Happy Easter!

Evelyn's first Easter at home was a cold one! So cold that we had snow falling! Needless to say, there was no Easter egg hunt outside for her nor any outdoor pictures. She was all dressed up for church, but had to cover up with a sweater and heavy winter coat. How can such a wonderful spring holiday be so cold? Hopefully, spring weather is on its way!

Vegas Baby!

We are a little ashamed to say this, but we went to Las Vegas for our first family vacation! It was a spur of the moment idea to go someplace warmer than here and where there wouldn't be a lot of spring breakers. Out of all of us, we think Evelyn had the most fun! She did very well on the plane ride and in true Evelyn style, never met a stranger while on vacation. We stayed at the MGM Grand Hotel, where they have a lion exhibit. We ventured down to it and to our surprise, the lions pounced on top of us (the exhibit allows you to walk under the lions--totally cool)! The family also stopped at the M&M factory and Coca-Cola factory in Vegas. Evelyn loved seeing all the lights of the city at night, but we think her favorite part of the vacation was the hotel bed (it was a king size with a pillow top matress and fluffy covers). She would just roll around and play in the covers and giggle away! Despite all the fun, we were glad to come home; until we actually got home. Unfortunately, our sump pump was kicked off and water came into the basement. We called a professional out to clean up the mess--kind of a bummer to such a great vacation.

And The First Word Is....

Mama!! Now we are fully aware that phonologically that is not practical, but it is true! She clearly spoke it for the first time yesterday evening and has continued with it today. Daddy is a little hurt and disappointed, but we are excited to hear her first word! Let the chattering begin!

Happy 1st Birthday, Evelyn!

Today is our little princess' 1st birthday! We celebrated this milestone with family and friends yesterday. Evelyn wore the hanbok sent from Mrs. Lee, who was her foster mom in Korea. As you see, she looked beautiful and very grown-up. To kick off the celebration, we had the traditional tol. It is a ceremony of sorts where the dad walks the child around a table set with specific items that predict the child's chosen path in life. Items include a bow & arrow (becoming a warrior), needle & thread (live long), jujube (have many descendents), a book (successful scholar), rice (become rich), a ruler (talented with her hands), and a knife (good cook). Evelyn first picked up the ruler and then touched the book; so it looks like she will be talented with her hands and a successful scholar--watch out Yale, here she comes! While everyone ate, Mommy changed Evelyn into a dress and then we opened gifts. Once again, our friends and family were very generous to our angel. Then, it was time for the cake. At first, Evelyn didn't quite know what to do with it, but soon figured it out and cake was everywhere on her face! It was a fun-filled day with good food, good friends, and a little one who is getting all too big too soon!

Getting Big!

Mommy has a snow day today--thank goodness! She was up sick all night and prayed for the day off to recover! Since she has had the day at home with her Korean angel, she thought she would share some big news about Evelyn! Evelyn began pulling herself up to a standing position in the crib over the weekend and now wants to do that on EVERYTHING!! In fact, she is trying to climb up on Mommy as she types this post. Also, Evelyn is getting around very well with the crawling issue--she is quick! Yesterday, she was able to get herself into a sitting position from crawling without any assistance. We are contantly amazed at the rapid changes in our girl now that she is nearing 1 year old, which is another issue that Mommy is not dealing well with. It is so exciting to see her growing more everyday, but a little heart-breaking at the same time.

Valentine Dinner

Our agency hosted a Valentine's Dinner at our church tonight. All money raised from the dinner benefited OrphanCare, which is a program supported by our agency that helps children in various countries who are waiting for a family. Evelyn seemed to really enjoy herself--especially when she did the Chicken Dance with Daddy. Of course, our BFF's Owen and Avery were there to add to the fun. Evelyn loved seeing them along with Miss Tammy, who is our social worker. It was a fun-filled evening that helped touch many lives.

Big Snow

Lucky us--we got about 8 inches of snow last night! Of course, Mommy was happy to have a snow day to spend at home with Evelyn, but Daddy did as well! So after shoveling the driveway and letting the sun begin to melt some snow away this afternoon, we headed out into the powdery white world. It was Evelyn first time to really get in the snow and touch it. She is truly her mother's child--after a couple of minutes of looking at it and one touch, she was done with the stuff! I think her philosophy of snow is like mine--it is pretty to look at in a snowglobe!