asian faces! We talked to a man waiting to get on the subway last night who asked if we were sisters. We said yes and he said he could tell because we looked alike. We laughed and he said something about all Caucasians looking alike to him like all Asians must look alike to us.

After the bookstore, we went to a bank near SWS to exchange some money. We were treated so graciously and it was a lot more formal than our banks.

Then is was time to go visit Kristen again. As we entered SWS to go up the elevator, it was just closing and we saw Kristen and her care-givers. They waved to us, stopped the elevator and let us on. Then there were too many people and it wouldn't go up! So, one of them got out. We went in and had our visit in the room I have seen in so many pictures with the yellow couches, bears, and a crib. The best thing we did on this visit was roll a ball back and forth - this let us make eye contact and interact a little. Then she colored for a while. She talked a lot more today, which was good. Her caregivers brought a whole bag of snacks for her and she got to pick one to share with us. They were really good chocolate cookies. After the snack it was time for her to go. She didn't want to leave as she was busy with the toys. Her caregivers and the SW told her to hug and kiss us and she did. So sweet! We did get pictures with her on my lap! That was fun. We will pick her up for good Wednesday at 2:00. I am so nervous, but so excited. We are planning to take a cab back to where we are staying because we have all her things and are anticipating that she may be crying.

We took the subway back to the Co-Op after the visit and then went off to find Namdaenum Market. That was definitely an awesome place! Stall after stall of different merchandise, food carts, little restaurants. It got dark while we were there, and was all lit up. We found most of the things I needed to get and had fun buying them from the different people.

After shopping we were so hungry! We went back to our subway stop and tried an Italian place we had passed that afternoon. Hannah and I both got a baked spaghetti and we got a pop for $7.00. It tasted so good.

We are planning to try some Korean food tonight when we have Kristen. When in the US, I get a headache everytime I eat it, so I have kind of been avoiding it. But, I want to try it at least once here. We are going to try to find someplace that has pictures of the food - for us and for Kristen!

We will leave for the airport in about 24 hours. This has been such a fast trip! I wish we had a few more days to explore. I can't wait to bring the whole family back here.

I will leave you with my favorite picture from yesterday.

We met Kristen!

It is still hard to believe I am IN a picture with my little girl. It was so neat, but almost unbelieveable to walk into the building and see Kristen walking around in real life.

She was pretty shy with us, and the care givers and social worker both said over and over that she was just being shy around new people. I am glad that we get to visit her again today before we pick her up.

I loved getting to see her with her care-givers. I can tell they took such good care of her and have enjoyed having her. One of them cross-stitched the background of a clock as a present for Forrest and I. It is so cool.

There was a whole big box full of things for Kristen to bring home. She has a hanbok, some clothes and shoes plus some very special things. From her school she has a whole scrapbook of work and pictures of her school, her teacher, and friends. Her teacher also had a pretty envelope with some Korean money inside it. Then there was a scrapbook from her time at amsa - some super precious pictures are in there. There is a little heart shaped box with hair pretties inside it - she opened it up and oohed and aahed. Hannah and I looked at each and said, "She is a girly-girl!" It was pouring rain, so they are going to bring it to the meeting Tuesday for us. I am praying it isn't raining then so we can get it back.

We got to tour amsa and see where Kristen had therapy and meet her therapists. She walked into the rooms and knew just what to do and where to go!

I was too nervous to eat before we went, so we were starving afterwards. It was pouring rain, so we went into the Subway right around the corner from the agency and ate. It was still pouring rain, so we went out and down into the real subway and bought an umbrella. EVERYONE has umbrellas here. The ticket window for the subway was closed, so we just started walking. We ended up soaking wet by the time we got back and we were so tired!

So, we went to bed around 5:30 here. We both slept for eight hours, but now it is 3:30 and we are wide awake!

I want to try to go to the big bookstore today before our meeting. Then after, if it isn't raining, we should try to go shop at one of the markets.

Thanks for all the prayers and notes of support!

Our first adventure into Seoul!

We have successfully navigated the subway system here! Hooray for us! We took the subway one stop away at rush hour in the morning - it was packed! We found where we needed to be, but came up on the wrong side of the station to go to Starbucks and had to go all the way down and up again. We are getting our stair exercise!

We found Starbucks and had some breakfast - after finding some real water. ;)

Then we headed over to SWS - we had to go back down and up through the subway again. We knew we were at the right building when I saw my friend who is also here for a child from the same home where Kristen lives. It was so nice to see a "familiar" face - although we had technically never met! We went up to the office and found out that we would be going to amsa to meet Kristen this afternoon at 1:30!

After some Excedrin with breakfast and that news, I am feeling much better! We walked the whole way back - it isn't very far at all. I know how to get to the big bookstore I want to visit - that could be dangerous! I am feeling much better about things now.

The place we are staying is furnished in IKEA-type furniture. It is very cool. There are little cupboards and shelves everywhere - we are all moved in.

The next time I post, I will have met Kristen! I am so excited - I was going to try to nap, but there is now I would be able to sleep!

In Korea!

We arrived in Korea safely last night around 9:30. Our luggage made the trip with us - thank you, God! We got through customs and immigration with no trouble, exchanged our money and found a taxi to where we are staying!

I sent Hannah to buy water at a store in the airport last night before we got in the taxi so we would have something to drink when we got to the Co-Op where we are staying. She went in the store and found a little Evian bottle and a bigger (1 liter) bottle. She held them up and I said to get the big ones so we had enough. She paid and it cost almost $10 for just those two bottles! I expected to pay a little more because we were in the airport, but not that much! She also said the girl at the checkout kept trying to tell her something but she didn't know what. I was too busy trying to get us where we needed to be to think much more about it until the middle of the night when I went to get a drink. The lid was metal which I thought was kind of oddd. I got a whiff of something kind of funny and looked closer and realized that it is some kind of alcoholic drink! So, we need to go on a drink mission, soon!

It was very overwhelming as we landed last night to realize that I am in Korea, where my precious Daniel started his life and where Kristen is. It is almost surreal!

It was dark when we arrived, so I am looking forward to getting to see things in the light today. We are not sure of our schedule yet, but will find out later in the day.

TRAVEL CALL!!!!!!!

This morning at 7:56 our phone rang and was our social worker! It was finally time! Forrest answered the phone - which was only fair because I received Daniel's travel call. I was truly in shock at first - I called a few people and knew I should be more excited but was just not sure it was really happening!

I posted to my yahoo adoption groups and the agency bulletin boards that I post on, and as I was typing the tears began to fall. But they were happy and relieved tears! Our daughter is coming home at last!

We received Kristen's file over a year ago. God has led us on a very interesting and curvy path to get us to this place. I have to say that my heart is much more ready right now than it was a year ago, and even several months ago. While I truly wouldn't want to wait as long as we have for Kristen, I know it will be worth it in the end!

I leave Saturday morning with my sister - we get to fly out of our home city airport which is so exciting because we already know quite a few friends and family will be there to meet us! We get to stop in Japan on the way over - so we can say we visited two countries!

A week from now we will be home as a family of five! Our return flight comes in next Thursday night. This is going to be a pretty fast trip, but we plan to return in the not too distant future with the whole family to see and do more things.

I have felt like I could leap into the air and scream for joy all day today! Thank you God for such wonderful news!

Tomorrow...

I can't get the good old song "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie out of my head. Each day we wake up and hold our breath waiting for the phone to ring. It is hard when it does not, but then we get to the evening and hope takes over again.

It feels like an endless journey with so many delays right now, but I am just trying to remember that we REALLY ARE so close to meeting Kristen. Pretty much anything that could delay us, has delayed us - but the good news is that there aren't very many more things that could go wrong!

And so, I leave you with the song that is playing in my head over and over - maybe tomorrow will be the day!

Tomorrow

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!

Just thinkin' about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
'Til there's none!

When I'm stuck a day
That's gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And Grin,
And Say,
Oh!

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!

Happy Mother's Day

I had a wonderful day with Forrest, Katie, and Daniel. My favorite Mexican food and dessert, a nap and a trip to the bookstore - what more could any mommy want? But there was one person missing - our Kristen!

I am so thankful for Kristen's birth mother who made the courageous choice of life for her.

We are hoping and praying that tomorrow brings a late Mother's day present for all of us. That travel call is much anticipated by us and so many friends and family!

Please ring with good news, phone!!!!

A new address!

I guess if you are reading this, you found the new blog site for our adoption journey to Kristen. There are several features of this site that I really like and wanted to switch over before I leave.

You can check out the archives of my Rainbowkids blog on the right, as well as my blog about Daniel and Katie.

We are still waiting with much excitement for our call. I know I will probably not sleep much tonight anticipating the morning. I would just like to get that call for Mother's Day.

Thanks again for following our journey - we are excited to get to the next chapter!