grateful doesn't even begin to cover it.

when we were first going through our infertility woes, we felt so isolated and alone. just when we needed it, the Lord blessed us with some amazing friends who were on a similar journey. together we walked the road of IF and supported one another in ways that only those who really "get" it can. and, now, unbelievably, both our families are ringing in the new year with our new little boys. :)

when we started our adoption process, we found ourselves feeling isolated again. here we were embarking on a new journey without personally knowing anyone that had already taken this path or were also in the midst of it.

enter the blogging community.

i know i've said it over and over and over again, but this community is absolutely stinkin' fabulous. my friends, most of whom i have not met in person, have blessed us with amazing support and love and care. they have provided us with understanding and lots of "getting" it. they have shared a wealth of wisdom and knowledge, and have shared all that through the lens of genuine care and friendship.

i honestly couldn't have asked for more.

but, you know what?

i got more.

in the two weeks that we have been home, so many friends from this community sent us cards full of well wishes and excitement for us. those words have meant so much and carried us through our exhaustion in knowing that those friends had also been through this and made it out alive. ;)

but what really blew us away was when we got unexpected packages full of gifts for our new little one. and remember, these are from friends we have never shared a meal with and with whom we never even had a phone conversation! we were so touched that they just wanted to bless us and welcome choi boy home.

remember the packages that were waiting for us when we came home? one was from my very sweet aunt, and the other was from my very sweet friend, kelly. well, technically, the card said it was from max, but i'm pretty sure kelly helped him with the online transaction. just a little bit. :)

inside was the softest, cuddliest stuffed lamb. and the best part? it plays soothing sounds that are perfect for bedtime!

choi boy loves his sweet little lamb and we like falling asleep to the rain sound every night.


a few days later, we got a package from sue. and in it was not only gifts for choi boy, but for my little girl as well!

isn't that apron darling? and piper looks so lovely in her christmas-y bandana!

she also sent us this awesome bib...i LOVE the fabric! (p.s. if you like sue's creations, you can hit up her and kris' store!)


and what was choi boy stuffing his face with while wearing his new bib?

yummies from this:

sent to us by our friend, kelly! (a different kelly, equally as sweet!) i LOVE ed*ble arrangements! choi boy was pounding those strawberries :) -- but not the chocolate covered ones...those were reserved for momma. don't worry, i gave one to daddy, too. ;)

on christmas eve, we received one more package. it was from nancy and eric. we had the honor of bringing over a birthday care package for their twin girls who are still in korea waiting to come home. nancy sent over a christmas book for choi boy, and of course, as a teacher, seeing choi boy excited about the book made me so happy.

at first, he might have been excited about it for the wrong reasons...


but he figured it out eventually. :) and i LOVE the bear books!


i am beyond grateful for the generosity that has come from these amazing ladies. it's enough to make me ugly cry! i am constantly blessed by this community and so, so honored to be a part of it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

now, i rarely use my blog as a platform, but after reading about something on a korean adoption forum today and seeing how it so nicely tied in with what i had already planned to blog about, i knew i had to include this next part. a part that allows me to give back just a teeny tiny bit of what's been given to me as a member of this community.

my friend, tracy, who has also been an incredibly supportive member of this community, is waiting to bring her daughter, emi faith, home from korea. emi is three years-old and beautiful. she has significant special needs and because of this, tracy and her husband were asked more than once if they were sure they wanted to go through with the adoption. tracy, amazing woman that she is, reiterated again and again that emi is her daughter and that she wants her home. she has been waiting a long time to bring her sweet girl home and we are all excited for tracy as she prepares to finally make this long-anticipated trip.

however.

because of emi's significant needs, tracy has been urged to travel to korea with a companion to help tracy. tracy's husband cannot travel with her because he needs to be home with their other children, one of whom also has special needs. tracy has a friend who can travel with her, but this friend cannot afford a plane ticket to korea, nor can tracy afford to pay for an additional ticket on top of the two she needs for her and emi.

i know we are just coming off the heels of the holiday season and that these last few years have been hard for just about everyone. but, if you could spare just a little to help out this exceptional family, i know that they would be so grateful and blessed. even just a little bit can add up to bring emi home.

if you would be willing to give to this fund, you can go to tracy's blog and click on the "donate" button and make a donation via paypal. if you donate, you can also go to cori's blog and enter this very cool giveaway she is sponsering to encourage your giving.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

so grateful for each of you and your care and support for us...love to you. and happy new year! what a year it's been...:)