Heading home with full hearts

Our bags are full to bursting, our kids are worn out, and we're heading home. This has been an amazing trip in so many ways. The Korean people we have met in our travels have been so kind and generous, welcoming us, and have given Amelia a sense of pride in her heritage. There have been many, many gifts, incredible food, and she will come home with so many memories. We spent the day yesterday at the Lotus Lantern festival which was so rich. It is the celebration of the birth of Buddha and Amelia painted and made traditional lantern boxes, saw singing and dancing and traditional costumes. It was wonderful and exhausting and I was overwhelmed by the incredible sense of connection. There are many more stories to tell, but they will have to wait as we fly home in a few hours. When we're home I'll have more time to post photos and stories of the trip. Though I am ready to settle our kids back into a routine, I look so forward to coming back here with them soon to explore this amazing place.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's been some time...

Image
I still don't know if anyone really reads the musings here, but some encouraging words from a friend prompted me to get my fingers moving. It's been a bit of a wild ride these past weeks and I'm just starting to catch my breath. January was a blur - I thought I was really prepared for G to be away again, but my optimism proved to be wildly misleading and so the first month was a slog. It seemed I couldn't get ahead of life enough to look up and see what was coming next. Then in mid-February, just as we were adjusting to him being home again for a few weeks, we got news of a new addition to our family. The 'telling' suddenly seemed like an overwhelming prospect. Adoption is like that I suppose... every milestone is met with anticipation and excitement, but also the prospect of responding to dozens of well-meaning questions about the whole process. We were also really aware of wanting to share the news with Amelia in a way that supported her processing it before
Read more

Home and new normal

Image
We're settling into new routines and getting to know each other. We've been nesting for a week, helping Finn get to know us and his new home. We ventured out for a quick playground visit today, which was fun but also seemed to overwhelm him a bit, though he loved the swing. We'll keep him mostly at home for another few days as he's had so much change in his little life and needs to feels secure and stable. He's settling in pretty well I think. He seems to feel comfortable with us and definitely wants me when he's upset and needs soothing. He's exploring the house more vigorously every day. My dad came by today and installed a gate on our stairs so he doesn't take any tumbles. Finn is a cheerful fellow and loves his sister - pulling hair and squealing. He looks so much like she did as a baby, though his personality is different. He is quite happy playing and exploring on his own, while Amelia really wanted to be with me all the time. He's also not as
Read more