The Kirwins

Go Big Red (White and Blue, too!)

2009-07-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July Patriots! Hope you all had a wonderful, wonderful time, on this the most terrifying of holidays. :) I decided to get a little brave this holiday and take Hallie and Adam to Nebraska to see so many of our fabulous family and friends. Matt sadly could not join us due to his work schedule and I know what you're thinking, a seven hour car ride with a two year old and seven week old?!?...that's a special kind of crazy. And while it's true that I am that, it was very manageable and fun due to the tremendous help of my folks and Lisa and Dante without whom, this trip would never have been possible. They were amazing! They were understanding when our little seven hour jaunt ended up taking closer to nine hours and they were patient when (only 2 hours into the trip) Adam had already asked, "What's that?" for the 3, 675th time. We stayed with my grandparents, Nonnie and Petesie, and who spoiled us with so many things and so much delicious food. We all had a blast. The day of 4th was a marathon of fun events. We started the day by visiting my great-grandma Tella and taking some fantastic pictures, including a photo of 5 generations of first-born women (Tella, Nonnie, my mom, me, and Hallie). What an amazing gift! After that Tella boarded our party train as well and we headed to the Rotella picnic. It was wonderful to get to see so many family members that we had not seen in many years. After the picnic we headed to my Uncle Mike and Aunt Kathleen's beautiful lake house where we had a great time swimming with cousins and aunts and uncles and finally the party train headed to our last stop; my Uncle Larry and Aunt Becky's lake house for more food, fun and fireworks. It was a fantastic day and the kiddos had a great time and held up well emotionally, behaviorally, and fashionably. (The fashion part was due in total to my mom and Lisa'a brilliant idea of changing them into new, yet coordinated outfits for each party we attended. It was like Independence Day at The Emmy's.) My only wish would have been for more time so that we could have stayed at each party longer and been able to visit more, but we all know my feelings about time already so I won't go into that. :) Instead I'll say how blessed I feel for the time we had. It was a wonderful trip and I am so grateful to everyone who made it possible.

Below are some pictures of the Freedom-Funtivities as well as Christian's birthday which we celebrated yesterday when the little man turned 3! Happy Birthday Christian!!!! Thanks to all who sent me pictures so that I might shamelessly post them on my blog and pass them off as my own. :)

Hallie-lujah Part Deux: The Return of the Good Reverend

2009-06-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends and family! Hope you are all well. This last weekend was a big one for us. How big, you may ask. So big it requires 2 slideshows. On Sunday, not only did we celebrate Father's Day but we had Hallie's baptism as well. We were so fortunate to have my grandparents Nonnie and Peetsie and my cousin Nick come in from Nebraska to celebrate and what a weekend of festivities it was. We had cookouts, some pool fun for the Adam and Christian, a giant Father's Day feast, and even ventured to Elitch Gardens, which contrary to popular belief, is no longer Six Flags (Lisa, you know who you are :). Adam did rather well at the amusement park and even went on about 3 rides pretty willingly, which for Adam is about 3 more than I would have thought. That boy is often a big risk taker in the fashion world (as some of you may have noticed by his choices of hats, i.e. his potty seat, buckets, the dog etc.) but at this point is not much of a risk taker when it comes to rides, slides, or swings. I'm sure it's just a phase and as a 29 year old woman who has to watch a fireworks display with her fingers in her ears, I can respect the fear. On Sunday morning we were so fortunate to have Hallie's baptism at my mom and dad's house. It was beautiful and we felt very blessed. Hallie was so beautiful and did a great job during her big day. She was able to wear my baptism gown which Nonnie and Peetsie had bought in Italy before I was born and had on shoes, socks, and accessories from my mom and a keepsake bonnet from her Grandma Rose all of which were gorgeous. Father Marty, who baptised Adam last year, baptised Hallie and did a beautiful job. He joked that he would see again next year for the twins, although Matt failed to see the humor. :) And in his sermon he spoke about happy surprises and these past years certainly have been filled with many happy surprises for us and for all of them we are so thankful.

Hallie-lujah, How Sweet Life Is

2009-06-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Greetings and Happy Summer to one and all! In true Carly fashion, I know that I have been slow with posting pictures, but truly I cannot believe that it has already been over three weeks since Hallie was born. It has absolutely flown by in a way that has me sitting on my couch, misty-eyed listening to Meryl Streep singing, "Slipping Through My Fingers" as my Mama Mia soundtrack plays on the stereo. Ok, maybe that has a little something to do with hormones as well, but 90% of that is really about how quickly time is passing. And these last weeks have been such an amazing time, watching Hallie grow and seeing her change every singe day. Some days I swear she changes two and three times an hour. It has been amazing to watch Adam with her and seeing him become such a big helper and brother to her already. It has been amazing to see Matt become a fantastic father of two and how much his daughter already has him wrapped around her finger. And finally it is amazing that it now only takes me 4 and a half hours to get myself and both kiddos dressed and out the door, of which I am very proud. Although inevitably, an hour after leaving I will catch a glimpse of myself in a reflection and think, "Oh. Dear. Lord. How did you leave the house looking like that?"
It has been great to spend so much time with family and friends and even introduce Hallie to her future BFFE (daughter of one of my BFFEs), Ashlyn Benik, who was born only 24 hours after she was. These three weeks have been so amazing, I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer brings. Just as in the ABBA lyrics as sung by the incomparable Ms. Streep, "...I try to capture every minute, the feeling in it..." So true ABBA, so true.

A Star Is Born

2009-05-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

Announcing the Arrival of

Hallie Piper Kirwin!!

Born: May 12, 2009 at 11:39 a.m.

Weight: 7lbs 2 oz.

Height: 19 inches

Loved: By so many, but by her mom, dad, and big brother especially

A Womb with a View

2009-03-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

Captain's Log: UterusDate 3/11/09. Tonight Adam, Matt and I traveled boldly into the future and got to experience one of the technological marvels of our time, the 3D ultrasound, and we are so glad that we did. It was amazing! We were able to see and get pictures of Cherry Chip moving around, sucking on her fingers, and even smiling (which my sisters have said is very cute and just a little creepy :) It was fun to see that she is doing so great, has some hair, many of her dad's features and what looks like her mom's dimple, but we'll have to wait and see on those for sure. It was such a gift to see her! Now we'll just be waiting for her to keep on growing and cracking herself up in-utero until the day she is ready to come out and meet the family who is dying to meet her.

Turning 2 and Movin' On Up to a Big Boy Bed: Jefferson Style

2009-02-10T20:12:00.001-08:00

Greetings! This past Sunday Adam made the momentous jump into the (so-far, fingers crossed) terrific twos! And with this big-boy birthday came some big-boy events, a new big-boy bed, a big-boy party, and all around big-boy fun. Adam was of course spoiled-rotten by family and loved every minute of it. He was thrilled to see the party had his favorite theme of Cars and a wonderful time was had by all. We were so glad that my grandparents, Nonnie and Petesie, were able to come out and join in the festivities as well. Ok, to be perfectly honest Nonnie wasn't just out here on a pleasure-cruise. We put her to work... work fit for a little girl and a little-girl bed that is. This weekend we went about the business of not only helping Adam into a new bed, but also in converting his former bachelor pad, into a co-ed/brother and sister living in peaceful harmony/tranquil haven. Now you may be asking yourself how one could invite their grandmother over for a visit and then put her to work painting walls, but if you want a ceiling done right, you bring in Michelangelo, and if you want a beautiful nursery wall, you bring in Nonnie and my fabulous mother as well. You've probably heard of their early work: Lisa'a Jungle Nursery, a true creative feat. As well as my mom and sister's beautiful work on Adam's original House on Pooh Corner walls. :)
We worked during the morning adding a few flowery touches to the room, while Matt used his handy-man capabilities putting said big-boy bed together, and by party time the room looked great. It is really fun to see the room coming together and Adam growing into a little boy. The year between Adam's first and second birthday flew by and with all of the wonderful surprises and changes this year has brought our family, I can't wait to see what the next year will bring.

Gifts of All Shapes and Sizes

2008-12-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays Family and Friends! I hope this post finds you all happy and well. We spent a wonderful Christmas with family and feel so grateful for all the blessings of the past year and are looking forward to the wonderful things coming in 2009. Adam had a blast on Christmas and thanks to Santa and the spoil-etry (it's a word, try to use it today and impress those around you) of aunts, uncles, and grandparents he received many cool gifts including truckloads of toy cars, pun intended, which he adores. Adam has been in a total car-craze lately: toys, songs about cars, the movie Cars, clothing of the car persuasion, all bliss to him so he was especially happy. We have also had a great time since Christmas playing with the other toys and games he received and reading his new books and he has been in heaven.

Along with the joy we have had with Adam this Christmas, has come a new joy. As you know we received quite the unexpected and fabulous news that there is a new Kirwin on the way and last week we learned that that Kirwin's name is Cherry Chip. Ha! Really what I am saying, in my own silly way, is that we are having a girl!!!!!!!! You may have guessed given the new girly look of the blog but I thought this occasion called for a little celebration of pink. I don't know how we got so lucky as to have such an amazing son like Adam and now a little girl who so far (knock on wood) has been one low-maintenance lady (although what am I saying? She's a Kirwin, she'll be born and watch out!) So far things have been very smooth and wonderful and it was awesome to have the ultrasound and see her healthy and happy and kicking around in there. It was fantastic because Matt's folks, Adam, and my mom were able to be there as well. We have not decided on her real name yet, but for now she has been lovingly dubbed Cherry Chip by Adam and Christian, although whether they were naming her or simply asking for a snack is still up for debate. Whichever they were doing, the nickname has stuck...unless it really grows on us in which case who knows. As my friend Susan said, "Dr. Cherry Chip, please report to OR 2"....I don't know...kind of has a nice ring to it. :)

Happy New Year to All!

The Lady Herself

Waiting to see Her Cherriness...

Adam's impression of the baby from A Series of Unfortunate Events

"Nervous? No I'm not nervous...not at all". Check out that gut though.

Making Ornaments with Nene (and perhaps one of my favorite pictures ever)

Christmas Fun

Adam knows to never underestimate the power of accessorizing and a good bow....

blame her..........

...........and her.

Cars, glorious cars!

I Got You Babe!

2008-10-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Isn't time the most amazing thing? I am sitting here tonight marveling at the wonder of all that can occur in a year, how quickly the time can seem to fly and yet how long the events of those months seem to span. It seems like only a few weeks ago that my mom and I were leaving on a flight to Korea and yet at the same time I can't really think of a time when Adam wasn't my son. It's almost like how Adam is now a year older and yet I (in the words of Carrie Bradshaw ) haven't aged a day. Time is a mystery.

This year with Adam we have been witness to so many firsts: first steps, first birthdays, first scary illnesses, first hugs, first laughs. But today is the anniversary of perhaps one of the biggest firsts of all: the anniversary of the day I met Adam and got to hold him for the first time, our Gotcha Day! It was a day filled with so many emotions, even now I can't find the right words to describe it and I think probably that I never will. I just know it was one of those rare, momentous days that changes life as you know it and then turns right around and changes the you that is you to boot. What an amazing day and an amazing blessing to bring Adam home to his dad and the rest of the his family anxiously waiting to meet him as well.

I am so thankful to everyone who made that moment possible, our agency and social worker, all of the wonderful people at Eastern Social Welfare and especially to the mothers. To Adam's birth mother and foster mother for giving all that they did. And to my own mother, for traveling around the world with me on the trip of a lifetime. I couldn't have done it without her and I hope to be even a shred of the mother she is. And to Adam I say, baby, how glad I am we gotcha!

Happy Anniversary Adam!

Journey back to that day with me won't you?

Adam's Press Conference

2008-10-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

Good evening family, friends, fellow Americans, and Wiggles-aficionados everywhere. My name is Adam Kirwin and it is with excitement and a faint peanut butter aroma that I come to your computers today. As you can see I have briefly taken over the blog to bring you some crucial blogging-related, and more importantly, Kirwin-related business. And as I stand before you today I can honestly say that the state of the blog is....well...behind as usual. However the state of things in the Kirwin household is fantastic and feelings of excitement, joy, and happiness are booming, even more than usual. What has brought about this emotional upswing? Well allow me to show you and please refer to the adorable yet user-friendly visual aids I have created to aid you in this presentation.

Recently members of our household have been privy to a great Shock and Awe Campaign (see visuals:)

Shock

Awe

What brought about this campaign you ask? Well it was the amazing news that sometime in the middle of May, 2009 I, Adam J.M. Kirwin will become a:
(direct your attention to convenient visual C)

Convenient Visual C

Yay!!! That's right, my mom is going to have a baby and I am going to be a big brother. Well, let's be honest, not just any big brother, but just about the best big brother in the entire world.

At this point many of you may be scratching your head and thinking, "How can this be? I was told that such an event was a medical improbability." Well let me be the first to say, Ummm ya. That's what we thought, too. And then let me offer these words of wisdom I recently shared with my mother: Science comes so far and then comes God. And if we have learned anything in the last few years about the ways our family would grow, it's that God's in control. He has a plan and we are certainly blessed for it.

Obviously we are very excited about this news and some of us chose to express our joy in different ways:

So in light of this news, many preparations are being made and prayers are being said. Additions and changes will be made to our lives and home as well as to the blog as we continue to grow as a family. Thanks as always, for being a part of it.

Thank you also for allowing me to bring you this news. As we all know it would probably be years before my mom posted it. Stay tuned for my future postings including: Nap Time: I Know This is A Trick and I'm on to You.

In the meantime, love to you and yours!

AJMK: over and out

"You look like the Fourth of July...It makes me want a hot dog real bad"

2008-07-06T09:09:00.001-07:00

Greetings Patriots! Well recently we endured that most ominous and terrifying of holidays, the 4th of July. And I am happy to say we all survived basically unscathed. :) If you know me well, or at least my list of sweat-inducing fears well, you know that I am terrified of fireworks. The noise especially, but also lighting them, seeing them, sitting next to them. Terrifying. Not the smell so much, that's pretty nice, but other than that, no thanks. However given that I am now a mom, I began this holiday with a fierce determination to be an adult and a good role model for my son. I know that I needed to play the role moms and teachers often must play when modeling for children. For instance earlier this year I found myself saying this to my class, "No, that gigantic hissing cockroach isn't scary. Sure, I'd love to hold it. See kids. Look how fun and interesting science can be. I'm not terrified to death in the least at this moment." :) Ah the things we must do for our children. And looking back over this holiday I think I did a pretty good job.
Before we got to the Exploding-Things-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named we had a great time with the family. We enjoyed a wonderful bbq at my mom and dad's house. Adam played in the pool with Christian, enjoyed cupcakes, and then some naked motorcycling. It was a right full day. Then we headed to Golden and met up with Matt's parents for a picnic and some time at the park. Adam went around meeting new friends and having a ball. And then it was time for the "fun". We found a "great" space on a ball field to watch the you-know-whats which was nice and close to the action (and who wouldn't want that?). And holding Adam tightly during the fireworks display, I did my darndest not to jump, flinch, whimper, run away, or rock in the fetal position. I did such a good job in fact, that not only did Adam watch the fireworks with little fear, but eventually he fell asleep. In the middle of fireworks. Sounds asleep. With all of the scary, noisy explosions, he drifted off to dreamland. Wish I could have done the same.

Hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday. Thank goodness its 363 days until we have to do that again.

Silly Songs and Malts with Dad. Mom's crazy. This day is awesome!

Swimming with Aunt Leelee

"Cupcake buddy?"

"You got it buddy."

Ever have one of those dreams where you're riding your motorcycle with your balloon, but you're naked?

Ok anyone can ride a hawg naked but how many people can do...

...this?

Alright someone get some pants on that kid and lets head to the park.

He flies through the air with the greatest of ease.

Ring around the Rosie anyone?

OK time for a quick snack at my place and then we'll hit the tizz-own.

Ok here's the big moment. Look relaxed Carly. Be calm. That's it. That smile looks great. Not forced at all.

Inner Monologue

Carly: Oh God, I'm going to die here. This is it. Who knew I would go like this? Well to be honest, I did.

Adam: Wow that's nice. Why is mom so sweaty? Actually I think I'm just going to close my eyes for a quick sec...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz Huh look at that. I can actually sleep standing up.

Sing Along with Us, dada di di di, yada da da da, Ya We're Hap-Happy...

2008-06-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

Visits from Adam's grandparents are so bright, he's just gotta wear shades.

So yesterday I was very, very busy with my many important summertime activities. Although for the life of me, I can't remember which critical task I was accomplishing (it might have been playing at the park, relaxing, creating masterpieces with sidewalk chalk, eating a popsicle, reading, relaxing, swimming, relaxing, napping, relaxing, relaxing, relaxing, or catching up on reruns of The Ellen DeGeneres Show...with so much to do, one cannot be too sure) when I received a text. It was from my wonderful sister Emily and read, "For the love of God, update you're blog. You're on break for Pete's sake." Upon receiving it I called her up and whined about how busy I was and tried to talk her into doing it for me. Man, that girl cannot be bought. (Emily you, like summer, are fabulous.) However, I do know that I am LONG overdue in an update and for that I apologize. I have cleared some space in my very busy evening though and am ready to report. :) First of all I have to say again: Summer. Is. Fabulous.

I have always known this fact and applauded myself for choosing a career that I not only love but that I also get to leave for two months, which I love as well. However now that Adam is here and I get to just spend the day with him, I appreciate the beauty of summer even more. We have filled our days with just normal, tiny, happy things that have meant the world to me and have made for the most wonderful summer ever. We have gone on walks, gone to the zoo, played outside and it amazes me how magical such simple things can be. We are truly blessed (bet you wish you had a nickel for every time I said that phrase in this blog.) We had a great Father's Day and went to Water World and even spent a wonderful weekend up in Breckenridge. It has been fantastic to get to spend time with friends and family alike. Adam is in swimming lessons with his cuz' Christian and loves the water. He is getting so big and has entered full-on toddlerhood. He changes so much everyday and is loving some of his new hobbies like playing with cordless phone and meeting new friends in other states, dumping out mom's purse in under 2 seconds flat, and happily screeching as loud as his little lungs will allow simply because he can. :) We are having a blast. My only complaint is that time is flying by too fast. I just want to wrap it up and put it in a tupperware container in my fridge where it will stay new and fresh for as long as possible (how's that for an analogy hmmm?) I guess that's the way it goes with time. In the meantime, we'll just make the most of every second we have.

Hope you and yours are having a wonderful summer as well!!

A photo shoot I have dubbed The Summer of Fabulousness

Adam's first time going swimming

"Wait, we're going to do what??!! This is not fabulous.

Well... I guess it's sort of amusing...

YAYY!!! SWIMMING IS FABULOUS!!

I knew it. From the get go. Never a doubt in my mind. Let's go to the high dive shall we?

Fabulous times with fabulous friends.

"So...what's yours about? Mine's fabulous"

Matt's first Father's Day. Taking the family truckster to Water World. Isn't he fabulous?

Wheeeee, we're going to Water World.

Hey wait, what's Water World?

Ahhh. Water World has cool attractions and ice cream. Now that is fabulous.

For Your One-Click-Away Viewing Pleasure...

2008-05-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

So thanks to Jill, The Ultimate Tech-Guru, I was able to move the slideshow here so you can watch without clicking on the link from the previous post. If you have not read the post below about our finalization please do (maybe before the montage because it explains some of the final pictures) but here it is. Thanks Jill!!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Forever a Family We'll Be

2008-05-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

Greetings and Happy Mother's Day to every mother out there.

My first Mother's Day as an actual mother has been such a gift. Especially in light of the fact that last Thursday we headed to Fort Collins to finalize Adam's adoption and for him to become a United States citizen. It was one of the best days of my entire life and one I will hold close to my heart. Matt, Adam, and I headed up to Fort Fun with both sets of grandparents anxious for the day. We had a nice lunch at a Mexican restaurant (that's how we roll) and then took a great tour of the CSU campus. It was fun to see places Matt and I had lived and to meander down memory lane. I subtly threw out hints for Adam's benefit about the glory of CSU should he choose to attend and we had a marvelous time. Finally we headed to the court house for the big moment. I was so excited to see there were other families there for their finalizations as well and we were able to reconnect with a couple from our trainings so long ago and to meet their son. Then we met another family whose son was born only days before Adam, in the same town, and who spent the same time in the nursery as Adam had. What an amazingly small world it is. Not only that, but we found out we shared the same social worker and while Mom and I were in Seoul, Jane, our social worker was there as well picking up their son.
Finally we were called into the court room, where the wonderful Judge Williams officially gave us the gift for which we have waited for so very long, a son. It was so quick, but perfect and it amazes me how such gigantic life-changing events can happen in an instant. After the proceedings we were able to take photos and Adam even got to intern for the judge for a short while. To celebrate we headed to Walrus for delicious ice cream and THEN to The Pickle Barrel to pick up sandwiches for dinner. We are truly, truly blessed.

My wonderful friend and fellow Seoul Sister, Jill, has not only been a support through our adoption, but a technical support as well. She is the one who introduced me to the wonder of blogging and recently has introduced me to the wonder of photo montages (Jill, you are an inspiration!) Well in honor of this momentous occasion I thought I would whip up a little photo montage myself, shouldn't take more than an hour or so. Well 4 days later I present you a montage of our journey including our finalization photos. We are so thankful to God and to each and every person who made this journey possible.

Here are the photos:
http://www.onetruemedia.com/my_shared?z=2ad5978c519349b049adf4&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

Springtime with the Kirwins: Egghunts, Extended Family, and Excessive Blinking/Sun-Sensitivity

2008-04-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

Happy spring to one and all!

I know I've been passing the tardy-sauce on the blog but between a couple of trips to Nebraska, Estes Park, Easter, and a lovely, lovely illness Adam and I have been battling for the past 2 weeks including double pink-eye (ewwweee!), there simply has not been a minute to post. (Ok, I'll be honest and say there were some nights I really just sat on my couch watching endless reruns of Dawson's Creek after Adam's was in bed, pondering why it was 'Dawson's creek' when Pacey was so obviously the real star, but other than that, I've been a busy woman :) Easter was wonderful! Adam was dressed to the nines in a great outfit from Grams (Rose) and we headed to our annual Easter buffet. We spent the remainder of the beautiful day outside hunting eggs and having a great time.

Adam and I made it back to Nebraska twice and were able to introduce Adam to his great-great grandma Tella and even take a 5 generation photo, what an amazing gift. Then we attended my cousin's wedding and were able to introduce Adam to his Lighthart family and they to him. It was a great time and Adam and Christian were hits on the dancefloor. I can see many a Footloose-esque highschool dance in their future. And apart from disinfecting our house and ourselves, we've been busy with some family outings to the zoo, aquarium, and parks.

Adam is running, yes running, around now and talks more and more everyday. He has a great sense of humor and a personality to match. He is a ray of joy in our house and in my heart. He is a real angel and an amazing child. You might be doubtful, but you can take my word for it. I mean, I'm his mother...how biased can I be? :)

**Next time on the blog: The Kirwins head to Fort Collins to finalize Adam's adoption. He will become a US citizen and they will become a forever family. This day, of course, will conclude the way all ultimate celebrations should, with a Pickle Barrel sandwich and a tour of the CSU campus where Adam can begin his plans to attend in the future. Do days get any better than this?

*"Next time on the blog" brought to your courtesy of Chris Benik, 2008. All copywrite laws apply.

Easter

Dashing, golf-themed attire courtesy of Grandma Rose.

What an angel

This day is so great I just gotta do jazz hands.

Love you Auntie Em!

Great grandpa Petesie and Adam. Soup's on!

I call this my Pat Riley look.

Mountain men of Estes Park

Saints Preserve Us, It's Saint Patty's Day!

2008-03-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to one and all! We have recently had some fun weeks seasoned with the subtle corn beef and cabbage undertones that this time of the year brings. Not only are we sporting our green for today's holiday, but we recently made the annual trek to Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland to celebrate cryogenically frozen people and Tuff Sheds everywhere. This Saturday we met with our wonderful social worker for our last home visit. It is amazing to think about the journey from our first visit to our last. Bless you Jane, for all that you do. It has been wonderful to be together as a family and I am thankful every day for my amazing son. He is a walking, talking machine and loved more than I can say.

The Frozen Dead Guy Days Parade

How long is the wait for a table?

Sleepy Sleep Guy Days

Joe Dirt O'Toole: Rockin' the Green Mullet

Everyone Get Dol' d Up...It's Party Time!

2008-02-11T20:36:00.000-08:00

Thank you oh so much for coming to my party Grandfaaathhheerrr.

Greetings! Well it is official, Adam is one year old! This Saturday we celebrated Adam's Dol (first birthday) and had an absolutely wonderful time. His birthday was actually Friday and he had a small celebration in my classroom with his third grade 'brothers and sisters' and Saturday was the big family party. It was a fantastic time with a great blend of American and Korean customs. Matt and I made Bulgogi (I know...I cooked (with Matt's help)...it was edible...even tasty... wonders never cease... :). Rose made Mandu and we supplemented the remainder of the meal with food from Uoki including Sang-Choo-Sam and Bi-Bim-Bob. My mom and dad also brought an edible arrangement of fruit that was almost too beautiful to eat and of course there was cake, lots and lots of cake, everywhere! After dinner we completed the Korean tradition of the Dol table, where everyone at the party brings something to place on the table that will foretell Adam's future if he picks it up. Matt put a golf ball and a deck of cards, I put a pen and a box of band-aids (make way for the next McDreamy :) and the rest of the family brought other items. We set the items on the coffee table and then set Adam on the other side of the room. When I set him on the floor he took off like a shot for the table! Immediately he picked up the golf ball (of course) and then grabbed the toothbrush that my mom brought. We decided that this means he will either be, like Hermey, a dentist who loves to play golf in his free time or he will be a pro-golfer who has impeccable dental hygiene. After the table we opened presents and then Adam decided that since he held center stage that he would go ahead and walk his first steps alone. Ahhh! He took about 3 steps unassisted which was very exciting. He seems to have decided that 3 steps is the perfect length for a stroll and for the past few days has yet to move beyond that, but that's fine by me. I'm sure he'll be running around here before we know it.

After such strenuous activity it was cake time. Oh. Dear. Lord. Was it ever cake time. After being handed a chocolate cake for his own personal enjoyment, Adam didn't miss a beat before sticking in one fist, then another, followed by his face. He was in heaven. And this is a little guy who has shown little interest in anything sweet. Guess he's rethinking that policy as a one year old. And while this is certainly not something we'll make a habit, it was a great way to spend a birthday. Upon examining Adam after Cake-a-palooza, I began to see Kramer's brilliance in installing a disposal in his shower. However given that we were not that forward thinking it was into the sink for a scrub down.

It was really such an amazing day and one that brought me to tears on more than one occasion. I think back on how amazing this past year has been for us and am filled with so much thanks to every person who made it possible for us to get to this day. Can't wait to see what the next year has in store for Adam and our family.
Love to you and yours!

Hahaha! Did you say my mom made this?!?! Stop, hahaha, stop, you're killing me! But Dad was at least helping right? Ok that makes sense...

And thus Dad's day is made.

Wait Adam, are you sure you don't want the band-aids? Look, look how fun the band-aids are...ok, you do need to keep your teeth sparkling for that winning smile on the 18th green.

Happy Birthday, man.

Matt, practicing setting up camp for The Annual fishing trip next year.

The Stages of Cake Acceptance:
1. Curiosity

2. Intrigue

3. Ok maybe just one bite

4. The, "Hey, you've got some cake on your face man," stage

5. Sharing

6. Joy

7.Victory! Take that 3rd percentile!

Stomach Flu, Schmumick Flu: Let the Good Times Roll

2008-01-25T16:28:00.000-08:00

Greetings! It has been a crazy and wonderful time in our house. :) Well wonderful with the exception of the Robo-Virus that rolled through our house last week and was generously spread to each and every person with whom we came in contact. If you happen to be one of those lucky people...wow...sorry. We are very, very sorry. Cannot stress how sorry we are. Truly. Sorry. Please don't be afraid to visit again. But as the sickness passed we pressed on with some major festivities.
Scott and Meg came in from out of town and finally got to meet Adam who adores his aunt and uncle. We had a wonderful visit with them and Adam of course loves them very much. It was fantastic to have them here. Last Saturday Rose (Grams) threw Adam and I a fantastic shower. It was a great time visiting with friends and family and we cannot thank her enough. Last Sunday Adam was baptized in a beautiful service. Thankfully we had the ceremony when we did because Adam was able to barely-wear Matt's baptism outfit including booties that were knitted by his grandma, which was really special. I think we were about 3 apple Puffs aways from popping a button and putting out an eye, but it did fit and Adam was adorable. :) It was such a special day and I continue to humbled by our many blessings. Then Tuesday it was off to The Stock Show and rodeo. Yee-hawwww. We had the best time introducing Adam to the animals, the events, and the glory of the giant turkey leg. He loved it!! I think we have a future Mutton Buster in our midst.
It has been quite the action-packed couple of weeks. It blows my mind that Adam will have been home 3 months next week. Adam grows and changes everyday. Time seems to have flown and yet at the same time, it's like he's always been here. It's an amazing thing.

Love to all of you and your family!

Next time on the blog: Adam turns one. How has he changed? What major feats has he accomplished in his monumental first year on the planet? What is his outlook for life as a one year old and finally Carly tackles the tough questions like, "Wait, does that mean I'm a year older too?"

Photos of the big events:

Showers are reasons to smile!

Suck it in! Pheew never a doubt...

All right there partner, time to hydrate after a long day on the range and head out to the rodeo. Move 'em out

Surveying the land.

Dressing in layers helps maintain rancher-style and the ear-warmth.

Happy Holiday Who-bilation!

2008-01-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

Make way for the Holiday Cheermeister!

Happy New Year to one and all! I hope you and your family had a blessed holiday season. It is hard for me to find the words (Ha! Somewhere Matt is muttering, "Well that's a first") to explain how amazing our holiday season has been. Being together with family and friends has always been the most special gift to receive during the holidays, but this year, with Adam home....well it was enough to choke me up on more than one occasion. I am thrilled to have had 2 weeks off to spend with Adam and we have certainly made the most of it. We had a great time at holiday parties and lots of lunches and coffees with old friends. We froze our gum drops off at Blossoms of Light at The Botanic Gardens and introduced Adam to his first giraffe at The Zoo Lights. We had a wonderful pre-Christmas Christmas at Rose and Jerry's house where Adam loved spending time with his cousins and vice versa. On Christmas Eve we went to mass and then had everyone over to our house. Christmas day both sides of our family met up at my folks' house and we had a great day opening gifts, playing games, counting our blessings, and basically eating our way through the day. It was wonderful to have Emily back home to celebrate with us. New Year's Eve had a brand new theme for Matt and I this year: Midnight on the East Coast is Good Enough for Me. :) Actually we stayed awake to see the first 5 seconds of 2008, and for that I am pretty proud.

It is amazing to think about all that has happened in a year. It was a year ago that Matt and I decided that our family would grow through the miracle of adoption. A year since we got on the list to meet our son. We had started 2007 with hope, lots and lots of hope. And with each month that passed came more hope, more paperwork, and a greater realization that our baby was coming. Then in October the years of waiting came to an end. From the moment I met Adam every single second of waiting was not only worth it, but seemed like a small price to pay. We thank God for all of our blessings this past year and look forward to what 2008 has in store.

Much love to all of our family and friends, even if we could not physically spend the holidays together, you were in our hearts!

Check out my sweet new ride. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

You Can Do It, Adorable Santa Can Help

Thanks Nana and Papa!

Is there no end to the goofy outfits my mom puts me in?........No. No there's not.

Turkey for Me and Turkey for You, Let's Eat Turkey in My Big Brown Shoe

2007-12-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

Festive Holiday Headgear is Something to Applaud Greetings! So once again there is a small delay in my posting, however since it is not yet Christmas, I figure I'm still making good time. You should all be receiving our Christmas card just in time for that most magical and joyous of holidays: Presidents Day. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year and we had so much for which to be thankful. Adam is the answer to our prayers and has filled a place in our home and hearts that was meant just for him. It was fantastic to have a lot of our family from Nebraska including Nonnie, Petesie, Uncle Steve, Aunt Theresa, Ted, Dan, Nick and New York Auntie Em come to Colorado this year and to meet Adam. I am especially grateful to Nonnie and Petesie for making the trip, despite the fact that they were both under the weather and that Nonnie is still recovering from her knee-replacement surgery. And family who could not be here physically were absolutely here in our hearts and minds and possibly on the receiving end of some CU/NU football 'banter'.

Have Baby, Will Vacuum. Holiday cleaning never seemed so adventurous.

Nonnie, Petesie, Adam, Max, and Zoe

Auntie Em takes her clean-up duty seriously. Aunt Lili...not so much.

Adam and Uncle Steve and Aunt Theresa

Dan the Baby Whisperer

President of the Bo Pelini Welcome Wagon

School Days, Schools Days, Oh Those Happy Drool Days

2007-11-15T13:00:00.001-08:00

Greetings All! Today Adam and I headed to my school for the fabulous Thanksgiving lunch, lovingly prepared by Aunt Mary and Grams. Put aside all of your preconceived notions about school lunch (and lunch ladies :) because Aunt Mary is known for her fabulous lunches and for taking extra care of the teachers. We ate a great meal and then were able to visit my other kids. What a lucky lady am I!

A good night's rest before a busy school day is essential.

Aunt Mary and Grams: Taking school lunches by storm, one green bean at a time.

Lesson #1: Noses

Thank you Ms. Brown!

From Halloween to Thanksgiving in a Day! This Journey Made Possible by the Miracle of Bloggetry.

2007-11-11T16:24:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I posted about Halloween and today a quick post about our wonderful early Thanksgiving Day meal at our Aunt Mary and Uncle Tom's house. That's right. 2 posts, 2 days. I just blew my mind. :) It was a wonderful day with great food and company. We headed out to Mary and Tom's in Highlands Ranch with Grams and Grandpa and Uncle Dennis and we visited with Mary, Tom, Margie, Chuck, Luke, and Tommy and Jen and their family. Their kids Kieffer, Kylie, and Kolton went crazy for Adam and he LOVED them. As usual he was sweet the entire day and no one could believe what a happy boy he was for being home just 2 weeks. Sorry if I'm so braggy about him, we are just sooo blessed, and I...well..ok I'm a pretty braggy. :) I just can't help it, he is fantastic and I am a proud, proud mama. We enjoyed delicious Mexican food, much like the pilgrims and Indians did on their first feast, and had a fantastic day. Feliz Thanksgiving to all!!!

Happy Halloween....ish

2007-11-10T20:56:00.001-08:00

The Great Pumpkin and The Little Stinker...Buds till the End

Greetings All! So I know I have been neglecting the blog and I do apologize. Thanks to many of you for your subtle and not-so-subtle (you know who you are) reminders for me to, "Get on it already!" I appreciate your patience. Parenthood seems to have taken Matt and I out of the, "Oh the Kirwins. They'll be here about 10 minutes late," to "Ughhh. The Kirwins?!?! Please tell me you told them the party is at 4 even though it doesn't start until 7. Maybe then they can make it by 9." :) Ok we're not that bad, but there is just so much stuff. Bags and bags of stuff to get ready to go anywhere. Plus Matt and I spend a 98% of our day playing and playing with Adam, taking thousands of pictures which you will be forced to gaze at adoringly, and just counting all of our many, many blessings. So I am afraid dishes are piling up, dust is definitely collecting and blogs have been ignored. However LIFE HAS BEEN FREAKING FANTASTIC. I have said it thousands and thousands of times but I cannot believe how absolutely blessed we have been and how amazing it is to have Adam home. What did we do before him? His transition has been absolutely amazing. Like amazingly, amazing. Like I need to get some Guinness (book not beer) people here to document this. What a blessing! Adam is a very happy little guy with a big appetite. He has had zero stranger anxiety, has been sleeping through the night and taking two naps a day IN HIS CRIB, and has been happy and content on the many outings on which he has been taken. Restaurants, birthday parties, visits to and from family and friends, he has done beautifully. He is teething like a mad man, and has the drool to prove it. We had our Well Baby Checkup yesterday which Adam thought was the funnest thing since four guys in Australia got together one day and said, "Hey. I know. Let's all dress up in brightly colored turtlenecks and sing songs with a pirate," until the shots came and the doctor wanted to take some blood to run some labs. Yikes. I don't know who took it worse, Adam or me. Other than that tough 30 minutes, these last two weeks have been wonderful. Thanks to everyone for your loving thoughts, gifts, cards, flowers, and visits. The three of us could not feel more loved or more thankful for each other and for all of you. Can't wait for more visits to come especially with the holidays coming up! Love to all of you!

Here are some photos:

Bath Time

Papa and Grandfaaaaathhhheerrrr

Adam and Grams

Storytime

Our doctor visit, while the good times still rolled.

Ram pride, even in these dark days.

Celebrate Me Home*

2007-10-30T16:27:00.001-07:00

So I'm a little late, I know that, I'm a little late in saying this...but WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!!!!!! Home at last. As you can see by the non-post last night after 11, I tried to write about our homecoming last night but ended up finally hitting the proverbial wall and entered a coma-like state until 11 this morning. Emily just called and informed me that my post last night was very uninformative so I needed to step it up and post tonight. :) Sorry for the delay. And apparently being a parent is a pretty time consuming thing, are you aware of this? (Parents around the world just let out a collective, "Uhh, ya think?!") But we're back baby and I'm ready to report.

Adam, Mom, and I left Seoul at 10am on Sunday.

We took a bus to the airport and were ready for the long journey home. I prayed and prayed and prayed that Adam would handle the trip well, or at least that we would be traveling with understanding saint-like passengers, who appreciate the sound of a crying baby like others appreciate music and art. And thankfully God blessed us again. Adam handled the plane rides like a champ!!

He slept most of the long flight to Vancouver and was happy and content in the small amount of time he was awake. We were absolutely blessed again because we were in a row with 4 seats, and once again just the 3 of us so Mom and I took the end seats and Adam slept on the 2 in between. Passengers on all of our flights commented on how amazing he was, content and happy. We flew from Seoul to Vancouver to San Fransisco to Denver. Adam got just a tiny bit stressed on the last flight home but by that time we had been traveling for 24 hours and I myself was screaming and throwing things at other passengers so his stress was understandable.

We arrived in Denver at 8:30pm on Sunday and were so surprised to see Rose and Matt had gotten special permission to meet us at the gate, and the party began!!!! The laughter, the tears, the hugs, we were a regular Hallmark commercial! :) Everyone was so happy to meet Adam, but no one more than his Dad. Matt picked him and said, "I'm never letting him go." I knew he was going to be a wonderful father, but there are no words to say what it is like to see him with Adam. You can just see on him face how much he loves him and it melts my heart. I am one lucky lady to have these two guys in my life! Well the 5 of us headed on the train and to meet the rest of the group. We were quite the spectacle and soon we met the rest of the homecoming party. We were met by Dad (Papa), Grandpa Jerry, Lisa, Dante, and Christian. Lisa had made signs for everyone to hold and Dante was yelling, "Adam you complete me!" :) It was so wonderful!! Adam went easily to everyone and LOVED Christian! He smiled and yelled and tried to hug his cousin right away. They will be true partners in crime. Then we took the party and headed back to our house. Adam did not like the car-ride home or his new car seat and voiced his opinion on the matter. When we got home, Matt stayed true to his word and would not let him go. He gave him a bottle and got him ready for bed. The rest of our family stayed for just a short while. It was a wonderful end to the most important trip of my life.

Yesterday and today have been excellent. Adam has slept through the night with just a few tiny interruptions. He has bonded so well with Matt and goes to family and friends easily. He has been taking 2 naps a day and even takes them in his crib! He is very happy and content. He yells LOUDLY when he is happy and has a big appetite, so he's in the right family. He loves kids, especially his cousin. Thank you so much to everyone who has called, sent cards, and even food. I cannot thank you all enough. Matt and I could not feel more blessed and loved. I am so excited for Adam to meet the rest of his family and friends. Thanks also for your comments on this blog. It has been really fun to read them. I'll keep posting pictures and details of our new adventures to come. Love to you all!

****Apparently Kenny Loggins is the official singer/songwriter of our adoption, between this title and our nursery. Thanks Kenny, your sound is timeless! :)

2007-10-29T23:19:00.001-07:00

Our Day Out in Seoul....A Hair Raising Adventure (That's How We Roll)

2007-10-27T00:06:00.000-07:00

Hello again! This will probably be our last post from Seoul. Tomorrow Adam, Mom, and I head to the airport early for our long journey back to Colorado. We are hoping for a little bit of room on the plane (like we were so blessed with on our way here) or for Adam to become extremely relaxed and feel the need for a 18 hour cat-nap so that he can arrive peacefully back home to meet more of his family. I will post more after we are home for all of our wonderful friends and family in other states. Thanks to everyone for all of your comments and prayers. I love you all. Especially to my students!!! :) I love you and miss you too. I can't wait to bring Adam in to see all of his friends in third grade!

So as I mentioned today Mom and I thought we would be brave and head out onto the subway system to do a little shopping. It went pretty well but as you can tell from the title not the greatest. However the beauty of the title is really two-fold. One is that it expresses some of the chaos that was our day and two, the three of us touring around Seoul was quite the sight to behold because, well Adam's hair speaks for itself. Mom and I on the other hand have been fighting the good fight that occurs between naturally curly hair and the humidity. Today that battle was lost my friends and Mom and I toured around town looking like frazzled Francis 'Baby' Houseman wannabes (Dirty Dancing anyone?). So it was slightly scary. Well we headed out on the subway thanks to the help of many kind strangers. We thought we knew where we were going, all seemed well, and yet an hour later we ended up at the train depot or maintenance station, with only the conductors and a few other foreigners, who, like us, had not understood the message at the last stop that it was in fact the last stop. So from then on, we decided cabbing it was the best decision for us. We did some shopping but a little after lunch time Mom and I were beginning to go cross-eyed from the lack of sleep over the past week and Adam had seen enough as well. So we headed back to our room for some naps and a bath. It was the right decision for the remainder of the day. And for those of you who will soon question whether or not your souvenir was something that could be purchased at the Incheon Airport.....ummm.....would you like to hold my son? :)

Here are some pictures from our day:

Gotcha!!

2007-10-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

Well my dear friends and family....HE IS HERE! Well not here, here at the business center of our hotel, but up in our room with his Nana sleeping peacefully. My son is here and my heart is bursting. The only thing that would make this day better and more complete would be for Matt to be here with us. I literally cannot wait for us to travel back home and for Adam to fill the place in our family that was meant just for him. I am finding it hard to find the right words to tell you about this day without bawling (and I'm trying hold it together because people are starting to stare) but I just have to say that my heart is overflowing and I am so thankful to God for this amazing gift. We have our boy!!! And he is amazing!!! At first I thought we might have our girl....but I'll get to that in a second.

Mom and I left early this morning and took a taxi to Eastern Social Welfare early this morning. We were set to go with our gifts, camera, papers, the works. When we first arrived they brought us in to meet our son's social worker and Dr. Kim. We had a nice meeting with him and talked about all of the amazing work that Eastern does. Then we were able to meet with the elder Dr. Kim who is 98 years old and still works very hard to help children in need. It was wonderful to meet the people who have done so much for my son and my family, but as we talked I was so distracted thinking, "Is he here yet? Will he like us? Will he be afraid?" And then the time came. Our social worker came in and said my son was here. She led Mom and I to a playroom and then suddenly there was my bouncy baby....

...I'm sorry what? What a beautiful girl, but where is my son???? :) Ahh! I mean we always knew he had the hair...but what?!?!?! Once I looked into his face I thought, "Ahhh there are those beautiful eyes I have been staring at in pictures for months. But for the love, why has someone put a pink barette in his hair? Well after the initial shock we sat down with our social worker, his foster mom, and of course Adam and played and played. He responded to us right away and was not at all afraid. His foster mom and social worker were very pleased becaused he had been having quite a bit of stranger anxiety lately, but not with us! His social worker informed us that she had decided it was too risky for us to take him tonight incase he became ill or too distressed. Mom and I were a little sad but were happy for our time with Adam and knew we would have our gotcha moment soon. Then the foster mom and social worker left us to play with him for about 20 minutes and we had a great time. He is a tiny peanut of a thing, but doing great for his age. He crawls and says 'dad' and 'mom' in Korean and he has 6 teeth!

It felt so good to be with him finally. After our short visit the women returned. After watching Adam with us they decided he would be fine and said we could take him home with us tonight! Horray!!! The social worker was nervous because Eastern has never let a parent take home the child after the first meeting, but she decided to take a chance on us and we are so glad she did. She told us the first Mr. Kim wanted to take mom and I to lunch while they gave Adam a final checkup and gathered his things. Mr. Kim took us for a nice meal at Marriot Hotel. When we returned Adam's foster mom showed us all of the wonderful gifts she had for him. She had made a wonderful photo album of their time together. She also gave him a traditional outfit to wear on his first birthday and an enscribed necklace with the Korean flag, his name, and birthday. We can never thank her enough for all she has done. Then it was time to get Adam's things and head back to the hotel. The elder Dr. Kim met us outside and said a beautiful prayer for Adam and for our entire family. Then we climbed in the van and headed to the hotel. When we got back to our room we had some important things to accomplish. We called Dad and waiting family at home...

...went shopping for some food and clothes for Adam for the next couple of days and then.....

...got his first hair cut. Ahhhhh, much better. Now my son doesn't need to fuss with those pesky barrettes. :)

It was one the best days of my life. I feel so blessed to have Adam and I'm so blessed Mom was here. There are no words to say how thankful to her I am for everything she has done. I hope to be even half of the mother she is. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers. Can't wait to bring Adam home to his Dad, grandparents and all of the family and friends waiting for him!

It Is Well With My Seoul

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hello All! We have just arrived at our beautiful hotel in Seoul! I will try to make as much sense as possible however we have been traveling for about 24 hours and I've had about 3 hours sleep total in the past two days so even spelling my name is a little difficult. I just wanted to hop on and say that God has truly blessed us on this trip and everything has gone so smoothly. Our flights were smooth and we were blessed to be seated in a row with four seats and only us in it, for the long haul. We had a small set-back when we arrived in Seoul, because we were expecting a driver to come and get us, but I guess the Eastern did not receive our request in time. Not a big problem, and with the help of a few very kind strangers here we were able to hop on a bus and head to our hotel. And speaking of the hotel, HOLY COW UNCLE MIKE!!!! It is absolutely the most beautiful and luxurious hotel Mom and I have ever stayed in. What an amazing treat after the long day of travel. In other exciting news I talked with Eastern when we landed to confirm that we would be coming in to meet Adam tomorrow. Yay! Our appointment with his foster mother, our social worker, and most importantly Adam is scheduled for 10am. We are thrilled. We also learned that there is a chance that we will get to keep him from then on, because Eastern is technically closed on the weekends. However the very nice woman at Eastern did say that because the babies are older, he may not be glad to see us in which case we will get him Sunday afternoon. Mom and I are a little nervous about both possibilities. In scenario 1 we get Adam tomorrow (woohooo) however we did not pack enough clothes, diapers, or food for him since we thought we would get him right before we headed home. It could make for some exciting shopping in Seoul though. In scenario 2 we see Adam, it is so wonderful to finally see him, but as is natural he is nervous about us, they tell us to come back on Sunday where we will pick up a nervous little boy and put him on a plane for 12 hours. Either way we are finally getting Adam and I could not be happier and look forward to the adventures. We know God will put us on the right path and that whatever happens, we are so excited to meet Adam. I can't believe it is just a few hours away. Mom wanted for me pass on that her phone is out of commission and she can't pass on texts or pictures like she had hoped. However we are going to try to upload pictures of our meeting tomorrow. Can't wait! As always thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers. They have made a difference!

Don't Vancouver your eyes folks...We're in Canada, eh

2007-10-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Just a short post. Mom and I have arrived in Vancouver and are awaiting our flight to Seoul. Our flight here was perfect, except for about 10 pesky flies who stowed away. Although maybe they were off to pick up their children as well, so I'll cut them some slack. Thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts. Can't wait to meet Adam soon.

Carly from Canada, over and out.

"Where In the World is My Shoe?" and Other Fun Games to Play After Midnight

2007-10-23T23:33:00.000-07:00

So it is not quite 3 am like I predicted, but considering I am a supposed to be up in 3 and 1/2 hours to get ready to go to the airport, we're on adrenaline and Starbucks time now anyhow. I am sitting down for the first time since my last post and wow, it is amazing how much I accomplished (with much help from co-workers and family alike) in the 9 hours since receiving the call. It makes me wonder about how much more I could accomplish on a regular day if I approached it with the kind of determination I approached this afternoon, but then I think, "Who would watch my TV?" :)
On to the important details. As I mentioned, with the help of Matt and my teammates I was able to call the wonderful woman who is subbing for me over my leave and have everything ready for her to start in the morning. Matt and I then spent the rest of the evening in a sort of whirlwind packing, making calls, saying prayers, and yelling, "WOW THIS IS REALLY IT!!" (ok that was mostly me). Around 10 pm we loaded up the car with all of my luggage, our crazed dogs who have absolutely no idea how their world is about to be turned upside but so far love it, because they get to go on car rides when they should be in bed, and headed to my mom's house. We decided to spend the night there to save some time in the morning. There we met my very excited mother and finalized all of the packing and plans. This was all going well and good until I asked the age-old question, "Hmmmmm, why did I pack only one shoe? Going to be a little tough to go half-way around the world on one shoe." Now for most people this would be a pretty big concern considering it is 11:30 at night, you need to leave in a few hours for the airport and the trip home and back will take over an hour. Luckily I am world-renowned for forgetting or losing crucial things on trips and so a shoe was a relatively minor thing, even if it was the only pair I was going to bring. Plus the fact that I found this out before I was actually getting dressed tomorrow makes feel like I'm growing. So off I ran for my shoe and am now back at my mom's in the wee hours of the morning. Not to worry, all extremely crucial items, like my passport, papers, and wonderful baby things have been checked and checked and checked for months. I am trying to will myself into sleepiness but I am so filled with excitement and anticipation it is difficult. I cannot wait to go to Seoul and most importantly to meet and hold my son. I have been dreaming of this day for so long that to think it will happen in a matter of a few days is amazing to me. I feel so blessed and so excited to have Adam coming home.
My mom and I are leaving Denver tomorrow morning at 8:15 am for Vancouver. There we have a 2 hour layover and then head out on a flight to Seoul. We are staying at The Grand Intercontinental Hotel in Seoul with all thanks going to my Uncle Mike. We are not yet sure how close this is to Eastern Social Services (where we will meet Adam) but we'll figure it out. This hotel is located at the World Trade Center of Seoul and very used to dealing with foreign guests (and hopefully anxious and overly dramatic soon-to-be-moms). It is typical for a family to fly into Seoul and then to meet their child the next day (even if you are staying at Eastern) so we will have time to figure out the other details. We will be leaving Seoul on Sunday at 5:00 pm and then arriving in Denver at 7:58 pm Sunday. Of course the amazing thing is that while seemly only 3 hours have passed we have actually been traveling for about 18 hours. Time zones are amazing things. Thanks again for all of your support and prayers. I can't wait to post pictures of Adam and more about our adventure!

WE GOT THE CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

WOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Ok breath, Carly. Sorry I tried to think of a witty yet pertinent title for this post but seeing as how I am leaving for Seoul, Korea in 15 HOURS nothing came to mind. To say that I am excited is the understatement of the year. This is a short post since I suddenly have a million things to do, but I'll try to add more tonight, probably about 3am since I will most certainly be doing anything but sleeping. A few fast fun facts: 1. Mom and I are leaving tomorrow at 8:15 am and will be returning on Sunday evening. 2. There is no room at Eastern for us to stay until after November 1st and while the thing I want to do most in the world is wait some more, that's just not gonna fly. Thanks to my uncle Mike, we'll be staying in a great hotel. Thanks Uncle Mike! Well that's it for now. Thanks to everyone for your support and prayers and for all of the comments. I love you all. Guess it was a good thing to start this blog yesterday. And Carolyn hats off to you for knowing it would be this week. If I had a million dollars I would give it to you. I don't so I'll just say you are my Ambassador of Awesomeness! Love to all!

Journey Back With Me, Won't You?

2007-10-22T14:54:00.001-07:00

So yes this is my second post in like an hour (did I mention I was waiting?) but I thought you guys might like to see some pictures of our journey up to this point. So travel back with me to the simpler times of June 2007, seems like only yesterday, I know. Life was good, times were sweet, and Carly was filled with a hope, anticipation and down-right giddiness that can only come from a teacher on summer break. With the help of the grandmas, Aunt Lili, and Christian we started on the nursery.

We bought a very serene blue to cover over my former Trading Spaces colored-block wall. Farewell crazy wall, we bid you adieu. Matt put together our beautiful crib set. I know ladies, looks and handy-man capabilities, Matt is the full package (well minus his unintelligible emails and hatred of the Broncos). Thanks for the crib and changing table Papa!

Then my mom, Lisa, and Christian came over and we painted a tree on the wall along with some clouds, bees, and butterflies. The theme of the nursery is Classic Pooh, so we also painted some of the words from the Kenny Loggins song, The House at Pooh Corner. It turned out beautifully!

Then we went on with our summer and with our favorite past time.....waiting! :) Our prayers were answered on July 17th. At exactly 7:59am on that Tuesday morn, the phone rang with glad tidings from our wonderful AAC Debbie. She had a referral for us! Woohoo! She emailed me Adam's history and pictures. Matt was at work and I immediately called him. He was thrilled and could not wait to get home and read Adam's information. We had agreed that we would not tell anyone until we had decided that we were going to take the referral and sign the papers. Yah. Me and my iron will lasted about 40 minutes and I was on the horn calling friends and family alike. You probably heard about our referral on CNN. The thing was that for once there was nothing to wait on. Adam was a healthy, happy boy who was thriving and he was my son. I knew it. I headed off to nanny for the day and Mom and Lisa went out to buy gifts for Adam and his foster mom because the next day Matt and I would head to Berthoud to sign the papers. We were also able to send a care package to Adam with another traveling family. Mom and Lisa did a great job finding the gifts on such a short notice. That night we headed out with our families for a celebratory dinner at a Korean restaurant called Seoul Food. It was the perfect way to end the perfect day.

Well I have gone on enough for today. Thanks for letting me share (well not really like you had a choice but still, thanks). There is more to come in our exciting story, a surprise shower, a trip to Nebraska for a shower and a little cautionary tale I like to call: Guess What? The Government Has Changed the Required Forms, Just for Fun. Much love to you all!

Carly Kirwin: A Woman Who Exudes Calm, Patience, and Quiet Understanding

2007-10-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

Bahahahahaha! No, not that. She's nothing like that.

Greeting friends and family! As you all know, Matt and I are anxiously awaiting the call to bring our new son Adam home. I decided to start this blog to keep you all posted on our journey, and to keep me a little occupied so I am not always staring at the phone, crying out with arms flailing to the heavens, "Ring you cursed thing! Ring!" (it's starting to drive Matt a little crazy and really scares the dogs). Plus blogging seems to be the wave of the future and if Creed Bratton can blog, well then by golly, so can Carly Kirwin. We are at the most difficult part of our journey now, The Great Wait. How can this be the most difficult part you ask? Wasn't the home study, the trainings, the series of fingerprintings, tracking down and completing seemingly hundreds of government forms with obscure titles like the I-600 (that's T900 for all you Back Yardigans fans out there), and signing some big checks the hardest part? No way! Even though that was a lot of work and at times stressful, at least we were busy and I felt like we were actually moving ourselves through the process. Now there is nothing I can do, but wait. And wait. And then wait some more. Stop saying wait. Up until these past few weeks I have felt at peace with our wait. I would look at my son's picture everyday and pray for him and say, "When the time is right, I'll be seeing you." Then a couple of weeks ago the Yuen's, a wonderful family who were on the list ahead of us, went to Korea to pick up their beautiful son, Sam. And Jill, the mom, has a fabulous blog which she updated everyday of their trip. And suddenly calm, peaceful, give it to GOD Carly flew right out the window and has been replaced by crazy, what in the world is the freaking hold-up, I want it now, Veruca Salt, Carly. (Don't you wish you were married to me right now?) The Yuen's blog was so helpful and Jill has been a constant source of support and answers all of my many, many questions. But also, when I read about the Yuen's journey and saw their pictures it was like, "Wow my son is right there. HOLY COW he's right there! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HE'S RIGHT THERE AND SOON I WILL BE THERE AND THEN WE'LL BE HERE. WE'RE SO CLOSE! AHHHH!" And thus Crazy Carly was born. At this point we know Adam's visa is in Korea and that the Korean government is processing our paperwork and will then schedule a visa interview for Adam (hope he's prepared a few things to say focused around his personal and professional strengths and goals :) and then we will get our call to travel. I am heading to Korea with my wonderful mother and she too is on stand-by, ready to head to Seoul. We are told it could be any day. It could be tomorrow, it could be in two weeks. So we wait. In the meantime, Matt and I appreciate all of your prayers and support. It is you all who make the waiting manageable. And I appreciate your enduring my long-winded, stream of consciousness, overly dramatic posts (oh there will be more to come)."Even for the internet, it's pretty shocking." :) Love to you all.