Home 6 weeks!

Things are beginning to feel a bit more normal! Dane is still clingy and definitely prefers to be with me but he is beginning to settle in and show us who he really is! He, by the way, is really sweet, all boy and quite the little ham! He loves the water and watermelon. He would live on watermelon if I let him. Our other kids are beginning to finally enjoy his company! David and Dane have a unique relationship, it is really hard to explain, or even put my finger on how it is so special, but they adore each other - I really hope it lasts forever!

As most of you know Dane has not been to fond of Joel (DH) but that is really starting to change! I have seen Dane start to reach for him and even cry when Joel leaves the room! Sounds so funny, but that made me so happy when he cried for Joel! They both have really struggled with the transition but over the past week or so Dane has slowly been melting Joel's heart! How could you not love that little guy!

We have slowly started introducing him to some of our family and friends. It seems to be going OK.

We do have our set backs some days, but over all things are getting better and better everyday! This journey has been amazing! We have learned so much about ourselves and have gained so much! I would not trade any of this for anything! We are so blessed!

~Becca

Doggy kisses! Mya is not that bad after all!

Life at home (picture heavy)

I am hoping to update more soon. I have been so busy during the day and my need for sleep has me in bed soon after the kids. But here are a few of my favorite pictures!

Helping Daddy fix the dishwasher

Brothers

Dane's 1st Birthday! Saturday, July 24th

It was Saturday the big day! We had been home only 4 full days. For the past 6 months I desperately wanted my son home so I could share this day with him, but that day was turning out to be awful (and I mean that very lovingly). My husband and I were emotionally spent and physically exhausted. Alaina had been crying on and off because Dane did not like her and Alivia was wondering when he was going back to "Korea's house", she was tired of him crying! Dane was miserable too. He had spent the night before crying for his Omma (foster mom). He was exhausted and crabby from being up all night. I found myself feeling guilty - aren't first birthday's supposed to be happy? I was wishing that Dane could be happy. I almost wished he could be back with his foster mom and family so he could enjoy his special day. Wishing, maybe that we could have brought him home after his birthday. My heart was aching for Dane's foster mom and family and also for his birth mom and family; what were they thinking and feeling, did their hearts ache like mine?
The evening proved to be better. Joel's brother and family had stopped by to bring dinner and a gift for Dane. Somehow that was just what we all needed. I think Dane could sense the tension lifting and he began to smile, I was feeling emotionally recharged. Seeing him smiling and enjoying the kids brought joy to my heart. The older kids were enjoying playing with their cousins too.
After dinner we whispered the Happy Birthday song to him so we would not scare him. I had ordered a cake and it turned out amazing, it was really good too! Dane seemed to really enjoy it after we were able to get him to take a bite. After cake we opened his presents and he really got into that! One of the gifts we had gotten him was a Cozy Coupe car. Oh, how he loved that! He had a great time helping Daddy put it together too! We were really surprised that he tolerated the noise of a pounding hammer, as he is not a fan of loud noises, he even tried to help hammer too!
After Dane had his bath and a few rides in his Cozy Coupe, I was feeling so much better! I felt incredible blessed to be this little boy's mommy. I was indeed blessed to spend this day with him. In fact, it was a honor to spend his 1st birthday with him! I love you sweet Dane, more than words can say!

Trip overview

As most of you know we received our travel call on Tuesday July 6, 2010 at 2:38 pm. It was 6 months and 1 day since our referral of our sweet son. We were so ready for that call and I am so happy that that part of our journey is done - the waiting and delays were awful! We left for Korea on the 10th and returned home on the 19th.
We really enjoyed our time in Korea, we did get a little homesick though, we missed our kids really bad. Now that I have had time to reflect back on our trip, I really miss Korea! It truly was an unforgettable experience! I am so thankful to have experienced our son's birth country. I have so many things to share and some really great pictures. Not to mention we were able to meet his amazing foster mom and one of his foster sisters.
We met and picked up Dane on July 14th...I am really having a hard time putting my thoughts into words right now, the emotions are still so raw. It was such a bittersweet day. My heart sank for Dane's foster mom and birth parents/family and also for him; they all were losing so much. Dane cried and cried, I felt so bad. I was supposed to be his mommy and he was supposed to be my son, but to be honest at that moment and for the next few days, neither of us felt that. He wanted comfort but not from me - he wanted to go back. I felt completely helpless, he cried constantly for 3 days. And as his mommy I wanted more than anything to take his pain away and I couldn't. In fact I felt like I had caused it. Finally on Sunday, the 18th, he began to resemble the boy we briefly met at Holt.
I am really glad we stayed the few extra days. I think if we would have come home any sooner we would have had a really long, awful flight home (he did really well on the plane). Also, I think the extra days one on one with him before returning home to 3 other kids was really beneficial.
Dane is such a sweet little guy, he is so worth every heartache that we have felt and will feel in the future.

Dane

So precious, beautiful blessing and such a sweet boy!

Arriving home! July 19th 2010

I just realized that I have posted pictures of our journey to Dane except of his awaited arrival home. So, here are a few of my favorite pictures - our God is so good!

David and Grandpa waiting...


Our plane landing! (the one in the distance)

Alivia, my sweet daughter, and her Happy B-day poster.

Grandma and David

Welcome home sweet son!
Daddy and Dane

Alaina and I hugging. I love that girl so much!!

David has waited so long for his brother!

Going home!

Poor guy did not like his car seat, he finally cried himself to sleep :(

Our nice neighbors bought us a plant to remember the summer we brought Dane home. Their 4 girls made signs and hung them up on our garage.

Leaving for Seoul, Korea July 10th 2010!

Grand Rapids airport 6:30 am July 10

Kids, Joel, G-pa, Papa, Nana, G-ma (from left to right)-passing the time in G.R.


Checking out the planes


Papa, Nana, & Kids

Last family photo as a family of 5

Chicago airport-our plane to Korea!

Waiting to board-not so patiently

We landed and departed the plane safe and sound! We are in Korea!

Yikes!! Tired!! Tried to sleep on the plane with no luck!

spelled our last name wrong...we knew it was for us though!

Our Hotel and my B-day in Korea

Our Hotel was amazing. We stayed at the Frazier Place. It was like a little apartment. It had 2 full bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, kitchen and a washer and dryer all in one. Not to mention the staff was wonderful! We stayed from July 11th through the 19th.

View at night

There were so many people out and about all the time

Hotel room view-you could see the mountains in the distance

My yummy birthday cake from a bakery down the street, we ended up visiting them a lot!

I was so tired! It was our 2nd full day in Korea-we had done a lot of walking