Memorial Day

Kim and I had a great weekend despite our rotten news on Friday. We spent a lot of Saturday fishing on Coon Lake. Then we spent Memorial Day in Litchfield (my side of the family).

Monday morning we went to the Litchfield Memorial Day Parade. Here are a couple pictures of the parade.

The funny thing is that you could literally see the whole parade at one time. It's the honor guard, the Vets, the mayor, the marching band and a few boy scouts at the end. We called it "the no candy parade" as kids and it was hilarious to hear my cousins still referring to it as that. Kim taped the whole parade with the camera and I think it took 53 seconds.

The rest of Memorial Day we played wiffle ball with the family. My aunt and uncle have quite an impressive field with back stop, foul poles, chalk lines and, of course, a fence for home runs. Unfortunately, we were too seriously into the action to get a picture of the ball game.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Disappointing News :(

Friday we got news that we absolutely did not want to hear. There is some delay with part of our paperwork in Korea and our agency is estimating that it will be another 4 weeks until we travel to get Micah. We were so sure that we would get our travel call last week and when the phone rang and I saw it was our adoption agency's number I was sooo excited, then I got the exact opposite news that I wanted to hear. I know that God's timing is perfect, but I'm still frustrated with government and red tape!! They also told us that Micah is still doing well and is healthy, and quite "a handsome little boy". What can I say...their words, not mine :) Anyway, that is what we know for now so we are guessing end of June. I'm trying to imagine that they told me August, so then when we get the call in June it will seem really unexpected, but it's not working.
We're coming Micah!! P.S. Happy 9 month birthday to you!

Dad Logs In

Ok. This is from the guy who INSISTS that we make a "non-traditional Christmas letter" every year....you know.....the one that does not brag about kids, dogs, jobs, vacations, or anything else that would cause the reader to yawn and toss the ol' Christmas letter in a bin, box, or garbage can before reading who it is even from: (See: boring Christmas letter rules.)

But.........I just wanted you to know that after seeing your second picture, the one where you are two inches taller sitting on the Korean adoption red throne......I am smitten.

Yes, Micah...I will change your diaper. I will take you on endless walks up and down stairs. I will do whatever you want.....even count to 1 mutton, 2 mutton, 3 mutton until you fall asleep.

Just do not toy with me or the other 300 passengers on the Korean Air flight West by crying endlessly on the flight home....and we will be forever alright.

I will take you fishing. I will take you golfing. I will take you to your first day of school. Just promise me you will hate knowledge bowl, skateboarding, or chess tournaments forever...and I am your guy.

Heck, even if you DO choose to participate those activities, I will always love you.....but may miss an occasional chess tournament here and there.

Fantasy Football is good, playing the game is even better ( I would not know since I only practiced), and earning a full ride as a place kicker or team manager at the U of M is even better.

I have no high expectations for you, other than that you will love the Lord your God with all of your heart and mind....and Seoul is overrated.......

I cannot WAIT to hold you in my arms...........and then promptly hand you to your mother when you poop....for I have never changed a diaper.....and am on a 34 year steak....and would hate to break my streak because you cannot control yourself. (Be a man....I will show you how with a fallen tree, a secluded woods, a roll of toilet paper....and do not use leaves of three.)

Be good, or bad....but just get the bad streak out of your system before we see you in a couple of weeks.

If I tear up when we see you.....it is because I have an eye infection that is induced whenever I am inside an adoption agency......men cry sometimes, but not Koreans....remember we show NO emotion....unless you have 3 Aces and 2 Kings, and get beat by 4 tens on the River....

See you soon, buddy.

Your dad

Micah Update

Yesterday Kim and I got an update on Micah WITH a picture!!! This is the first news we've had since our referral back in February when we got the picture of him on the little red throne. And, you guessed it, our second picture is also on the little red throne, but he fills it out a lot more this time. And check out all the hair he grew since January!!

We also learned that at his 8 month appointment he weighed 18 lbs. He has several teeth, he holds his own bottle, he says "omma" the Korean word for "Mom", and he is crawling.

We think he is sooo cute, even with the worried look on his face. Kim thinks he was maybe just a little embarrassed about the sweater vest.

We have no idea if this means our travel call is just around the corner or if the wait is going to be really long and they sent us an update just to appease us for awhile.

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Kim and I got to send Micah 1 care package that would fit into a 1-gallon ziplock bag. We sent it March 18th, but i wanted to post a picture of it because i think it's hilarious. It is absolutely amazing how much you can fit into a ziplock bag. Where there's a will there's a way. :) We sent...

a blanket that I made

a stuffed white bunny

a book with our pictures in it

a teething toy

a disposable camera that I'm hoping the foster mom has been using up

a CD (that we made a copy of so he can hear it when he gets home too)

We only had the gallon bags that you pinch to seal together, but it didn't fit so I went to Walmart and bought the kind with the pink zipper. I broke the zipper when I tried to shut it, so I double bagged it. And here it is...

I love how the bunny looks like a bear with a pink headband. I hope it made it there without breaking at the seams!

Micah Update

I just wanted to give you all a little update of where we are at with the wait. We are still waiting for our travel call. Our adoption agency was able to give us a vague window of May 5th-May 25th. Since we are most definitely in that window, the waiting is growing harder and harder. When we get the call we have to leave within a week. We have to be in Korea for 5 business days and the day we get there and the day we come home doesn't count. We will get to meet with Micah several times while we are there, but won't get him for good until the last day we are there.

We are pretty much ready to go. His room is ready, the house is somewhat baby-proofed, we just need him home!! Here are some pictures of his room.

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and Kim putting the stroller together...

Chloe's summer hairdo

Here's a nice picture of Chole's before and after summer hairdo. I think it's funny how she has the frumpy face that all "before" pictures have and then a big smile for the "after". It's one of those things that the dog owner will think is cuter than anyone else, but until Micah is here, Chloe gets a lot of camera time. :)