Look!

We got a new picture today!

Look at his little toes.

And his sweet hand holding the chair.

And the awesome bandana.

Our little man.

So cute!

Go Reuben Go

Out of the blue Reuben told Paul to take off his training wheels (again) today.  This is the day!  He's ready to go.  Watch...

With his green puffy jacket, helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads, he looked like Franklin the Turtle.

I will get back to our discussion on the travel decision for the boys.  Not yet though.

Our tomorrow?
- Adoption Meeting in The City
- Family Gathering in G'castle (including haircuts all around for the boys in the workshop)
- Back to The City to pick up Inbum (a Korean college student we hang out with) at the airport and take him to a Korean restaurant for his birthday

Our Sunday?
- Churchy
- Make Gim Bop
- Take Gim Bop to a Korean birthday party for our friends' new son
- More Churchy

See you in a few days.

Broken Stuff

Furnace broken - check

Hot water heater broken - check

Dishwasher broken - check

Front door knob broken - check

Ha ha, but broken no more.  That was so last week... and a bit of today.


One more week of gymnastics and art classes for Peter, then a bit of a break until...

Are you ready for this?  I'm still amazed that this is true...

Peter starts baseball practice.  What?!

I know.

Could one of you Bennett boys please come out and play catch with Peter?  Teach him how to hold a bat.  And which way to run the bases.  Please.  This can't wait until our gathering this summer.

I throw like a girl, of course.  And Paul... Paul was a pole vaulter.  We need some baseball coaching, fast.

Peter has wanted to play on a baseball team for a long time. 

Maybe that Spring Training trip in 2009 is what did it. Or something to do with the Bennett blood in him.  He is very excited.

But I'm a bit worried.  I don't want him to be that Sandlot kid who runs the ball in to the pitcher because he doesn't know how to throw.  Do you see how serious this is?

Come Bennetts.  Come.

How's his form here?  Good?

You know he's going to be having imaginary lightsaber fights in the outfield.

Hopefully his coach is in for fun times

and not to win the Little League Championships.

A Discussion

Let us have a discussion, in which I present a topic and you all comment with opinions, insights, and factual tidbits.  Ready...

Bringing Peter and Reuben with us to Korea when we go this summer to adopt Jae-min.

I thought we had already decided that we were going to bring them, but now that the time is really upon us, we are thinking more about it.

Pro:  Introduction to international travel for the boys.

Wait, they have both already traveled overseas.  Which brings us to our first con...

Con:  They won't remember much of the trip because they are so young (8 and 4).

Con:  It is going to be so much more expensive to bring them.  Especially if we bring another adult with us, as our social worker has suggested, to help with all the boys.  Two hotel rooms, two taxis, 3 additional plane tickets...

Pro:  Reuben will get to return to and experience his birth country and meet his foster family again.  Peter will get to experience and understand Korean culture and more of the adoption process.  He will also have his world enlarged and get to be a minority.  Everyone should experience being a minority.

Con:  If we bring them, Paul and I miss out on one last hoo-ha before we are FIVE.  We love to travel together.  Without the kids.  Carefree and easy.

Pro:  Instilling in the boys that traveling to Korea and other countries is normal, it's what we do.  Learning about and exploring other countries is cool.  God loves everyone.  Even when they are different from us.  This would be excellent prep for moving to T.

But just thinking about that money part, especially if they are too young to appreciate it...  ugh.

What do you think?  Would you bring your kids?

I think we have made our decision.  But I want to hear your thoughts too.  What if you totally sway us the other way with a fabulous insight we hadn't considered?

My Friend Mat

We've been friends for several years.  When he comes to town, Paul and I make a point to meet up with him and hang out.  There's always music.  And always a good time.

But sadly, I found out about his wedding six months after the 'vintage farm' gala.  Seems he's not aware of how tight we are.

Here's Mat with his new bride, Annie.
Annie's a sweet name.

You can see snapshots from his wedding in this article at Southern Living.

Love that Mat Kearney.

Maybe you do too.

Apparently Annie does.

And I love that he is coming back to town this summer.

AND he's currently recording a new album.

AND my husband regularly serenades me with his songs.

Maybe he's coming to your town...

You should get a babysitter and go out
with your favorite person.

I recommend standing to the right of the stage.

He seems to face that way the most.

Announcing 2011 Tour Dates with Owl City and Unwed Sailor!

13-Jun	Nashville, TN	Ryman Auditorium
14-Jun	Atlanta, GA	Tabernacle
16-Jun	Orlando, FL	House of Blues
17-Jun	Charlotte, NC	Fillmore
18-Jun	Baltimore, MD	Pier Six
20-Jun	Montreal, QC	Olympia
21-Jun	Toronto, ON	Kool Haus
23-Jun	New York, NY	Roseland Ballroom
25-Jun	Philadelphia, PA	The Mann
26-Jun	Boston, MA	House of Blues
28-Jun	Indianapolis, IN	Egyptian Room
29-Jun	Detroit, MI	Fillmore
30-Jun	Milwaukee, WI	Summerfest
1-Jul	Columbus, OH	LC Pavilion
11-Jul	Kansas City, MO	Uptown Theatre
12-Jul	Denver, CO	Fillmore
13-Jul	Salt Lake City, UT	MacKay Event Center
15-Jul	Seattle, WA	Paramount Theatre
16-Jul	Vancouver, BC	The Center
17-Jul	Portland, OR	Roseland Ballroom
19-Jul	San Francisco, CA	Warfield Theatre
21-Jul	Los Angeles, CA	Club Nokia
23-Jul	Pomona, CA	Fox Theatre
25-Jul	Houston, TX	Verizon Theatre
26-Jul	Dallas, TX	Verizon Theatre
27-Jul	Austin, TX	ACL Live
29-Jul	Chicago, IL	Aragon Ballroom
30-Jul	Minneapolis, MN	Roy Wilkins Auditorium

Paperwork

• I-600A - done
• I-600 - done
• I-864A - done
• I-864 - done
• 3 copies of this other paper, notarized - done
• 2 copies of another, notarized - done
• 4 attempts to correctly sign 1 document - done
• a handful of others - done
• 4 checks - written

Now we wait and pray the paperwork through the hands of those who determine our travel timeline.

And choose an official name.

Meet Our Son

Here he is!

See his little angel kissed nose?

He is considered a special needs adoption due to being born with a cleft lip.  His lip has already been beautifully repaired.  And that's it.  Not a cleft palate.  Not a big deal.

He is sitting in front of the famous Holt bear that many of the children have their picture taken with.

Ahh, so sweet!

We are filling out papers and papers and papers as fast as we can so we can get to him as soon as possible.  It's the hurry up and wait game.  Hurry up and file the papers, then wait for them to be processed, both here and in Korea.

I keep scrolling up to gaze at him.  I can finally absorb him.  In the last year we have asked to be matched with nine waiting children with special needs and each time I tried to stay emotionally distant in case we were not matched.  So hard.  Part of that was not looking at the child's picture very much.  But now I can look and look and smile and drink him in.  I want to nuzzle his neck and kiss his squishy cheeks.

Today he joined the other boys on my kitchen counter...

I will keep you posted as we wait to travel.